If you want to keep the AWE32 instead of going for a (probably non-SB16-compatible) clone AND if you want to play from pure DOS (in which you can't use the SBLive as an MPU401), it seems to me that the best solution would be to add another PCI sound card that can be used as an MPU401 from pure dos. See here Re: Do or don't: PCI SB Live as dedicated MPU-401 interface next to ISA AWE32 in MS-DOS 6.22?

Personally, though, I would just replace the AWE32 with a Yamaha, Aztech card, maybe an ALS100 if I really wanted SB16 compatibility.

Very interesting! Another PCI card only for MIDI would be perfect.

Great thread you linked, and I remember reading it at some point...doh. Getting old.

According to the comments, I see 3 options:

- ESS Solo-1 : cheap as dirt
- Yamaha YMF724 : a bit more expensive
- Aureal Vortex 2, they're A3D, that's cool, but got the Live already...and they're really too expensive.

So I'd be ready to go with the Solo-1, could anyone confirm they would be fine for my purpose, ie piloting midi devices under DOS and nothing else? Anything to look out for when picking a card?

Cheers!

Boohyaka wrote on 2020-08-20, 10:43:

- Aureal Vortex 2, they're A3D, that's cool, but got the Live already...and they're really too expensive.

The Yamaha YMF7x4 cards can do A3D 1.0 via Sensaura. It sounds fairly decent too.

I'm using a YMF724 alongside an AWE64 in my Celeron build and they get along just fine.

Great, thanks for the confirmation!

Scored this for 7.99 euros on ebay, neat!

Now to figure out how to only initialize MPU-401 😀

Boohyaka wrote on 2020-08-20, 13:05:

Now to figure out how to only initialize MPU-401 😀

Maybe this batch file could help you.

Kamerat wrote on 2020-08-20, 23:17:

Maybe this batch file could help you.

Great, thank you! I don't understand it all yet 😀 I will wait for the card to arrive, test it and see what I can do. Cheers!

Kamerat wrote on 2020-08-20, 23:17:

Maybe this batch file could help you.

Hey I received the ESS card and found time to work on it, maybe you or someone can help me figure out the proper way to do this.
Here's what I did:

- My AWE32 (non-PnP) is setup to use address 220, IRQ 7, DMA 1, HDMA 5, MPU 300, Wave 620.
- The PCI ESS Solo-1 is initialized using your PCISET based batch (thank you very much). I left MIDI address at 330h and IRQ at 9 (both default) and changed SB IRQ 14 and SB DMA 0. Everything else I left by default in the batch you shared.
- SET BLASTER=A220 D7 I1 H5 P330 E620 T6, so it's calling all the AWE settings except the MPU=330 that is the ESS.
- Then finally I call SOFTMPU /MPU:330

My questions:

1) Is that the proper way to do it?
2) Should I disable all SB functions using PCISET? Thinking about the "FM Synthesis" and "Sound Blaster channel" 1/0 options in your batch, or any other setting I should change?
3) I'm confused about SoftMPU. Is calling it with the MPU address enough, or so I need the /SB and /I options? It seems to work without them, but I have some weird sound glitches with a few games. I tried to add SB:220 and I:7 (so basically the AWE SB settings) but I'm not sure what purpose those serve, and it doesn't seem like it makes a difference.

Cheers!