kahuna wrote on 2023-08-28, 18:06:

Hi there, […]
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Hi there,

Just wanted to double check something.
Is it OK to leave softmpu running at all times (i.e., loaded in autoexec.bat) even for games that do not require intelligent mode?
Or perhaps should I just only load softmpu when I'm about to play one of those games?

Thanks!

I think the question was answered in subsequent posts but the main goal of SoftMPU is to emulate and intelligent mode MPU-401 MIDI interface. From a gaming perspective, this was basically required only for certain games that supported the MT-32.

So, if your game doesn't require an intelligent mode MPU-401 MIDI interface, then I would say don't load SoftMPU. Also remember that it uses memory which might limit your available memory for other applications.

Apologies, I tested it again and Comanche 2 works perfectly fine in both MT32 and General Midi with SoftMPU loaded.
I guess, I didn't install the patch the first time I ran it, or I did something different that I don't recall. I actually tested, Comanche, Comanche 2 and Comanche 3; all working fine.

From my point of view, if I can leave SoftMPU loaded at all times that would simplify things as I don't have to worry if it's needed or not. There is a previous post by the author indicating that SoftMPU should be able to switch between UART and Intelligent mode as needed. See: Re: SoftMPU 1.1 - Software Intelligent MPU-401 Emulator
Also, it only takes 8KB of RAM and can be loaded in the higher/upper memory area.