Quick question regarding SB Pro 2 cards. I noticed on the list of best to worst that N/A is listed for the MPU-401 hanging note bug and slowdown. Does this mean those cards, and earlier, don't support MPU-401 via the gameport?

SBpro and earlier only have SB-MIDI support, which games generally do not support. MPU-401 support came with SB16 and is subject to a variety of bugs. Most can be fixed by replacing the "DSP" chip with a new one that has one of the recently made fixed firmwares.

Tiido wrote on 2026-01-21, 15:27:

SBpro and earlier only have SB-MIDI support, which games generally do not support. MPU-401 support came with SB16 and is subject to a variety of bugs. Most can be fixed by replacing the "DSP" chip with a new one that has one of the recently made fixed firmwares.

Ahh, I see. Thanks for clarifying. Yeah, unfortunately, I wouldn't know where to begin with replacing chips. I guess I would have to aim for one with the least problems, if any.

I suppose, actually, if I were to get another card with true SB/DOS support, I should consider getting an AWE32/64.

I need a little refresher on something. I've actually forgotten a little detail concerning digital audio/redbook audio and was going through it in my head on the way to work. ^^ Obviously, I have the CD audio cable plugged from the sound card (Yamaha) to the CD-ROM drive, I'm able to play game CDs with redbook audio (both in Windows and DOS), however I'm a bit confused as to how it works with a virtual CD drive and CD image. It makes sense for a physical CD to work due to the audio cable, but how exactly does it work with a virtual one? Whether with a digital audio cable, WDM drivers, or S/PDIF?

I'm pretty sure I did a test with Quake 2, where I just had my Yamaha connected and didn't daisy-chain to the SB, or select it as the primary audio device, and I still received music whilst playing. I'll need to do another test to make sure I'm not dreaming.

On another topic...

Someone informed me of a PCI sound card alternative. It supposedly has the best DOS compatibility and only works with motherboards like mine via an SB-Link header. With the cable, selecting SB, SB Pro or SB16 audio in DOS games just works. Cards such as the YMF724, YMF744 or YMF754. Though I need a CD drive that allows for digital audio and for the Enable Digital CD Audio checkbox to not be greyed out. With my current one though, it is. I was informed the 2-pin cable to the CD drive is essentially the same as coaxial S/PDIF digital, which can be converted to optical TOSLINK using just an LED across the wires, allowing me to use better DACs in the sound card or receiver.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hg_wUcdC4s

Curious what other's thoughts are on this? Or if it's even worth it? Thanks.

EDIT: Yeah, Quake 2’s music plays with the CD image and only the Yamaha connected up. Despite the SB being the one that’s hooked to the CD drive via S/PDIF cable. So I’m curious how a virtual drive and image, along with a sound card that isn’t hooked to the CD drive, can output the redbook audio?

Optical drive emulation software plays audio CDs like a wav file, the same as if you were playing an MP3 file in a media player. It would work the same even if your physical CD drive was completely removed from the computer. It also means that the "CD Audio" volume slider doesn't work with virtual CD drives, it's controlled with the wave volume slider.

NeoG_ wrote on 2026-02-07, 22:45:

Optical drive emulation software plays audio CDs like a wav file, the same as if you were playing an MP3 file in a media player. It would work the same even if your physical CD drive was completely removed from the computer. It also means that the "CD Audio" volume slider doesn't work with virtual CD drives, it's controlled with the wave volume slider.

Ahhh, I see. Thanks. 😀

I have managed to find a Sound Blaster 16 CT1600 with the original box, manuals, and disks for about £146.

Whoop whoop! Just won myself a Roland MT-32 off eBay for about £130! That's a pretty good price considering most have sold around £200+!

Nice! Enjoy the MT-33, it's one of the best pieces of audio hardware for retro PCs.

Shponglefan wrote on 2026-03-31, 16:51:

Nice! Enjoy the MT-33, it's one of the best pieces of audio hardware for retro PCs.

Thanks. Can’t wait to go through the Monkey Island games with it. The first two definitely sound better with the MT-32. ^^

The CT1600 isn't a SB16, it's a SB Pro 2, and it doesn't have a Roland compatible MIDI interface so you can't drive an MT-32 with it.

badmojo wrote on Yesterday, 22:26:

The CT1600 isn't a SB16, it's a SB Pro 2, and it doesn't have a Roland compatible MIDI interface so you can't drive an MT-32 with it.

Ah, I see. I think that card sold in the end anyway. Was just curious about it.

DustyShinigami wrote on Yesterday, 22:43:

Ah, I see. I think that card sold in the end anyway. Was just curious about it.

Usually when someone says "I managed to find", it means they bought it

NeoG_ wrote on Yesterday, 22:44:

DustyShinigami wrote on Yesterday, 22:43:

Ah, I see. I think that card sold in the end anyway. Was just curious about it.

Usually when someone says "I managed to find", it means they bought it

True. Though sometimes when I say that I just mean I managed to find something on eBay that doesn’t often pop up.

