VOGONS


First post, by commodorejohn

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I'm looking at getting an AWE32 CT3670, but before I go dropping money on that I want to make sure it's got the actual OPL3 core and not the CQM core; I've had too many annoying experiences with "compatibles" that are just different enough to botch the sound on some song or other completely. I'm told that the CT1747 chip is the one that has the OPL3 core, but the chip the seller sees on the board is CT1745A - does this mean it doesn't have it?

Reply 5 of 29, by Cloudschatze

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AdamP wrote:

According to this, the CT1747 is CQM.

No, it isn't. I'm amazed at how many people still refer to that incorrect post.

"dvwjr" make a number of incorrect assumptions, and never bothered to revisit or edit the misinformation.

Reply 6 of 29, by AdamP

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How do you know that? My AWE64 Gold has a CT8903, and I know for a fact all AWE64s have CQM.

Besides, the OPL3 wouldn't have a Creative number, as it's not a Creative chip.

EDIT: I've just had a look at this. It seems you are right in saying the CT1747 is not the CQM. But the question remains: what is it? It seems to be a branded version of an OPL. Or could it perhaps be both OPL3 and CQM, depending on the card?

Reply 7 of 29, by Cloudschatze

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AdamP wrote:

How do you know that?

All AWE64s do have CQM, as far as I'm aware. You'll notice that I specifically quoted the statement regarding the CT1747 chip.

You'll find that in that same QuestStudios thread, I'd initially assumed that the CT1747 contained an OPL3 core, given the fact that the later CT1747 chips bore Yamaha's trademarked OPL logo. (Earlier chips lack this marking, due to the fact that the trademark/logo didn't then exist.) This, coupled with the fact that the output from both the CT1747 and YMF262 sounds exactly the same, led further credence.

Lastly, I took my own suppositions to Dave Rossum (who both works for Creative, and designed CQM), who not only verified everything supposed, but further revealed that the CT1747 was a joint-venture between Creative and Yamaha (which is why it has a Creative number), and that all such chips were manufactured by Yamaha. Creative had a number of such OEM dealings.

Reply 8 of 29, by AdamP

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Cloudschatze wrote:

Lastly, I took my own suppositions to Dave Rossum (who both works for Creative, and designed CQM), who not only verified everything supposed, but further revealed that the CT1747 was a joint-venture between Creative and Yamaha (which is why it has a Creative number), and that all such chips were manufactured by Yamaha. Creative had a number of such OEM dealings.

So technically, the CT1747 isn't the "actual OPL3" the OP wanted?

Reply 10 of 29, by AdamP

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Okay, now that we've established that what I showed the OP was complete tosh 😀, does the CT3670 have OPL3, or CQM? It has the same integrated chip my AWE64 Gold has, and that has CQM. Also, I take it this means that the CT8903 doesn't have CT1747 integrated?

I just hope I haven't misled the OP.

commodorejohn wrote:

Huh, I was misinformed on that, then.

I take everything I said back. It seems you weren't misinformed after all 😀.

Reply 14 of 29, by AdamP

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sliderider wrote:

Nobody has answered the original question, though, which was what is a CT1745A?

Assuming that thread is correct (I now know it probably isn't), it's an analogue mixer.

Jorpho wrote:

I happen to have a CT3670 on hand. Is there some kind of test that would establish the answer to this question?

There was a program floating around (which was available here) that identified the chips in a Sound Blaster card, but it seems to have vanished off the face of the Earth. I'm not sure if it detects the CT1745 though.

5u3 wrote:
Soundblaster 32 PnP (CT3600) […]
Show full quote

Soundblaster 32 PnP (CT3600)

220: CT1741 (SB16), FM: CT89xx (CQM), CSP chip: not present
388: CT89xx (CQM)
330: MPU-401 (UART mode only)
620: EMU-8000

If this is correct, it seems that any card with the CT8903 has CQM.

Reply 15 of 29, by Jorpho

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I'll go so far as to make a recording of the audio output of a particular program known to sound a particular way on an OPL3, if you like. After all, that would be a far more dependable test than the results of any kind of chip-identifier.

Reply 16 of 29, by Mau1wurf1977

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I can recommend the opening tune of Monkey Island 2 when the Lucasarts Logo appears. The differences between OPL3 and various clones are very easy to hear.

My website with reviews, demos, drivers, tutorials and more...
My YouTube channel

Reply 18 of 29, by Jorpho

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I do have MI2 handy, but is there no convenient command-line player that will get the job done?

It's also been a while, so I have no idea what sort of drivers this thing needs. Will http://www.vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=51 be enough?

Reply 19 of 29, by AdamP

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Another game whose music sounds different on different FM synthesisers is Solar Winds. Some tracks sound a bit different on CQM than on ESFM, thought it's been years since I've heard them on OPL3. The closest I've come to that is DOSBox, to which CQM sounds closer than ESFM.