Maybe an ESS SOLO PCI card would suit your needs?

ESS Solo-1 DOS Compatibility Testing on Multiple Systems

I likewise have only two ISA slots, presently occupied by two sound cards, which has taught me that I need to be realistic about what range of media standard support I am going for so long as I am determined to keep it all within a single PC.

Those of us who go down the rabbit hole of supporting multiple simultaneous sound cards (regardless of whether ISA or PCI) must eventually consider the wisdom of an external mixer.

I was enamored by the idea of built-in speakers myself, but external ones are superior for several reasons.

The Aureal Vortex is notable for being a Windows 9x chipset whose cards came standard with a Wave Blaster-type daughterboard connector, includes good Sound Blaster Pro support for DOS games (albeit I seem to recall MIDI only works when run under a Windows DOS box), and has the bonus of supporting the proprietary A3d standard for late 90s Windows games...and Aureal happens to have been the reincarnation of Media Vision.

Have you heard of SerdaShop?

They have several MIDI daughterboards, including ones with audio output jacks and Roland-licensed sound banks.

Here's their most advanced version:

https://serdashop.com/products/dreamblaster-x16gs

They also sell a joystick port adapter for them with line in and out ports:

https://serdashop.com/products/chill-and-phil-adapter

They even sell joystick port "doubler" kits, but they're out of stock at this time.

(I'm not affiliated with the site, but I've ordered from them before.)

What about a PicoGUS? That will give you GUS along with MIDI daughterboard support with full intelligent mode MPU401 MIDI support. I can also do OPL2 and even 3 now. But I still recommend pairing it along side a second sound dedicated to SoundBlaster duties.

https://github.com/polpo/picogus

@JidaiGeki
I will try it

@lylat1tan
I’m familiar with the Serdashop store, too; I actually have a MIDI card from them that I use in a 486 laptop docking station (which includes speakers) alongside an ISA Yamaha sound card.

Unfortunately, the Chill adapter you linked isn't suitable, as I’m looking for a solution that accommodates a standard-sized MIDI daughterboard inside the computer case.

@SScorpio
I like assembling my computers using period-correct hardware.
The PicoGUS looks promising, but I understand there are issues with its sound quality.

I think you are out of luck unfortunately, no configuration using GUS Ulta/SB16/PAS16 comes to mind that would get you bug-free+intelligent mode MIDI with two ISA slots both occupied by 16-bit sound cards. A DSP patched SB16 would be fine for UART mode as long as the SB16 DSP isn't being used at >22khz stereo rate simultaneously.

What happens if stereo audio with a sample rate above 22 kHz plays alongside MIDI on an SB16 sound card?
I was considering using a CT3900 with a DSP patch—if that’s even possible—since it likely offers better sound quality than standard SB16 cards. But then I’d lose either the Pro Audio Spectrum or the Gravis Ultrasound sound.

envagyok wrote on 2026-09-25, 04:45:

What happens if stereo audio with a sample rate above 22 kHz plays alongside MIDI on an SB16 sound card?

MIDI output gets slowed down

NeoG_ wrote on 2026-09-25, 05:03:

envagyok wrote on 2026-09-25, 04:45:

What happens if stereo audio with a sample rate above 22 kHz plays alongside MIDI on an SB16 sound card?

MIDI output gets slowed down

Even with swapped dsp chip with bugfree version?

envagyok wrote on 2026-09-25, 10:46:

Even with swapped dsp chip with bugfree version?

Yes, “bugfree” means not having the hanging note bug. MIDI slowdown is a separate issue.

A Pcmidi.eu Orpheus II, or MK1869 XTREME with a PCMIDI daughter-card is as closest thing in existence to the perfect sound card.
There is no perfect PC sound card, let alone combination of sound cards. Every single one has some sort of disadvantage or flaw. One has to either accept compromise, or delve into the madness of setting up multiple systems.

If you are in any way concerned about sound quality, built-in speakers are only going going to disappoint. Plastic and sheet metal make a poor speaker enclosure.

Yamaha Audician + midi daughter card + Gravis combination maybe?