The PCM stream can go through EMU8000 side on AWE64 so there isn't any need for software based effects, only mixing.

It's all done on the EMU800, not software.

appiah4 wrote:

It's all done on the EMU800, not software.

Not sure what you mean by "all", but that's wrong anyway. That "64 voices" crap was a lie by Creative. The EMU8000 can do 32 voices and that's it. The AWE64 is just a renamed AWE32 with higher integration and all other features added by Windows software.

derSammler wrote:

appiah4 wrote:

It's all done on the EMU800, not software.

Not sure what you mean by "all", but that's wrong anyway. That "64 voices" crap was a lie by Creative. The EMU8000 can do 32 voices and that's it. The AWE64 is just a renamed AWE32 with higher integration and all other features added by Windows software.

By all I meant all the effects.

Ok, but the EMU8000 has provisions for individual reverb and chorus send levels for every of the 30 voices. Does that mean the WaveSynth only has global effects send?

AWE64 can also apply reverb/chorus to the integrated CQM FM too. You could crank it up in DOS with AWEUTIL and enjoy Zone66 with super reverb or so

WaveGuide is the software synth stuff to make that "64" marketing point meet. It even functions on AWE32 but creative doesn't want you to know that.

What is up with Wavesynth on AWE64? I remember when I tried it out it sounded like complete ass, yet the software synth on the Yamaha sounds great. Was the special version for Creative made extra crappy so that it wouldn't make the EMU8000 look bad?

Anonymous Coward wrote:

What is up with Wavesynth on AWE64? I remember when I tried it out it sounded like complete ass, yet the software synth on the Yamaha sounds great. Was the special version for Creative made extra crappy so that it wouldn't make the EMU8000 look bad?

AWE64 hw synth only uses 512K of samples from ROM so in absence of extra RAM for soundfonts it sounds rather muddy but passable. Nowhere near Yamaha’s 2/4/8 MB sample sets.

Yes, it was interesting to see the old Creative promotion stuff for the AWE64 on archive.org. They really went out of their way to show that their own FM and AWE32 synths sound like crap, so surely you need to buy the new AWE64 😀 Their examples are super contrived, like using super short amplitude envelopes on the "wavetable" examples to exaggerate the point on how bad they sound. When in fact the AWE64 examples sound even worse in many cases, especially the DOOM midi.

The WaveSynth (Sondius waveguide) technology does sound pretty good for certain instruments though, certainly better than minimal looped samples, especially the wind instruments and guitars. Too bad this technology didn't become the standard instead of FM and later samples, because it really can add a lot of finesse and dynamics to music. Imagine how different things would have been with demoscene music centered around Yamaha's waveguide XG.

Did anybody ever have a look at a disassembly of the AWE64 drivers? I would be interesting to see how they are using it. The best way would probably be to only use the softsynth voices for "spilling" when you run out of hardware voices, because it is hard to see how they can sound very similar to the hardware with its realtime filters and so on. But if there are already a lot of voices playing, it might not be so noticeable.

AdrianRomero wrote:

Ok, but the EMU8000 has provisions for individual reverb and chorus send levels for every of the 30 voices. Does that mean the WaveSynth only has global effects send?

I don't know how it DOES do it, but it COULD do it by pre-mixing the reverb / chorus sends into a single channel (or two, if you want stereo effects sends) and having the EMU8k process that.

You don't really need to process effects individually on every single channel. The result is always going to be an effected composite of all the channels calling for that particular effect. I.e., if you want 10% reverb on channel 35, you just multiply the amplitude of channel 35 by 0.1, and send that to the reverb unit, then mix the dry signal with the reverb output. That's how it's done with analog mixers and outboard effects.

SirNickity wrote:

You don't really need to process effects individually on every single channel.

You're right, but then they'd need at least 2 additional mono inputs (or 1 extra stereo) for the EMU8000. Perhaps there is also a way, then, to do the same for the FM synthesis.