VOGONS


First post, by Nailz

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New rig with the following:

K6-2 500 w/ 256MB RAM
FIC PAG-2130 mobo, I have disabled the onboard sound card
ESS-1869 sound card (ISA)
Win 98

I am having issues with getting the sound card to work in DOS mode, testing with Doom at the moment. In DOS mode I am trying to set up the card with 220/7/1/330 with the ESSCFG utility and then running setup for Doom with the same parameters. I get music but no sound effects. If I run the utility through a command prompt from windows, it shows up as 220/9/1/300, and it won't let me make any changes and the Doom setup won't let me go with IRQ 9.

This feels like I need to edit the autoexec.bat and config.sys to get me the right parameters, but I am admittedly about 25 years out of practice there. Do I need to edit/create them in Win98 as they are blank now, or create them elsewhere and run off a boot floppy?

These are supposed to go into autoexec.bat, just unsure where, and the notes state that while these are named for the 1868, they are slightly different:

@ECHO OFF
REM Terratec Sound System Gold 16/96 Drivers
REM ESSCFG for ES1868 (and ES1878) only!
REM ESSCFG V4.8: Verbose IRQ DMA1 DMA2 Address MPU Joystick
ESSCFG.EXE /V:1 /I:7 /D:1 /E:3 /A:220 /B:330 /J:E
REM ESSVOL 0..15: v=master l=line w=wave m=mic c=CD s=synth a=auxB =pcspkr
ESSVOL.EXE /v:8 /l:0 /w:8 /m:0 /c:0 /s:8 /a:8 /p:0
ESSVOL

Here is the autoexec.bat and the config.sys stolen from Phil as a starting point:
Autoexec.bat:
@ECHO OFF
PROMPT $p$g
PATH C:\DOS
SET TEMP=C:\DOS
LH C:\DRIVERS\CTMOUSE.EXE /R2
GoTo %config%
:EMC
:XMC
:CMC
LH C:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE /D:OPTICAL
:EM
:XM
:CM

Config.sys
[COMMON]
DOS=HIGH,UMB
FILES=30
BUFFERS=30
LASTDRIVE=H

[menu]
menuitem=EMC, Expanded memory + Mouse + CD-ROM
menuitem=XMC, Extended memory + Mouse + CD-ROM
menuitem=CMC, Conventional Memory only + Mouse + CD-ROM
menuitem=EM, Expanded memory + Mouse
menuitem=XM, Extended memory + Mouse
menuitem=CM, Conventional memory only + Mouse

menudefault=EMC,10

[EMC]
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM
DEVICEHIGH=C:\DRIVERS\VIDECDD.SYS /D:OPTICAL

[XMC]
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF
DEVICEHIGH=C:\DRIVERS\VIDECDD.SYS /D:OPTICAL

[CMC]
DEVICEHIGH=C:\DRIVERS\VIDECDD.SYS /D:OPTICAL

[EM]
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM

[XM]
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF

[CM]

As always, greatly appreciate the help!

Reply 1 of 16, by MAZter

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Try this config (i just took it from different topic about ESS1869), looks more properly:

ESSCFG.EXE /A:220 /I:5 /D:1 /E:3 /B:330 /J:E
ESSVOL.EXE /V:6 /L:4 /W:4 /M:0 /C:4 /S:4 /A:0 /P:4

Doom is what you want (c) MAZter

Reply 3 of 16, by Joseph_Joestar

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Try the ESS 1869 driver from here.

It could be that the ESSCFG.EXE version that you're currently using is too old for that card.

PC#1: Pentium MMX 166 / Soyo SY-5BT / S3 Trio64V+ / Voodoo1 / YMF719 / AWE64 Gold / SC-155
PC#2: AthlonXP 2100+ / ECS K7VTA3 / Voodoo3 / Audigy2 / Vortex2
PC#3: Athlon64 3400+ / Asus K8V-MX / 5900XT / Audigy2
PC#4: i5-3570K / MSI Z77A-G43 / GTX 970 / X-Fi

Reply 4 of 16, by 1541

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My Terratec Gold 16/96 PNP Configuration looks like this:
ESSCFG.EXE /A:220 /I:5 /D:1 /E:0 /B:330 /J:E
Rem unmuting the wavetable board with /A
ESSVOL.EXE /A:8
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4

Are you calling ESSVOL twice in your autoexec.bat see your last line?

💾 Windows 9x resources (drivers, tools, NUSB,...) 💾

Reply 5 of 16, by Nailz

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Joseph_Joestar, this is where I got the drivers from initially, had a hard time finding them...

MAZter and 1541, where do I put these within the autoexec.bat, should they be like I have it now below? To answer your question 1541 on the EESVOL twice... it was in the notes that were with the drivers, so I left them, it does seem redundant though doesn't it?

