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Nice 8-bit Soundcard

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First post, by Predator99

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Just was looking through my box to find something I havent tested yet:

The attachment IMG_0327r.jpg is no longer available

Also found a photo how it looked like as I got it...:

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This little inconspicuous thing has some features I have not seen yet which makes it very useful for me:
- Adlib compatible
- PC-Speaker input and Output
- Line In- and Out
- Volume control

I have never seen 2 PC-speaker connectors on another card before. Just played with it: You can connect the Internal-Speaker-Output to the "Mainboard" connector and connect the Internal PC-Speaker to the "PC Speaker" connector.

In this configuration it forwards PC-Speaker and Adlib-Output to the Internal Speaker als well as to the external boxes! Therefore you can hear Adlib music with your internal speaker without having your amplifier connected.

Anybody else owns a card which can do this? 😎

Reply 2 of 19, by Scali

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Predator99 wrote:

I have never seen 2 PC-speaker connectors on another card before. Just played with it: You can connect the Internal-Speaker-Output to the "Mainboard" connector and connect the Internal PC-Speaker to the "PC Speaker" connector.

The Sound Blaster Pro 2 (CT1600) has this as well. I had it hooked up like that in my 386SX-16.
Possibly other Sound Blasters from that era.

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Reply 3 of 19, by cyclone3d

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Pretty sure the Adlib clone sold as a PC Symphony has PC Speaker in/out as well. Yep.. it does. Take a look at the pic here.
https://collection.batyra.pl/soundcards/adlib/goldstarclone

I have a boxed and an unboxed one as well. First sound card I ever bought.

The boxed one that Batyra has is one that I sold to him after I ran across somebody that still had a couple brand new ones for sale.

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Reply 4 of 19, by Predator99

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Scali wrote:
Predator99 wrote:

I have never seen 2 PC-speaker connectors on another card before. Just played with it: You can connect the Internal-Speaker-Output to the "Mainboard" connector and connect the Internal PC-Speaker to the "PC Speaker" connector.

The Sound Blaster Pro 2 (CT1600) has this as well. I had it hooked up like that in my 386SX-16.
Possibly other Sound Blasters from that era.

Just have a CT1600 in front of me, but I dont see a (internal) speaker output?

I agree there a many cards which takes the internal speaker as input and forwards it to the external amplifier...

Reply 5 of 19, by Predator99

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cyclone3d wrote:
Pretty sure the Adlib clone sold as a PC Symphony has PC Speaker in/out as well. Yep.. it does. Take a look at the pic here. htt […]
Show full quote

Pretty sure the Adlib clone sold as a PC Symphony has PC Speaker in/out as well. Yep.. it does. Take a look at the pic here.
https://collection.batyra.pl/soundcards/adlib/goldstarclone

I have a boxed and an unboxed one as well. First sound card I ever bought.

The boxed one that Batyra has is one that I sold to him after I ran across somebody that still had a couple brand new ones for sale.

Yes...this one looks very similar. But I wouldnt dare to connect an signal input to it as the connectors are not labeled at all...

Reply 6 of 19, by Scali

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Predator99 wrote:

Just have a CT1600 in front of me, but I dont see a (internal) speaker output?

See the 8-pin header behind the mic and line in ports?
That's where it is.
See the manual on page D-2: http://www.minuszerodegrees.net/manuals/Sound … ing_Started.pdf

http://scalibq.wordpress.com/just-keeping-it- … ro-programming/

Reply 7 of 19, by Predator99

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Hmmm...

"PC Spk Connector" is the input.

I think the 8-pin header behind the mic and line in ports directly connects to the external connectors? But maybe you are right and its possible to connect the internal speaker to it. But I dont see this feature in the manual?

Reply 8 of 19, by Scali

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Predator99 wrote:

I think the 8-pin header behind the mic and line in ports directly connects to the external connectors? But maybe you are right and its possible to connect the internal speaker to it. But I dont see this feature in the manual?

Yea, see D-2. It has a left and right speaker signal. That's why the jumpers are there. With the jumpers on, the sound is passed directly to the output (via the left and right 'return' pins). But you can remove the jumpers and connect a left and right speaker.
So I just connected my PC speaker to one of them, worked well enough for any mono Sound Blaster/AdLib stuff, and also passed the PC speaker signal back (with volume control on the back). In theory you could put two PC speakers in your case and make it stereo.

http://scalibq.wordpress.com/just-keeping-it- … ro-programming/

Reply 9 of 19, by SW-SSG

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The SS701 and SS702 are probably an illegal clone OPL2 chip and its DAC. Nice and somewhat surprising they're socketed, given how cheesy the rest of the board looks.

