But it could be just a Descent game specific issue? So far I only know of a single game where the Stereo configuration for FM music differs with MIDI music.
Surely there are games where the Stereo configuration between FM and MIDI does line up...
If OPTI and Soundscape chose a Stereo configuration that differs from the reference implementation of Creative, than it comes down to which games you test.
All we can say at this stage is that with Descent at least, the Stereo configuration for FM music differs with MIDI music on Creative hardware, but does not on OPTI and Soundscape.
I just have to find another game where the opposite is true and we are back to square one...
I'll try some other games...
Yup first game I tried and here FM and MIDI have the same Stereo configuration: I tested Warcraft2 SETUP.EXE
Right at the start of the "Test" song you can hear a melody on the right (the other instruments are on both channels). That melody comes out through R on FM and MIDI.
So for this game the OPTI and Soundscape cards would be the ones with the reversed behavior...
So this whole saying of "Stereo is correct" goes out the window because it boils down to:
a. What hardware the game designers used
b. If they where thorough enough to check the Stereo in their music
My ESS AudioDrive for example has the exact same Stereo configuration as my SB Pro 2.0. Whereas your OPTI and Soundscape have a different one.
So basically it's a big mess 🤣
I just stick with MIDI for games that support it. Are there even games that have Stereo FM, but no MIDI? Surely there can't be many...