Most sound cards mute the wavetable header by default. Check your mixer settings.

Where are those? I'm trying to use it in Win98 and when I select Aureal mpu as midi device there's just silence. I know there's a dos mixer app.

Those extra headers were for the daughterboard of the SQ3500. https://www.anandtech.com/show/417/2

Re: Vortex2 OPL3 Project

Fascinating, thanks! That's a pretty obscure piece of info, and it really should be in the manual.

So, the wavetable header is silent for two different wavetable daughterboards, in both DOS and Windows. Is there a setting to activate that I'm missing? Or is the header on this board just busted?

I had the exact same problem with my Vortex 2. You need to open the Windows volume control, then go to its Properties and select the "MPU-401" option so that it's visible. That volume control is likely to be muted by default, so unmute it and you'll be able to hear your wavetable module.

So, in Windows 98 it doesn't let me do that - it's just Wavetable Balance, and in the MIDI section of multimedia I can select MPU-401 or the software synth. The software synth sounds fine, the MPU-401 gives silence. Of course, that's not an option in DOS mode.

I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding here; I'll take some screenshots on my Windows 98 PC this evening to show what I am talking about. 😀

Alright, here are the steps you need to unmute the MPU-401 output on your Vortex 2:

1) Open the volume panel by double-clicking the speaker icon in the system tray.

2) From the Volume Control panel, go to Options and choose Properties.

3) Scroll down the list of outputs until you see the option for MPU-401. If it's unchecked, check the box so that it appears in the Volume Control mixer. Then click OK.

4) Unmute the MPU-401 input. It should be muted by default, at least it was on my Vortex 2 card.

5) Select the MPU-401 as the MIDI device in Control Panel -> Multimedia -> MIDI as you did before.

6) To use the MPU-401 in DOS, open the Aureal Control Panel from the Control Panel, go to the MIDI tab, and then change the MIDI device for DOS boxes to "MPU-401" instead of "Aureal Wavetable." (no pic for this one, my kid got up last night as I was taking screenshots)

So, I looked for that before, and just checked again. MPU-401 doesn't appear in the list of options for Step 3.

Thank you for the extremely patient response BTW.

That is very odd indeed! Which drivers are you using? I'm using version 2048 from Phil's Computer Lab (https://www.philscomputerlab.com/aureal-vortex-2.html), but it should also work with 2041 if I remember correctly.

MadMac_5 wrote on 2024-04-29, 14:48:

That is very odd indeed! Which drivers are you using? I'm using version 2048 from Phil's Computer Lab (https://www.philscomputerlab.com/aureal-vortex-2.html), but it should also work with 2041 if I remember correctly.

I'm using the 2015 driver because it works with DirectX 7.1 and higher. Could that really be the issue? I don't think it was working in DOS mode either.

ubertrout wrote on 2024-04-30, 00:46:

MadMac_5 wrote on 2024-04-29, 14:48:

That is very odd indeed! Which drivers are you using? I'm using version 2048 from Phil's Computer Lab (https://www.philscomputerlab.com/aureal-vortex-2.html), but it should also work with 2041 if I remember correctly.

I'm using the 2015 driver because it works with DirectX 7.1 and higher. Could that really be the issue? I don't think it was working in DOS mode either.

I'm using 2048 with DirectX 8.1 on my PIII-500/Fury MAXX rig. I'm also using a generic AU8830 card, so that may be a small difference since mine isn't technically Aureal branded?

MadMac_5 wrote on 2024-04-30, 13:24:

I'm using 2048 with DirectX 8.1 on my PIII-500/Fury MAXX rig. I'm also using a generic AU8830 card, so that may be a small difference since mine isn't technically Aureal branded?

I don't know! A3D in Jedi Knight wasn't working with the later drivers, but it works in 2015 with DX8.1.

I was given this card by a friend, so I have no idea what its backstory is. But he purchased it new and doesn't seem the type to abuse it. He even gave me all the games that game with it in pristine condition.

I'm travelling now but will troubleshoot more next week.

Ahh, I haven't bothered to ever try Jedi Knight on this PC with my Vortex 2 installed. I should toss it in and give it a test on 2048!

MadMac_5 wrote on 2024-05-01, 03:33:

Ahh, I haven't bothered to ever try Jedi Knight on this PC with my Vortex 2 installed. I should toss it in and give it a test on 2048!

You should! I'm replaying it with a3d and it's a fun spin on a game I know well.

I used a later driver and got the MPU-401 interface to be visible in the mixer. But...still silence when it's selected in Windows after I unmute it. I don't know what's wrong but it's probably something not working on the hardware or something.

ubertrout wrote on 2024-05-13, 17:00:

I used a later driver and got the MPU-401 interface to be visible in the mixer. But...still silence when it's selected in Windows after I unmute it. I don't know what's wrong but it's probably something not working on the hardware or something.

I had a similar problem as YOU.
No sound from Wave Header and Windows 98.

Here is the solution that worked for me.

In addition to setting the volume level and turning on the MPU-401 channel as previously suggested, you should also select Analog EQ Channel: MPU-401 in the EQ tab of the card software settings.

Additionally, we have the option of equalizing the sound. Nice!

I hope this helped.

Krzysztof Zakrzewski wrote on 2024-09-06, 17:51:

I had a similar problem as YOU. No sound from Wave Header and Windows 98. […]
Show full quote

ubertrout wrote on 2024-05-13, 17:00:

I used a later driver and got the MPU-401 interface to be visible in the mixer. But...still silence when it's selected in Windows after I unmute it. I don't know what's wrong but it's probably something not working on the hardware or something.

I had a similar problem as YOU.
No sound from Wave Header and Windows 98.

Here is the solution that worked for me.

In addition to setting the volume level and turning on the MPU-401 channel as previously suggested, you should also select Analog EQ Channel: MPU-401 in the EQ tab of the card software settings.

Additionally, we have the option of equalizing the sound. Nice!

I hope this helped.

Very cool, thanks! I'll have to try this next time I sit down with the machine. I never got it resolved and just accepted it.