Reply 10 of 19, by Predator99

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Scali wrote:
Predator99 wrote:

I think the 8-pin header behind the mic and line in ports directly connects to the external connectors? But maybe you are right and its possible to connect the internal speaker to it. But I dont see this feature in the manual?

Yea, see D-2. It has a left and right speaker signal. That's why the jumpers are there. With the jumpers on, the sound is passed directly to the output (via the left and right 'return' pins). But you can remove the jumpers and connect a left and right speaker.
So I just connected my PC speaker to one of them, worked well enough for any mono Sound Blaster/AdLib stuff, and also passed the PC speaker signal back (with volume control on the back). In theory you could put two PC speakers in your case and make it stereo.

OK agree 😀 Maybe I will try that too 😉

Reply 11 of 19, by cyclone3d

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Predator99 wrote:
cyclone3d wrote:
Pretty sure the Adlib clone sold as a PC Symphony has PC Speaker in/out as well. Yep.. it does. Take a look at the pic here. htt […]
Show full quote

Pretty sure the Adlib clone sold as a PC Symphony has PC Speaker in/out as well. Yep.. it does. Take a look at the pic here.
https://collection.batyra.pl/soundcards/adlib/goldstarclone

I have a boxed and an unboxed one as well. First sound card I ever bought.

The boxed one that Batyra has is one that I sold to him after I ran across somebody that still had a couple brand new ones for sale.

Yes...this one looks very similar. But I wouldnt dare to connect an signal input to it as the connectors are not labeled at all...

I have the instructions. 😀

Yamaha modified setupds and drivers
Yamaha XG repository
YMF7x4 Guide
Aopen AW744L II SB-LINK

Reply 12 of 19, by SpeedySPCFan

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Any chance you can provide a recording off of it? If they're clone chips like SW-SSG says they are then I'm quite curious to hear how they hold up under the scrutiny of something like Dune.
To make things easier you can find a program to play OPL2 VGM files here: SBVGM (DOS) VGM Player
And you can find the Dune tunes here: https://vgmrips.net/packs/pack/dune-ibm-pc-at

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Reply 13 of 19, by Predator99

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YES, I can 😉

To my surprise the VGM player didnt detect the card as Adlib. Therefore I installed Dune. Didnt know that game - thanks for the hint, really like the music!

My favorite is Populous. There I can hear no difference to a SB.

The attachment Populous Adlib.mp3 is no longer available
The attachment Populous Speaker.rar is no longer available
The attachment Dune 1.mp3 is no longer available
The attachment Dune 2.mp3 is no longer available
The attachment Dune 3.mp3 is no longer available

Reply 14 of 19, by SpeedySPCFan

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Many thanks! I just took a listen to the MP3s - I'm really surprised how close this is even if it has some subtle differences. It sounds like there's some sort of filter being applied to the signal that dulls the high end a little bit. Some instruments also sound a little crunchier, compare the snare drum in Dune 2.mp3 against how it sounds on a real OPL chip: https://youtu.be/Wdhx71OZNco

EDIT: Just remembered, another game worth trying is Illusion Blaze. Excellent AdLib music and great drumming. https://youtu.be/s5hVFh_D2as?list=PL-vD6rIjXr … E4e722K_LgflPoe_

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Reply 15 of 19, by brostenen

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Yup. I vaguely remember those cards. What year was it? 1988/89/90-something'ish? As far as I remember, only few people had it back then.

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Reply 16 of 19, by Great Hierophant

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This no-name Adlib clone has a very nice PC Speaker passthrough. It's superior to the PC Speaker inputs on the Sound Blasters, which apply some filters that do ugly things to the sound.

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Reply 17 of 19, by Scali

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Great Hierophant wrote:

This no-name Adlib clone has a very nice PC Speaker passthrough. It's superior to the PC Speaker inputs on the Sound Blasters, which apply some filters that do ugly things to the sound.

Am I the only one who feels the irony here? 😀

http://scalibq.wordpress.com/just-keeping-it- … ro-programming/

Reply 18 of 19, by Ozzuneoj

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Scali wrote:
Great Hierophant wrote:

This no-name Adlib clone has a very nice PC Speaker passthrough. It's superior to the PC Speaker inputs on the Sound Blasters, which apply some filters that do ugly things to the sound.

Am I the only one who feels the irony here? 😀

Sound Blaster blasting sound? 🤣

Now for some blitting from the back buffer.