VOGONS


Reply 120 of 151, by hard1k

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Could you please add our second project? While AWE64 Legacy is still being cooked at the final stages of production, we're messing with some intense R&D on Fortex: Vortex 2 (AU8830B0) + YMF744B-V intended for small form-factor systems and all sorts of other weird applications. No working prototype yet, but we're optimistic on that.

Fortex, the A3D & XG/OPL3 accelerator (Vortex 2 + YMF744 combo sound card)
AWE64 Legacy
Please have a look at my wishlist (hosted on Amibay)

Reply 121 of 151, by Nikita Lita

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hard1k wrote on 2022-04-05, 18:16:

Could you please add our second project? While AWE64 Legacy is still being cooked at the final stages of production, we're messing with some intense R&D on Fortex: Vortex 2 (AU8830B0) + YMF744B-V intended for small form-factor systems and all sorts of other weird applications. No working prototype yet, but we're optimistic on that.

The AWE64 Legacy was one of the ones I was talking about, since there were no updates in the thread and people were worried that the war put off production permanently. Maybe post an update there?

Reply 122 of 151, by shock__

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There's also this (rightmost gadget): https://i.imgur.com/aNYljS1.jpg
Which is basically a kinda discrete Stereo-on-2 Covox with switchable DSS support. The current layout has some errors, but I'd be willing to go fully open source with that project so it can be fixed by someone else for a neat and tidy PCB.

There's also my "DSS wrapper" (fully open source) which plugs between the parallel port and simple Covox plugs to add DSS functionality to existing Covoxes: Re: Reversing the Disney Sound Source

Current Project: new GUS PnP compatible soundcard

[Z?]

Reply 123 of 151, by hard1k

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Nikita Lita wrote on 2022-04-05, 19:03:

The AWE64 Legacy was one of the ones I was talking about, since there were no updates in the thread and people were worried that the war put off production permanently. Maybe post an update there?

Stay tuned 😀

Fortex, the A3D & XG/OPL3 accelerator (Vortex 2 + YMF744 combo sound card)
AWE64 Legacy
Please have a look at my wishlist (hosted on Amibay)

Reply 124 of 151, by LightStruk

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hard1k wrote on 2022-04-05, 18:16:

Could you please add our second project? While AWE64 Legacy is still being cooked at the final stages of production, we're messing with some intense R&D on Fortex: Vortex 2 (AU8830B0) + YMF744B-V intended for small form-factor systems and all sorts of other weird applications. No working prototype yet, but we're optimistic on that.

Added. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Let me know when it's released and I'll remove the unreleased tag.

Reply 125 of 151, by hard1k

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Sure, will do! Thanks!

Fortex, the A3D & XG/OPL3 accelerator (Vortex 2 + YMF744 combo sound card)
AWE64 Legacy
Please have a look at my wishlist (hosted on Amibay)

Reply 126 of 151, by digger

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shock__ wrote on 2022-04-05, 19:05:

There's also this (rightmost gadget): https://i.imgur.com/aNYljS1.jpg
Which is basically a kinda discrete Stereo-on-2 Covox with switchable DSS support. The current layout has some errors, but I'd be willing to go fully open source with that project so it can be fixed by someone else for a neat and tidy PCB.

That would be great! ☺️ Maybe you can team up with dreamblaster on such a project?

There's also my "DSS wrapper" (fully open source) which plugs between the parallel port and simple Covox plugs to add DSS functionality to existing Covoxes: Re: Reversing the Disney Sound Source

Also a cool project. How well has it been tested for compatibility? Dreamblaster mentioned in some thread that he was planning on eventually developing and selling a DSS clone. Perhaps he could use your DSS wrapper as a basis for it?

Reply 127 of 151, by LightStruk

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shock__ wrote on 2022-04-05, 19:05:

There's also this (rightmost gadget): https://i.imgur.com/aNYljS1.jpg
Which is basically a kinda discrete Stereo-on-2 Covox with switchable DSS support. The current layout has some errors, but I'd be willing to go fully open source with that project so it can be fixed by someone else for a neat and tidy PCB.

