pshipkov wrote on 2020-06-27, 01:01:

Back then we had Mediavision, TurtleBeache and Creative cards. Some Aztechs as well (?).
But can you think of an entry level sound card from that time ?
Thanks.

In 1993, cheap no-name (or almost) sound blaster clone cards were a thing. I got my SB clone for about 100 CAN$ (probably less) in 1992 or 1993 . It was a Master Boomer by Anchor Electronics . If you want something a little more "high-end", the Mediavision Thunderboard was SB compatible and reasonably inexpensive at 59 US$. See here for a vintage ad --> https://books.google.ca/books?id=tjsEAAAAMBAJ … epage&q&f=false

I think anything entry level from around that time had to have been CS4231 based WSS clone cards, but that's probably bleeding into 1994.

leileilol wrote on 2020-06-27, 04:03:

I think anything entry level from around that time had to have been CS4231 based WSS clone cards, but that's probably bleeding into 1994.

There are likely regional/country differences on that front . The first WSS clone cards I saw, with CS4231 codecs, were not entry-level or accessible to my (teenage) budget, but the SB clone I got was . I wish I could remember examples . Maybe I can find some scanned print ads from my area and dating back to that era .

Thanks for the feedback.
The master boomer cards today are 2x the price you paid back then.

The Crystal clones sport a more sensible prices.

Thinking to put together a boring dx2 pc from around 1993.
Undecided on audio.
Owning a sound card back then was already anything but boring, so I may just go with a pc speaker, unless stumble upon the right addon card.

How about the Opti 924 based cards? I seem to recall us buying one to upgrade from the SB 2.0 as a cheaper alternative to the SB 16 - there were some compatibility problems though, so not sure if we kept using it.

They are fine, at least if they have Real OPL3/CopyCat OPL3 on it

Jan Knipperts did write a a alternate Driver and also a Tool for Fixing Stereo issue.

Thermalwrong wrote on 2020-06-27, 19:43:

How about the Opti 924 based cards? I seem to recall us buying one to upgrade from the SB 2.0 as a cheaper alternative to the SB 16 - there were some compatibility problems though, so not sure if we kept using it.

Opti cards do have some minor incompatibilities, mostly with Epic games (i.e. Jazz Jackrabbit), but they did release some fixes for that with one of the later drivers.

These were meant for the 82c930 which is a later model, but they might work for older Opti cards as well. Specifically, the files EPICFIX.ZIP and HMIGAME.ZIP in this driver archive should be interesting. The readme files inside the archive explain how to use them.

Good call about the OPTi cards.
They are abundant out there and fit the need.
I was not sure if they are "period correct" to 1993, which paused me on acquiring one.
Can you confirm ?
Thanks.

In 1993, 16-bit sound cards were still new and expensive.
So, if looking for "entry level", you need some 8-bit stuff, and I think mono rather than stereo.
Like some generic Sound Blaster 2.0 clone: Aztech Sound Galaxy BX, ESS ES488, or thereabouts...

Thanks for narrowing it down. Very helpful.
There is a gap in my knowledge about SB "clones" around 1991-1993-ish.
Catching up on it.

It would still be period correct. How many people back then upgraded their computers later on?

For sure almost nobody that built their own computers left it as built.

And if they were upgrading, some stuff would probably have been reused from their old build.

The Opti930 cards with onboard wavetable are the bomb-diggity as far as great compatibility and not being too expensive. Bought my first one for $5 used around that timeframe... and I still have it. I haven't been able to find any specific date that the 930 was released... or any of the other Opti chips for that matter.

There are brand new ones on eBay for $19.99... if there are any left that is.

If 930 is too new, you could look for an older one with onboard wavetable... The 929 probably came on some cards with onboard wavetable.

I'm really curious about this now. I wonder if I can find any valid date codes on the chips on any of my cards. I'll try to check probably tomorrow and report back. I should have just about everything possible unless it is super duper rare.

I looked around for time codes, release dates, magazine references - but couldn't find anything that "confirms" timeframe.

I'm pretty sure that the ISA8 clones of AdLib/early Sound Blasters existed well into the 486 era.

My Mustek B301 is based on an ES488-F chip and the FCC ID dates it to 1993. It has every basic sound feature, including CD Audio input and Panasonic/Mitsumi CD-ROM connectors. Surely this card wouldn't make a lot of sense on an XT machine. Not sure what kind of SB it clones, though.

Ah, great. Thank you.
Looks like i will opt for OPTi.