lolo799 wrote:

Another model to add to the list: […]
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Another model to add to the list:

- Ego-Sys (now ESI-Audio) WAMI BOX
Dream SAM9407 (same chip used in the Terratec EWS64XL, Guillemot Maxisound Home Studio Pro 64 and a couple of other cards)
Sound Blaster/Pro, WSS, General Midi and MPU-401 in Win95/98/XP/2000.
16MB of onboard RAM for samples and soundfonts.
Linux drivers are also available.

A quote from the manual:

The control panel is the central control unit of the WAMI BOX. It contains firstly the analog mixer wich mixes the various audio signals, and feeds them either to the output or the synthesizer for further processing. Switching of the various signal paths also takes place here: the signals are switched as required for the many varied tasks of the WAMI BOX. When the WAMI BOX is started for the first time, the mixer is in a games-compatible mode. In this mode the card is fully compatible with Soundblaster, Soundblaster Pro and Windows Sound System.
Using this setting, DOS games can be played with GM/GS sounds or older FM sounds with effects, four-channel playback and V space.

The card can also be fully reconfigured, however, for example to make hard disk recordings of the best possible quality with digital inputs and outputs.

The SB/Pro emulation work fine but doesn't offer OPL2/FM synth music, only sound effects. However the games tend to slow down (tested with Doom, Duke3d and Descent in WinXP) and the digital sounds produce some clicking. The GM support is flawless though, and with the available RAM you can put a decent quality soundfont.

The drivers are a bit messy, the latest version is incompatible with the control panel software, and the older versions make the system unresponsive.

Full specs (quoted from the website):

• * 20-bit Analog to Digital Converter
  * 20-bit Digital to Analog Converter about 98dB dynamic range
  * Analog 2 In / 4 Out -10dBV unbalanced with Gold-tipped RCA jacks
  * S/PDIF Coaxial & Optical Digital In/Out
  * Real-time Hardware Sample-Rate Converter(48 to 44.1)
  * Mic Preamp with effects
  * Gold-tipped 1/4" jacks Mic Input
  * full LED Display; 9 large Activity Indicators
  * 32 Channel MIDI Operation; 16 ch Internal and 16ch External
  * Multiple sample rates - 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz
  * Full Duplex: 2 Ch. Record/4 Channel Playback simultaneousely
  * Uses standard PCMCIA socket - DMA Channel not required
  * 16 MB onboard RAM for Synth & Sampler
  * High perfomance Audio DSP based Internal Mixer
  * 17 Delay lines for resonance-free stereo effects
  * Up to 64-voice, 16 multi-timbral professional sampler
  * MPU-401 (UART)1 In/1 Out MIDI Interface
  * Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz
  * Supports Windows MME, DirectSound, ASIO driver
  * Windows 95/98 compatible
  * Windows XP/2000 supported with limited features

Official website:
http://www.esi-audio.com/products/wamibox/
Linux drivers:
ftp://ftp.alsa-project.org/pub/datasheets/egosys/
http://www.anime.net/~sam9407/
http://sam9407.sourceforge.net/

I haven't made any progress on the ESS1688 support in NT4.0, managing resources in NT4 is a nightmare...

I just foudn one of these finally awhile ago. Have you tested this on Win98SE? Does it work fine with SB emulation there? What drivers/combo do I need? I see they are available still at http://download.esi-audio.com/?w=esi&p=27&g=9&l=en

I did try it when I first got it and I haven't really used it since... there are only 4 different versions to try, it shouldn't take you long to test them all.

Hi, I'm new to the forum but wondering if anyone can help,

I'm using an IBM thinkpad t-30 which doesn't have dos sound drivers so looking for a PCMCIA sound card. I found this card is on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PANASONIC-PC-CARD-PCM … 4sAAOSwT5tWIUOH

I'm wondering if it is actually a sound card and if I'd be able to find dos drivers... plus do I need the cords or would it run sound through the laptop speakers, sorry for some many questions. There's not much info out there.

Hello and welcome to the forums,

that card is a SCSI and sound card, it uses the ESS 1688P chipset, DOS drivers are right there on the previous page:
PCMCIA Sound Cards
It won't output sound through the system speakers, so you'll need the cable and the corresponding CD-ROM drive model KXL-D745, look at the post just after the one with the drivers for a picture.
You will only get Adlib FM in DOS with it.

What are the specs of your laptop and what do you want to use it in pure DOS for?

Thanks for the reply! It's probably not the best option then with just FM.

I've put windows 98 on an IBM thinkpad t-30 and it's been doing a great job with windows games but there's still some dos games I'm having issues with.

It uses an ADI SoundMAX and I don't think it has fm synth, but midi works fine.

I think that's the reason Syndicate wont play music.. some sound effect are missing as well, not sure if it's related.

Some other dos games wont start in Windows that use XMS but I'm sure there's a work around.

I guess it would just be cool to get it running nicely in pure dos, would make it a nice little time machine.

Well, you know, for the T30 I personally would really recommend keeping it as a Windows 98 machine. DOS is really for Pentium I/II/III stuff, with real DOS sound cards.

The Pentium 4 is way, way overkill for DOS.

I would look for a Pentium I laptop if you want pure DOS, if I were you.

Edit: Wow, this thread just never seems to die.

A Pentium 4 would run DosBox I believe.
Do a google search for PCMCIA sound and see where most of the info comes from!

keenmaster486 wrote:

Edit: Wow, this thread just never seems to die.

Nevermore! 😁

Personally I'm currently looking for a PCMCIA General MIDI compatible card for DOS gaming purpose. My Thinkpad T21 has a decent SB clone chip but that covers only FM synth.

