hard1k wrote:

Finally found and received the perfect host card for the X2 for me! 😀
Please meet the OOAOO SQ2500 Pro!

Tell us about it. I don't know anything about it. What sort of OPL does it support? What makes it the perfect host card for you? 😀

Well, it seems the most appropriate Vortex2 card - the latest revision of the AU8830 chip, the S/PDIF out capability, and black PCB in line with the X2 (even with a similar finish).
To my mind Aureal-based cards are not only ideal for Win9x retro gaming (thanks to their awesome A3D support) but for DOS as well (if we're limited to a PCI card, of course). That's thanks to their good SB Pro emulation without any need for EMM386 and support for MPU-401 emulation for the wavetable header. The only drawback so far is the mediocre OPL3 emulation, but that can be corrected by a driver which is under development currently, look here: ASP403 - The Neverending Project

hard1k wrote:

To my mind Aureal-based cards are not only ideal for Win9x retro gaming (thanks to their awesome A3D support) but for DOS as well (if we're limited to a PCI card, of course). That's thanks to their good SB Pro emulation without any need for EMM386 and support for MPU-401 emulation for the wavetable header.

I agree! A Vortex 2 is something I recommend to anyone who is wondering about getting one 😀

PhilsComputerLab wrote:

hard1k wrote:

To my mind Aureal-based cards are not only ideal for Win9x retro gaming (thanks to their awesome A3D support) but for DOS as well (if we're limited to a PCI card, of course). That's thanks to their good SB Pro emulation without any need for EMM386 and support for MPU-401 emulation for the wavetable header.

I agree! A Vortex 2 is something I recommend to anyone who is wondering about getting one 😀

Hey, Phil! How come you still haven't made a review video for X2? 😀

jheronimus wrote:

Hey, Phil! How come you still haven't made a review video for X2? 😀

Kangaroos are slow in delivering packages 🤣

Why are you using a Roo when you could be using a Dingo?

gdjacobs wrote:

Why are you using a Roo when you could be using a Dingo?

Roos have a built-in pouch for packages, Dingo's do not.
At least He's not using a Koala, it would be 2025 before it arrived.

What's the purpose of the 3.5mm headphones jack on the X2?

Eendje wrote:

What's the purpose of the 3.5mm headphones jack on the X2?

it is a line out connection (not amplified).
--> X2 can be used as USB MIDI device as well, you just plug it in usb and a new MIDI device will be available in your OS.
In that case you need the line out connection (connected to your speakers for example) to hear the music, if you play MIDI to it.

So can I plug the card to a waveblaster connector and use the USB connector at the same time?
I could not find any information on this in the manual.

Also on a few card it's mechanically not possible to plug USB and on Waveblaster at the same time, like on the Terratec Base-1.

Has anyone tested the USB features in Win98SE yet?
What USB is required (1.0, 1.1 ?)?

What is the reason that the X2Upload works through MIDI provided by USB only and not through MIDI provided by the Waveblaster connector (through a sound card) ?

Through the USB you can access directly the MPU and its memory. The waveblaster connector doesn't have a channel for communication with the MPU directly. It only conveys MIDI data and audio signals.

I see. The older Dream DSPs had the direct mode access through their MPU-0401 usually connected to the Waveblaster. So on the X2 it's not equivalent?

Hi Eilanda,

USB and Waveblaster midi can in theory be used simultaneously, the midi commands are merged.
I did test this and it works, but generally not recommended, especially from 2 different PC's,
as you must take care avoiding ground loop paths when connecting two devices.
So I'd say in general, not recommended, handle with care.

Soundbank and preset updating is only tested using USB.
In theory it could work on TTL MIDI as well with the dream chip, but the waveblaster interface is unidirectional (only receives MIDI data),
and the update protocol needs both send and received. Furthermore, the default buffersizes for the midi protocol may be too small,
compared to the USB allocated buffers.

elianda wrote:

Has anyone tested the USB features in Win98SE yet?
What USB is required (1.0, 1.1 ?)?

Tried connecting it to two Windows 98SE machines, both detected it as an USB audio device but I got a blue screen after the driver installed.

dreamblaster wrote:

Soundbank and preset updating is only tested using USB. In theory it could work on TTL MIDI as well with the dream chip, but th […]
Show full quote

Soundbank and preset updating is only tested using USB.
In theory it could work on TTL MIDI as well with the dream chip, but the waveblaster interface is unidirectional (only receives MIDI data),
and the update protocol needs both send and received. Furthermore, the default buffersizes for the midi protocol may be too small,
compared to the USB allocated buffers.

Thanks for clarification.
Currently X2Upload reports that it can not find the Dream DSP on Win98SE through the Waveblaster MPU-401 interface of the Terratec Base-1 (AD SoundPort Codec).

Kamerat wrote:

elianda wrote:

Has anyone tested the USB features in Win98SE yet?
What USB is required (1.0, 1.1 ?)?

Tried connecting it to two Windows 98SE machines, both detected it as an USB audio device but I got a blue screen after the driver installed.

Bummer. It does the same thing for me. The weird thing is that last year I had the X2 Prototype running in Windows 98. I remember being really impressed by that. I can't remember what machine it was though, if it was USB 1 or 2.

Had some time to play with the software. I settled on Boombastic, but with the LessIsMore reverb and chorus settings. Great feature! Thank you, Serge.

clueless1 wrote:

Had some time to play with the software. I settled on Boombastic, but with the LessIsMore reverb and chorus settings. Great feature! Thank you, Serge.

That's great, thanks, would you upload your favourite preset to this thread ?

dreamblaster wrote:

clueless1 wrote:

Had some time to play with the software. I settled on Boombastic, but with the LessIsMore reverb and chorus settings. Great feature! Thank you, Serge.

That's great, thanks, would you upload your favourite preset to this thread ?

Sure, but it's pretty simple for someone to recreate. 😀 Just load Boombastic, then change the reverb to 50 and chorus to 25.

BTW, I had a problem with X2UPLOAD. I'm doing this in Windows XP, and the Reboot button didn't seem to do anything after clicking Update. I had to unplug and replug the X2 in order for the change to take effect. Could it be an issue with XP?

clueless1 wrote:

Sure, but it's pretty simple for someone to recreate. 😀 Just load Boombastic, then change the reverb to 50 and chorus to 25.
BTW, I had a problem with X2UPLOAD. I'm doing this in Windows XP, and the Reboot button didn't seem to do anything after clicking Update. I had to unplug and replug the X2 in order for the change to take effect. Could it be an issue with XP?

What did not work ?
Reboot sends a command to X2, which makes X2 reboot instantly. In windows 7 you hear a 'ping' of the usb device being detected again.
It should work on windows XP just as well, but the XP usb driver may respond differently on the quick reboot. In case the usb device is not detected anymore,
unplugging + replugging may be a good alternative. But generally it should work.