The AW32/64 doesn't have the same MPU-401 as the SB16/32 has.
- Which wasn't great either, since it was a "dumb" UART type of MPU, anyway. A special serial port with MIDI tinings, in other words.
To make it work with a real MT-32/CM-32L etc. and its games, SoftMPU had to be run (which requires V86 mode).
Instead, the AWEs use a software-based MPU-401, controlled via AWEUTIL.
AWEUTIL also has a cheap MT-32 emulation that uses the fine EMU8000 synthesizer chip (installed on AWEs and SB32).
This MT-32 emulation connects to the software-based MPU-401.
That way, Real-Mode games for DOS can use a fictional MT-32.
Protected-Mode games like MegaMan X or Lollypop won't be able to use it.
However, the fictional MT-32 has another drawback. It's not programmable.
Games like Monkey Island will sound okay, because they use the default programming.
Other games may sound wrong, however, if they try to re-programm the MT-32.
Edit: Or in other words, both the SB16 and AWE32/64 don't have Intelligent MPU-401, as needed by most MT-32 games (those from the 80s, running on 808x/286 PCs in Real-Mode).
To make them run, SoftMPU must be loaded (simulates intelligent MPU-401 in software, then sends processed MIDI information a to dumb MPU-401 hardware).
Or you need a classic MIDI card, like the MusicQuest card or its clones.
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