Upload your resource.cfg file and we can take a look.

I had issues with the AUDBLAST driver in KQ6 and I ended up having to use the thunderboard driver.

There is an general midi option in the CD version of KQ6, but I am not sure about the floppy version. Make sure that is selected.

The resource.cfg is fairly terse, here's how it is when configured with general midi for music and sound blaster for "speech":

1videoDrv = VGA320.DRV
2soundDrv = GENMIDI.DRV
3audioDrv = AUDBLAST.DRV
4joyDrv = NO
5kbdDrv = IBMKBD.DRV
6mouseDrv = STDMOUSE.DRV
7memoryDrv - ARM.DRV
8minHunk = 204k
9language = 1
10cmd = kq6
11patchDir = .\
12sync = .\
13audioSize = 12k

I've tried looking around for an updated GenMIDI driver, but haven't really had any luck, and the updated Audblast.drv I was able to find didn't seem to like the game at all and it would freeze when starting.

If I set the music to use soundblaster/adl then the adl.drv seems to work fine for music so the "not able to initialize" error must be related to the vortex and the audblast.drv that it uses for the speech files.

Still no idea why the genmid.drv has the wrong mapping for the instruments via the internal wavetable though when it's selected.

teiresias wrote on 2021-06-29, 17:05:

The resource.cfg is fairly terse, here's how it is when configured with general midi for music and sound blaster for "speech": […]
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The resource.cfg is fairly terse, here's how it is when configured with general midi for music and sound blaster for "speech":

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1videoDrv = VGA320.DRV
2soundDrv = GENMIDI.DRV
3audioDrv = AUDBLAST.DRV
4joyDrv = NO
5kbdDrv = IBMKBD.DRV
6mouseDrv = STDMOUSE.DRV
7memoryDrv - ARM.DRV
8minHunk = 204k
9language = 1
10cmd = kq6
11patchDir = .\
12sync = .\
13audioSize = 12k

I've tried looking around for an updated GenMIDI driver, but haven't really had any luck, and the updated Audblast.drv I was able to find didn't seem to like the game at all and it would freeze when starting.

If I set the music to use soundblaster/adl then the adl.drv seems to work fine for music so the "not able to initialize" error must be related to the vortex and the audblast.drv that it uses for the speech files.

Still no idea why the genmid.drv has the wrong mapping for the instruments via the internal wavetable though when it's selected.

Sometimes CPU speed can effect midi performance, especially in seirra games. Have you tried slowing down to 386 speeds?

Use the thunderboard driver. It is sound blaster compatible and has way fewer bugs in this game.

I still get the unable to initialize message with the thunderboard driver.

teiresias wrote on 2021-06-29, 17:24:

I still get the unable to initialize message with the thunderboard driver.

That's too bad 🙁.

There are limits to the compatibility of PCI sound cards in DOS. Maybe someone else knows better what you can try next.

Before you give up all together, try using setmul to slow down your CPU, if you can.

I'll have to try that later when I have some time. I've never used setmul before. Since music and most sound effects (aside from speech) seem to work with the music driver, I'm mainly interested in figuring out the instrument swapping when using midi for music though, it's just really weird.

teiresias wrote on 2021-06-29, 17:31:

I'll have to try that later when I have some time. I've never used setmul before. Since music and most sound effects (aside from speech) seem to work with the music driver, I'm mainly interested in figuring out the instrument swapping when using midi for music though, it's just really weird.

What CPU and mainboard do you have? It's pretty straightforward. Mostly just setmul L1D L2D and off you go.

Hmmm, just installed my CD version of Betrayal at Krondor and it does the same thing with the MIDI music where it has no instrumentation and is all piano.

Well, still no idea why these games can't detect the digital side of the vortex 2, but I figured out why I wasn't hearing the mpu-401 output from my Dreamblaster X2 - I had the speakers, apparently, plugged into the rear speaker connector, which still carried regular stereo output over it but did NOT have the X2 output on it, once I switched the speaker connection I got my Dreamblaster back.

So now I can use GeneralMIDI in these games becuase the instruments are correct when going through the Dreamblaster X2 while they're wrong when going through the internal wavetable. Still no idea why.