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New DreamBlaster S2 !

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Reply 100 of 123, by Wolfus

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Sorry, if this is stupid question, but I can't find exact answer anywhere.
I have ESS 1869F card with WT header. If I buy S2 board and connect it to my soundcard, what should I set in games' setup? In Doom, there is "Wavetable" option. In some games there is "General midi" option. In other games, there is nothing like that. What should I set in such games? Just SB Pro? Will it identify S2 and use it?

Reply 101 of 123, by appiah4

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Only games with wavetable / general midi support can make use of the S2 otherwise you are limited to regular Adlib/Sound Blaster music.

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Reply 102 of 123, by Wolfus

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appiah4 wrote:

Only games with wavetable / general midi support can make use of the S2 otherwise you are limited to regular Adlib/Sound Blaster music.

Thanks! General MIDI can play only through gameport or also through WT interface?

Reply 103 of 123, by Srandista

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Both. With S2, you can connect to card directly via wavetable connector, for connection via gameport you need also this: https://www.serdashop.com/CHiLLandPhilAdapter

But really, if you have available wavetable connector on your card, just use that.

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Reply 104 of 123, by red_avatar

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Am I correct in assuming that, if you hook up the S2, MIDI data is still also sent out through the gameport?

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Reply 105 of 123, by jaZz_KCS

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red_avatar wrote:

Am I correct in assuming that, if you hook up the S2, MIDI data is still also sent out through the gameport?

That is correct, the signal gets sent to both - the MPU-401 port (gameport) as well as to the Wavetable header. Both of these are the "External MPU-401" route as in contrast to the Internal Route which ends at the integrated Synthesizer/Wavetable.

Example: Setting your game/application in question up to use General MIDI on port 330, will result in the Wavetable card being used - if present - as well as the external device - if present.

Basically, the signals pass the wavetable header on their way to the external port. So if a wavetable card is present, and General MIDI / External MPU-401 is chosen, it will be operating. but the signals do still continue to the external port, as well.

Reply 106 of 123, by dr.zeissler

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dreamblaster wrote on 2018-06-05, 17:46:
I bumped into this new S2 demo on youtube today : It shows S2 on a soundblaster 16 https://youtu.be/cDm8bDvxclc […]
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I bumped into this new S2 demo on youtube today :
It shows S2 on a soundblaster 16
https://youtu.be/cDm8bDvxclc

The video also briefly shows the jumper settings on SB16 (FYI) :
jmpsettings.png

That's interesting. I will test if I can set my S2 sitting on my SC1630 ESS-Card in my 286/8 in MT32 mode.

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Reply 107 of 123, by tyrell

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jaZz_KCS wrote on 2019-12-22, 10:37:
That is correct, the signal gets sent to both - the MPU-401 port (gameport) as well as to the Wavetable header. Both of these ar […]
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red_avatar wrote:

Am I correct in assuming that, if you hook up the S2, MIDI data is still also sent out through the gameport?

That is correct, the signal gets sent to both - the MPU-401 port (gameport) as well as to the Wavetable header. Both of these are the "External MPU-401" route as in contrast to the Internal Route which ends at the integrated Synthesizer/Wavetable.

Example: Setting your game/application in question up to use General MIDI on port 330, will result in the Wavetable card being used - if present - as well as the external device - if present.

Basically, the signals pass the wavetable header on their way to the external port. So if a wavetable card is present, and General MIDI / External MPU-401 is chosen, it will be operating. but the signals do still continue to the external port, as well.

Hello !

I connected my s2 to an ess1868 card and I couldn't get music in any games. I tried waveblaster or midi on doom1/doom2 and other games and I cannot hear anything.
Do I have to install SoftMPU for this dreamblaster to work ?

Thanks

Stéphane

Reply 108 of 123, by appiah4

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tyrell wrote on 2020-06-15, 12:41:
Hello ! […]
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Hello !

I connected my s2 to an ess1868 card and I couldn't get music in any games. I tried waveblaster or midi on doom1/doom2 and other games and I cannot hear anything.
Do I have to install SoftMPU for this dreamblaster to work ?

Thanks

Stéphane

No, it sounds like you don't have your sound card initialized and/or your BLASTER environment correct.

It would help to know whether you are trying to get this to work in DOS or Windows, first of all.

Retronautics: A digital gallery of my retro computers, hardware and projects.

Reply 109 of 123, by Falcosoft

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tyrell wrote on 2020-06-15, 12:41:
Hello ! […]
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Hello !

I connected my s2 to an ess1868 card and I couldn't get music in any games. I tried waveblaster or midi on doom1/doom2 and other games and I cannot hear anything.
Do I have to install SoftMPU for this dreamblaster to work ?

Thanks

Stéphane

No, you do not need SoftMPU for Dreamblaster in games using GM.
In case of ESS1868 the port that hosts Dremblaster is called AuxB and it is muted by default. So after running ESSCFG you should run ESSVOL with the following (or similar) parameters:

ESSVOL.EXE /v:12 /l:0 /w:8 /m:0 /c:0 /s:8 /a:13 /p:0
('/a: 13' is the part that sets the volume of AuxB/Dreamblaster)

In case of running under Windows you should just unmute Aux and set volume to a reasonable level in mixer settings.

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Reply 110 of 123, by tyrell

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appiah4 wrote on 2020-06-15, 12:45:
tyrell wrote on 2020-06-15, 12:41:
Hello ! […]
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Hello !

