First post, by Great Hierophant
- Rank
- l33t
You should have meet the following needs in your sound devices:
1. 8-bit Sound Blaster or Compatible
Choices: Sound Blaster 1.0/1.5; Sound Blaster Pro 1.0; Sound Blaster Pro 2.0; Mediavision Thunderboard
Recommendation: Sound Blaster Pro 2.0
Runner Up: Sound Blaster Pro 1.0
I used to believe that the Pro 1.0 was the best of the early Sound Blasters, but I have changed my mind considering that I could find only one game that that takes advantage of its two OPL2 chips for stereo music, while many, many more can take advantage of the stereo OPL3 chip of the Pro 2.0. Also, the Pro 2.0 is much easier to find, is otherwise 100% downward compatible with previous Sound Blasters. Most games support both Pros. If you don't want a Pro 2.0 for some reason, then a Pro 1.0 is an excellent alternative, especially if you don't want midi devices. Either Pro will work in an 8-bit slot, and the SB 16 and later models are not completely compatible with the Pro.
2. 16-bit Sound Blaster
Choices: Sound Blaster 16; Sound Blaster 32; Sound Blaster AWE32; Sound Blaster AWE64
Recommendation: Sound Blaster AWE64 Standard or Gold
Runner Up: Sound Blaster 16 ASP w/DSP 4.05
With the SIMMConn adapter being available for the AWE64, it does not matter a whole lot whether you get a more common AWE64 Standard or an AWE64 Gold. Without their respective bundles the cards operate the same, just that one is less noisy. Stay away from the AWE64 Value because that card lacks a proper mixer chip. The AWE64 should be about as compatible with the early Sound Blasters as the Sound Blaster 16, but its output is much less noisy. If you hate the PnP nature of the 64, need a waveblaster connector, or demand true OPL3, then the Sound Blaster 16 is a great alternative, but only if the DSP is 4.05 or lower.
3. Ultrasound
Choices: Ultrasound Classic; Ultrasound MAX; Ultrasound ACE; Ultrasound Extreme; Ultrasound PnP
Recommendation: Ultrasound ACE
Runner Up: Ultrasound PnP
For the Ultrasound, my favorite choice is the ACE, which was designed to co-exist with a Sound Blaster. Only on the ACE can you disable the card from listening at the Adlib ports. The ACE is, unlike every other Ultrasound, not a full-length card. It comes with 512KB and can be easily upgraded by raiding video cards of RAM modules. No gameport conflicts either. If you can't find the ACE, the best alternative is the Interwave-based PnP. I don't know how solid its Classic compatibility is, but its Windows features are great.
4. MPU-401 Interface
Choices: MPU-401 + MIF-IPC/MIF-IPC-A; MPU-IPC; MPU-IPC-T; MPU-401AT; LAPC-I; SCC-1
Recommendation: MPU-401 w/ ROM 1.5A + MIF-IPC/MIF-IPC-A
Runner Up: MPU-IPC-T
I was lucky here to find my recommendated setup. Its great because the real components are in the external box, and if you have multiple cards you can use one box for as many computers as you have, provided you don't need the box for more than one system at a time. If you can't find this combination, then use the MPU-IPC-T, which has the advantage of configurable I/O and IRQ settings. However, most games expect a MPU-401 interface at one setting.
5. LA Synthesis
Choices: MT-32, MT-100, CM-32L, CM-64, CM-500; LAPC-I
Recommendation: Roland CM-32L
Runner Up: Roland MT-32 rev 0
Always a tough choice. The CM-32L has extra sound effects that the MT-32 does not have and they are supported in several games. However, the MT-32 (rev 0 only) has a slightly different sound character at times, and some games sound slightly better when played on the MT-32. Don't forget the messages that can appear on the MT-32's LED screen. Either choice is an excellent buy, but some games really sound like something is lacking if they use an MT-32 as opposed to a CM-32L.
6. GM Synthesis
Choices: Any Roland GM/GS or Yamaha XG device; Ensoniq Soundscape; Creative Waveblaster;
Recommendation: Roland SC-55ST
Runner Up: Yamaha MU-10XG
This is truly a matter of taste, as there was no real standard for GM composition, except for the Roland Sound Canvas. My recommendation is a, literally, vanilla midi module with only one midi input. The runner up is an XG device from Yamaha, which is perhaps the second best choice for PC GM music. Again, a simple module will do.
