There isn't a way to fix the single-cycle DMA clicking bug on these sound cards, unfortunately. Some of the variants are much worse, where samples tend to drop out on several occasions.

If SB16 and AWE support is wanted, consider adding a secondary ISA sound card as a workaround.

Gmlb256 wrote on 2024-05-20, 16:32:

There isn't a way to fix the single-cycle DMA clicking bug on these sound cards, unfortunately.

I guess I will give up my plan to add SB16 compatibility. I only wonder why this bug didn't kill the cards back in the 90s? Inflow of new people for current games?
I only remember that I "hated" my awe32 back then (coming from some SB pro). I don't recall if for noise or clumsy installation or whatever. I only remember that I loved the AWE64gold from the start. Must have been quite an improvement.

Yeah, the AWE64 was an improvement overall aside from the CQM FM synth. That bug on SB16 and AWE32 variants didn't kill them because at the height of their popularity, people played DOS games that used auto-init DMA, which didn't suffer from clicking noises.

Maybe this can be of use
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1o0_u- … #gid=1663779470
from
Sound Blaster: From best to worst

weedeewee wrote on 2024-05-20, 21:25:

Maybe this can be of use

Thanks. The use of the chart is to realize there is no Soundblaster to do the trick.

In the days when this stuff could be had for a few $/€ on ebay, I did pick up a few of these cards. In retrospect, some of the decisions then were wrong.
I spend some time to hunt down a card with DSP 4.04, a CT-1740. But this clicking bug renders it useless for older games.

In any case, the bug does correlate with the table and is absent in all my SBpro Clones. So I know what to do...