@ECHO OFF
PROMPT $p$g
PATH C:\DOS
SET TEMP=C:\DOS
LH C:\DRIVERS\CTMOUSE.EXE /R2
GoTo %config%
:EMC
ESSCFG.EXE /A:220 /I:5 /D:1 /E:0 /B:330 /J:E
Rem unmuting the wavetable board with /A
ESSVOL.EXE /A:8
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4
:XMC
ESSCFG.EXE /A:220 /I:5 /D:1 /E:0 /B:330 /J:E
Rem unmuting the wavetable board with /A
ESSVOL.EXE /A:8
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4
:CMC
ESSCFG.EXE /A:220 /I:5 /D:1 /E:0 /B:330 /J:E
Rem unmuting the wavetable board with /A
ESSVOL.EXE /A:8
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4
LH C:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE /D:OPTICAL
:EM
ESSCFG.EXE /A:220 /I:5 /D:1 /E:0 /B:330 /J:E
Rem unmuting the wavetable board with /A
ESSVOL.EXE /A:8
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4
:XM
ESSCFG.EXE /A:220 /I:5 /D:1 /E:0 /B:330 /J:E
Rem unmuting the wavetable board with /A
ESSVOL.EXE /A:8
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4
:CM
ESSCFG.EXE /A:220 /I:5 /D:1 /E:0 /B:330 /J:E
Rem unmuting the wavetable board with /A
ESSVOL.EXE /A:8
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4

Reply 7 of 16, by Nailz

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Update: I tried putting the changes shown above into the c: drive under win98, which resulted in no sound in Win98, and then trying to play doom resulted in the same issue, I had music, but zero sound effects which seems weird. I have to be missing something between the autexec and config.sys configurations, just don't know what. Tried putting all of these onto a boot disk, which didn't work either. Batting 0 for about 10 today. 😒

Reply 10 of 16, by Oetker

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To better test what's going on I would recommend:

-Emptying your autoexec.bat / config.sys files, to make troubleshooting easier and to prevent the DOS drivers from screwing with Windows.
-Edit msdos.sys and add BootMenu=1 under [options] so you get the option to boot directly into DOS on startup. This way Windows drivers won't screw with the card.
-Make a batch file to run ESSVOL and ESSCFG and manually run this when booting into DOS.

You could also try Unisound UNISOUND - Universal ISA PnP Sound Card Driver for DOS v0.81b

Reply 11 of 16, by Nailz

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Thanks for the suggestions, I tried it both ways, running a batch with ESSVOL and ESSCFG as well as trying Unisound and it yields the same results.... The card is identified every time correctly, but I can't get Doom or Doom 2 to play the Sound FX, music works fine as always.

I'm admittedly now wondering if it would be simpler to purchase an SB16 or an AWE64....

Reply 12 of 16, by Oetker

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Strange. I forgot to mention, adding a SET BLASTER line to your batch file is a good idea. Also have you tried other games than Doom. Duke Nukem 3D has a setup utility with a built-in sound test, which is handy.

Reply 13 of 16, by Nailz

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It's in there, I simplified my autoexec.bat, shown below... At the moment I don't have DUke Nukem 3D, guess I need to find it and throw it in there. My question is, if it doesn't work in DN3D, what next? Also, what if it does work?

@ECHO OFF
PROMPT $p$g
SET PATH C:\DOS;C:\;C:\WINDOWS;C:\DRIVERS
SET TEMP=C:\DOS
SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 H1 P330 C168
C:\UNISOUND.COM /V80
DEVLOAD VIDE-CDD.SYS /D:MSCD001
LH C:\DRIVERS\CTMOUSE.EXE /R2
DOSKEY

Reply 14 of 16, by Nailz

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Found D3d, loaded it up and thought maybe I had it figured out... the SET BLASTER settings had H1 (DMA2) and from what I can tell DMA2 only works at 5,6, or 7. I changed it to H5 and it still doesn't work.

When setting up the sound card, again, music works fine, but the Sound FX shows that "Playback failed, possibly due to an invalid or conflicting IRQ."

The unisound drivers at least let me select this, I tried it as well with the ESSCFG and the setting won't let me change the DMA2 setting without an error.

Where can I find out what else may be conflicting with the IRQ?

Reply 15 of 16, by Nailz

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Well crap.... I figured it out. I went into the bios, and right in my face the parallel port was set to IRQ 7. 😒 Sound effects now work in Duke 3d and Doom2. I id another stupid thing and copied all the files from burned CD onto the hard and neglected to remove the "READ ONLY" properties. Unbelievable.

Those Unisound drivers helped immensely, cutting down autoexec.bat and config.sys and making them simpler all were needed. Appreciate everyone's input, thanks again!

Reply 16 of 16, by Oetker

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Nailz wrote on 2020-10-15, 21:07:

Well crap.... I figured it out. I went into the bios, and right in my face the parallel port was set to IRQ 7. 😒 Sound effects now work in Duke 3d and Doom2. I id another stupid thing and copied all the files from burned CD onto the hard and neglected to remove the "READ ONLY" properties. Unbelievable.

Those Unisound drivers helped immensely, cutting down autoexec.bat and config.sys and making them simpler all were needed. Appreciate everyone's input, thanks again!

Nice that you got it to work! The high DMA setting is only relevant for Soundblaster 16 (clone) devices, which the 1869 isn't.