Just to clarify, will I be fine hooking the MT-32 directly to the Line-In of my Yamaha sound card? Reading this - https://linuxjedi.co.uk/the-roland-mt-32-the- … s-gaming-sound/ - they used a PicoGUS, which I've still yet to get, and a mixer. Sadly, I'm not able to find that exact mixer and I suppose it's not really period accurate, either. I just want to make sure I'm good to go once I get it and not overlook anything.

Why do you feel the need to get exact parts? A mixer is a mixer. Modern mixers are vastly superior to using line in on an old sound card which generally would introduce a bunch of noise. Even cheap mixer have good shielding, you plug in several audio devices and then can independently control the volume level of each. With a sound card you have to hope a game doesn't mute or just max out all the volumes you just carefully tweaked in the software mixer. Just get a $25-30 four channel mixer and you'll be set, you don't need audio production grade quality unless you are doing actual recordings.

And you are worried about period accurate but are thinking about getting a PicoGUS?

Do you still only have the single computer listed in your signature? That's a late Win9X early XP rig. And Pentium 2/3 CPU offer very little options for slowing down the system for speed sensitive games. The MT32 was from a very small window and a good chunk of the games were speed sensitive. Shortly after the General MIDI standard came out. Newer games still supported the MT32 as people spent a lot of money on them. But you could get a better experience with a General MIDI synth instead. And your Live supports Soundfonts.

IMO the GUS was similar. It was amazing at the time as you could load samples into onboard memory and get sound that rivaled a more expensive MIDI synth over what OPL music would get you. But other than a handful of games that had their own sample created specifically for the GUS, it didn't provide you a better experience than a MIDI synth. The PicoGUS does let you simulate a bunch of older sound devices as well. But those games are all XT/286/386 era which a high end Pentium 3 will cause issues with.

SScorpio wrote on Today, 13:58:

Why do you feel the need to get exact parts? A mixer is a mixer. Modern mixers are vastly superior to using line in on an old so […]
Show full quote

Why do you feel the need to get exact parts? A mixer is a mixer. Modern mixers are vastly superior to using line in on an old sound card which generally would introduce a bunch of noise. Even cheap mixer have good shielding, you plug in several audio devices and then can independently control the volume level of each. With a sound card you have to hope a game doesn't mute or just max out all the volumes you just carefully tweaked in the software mixer. Just get a $25-30 four channel mixer and you'll be set, you don't need audio production grade quality unless you are doing actual recordings.

And you are worried about period accurate but are thinking about getting a PicoGUS?

Do you still only have the single computer listed in your signature? That's a late Win9X early XP rig. And Pentium 2/3 CPU offer very little options for slowing down the system for speed sensitive games. The MT32 was from a very small window and a good chunk of the games were speed sensitive. Shortly after the General MIDI standard came out. Newer games still supported the MT32 as people spent a lot of money on them. But you could get a better experience with a General MIDI synth instead. And your Live supports Soundfonts.

IMO the GUS was similar. It was amazing at the time as you could load samples into onboard memory and get sound that rivaled a more expensive MIDI synth over what OPL music would get you. But other than a handful of games that had their own sample created specifically for the GUS, it didn't provide you a better experience than a MIDI synth. The PicoGUS does let you simulate a bunch of older sound devices as well. But those games are all XT/286/386 era which a high end Pentium 3 will cause issues with.

Not exactly, no. I was hoping the one mentioned in that link was a cheap one. But I'm not sure when it was released or how much it sold for. And good point about the PicoGUS. ^^; I dunno, I guess I do want to have as many things that are period accurate as possible, but some modern hardware does make life much easier, such as the Gotek I also have. I have 2 systems, though not in total if we're counting every PC/laptop I have. But retro, I have two. My main rig in the signature and I have a test build, which I originally bought before upgrading/buying additional parts.

I do have a Roland SC-55, but when it comes to sound canvases, I would much prefer the original hardware, which is why I decided to get an MT-32 as well. The PicoGUS would be used mainly for any awkward DOS games and their audio, but mainly the convenience of mounting CUE/BIN CD images in DOS games.

The PicoGUS can be an intelligent mode MPU401 which is needed for some games to use the MT32. But SoftMPU can make that work on cards with a normal soundblaster or other cards.

If all you want is a CD gotek, the creator of the PicoGUS is coming out with the PicoIDE which will just use an IDE connector rather than needing an ISA slot.

https://www.crowdsupply.com/polpotronics/picoide

SScorpio wrote on Today, 15:06:

The PicoGUS can be an intelligent mode MPU401 which is needed for some games to use the MT32. But SoftMPU can make that work on cards with a normal soundblaster or other cards.

If all you want is a CD gotek, the creator of the PicoGUS is coming out with the PicoIDE which will just use an IDE connector rather than needing an ISA slot.

https://www.crowdsupply.com/polpotronics/picoide

Oh nice! Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I'll have to keep my eye out for this. 😀 I'll likely back it, although the Kickstarter for the Broken Sword 2 remaster starts soon, so I've no idea when I'll get around to it. ^^;

I'm still not sure if my Yamaha YMF719E S supports intelligent mode...? Or is this where I would need to buy a Sound Blaster 16...?

EDIT: Okay, I'm getting the impression it does from a few posts I've seen online. Whew.