As I thought.

NeoG_ wrote on 2026-05-07, 06:38:

crusher wrote on 2026-05-07, 06:14:

Now we need a dual card feature.
One in GUS mode and the other in SB mode for games that support it. That would be the ultimate killer feature.

I have a PicoGUS and SB16 in the same computer, which games can take advantage of it?

In such a configuration, games would basically just use the GUS as a generic General MIDI device, which would not have any added value over SB16 + General MIDI over MPU-401, which is a combination that I believe a single PicoGUS can also already emulate.

I guess there's the aspect of nostalgia for the specific way how the GUS patches/instruments sounded for General MIDI music playback, compared to Roland Sound Canvas and such. But TiMidity supports GUS patches. Can't PicoGUS use TiMidity for emulating General MIDI playback over MPU-401?

digger wrote on 2026-05-07, 10:34:

In such a configuration, games would basically just use the GUS as a generic General MIDI device, which would not have any added value over SB16 + General MIDI over MPU-401, which is a combination that I believe a single PicoGUS can also already emulate.

I guess there's the aspect of nostalgia for the specific way how the GUS patches/instruments sounded for General MIDI music playback, compared to Roland Sound Canvas and such. But TiMidity supports GUS patches. Can't PicoGUS use TiMidity for emulating General MIDI playback over MPU-401?

With MPU-401 the game can only tell the device which patches to use. With GUS it can actually use custom samples.

jmarsh wrote on 2026-05-07, 11:01:

With MPU-401 the game can only tell the device which patches to use. With GUS it can actually use custom samples.

Yes, but do you know of any games where you'd use an SB16 for PCM audio and a GUS for MIDI output, yet the game would use custom samples or patches?

I reckon there wouldn't be that many, if any at all.

I'm genuinely curious if there are any though, so if anybody can mention some examples, that would be really interesting.

NeoG_ wrote on 2026-05-07, 06:38:

crusher wrote on 2026-05-07, 06:14:

Now we need a dual card feature.
One in GUS mode and the other in SB mode for games that support it. That would be the ultimate killer feature.

I have a PicoGUS and SB16 in the same computer, which games can take advantage of it?

I typically use the PicoGUS alongside my AWE64, and I've used them to have Ultrasound music with SB16 digital sound in TIE Fighter, Duke 3D (not shown in my video), Doom/Doom II, and Descent. Any game that lets you choose the music device separate from the digital audio device should be able to do a similar setup. The PicoGUS typically is configured as a GUS with a MPU-401 device on Port 320 so that it doesn't conflict with Port 330 on the AWE64. It's similar to how one would use the Orpheus II card's different resources, I imagine!

MadMac_5 wrote on 2026-05-07, 16:27:

I typically use the PicoGUS alongside my AWE64, and I've used them to have Ultrasound music with SB16 digital sound in TIE Fighter, Duke 3D (not shown in my video), Doom/Doom II, and Descent. Any game that lets you choose the music device separate from the digital audio device should be able to do a similar setup. The PicoGUS typically is configured as a GUS with a MPU-401 device on Port 320 so that it doesn't conflict with Port 330 on the AWE64. It's similar to how one would use the Orpheus II card's different resources, I imagine!

Thank you!
That is what I meant. I have a GUS clone card + MK8330 (SB16).
Many games support seperate selection for music and sound effects. You named a few.
This way you can have the game playing music with GUS + sound effects with SB/SB Pro/SB16.
Just as you could select GM + SB if you have a GM capable sound card and a separate one for SB.

MadMac_5 wrote on 2026-05-07, 16:27:

NeoG_ wrote on 2026-05-07, 06:38:

crusher wrote on 2026-05-07, 06:14:

Now we need a dual card feature.
One in GUS mode and the other in SB mode for games that support it. That would be the ultimate killer feature.

I have a PicoGUS and SB16 in the same computer, which games can take advantage of it?

I typically use the PicoGUS alongside my AWE64, and I've used them to have Ultrasound music with SB16 digital sound in TIE Fighter, Duke 3D (not shown in my video), Doom/Doom II, and Descent. Any game that lets you choose the music device separate from the digital audio device should be able to do a similar setup. The PicoGUS typically is configured as a GUS with a MPU-401 device on Port 320 so that it doesn't conflict with Port 330 on the AWE64. It's similar to how one would use the Orpheus II card's different resources, I imagine!

I have a AWE64 gold+PICOGUS in my 486DLC, found the best conbination

But i preffer to use a wavetablepi, the midi emulation tsr on 64 is terrible and connect external midi devices is too many cables jaja

Work great, in fact i almost never use real GUS emulation, i put a GUS GM soundfont and sound fine. Only use for demos mostly

sorry if this was asked before but I installed the latest beta version of firmware so I can get SB16 compatibility but the issue seems to be, many games that ask for high dma / 16bit dma only offer 5,6,7 as options but PICOgus only has 1 for both if I understand it correctly? Or has anything changed ? even in the set blaster variable has it at 1:

SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H1 P330 T6

most games seem to require that so what is the solution?

Omarkoman wrote on Today, 01:54:

sorry if this was asked before but I installed the latest beta version of firmware so I can get SB16 compatibility but the issue seems to be, many games that ask for high dma / 16bit dma only offer 5,6,7 as options but PICOgus only has 1 for both if I understand it correctly? Or has anything changed ? even in the set blaster variable has it at 1:

SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H1 P330 T6

most games seem to require that so what is the solution?

Perhaps for these games you have to fall back to SBPro mode. These games probably won't work in SB16 mode on similar real hardware like ALS007 either...

Omarkoman wrote on Today, 01:54:

sorry if this was asked before but I installed the latest beta version of firmware so I can get SB16 compatibility but the issue seems to be, many games that ask for high dma / 16bit dma only offer 5,6,7 as options but PICOgus only has 1 for both if I understand it correctly? Or has anything changed ? even in the set blaster variable has it at 1:

SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H1 P330 T6

most games seem to require that so what is the solution?

what games??