I did spot this Windows-based Digigram VXPocket PCMCIA card from local musician site:
https://muusikoiden.net/tori/ilmoitus/1200553

Unfortunately it's specs have been coverred on this thread's first page and apparently VXPocket is strictly Windows only. So no DOS fun... 😒

Those SCP-55 on Yahoo are the best choice for you, and yes the Digigram VX doesn't have DOS drivers, the PCXpocket model does but it's not General Midi compatible.

Well, I won the SCP-55 + MCB-3 breakout box from a Japanese auction. It cost me about 110€ (plus shipping & possible taxes). With the Christmas coming on it might already be January before I get it in my hands. But all good things come to those who wait... I've got couple of Thinkpads eagerly waiting to be tested with that card. 😉

Found a new SCSI FM Sound card to add to the list, the Caravelle PC-SD16ST, a rebranded version of the Panasonic CF-JSC101 shown at
PCMCIA Sound Cards

Really loving this forum.

Here's one I have:

From the FCCID it looks like It's a rebranded IBM pcmcia audio adapter

Just got some drivers to try out in windows and DOS so I'll update everyone soon

Nice list but i have a question

lolo799 wrote:

-IBM 3D Sound Card IBM MWAVE SB FM and digital audio in DOS/Win3.x and OS/2 Warp Drivers for DOS/Win3.x and OS/2: http://support […]
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-IBM 3D Sound Card
IBM MWAVE
SB FM and digital audio in DOS/Win3.x and OS/2 Warp
Drivers for DOS/Win3.x and OS/2:
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/downloads/det … ?DocID=DS001550

support link is dead

I read this card i Windows Sound System 2.0 compatible. Can play WSS supported games under DOS? Many games after 1993 have WSS option and 16bit sound can be better compared to 8bit SBPro.

Second questiion is about Wavetable. IBM mWave used RAM based wavetable synthesis instead of samples in ROM chips. Under what OS can be wavetable MIDI used?

Drivers for the IBM 3D Sound card are mirrored at http://nwserveur.no-ip.org/win3xorg/devices/P … 20Card/drivers/ (thanks to NilsWorld)
or at http://greyghost.mooo.com/pccbbs/options/ (look for files starting with "3d" and "mwd")

It only supports Adlib and Sound Blaster emulation under DOS.
Wavetable MIDI works in Windows 3.x, 95 and OS/2 Warp.
Maybe I should have scanned the manual while I had the card...

One more card for the list, the Fujitsu FMV-J451, seems to be a rebranded Panasonic CF-VEW211:

I will update my list and download the differents drivers & photographs of these cards on my server :
- Caravelle PC-SD16ST, a rebranded version of the Panasonic CF-JSC101.
- Digital Audio Adapter 16 bit Audio, rebranded IBM PCMCIA Sound Card.
- Fujitsu FMV-J451, rebranded Panasonic CF-VEW211.

lolo799 wrote:

One more card for the list, the Fujitsu FMV-J451, seems to be a rebranded Panasonic CF-VEW211:

fmv-j451 box.jpg

fmv-j451 card and dongle.jpg

As "FM V" is a series of Fujitsu desktop and laptop systems sold in Japan only, the drivers on the floppy may be OEM versions that only work on the Japanese version of DOS (DOS/V) or Windows with kanji support.

Cloudschatze wrote:

TSR […]
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bristlehog wrote:

I don't quite get it, how is DMA emulated? Is it by a driver?

TSR

Here's IBM's patent:
http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=5784595

The most interesting thread so far about something so obscure. So it comes down to IBM creating true DOS SB compatibility and they found a way to emulate DMA using a driver that is patented. Well I wonder if someone could reverse engineer this and emulate this card... In one year this patent is up. And I doubt IBM really cares about Sound Blaster emulation these days or PCMCIA technology. Some good hackers and engineering minds out there could figure out a way to make this happen a lot of DOS users will be happy.

Kahenraz wrote:

I don't know the current state of the OP's collection but I have since inherited his rare "IBM 3D Sound Card". […]
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I don't know the current state of the OP's collection but I have since inherited his rare "IBM 3D Sound Card".

I also own the following PCMCIA sound cards:
* Panasonic Sound Card CF-VEW211
* Turtle Beach Audio Advantage (boxed)
* New Media WAVjammer (empty box w/manual and disks)

I am selling the Turtle Beach if someone wan'ts to PM me about it. I wouldn't mind parting with the empty WAVjammer box either.

Funny story about the WAVjammer box. I bought it off of ebay and when I got it the box was empty! The seller hadn't even checked before listing it. I did get a refund and got to keep the box. 🤣

So he personally gave this to in hand or did you mean you bought another one on eBay?

yawetaG wrote:

As "FM V" is a series of Fujitsu desktop and laptop systems sold in Japan only, the drivers on the floppy may be OEM versions that only work on the Japanese version of DOS (DOS/V) or Windows with kanji support.

None of the cards I got from Japan like the CF-VEW series and Ratoc cards (that weren't sold elsewhere) have any issues working in the french version of DOS i usually use.

The IBM 3D Sound card is not the only card emulating SB DMA in DOS, the Mediavision does too for real mode games.
The Ositech cards do it but only in a Windows 3.x/9x dos box and more cards do it in Win9x, by New Media, Eiger Labs/Fujitsu and Ego-Sys.
There is also this device for the parallel port that might interest you: search.php?keywords=digispeech

Some one said you would wanted to see this, my today’s purchase new in box , still can’t get sound fx in doom and wolf3d keeps crashing when I try to shot :p

^^ Nice looking card. Any idea what chipset's in it?