After much consideration, perusing this thread, and arguing with myself back and forth far longer than should've been necessary... The deed is done.

I've decided to replace the AWE64 Value and Opti 82C920 in my DOS 6.22 build with the PicoGUS. The wide range of games I'm using on that system would benefit from having GUS/SB/AdLib support to pick from on the fly. Also, much easier than running multiple cards (and cheaper). Lastly, I just want to play with it! Don't get me wrong, I love the AWE64 and Opti, but the PicoGUS seems like it will make life a bit easier on that build. We will see.

Wish me luck! 😀

In case of anyone having problems with VIA Apollo Pro 133T (VT82C694T) MBs here is what I observed and how I managed to fix it.
I have QDI Advance 10T and in MSDOS 7.10 mode card worked partially. Doom and Dope by Complex dos demo - no sound, while second reality by future crew dos demo and cubic player worked just fine.
Solution: reserving picoGUS IRQ and DMA resources in BIOS for Legacy ISA. Never had similar issues with 440BX or older boards where AUTO always worked.

StriderTR wrote on 2025-04-12, 17:43:

After much consideration, perusing this thread, and arguing with myself back and forth far longer than should've been necessary... The deed is done.

I've decided to replace the AWE64 Value and Opti 82C920 in my DOS 6.22 build with the PicoGUS. The wide range of games I'm using on that system would benefit from having GUS/SB/AdLib support to pick from on the fly. Also, much easier than running multiple cards (and cheaper). Lastly, I just want to play with it! Don't get me wrong, I love the AWE64 and Opti, but the PicoGUS seems like it will make life a bit easier on that build. We will see.

Wish me luck! 😀

I’d keep the awe 64 and with unisound configure it to different resources then you have the sb16 and awe midi support with the pico.

Pickle wrote on 2025-04-14, 12:36:

StriderTR wrote on 2025-04-12, 17:43:

After much consideration, perusing this thread, and arguing with myself back and forth far longer than should've been necessary... The deed is done.

I've decided to replace the AWE64 Value and Opti 82C920 in my DOS 6.22 build with the PicoGUS. The wide range of games I'm using on that system would benefit from having GUS/SB/AdLib support to pick from on the fly. Also, much easier than running multiple cards (and cheaper). Lastly, I just want to play with it! Don't get me wrong, I love the AWE64 and Opti, but the PicoGUS seems like it will make life a bit easier on that build. We will see.

Wish me luck! 😀

I’d keep the awe 64 and with unisound configure it to different resources then you have the sb16 and awe midi support with the pico.

I agree... AWE64 + PicoGus is a great combo to cover early DOS (CMS, GUS, AdLib with the Pico) and late DOS (SB16, AWE32 with AWE64).

Has anyone had issues with using the picogus on a PC with the xtide bios? I saw a cryptic reference to that many pages back in this thread and was curious to learn more.

dukeofurl wrote on 2025-04-14, 19:34:

Has anyone had issues with using the picogus on a PC with the xtide bios? I saw a cryptic reference to that many pages back in this thread and was curious to learn more.

just the universal bios or the xtide hardware as well? I just ran a picogus 2.0 hw with the universal bios in a nic.

Linoleum wrote on 2025-04-14, 18:20:

Pickle wrote on 2025-04-14, 12:36:

StriderTR wrote on 2025-04-12, 17:43:

After much consideration, perusing this thread, and arguing with myself back and forth far longer than should've been necessary... The deed is done.

I've decided to replace the AWE64 Value and Opti 82C920 in my DOS 6.22 build with the PicoGUS. The wide range of games I'm using on that system would benefit from having GUS/SB/AdLib support to pick from on the fly. Also, much easier than running multiple cards (and cheaper). Lastly, I just want to play with it! Don't get me wrong, I love the AWE64 and Opti, but the PicoGUS seems like it will make life a bit easier on that build. We will see.

Wish me luck! 😀

I’d keep the awe 64 and with unisound configure it to different resources then you have the sb16 and awe midi support with the pico.

I agree... AWE64 + PicoGus is a great combo to cover early DOS (CMS, GUS, AdLib with the Pico) and late DOS (SB16, AWE32 with AWE64).

I also agree; I've used the two of those as a pair, and it was wonderful. The PicoGUS also works great as a way to use MIDI daughterboards like the X2GS with an AWE card and avoid Creative's buggy MPU-401 implementation. That setup let me play TIE Fighter with SB 16 sound effects and X2GS music with no stuttering or hitching, which was an amazing experience! One can also use the PicoGUS alone as a GUS for digital sound with the MPU-401 for music.

I also decided to purchase a picoGUS. I have an Asus p2b mobo with an audigy PCI for win 98 and an ensoniq soundscape s2000 and sb16 ct2800 for DOS 6.22. I've removed the ct2800 in preparation.

