VOGONS


First post, by ZanQuance

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[updated 07-03-2021]
Included is a batch file to show how to use some of the available commands, and there is also the AU30MIX.exe /? command if you need more help.

The AU30MIX reset command does the following:

    • Resets the CODEC to new default gain values and mutes non-routed audio outputs and inputs, this also mutes the line-in
• Activates the CODEC's quad channels if present
• Sets the extra power register for lower THD
• Rewires the Vortex Internal VDB bus and chains the mixer outputs to 4-channel and S/PDIF outputs @ 48kHz

Line-input and MPU-401/midi/wavetable volumes are adjustable.
When using Line-in the audio will only playback on the Front Speakers, this is due to me using the internal CODECs loopback routing instead of a full VDB/SRC/MIXER route.
All values are set in hexadecimal to reflect 1:1 what values the CODEC uses.
You can adjust Left and Right channels independently, example: AU30MIX gain front $0008 would set the left channel to max volume 00 and the right channel a bit quieter to 08

I've removed the EQ routing and PCM adjustments as these weren't all that useful.

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  • Filename
    AU30MIX.7z
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    11.69 KiB
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    File comment
    1.0 Release Ver
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    Fair use/fair dealing exception
Last edited by ZanQuance on 2021-07-05, 00:22. Edited 14 times in total.

Reply 3 of 45, by vetz

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Sorry to say, but I haven't been following this project very detailed. What are the main features in bulletpoints over this new mixer compared to the original official release?

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Reply 5 of 45, by vetz

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ZanQuance wrote:

There was an official released one?

The mixer wasn't official if I remember it correctly, but someone made a rudimentary mixer to set the volumes. I found it attached here on Vogons years ago. Can't find the thread now ofc. Will have to wait to I get home to my 440BX system to find the file.

EDIT: Found the thread, it was called "vortmix": Re: How do I use an external wavetable within dos applications/games?
EDIT2: Seems your mixer supports quad channel, which the old one doesn't, so that's one point 😉

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Reply 6 of 45, by ZanQuance

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Ah yes that util, it's a good effort and better than nothing, but it constantly locks my machine and doesn't set the mixer levels when it doesn't lockup.

Last edited by ZanQuance on 2016-08-29, 23:46. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 7 of 45, by badmojo

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Ooh la la looking forward to trying this out.

Yes I found Vortmix to be a mixed bag - ha me so funny! It did work but was unreliable; I had to write a batch file that called it ~6 times in quick succession for the mixer changes to "stick" on my PIII.

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Reply 8 of 45, by badmojo

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Seems to work very well thanks ZQ! I'm no power user so don't understand the EQ stuff, and it took me a while to figure out that less gain required a higher number, but it does exactly what I wanted. I muted the rear channel and set the fader to 'front 100%' - all good. I'm using a SuperQuad for your reference.

Will you be including an option for setting the wavetable volume in the future? The levels for the DB I have attached currently are fine by default but I've had DB's on there that are too loud.

Thanks again!

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Reply 9 of 45, by ZanQuance

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Thanks for checking it for me, the volume values reflect the actual values in the CODEC in which less == more.
I'll be adding all the rest of the CODEC inputs and outputs and the actual Mixer units input gains and output gain controls, along with the rest of the planned features.
I need to look at the DOS driver code again and see how it routes the WaveTables when they are detected, it's not on the default VDB path for some reason.
It might have a hardwired path to the CODEC (I need a board schematic) in which case the CODEC's Video controls (as per other windows threads) control the volume. These are already coded in for the next update.

The EQ is simple enough to use, just plug in 10 values ranging from -32768 to +32767, positive for adding EQ gain and negative for bandcuts. Think of each value as the EQ sliders position -down and +up.
It will be MUCH easier to handle the card once the graphical interface is completed.

Thanks for the feedback!

Reply 10 of 45, by badmojo

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Most excellent - I've tried the latest build you sent me and can confirm that the 'video' option controls the mixer levels of the wavetable header in DOS, as it does in the Windows mixer.

As I say I'm no power user so you'll probably want someone who knows their sh*t to test it properly, but even as an Alpha release this is doing exactly what I want it to on my PIII, Win98 machine. Fantastic work, thankyou again!

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Reply 11 of 45, by ZanQuance

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Thanks for the info, that's good to know!

[edit]
Updated the build to Alpha 0.2 for now, added a few more options and cleaned up the command line interface a tad.
In my attempts to get a more graphical mixer going I realized the DOS driver likes to muck things up and undo my routing tables and mixer cell settings.
For now I just left it at controlling the CODEC and none of the internal mixers parameters.
So I think this will be the last update to this mixer utility until I finish up the new DOS driver which "plays nice" with the GUI mixer.

Reply 13 of 45, by subhuman@xgtx

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Thanks for the upload 😀 Any chance you could ever develop a more stable AU30DOS driver for those of us with fast systems? Unfortunately Aureal's one has caused me nothing but lock-ups with Athlon XPs and similar cpus, yet worked wonders with anything P3 and earlier.

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tbh9k2-6.png

Reply 15 of 45, by McDos

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I can't make this work properly with my TB Vortex2 (AU30DOS driver)

AU30MIX gain front 0
AU30MIX gain rear 0

The above actually makes the audio quieter when playing mp3s in MXPLAY.

Am I doing something wrong?

Reply 16 of 45, by McDos

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?

McDos wrote:
I can't make this work properly with my TB Vortex2 (AU30DOS driver) […]
Show full quote

I can't make this work properly with my TB Vortex2 (AU30DOS driver)

AU30MIX gain front 0
AU30MIX gain rear 0

The above actually makes the audio quieter when playing mp3s in MXPLAY.

Am I doing something wrong?

Reply 17 of 45, by ZanQuance

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Sorry, I'm not available more, my life went all topsy-turvy and I'm still crawling out the hole I ended up in and can't offer any real help at this time.

I suggest leaving the fader/rear setting at 15 since the TB Montego II only has a two channel codec, not a quad.

I can't currently test on my end. Also sorry for the late reply. I'll get back to everything when I can...

Reply 18 of 45, by McDos

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Sorry to hear that.

Thanks for the reply. Hope everything works out for you.

ZanQuance wrote:

Sorry, I'm not available more, my life went all topsy-turvy and I'm still crawling out the hole I ended up in and can't offer any real help at this time.

I suggest leaving the fader/rear setting at 15 since the TB Montego II only has a two channel codec, not a quad.

I can't currently test on my end. Also sorry for the late reply. I'll get back to everything when I can...

Reply 19 of 45, by MaTi

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Hi guys,

This is a pretty old topic, yet I hope someone can help me out.
I have built a retro pc for a friend of mine. He wants to use his mt32 under dos.
However, as the pc has no ISA, we had to find a suitable pci sound card; which we did. We installed a Vortex2.

Long story short; all was working under dos. When setting up Duke 3d we got both sound and mosic through the MT32 (using softmpu).
However, in order to hear the music playing we had to crank up botht he mt32 sound level to 100% AND the pc speakers.
I then figured it might had to do something with the line in volume levels, so I started looking for a mixer within the standard drivers.
Fiddled around a bit, didnt get it fixed, then found this au30mix-thing (seems awesome, thanks for making this!), played around with it a bit..
And then.. No music anymore at all 😀 🙁 The sound effects still work, just no music. We do see the MT32 getting input though. Just no playback.

I think the linein got muted or anything, not sure, but didn't get it to work anymore.. Anything we can/should try? Thanks in advance!

Still relatively new, but spending too much time on retro already.. 😀