I connected my s2 to an ess1868 card and I couldn't get music in any games. I tried waveblaster or midi on doom1/doom2 and other games and I cannot hear anything.
Do I have to install SoftMPU for this dreamblaster to work ?

Thanks

Stéphane

No, it sounds like you don't have your sound card initialized and/or your BLASTER environment correct.

It would help to know whether you are trying to get this to work in DOS or Windows, first of all.

Indeed I forgot to specify I'm trying to run games under dos.
Sorry.

Reply 111 of 123, by tyrell

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Falcosoft wrote on 2020-06-15, 13:12:
No, you do not need SoftMPU for Dreamblaster in games using GM. In case of ESS1868 the port that hosts Dremblaster is called […]
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tyrell wrote on 2020-06-15, 12:41:
Hello ! […]
Show full quote

Hello !

I connected my s2 to an ess1868 card and I couldn't get music in any games. I tried waveblaster or midi on doom1/doom2 and other games and I cannot hear anything.
Do I have to install SoftMPU for this dreamblaster to work ?

Thanks

Stéphane

No, you do not need SoftMPU for Dreamblaster in games using GM.
In case of ESS1868 the port that hosts Dremblaster is called AuxB and it is muted by default. So after running ESSCFG you should run ESSVOL with the following (or similar) parameters:

ESSVOL.EXE /v:12 /l:0 /w:8 /m:0 /c:0 /s:8 /a:13 /p:0
('/a: 13' is the part that sets the volume of AuxB/Dreamblaster)

In case of running under Windows you should just unmute Aux and set volume to a reasonable level in mixer settings.

I tried the essvol command and this is working fine !
Thanks a lot !

Reply 112 of 123, by appiah4

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tyrell wrote on 2020-06-15, 13:32:
appiah4 wrote on 2020-06-15, 12:45:
tyrell wrote on 2020-06-15, 12:41:
Hello ! […]
Show full quote

Hello !

I connected my s2 to an ess1868 card and I couldn't get music in any games. I tried waveblaster or midi on doom1/doom2 and other games and I cannot hear anything.
Do I have to install SoftMPU for this dreamblaster to work ?

Thanks

Stéphane

No, it sounds like you don't have your sound card initialized and/or your BLASTER environment correct.

It would help to know whether you are trying to get this to work in DOS or Windows, first of all.

Indeed I forgot to specify I'm trying to run games under dos.
Sorry.

Then you need to init the card with ESSCFG and set the mixer levels with ESSVOL in Autoexec.bat. If you want Falcosoft's solution to be working at boot, go ahead and change the ESSVOL line in your Autoexec.bat (/A:0 -> /A:8 or 12 or whatever you pick.. S2 has a low volume level I find, so 12-14 seems to work for me when all else is set to 😎.

Retronautics: A digital gallery of my retro computers, hardware and projects.

Reply 113 of 123, by tyrell

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appiah4 wrote on 2020-06-15, 13:55:
tyrell wrote on 2020-06-15, 13:32:
appiah4 wrote on 2020-06-15, 12:45:

No, it sounds like you don't have your sound card initialized and/or your BLASTER environment correct.

It would help to know whether you are trying to get this to work in DOS or Windows, first of all.

Indeed I forgot to specify I'm trying to run games under dos.
Sorry.

Then you need to init the card with ESSCFG and set the mixer levels with ESSVOL in Autoexec.bat. If you want Falcosoft's solution to be working at boot, go ahead and change the ESSVOL line in your Autoexec.bat (/A:0 -> /A:8 or 12 or whatever you pick.. S2 has a low volume level I find, so 12-14 seems to work for me when all else is set to 😎.

I have added the essvol to autoexec.bat
Everything is fine now !
Very good fm sound, also, btw with the es1868 😉
And the dreamblaster does a very good job.
Previously I had an awe32 and it sounded quite different, midi-wise (and was a lot more noisy than the es1868).
Thanks !

Reply 114 of 123, by lackofpatience

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Just had to stop and say I've had this thing in my main DOS gaming machine for just over a month, it's amazing! Enough said haha.
It really does give you such good access to better MIDI sound without having to track down the expensive MT32 equipment

Reply 115 of 123, by matze79

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Yes it’s worth every € spend on it.
Also ESSFM is really great 😊

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Reply 116 of 123, by appiah4

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I have a lot of daughterboards and MIDI devices by now, but the one I just keep going back to is Dreamblaster S2. It's just.. awesome.

Retronautics: A digital gallery of my retro computers, hardware and projects.

Reply 117 of 123, by matze79

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Yes, a ESS Soundcard and a Dreamblaster S2 and you have a nice Universal Soundcard Set witch is very compatible and without all the nasty SB Bugs 😀

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Reply 118 of 123, by Salient

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A new video with a demonstration of the Dreamblaster S2 is up, showing off over 30 game musical scores: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L36-k3zRvtM

MIDI comparison website: << Wavetable.nl >>
(Always) looking for: Any Wavetable daughterboard, MIDI Module (GM/GS/XG)

Reply 119 of 123, by dr.zeissler

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matze79 wrote on 2021-07-01, 09:39:

Yes, a ESS Soundcard and a Dreamblaster S2 and you have a nice Universal Soundcard Set witch is very compatible and without all the nasty SB Bugs 😀

That is what I am using when it comes to PCI. Best of the best. (Solo1+S2)

Retro-Gamer 😀 ...on different machines