I'm wondering if they plan to eventually integrate mt-32 emulation for those who have the ROM files. That would be awesome.

Sly_Botts wrote on 2025-04-18, 16:36:

I also decided to purchase a picoGUS. I have an Asus p2b mobo with an audigy PCI for win 98 and an ensoniq soundscape s2000 and sb16 ct2800 for DOS 6.22. I've removed the ct2800 in preparation.

I'm wondering if they plan to eventually integrate mt-32 emulation for those who have the ROM files. That would be awesome.

there are mt32-pi in wavetable form that can do this

PSA, I tried using the GUS pro patches 1.61 today and in my experience I needed to use a version of the patches that was designed to work with dosbox for them to play correctly. I didn't extensively test and tweak things, but quickly testing out the regular version of the patches with the picogus resulted in samples looping/continuously playing, which doesn't happen with the modified patches. The looping samples situation seems to be an issue people using dosbox have identified when trying to use the regular version of the patches.

This old thread provides both sets and a comment about the dosbox looping issue.
Gravis Ultrasound Driver Package

Pickle wrote on 2025-04-18, 16:39:

Sly_Botts wrote on 2025-04-18, 16:36:

I also decided to purchase a picoGUS. I have an Asus p2b mobo with an audigy PCI for win 98 and an ensoniq soundscape s2000 and sb16 ct2800 for DOS 6.22. I've removed the ct2800 in preparation.

I'm wondering if they plan to eventually integrate mt-32 emulation for those who have the ROM files. That would be awesome.

there are mt32-pi in wavetable form that can do this

Are you talking about the mccake daughterboard?

Sly_Botts wrote on 2025-04-19, 00:36:

Pickle wrote on 2025-04-18, 16:39:

Sly_Botts wrote on 2025-04-18, 16:36:

I also decided to purchase a picoGUS. I have an Asus p2b mobo with an audigy PCI for win 98 and an ensoniq soundscape s2000 and sb16 ct2800 for DOS 6.22. I've removed the ct2800 in preparation.

I'm wondering if they plan to eventually integrate mt-32 emulation for those who have the ROM files. That would be awesome.

there are mt32-pi in wavetable form that can do this

Are you talking about the mccake daughterboard?

yeah thats a commercial version. Scrap computing (youtube) made a pcb that ive used personally and Bits und Bolts (youtube) has a spin based on scrap computing version. So if your able to order pcb's and solder they can be made for about $30.

Pickle wrote on 2025-04-19, 00:57:

Sly_Botts wrote on 2025-04-19, 00:36:

Pickle wrote on 2025-04-18, 16:39:

there are mt32-pi in wavetable form that can do this

Are you talking about the mccake daughterboard?

yeah thats a commercial version. Scrap computing (youtube) made a pcb that ive used personally and Bits und Bolts (youtube) has a spin based on scrap computing version. So if your able to order pcb's and solder they can be made for about $30.

Nice!

I just think it would be perfect but the pico isn't powerful enough to emulate mt-32 which it is what it is. However if someone made a daughterboard that only does mt-32 emulation for a decent price that would be mint.

Sly_Botts wrote on 2025-04-19, 15:20:

but the pico isn't powerful enough to emulate mt-32 which it is what it is.

right the pi pico can not, but the wavetable boards use pi zero 2 which are powerful enough. Or you can build an external module with a pi 3 or higher.

Hi, I seem to have stopped getting notification emails from Vogons, sorry for missing so much activity on this thread! It seems everyone with issues had them resolved but now if people reply I should actually notice them... 😅

polpo wrote on 2025-04-19, 22:54:

Hi, I seem to have stopped getting notification emails from Vogons, sorry for missing so much activity on this thread! It seems everyone with issues had them resolved but now if people reply I should actually notice them... 😅

Thank you so much for making this product, I can't wait for it to arrive! I like the idea of the clean output. My SB 16 midi/FM volume was causing lots of noise. its going to sound so nice! Thanks for adding SB emulation as well. My soundscape s2000 isn't the best for SB emulation.

polpo wrote on 2025-04-19, 22:54:

Hi, I seem to have stopped getting notification emails from Vogons, sorry for missing so much activity on this thread! It seems everyone with issues had them resolved but now if people reply I should actually notice them... 😅

I figured you needed a break from the project since the card went ready-to-run commercially on serdashop and so much feedback has been generated.

It's tough because so much of people's issues are just plain old IBM PC resource management.

polpo wrote on 2025-04-19, 22:54:

Hi, I seem to have stopped getting notification emails from Vogons, sorry for missing so much activity on this thread! It seems everyone with issues had them resolved but now if people reply I should actually notice them... 😅

It's fine as long as you are busy developing the project 😉

We got dis. 😁

I do have a question if someone can help. If I want to use an mt-32 with the picogus, do I need to set it to MPU-401 mode? Is it possible for it to emulate the Gus while also using the midi out? Or is it just one or the other?