If there's a name and a webpage I can link to, I'm happy to add it to the list.

shock__ wrote on 2022-04-05, 19:05:

There's also my "DSS wrapper" (fully open source) which plugs between the parallel port and simple Covox plugs to add DSS functionality to existing Covoxes: Re: Reversing the Disney Sound Source

Same thing - to go on the list, it needs a name. Since it's open source, it has clear value to the community. Do I understand correctly that this is not a Disney Sound Source by itself, but adds the buffering functionality of a DSS to a Covox Speech Thing?

Reply 128 of 151, by LightStruk

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I just realized something. If someone combined a Disney Sound Source with an OPL3LPT on a single parallel port dongle, would that be a compelling product? It would need some kind of primitive mixer, even if it's as simple as an analog potentiometer dial.

Reply 129 of 151, by digger

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LightStruk wrote on 2022-04-06, 13:52:

I just realized something. If someone combined a Disney Sound Source with an OPL3LPT on a single parallel port dongle, would that be a compelling product? It would need some kind of primitive mixer, even if it's as simple as an analog potentiometer dial.

What would be really cool is if both those functionalities could be used at the same time, but I'm not sure whether that's possible. The Disney Sound Source uses pin 10 to signal to the host PC that its FIFO buffer is full and that the sound playback routine of the game or application should wait with feeding it more sample data. Perhaps this could be leveraged somehow in the development of such a combined device? Use that same pin to pause the streaming of sample data while allowing data intended for the FM synthesizer to be sent. Ideally in a way that would preserve DSS hardware compatibility with games from its era that support it natively. How feasible would that be?

Reply 130 of 151, by LightStruk

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digger wrote on 2022-04-06, 22:08:

What would be really cool is if both those functionalities could be used at the same time, but I'm not sure whether that's possible.

If I'm reading this programmer's guide correctly, bytes written to printer's data port intended for the DSS are followed by "strobe" (12) and "power up" (4) bytes sent to the control port. The OPL3LPT also uses this pattern (data followed by bytes written to the control port), but the DSS's "strobe" code is the same as the first of the OPL3LPT's "register value" codes (12, 8, then 12 again). Since the pattern of writes is different, it might be enough for a small CPLD, FPGA, or microcontroller to route the data and commands to the correct block by just buffering for a little bit to see if the byte after 12 is a 4 or an 8.

In other words, it doesn't look like someone could prototype this by simply plugging an OPL3LPT into the end of a DSS, but the additional engineering needed is not crazy. The analog audio parts are probably harder to get just right than any of the digital parts.

Reply 132 of 151, by LightStruk

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Added keropi's Orpheus II. With SoundBlaster Pro, Windows Sound System, GUS, and true OPL3 compatibility, not to mention a wavetable header, this card has most of the ISA sound card feature list covered. As SScorpio pointed out, it's a Tandy, CMS, and Covox away from being a real-life BitchinFastAudio 3000!

Reply 134 of 151, by Sphere478

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Thank you for this list

Sphere's PCB projects.
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Sphere’s socket 5/7 cpu collection.
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SUCCESSFUL K6-2+ to K6-3+ Full Cache Enable Mod
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Tyan S1564S to S1564D single to dual processor conversion (also s1563 and s1562)

Reply 137 of 151, by LightStruk

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Added the PiGUS and PicoGUS, thank you, oso2k!

As for the CMSLPT, I guess it's time to add the "requires modified or new software" section I thought of a while back. Folks really want to see these devices on the list.

Reply 138 of 151, by LightStruk

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The OPL2LPT, OPL3LPT, TNDLPT, and CMSLPT are on the list now. If a device requires a patch or TSR to behave like its vintage sound card counterpart, it can be included from now on, but will be specially marked.