I love it :3

I've been planning on doing something like this in the future, it'd be nice if you could share more details about your boot configurations if you want :3

This is sweet. I was planning on doing something similar except I would be using a PCI SATA controller and an SSD which is going to max out the throughput of the PCI bus anyway. No need for SCSI IMO.

What SBC are you using?

My first choice was to go with SATA or PATA RAID. But, I couldn't get any of those HBAs to play nice with QEMM.

I'm using the AAEON SBC-490. The IEI PSC-486VGA is also good.

-Brian

bbuchholtz wrote on 2020-10-31, 16:32:

My first choice was to go with SATA or PATA RAID. But, I couldn't get any of those HBAs to play nice with QEMM.

I'm using the AAEON SBC-490. The IEI PSC-486VGA is also good.

-Brian

Cool. The one I have is the Advantech PCA-6149.

I don't have any PCI/ISA 20 slot backplanes though... only 14 slot so I get a max of 9 ISA cards.

This is crazy and beautiful.

imi wrote on 2020-10-31, 15:37:

I love it :3

I've been planning on doing something like this in the future, it'd be nice if you could share more details about your boot configurations if you want :3

I'm working on a new version of my startup files. But, here's a previous version.

-Brian

Soooo... I ended up finding a 20-slot backplane for really cheap so I bought it. 17 ISA + 3 PCI, which will give me the ability to have a max of 16 ISA sound cards.

Doesn't have a keyboard port so I will have to wire one up from the SBC to the case but that is not a big deal. I also don't have a 20-slot industrial case so that will be another thing I have to get or make.

God, this blew up my mind. Look all those shiny soundcards! That's sooo not real!!!!!

cyclone3d wrote on 2020-11-01, 05:40:

Soooo... I ended up finding a 20-slot backplane for really cheap so I bought it. 17 ISA + 3 PCI, which will give me the ability to have a max of 16 ISA sound cards.

Doesn't have a keyboard port so I will have to wire one up from the SBC to the case but that is not a big deal. I also don't have a 20-slot industrial case so that will be another thing I have to get or make.

Trenton-without-ATX.jpg

I'm hoping to score a retired industrial rig from work soon. The case at least is the same brand as your SBC. I'm looking forward to finding out what's inside.

bbuchholtz wrote on 2020-10-31, 15:25:

[...]

My goal is to get all 14 soundcards to cohabitate in a single system. I already have most of the resources allocated. Since there's not enough IRQs to have all of these run concurrently, I have a boot menu for initializing individual soundcards.

Clear enough how that would work with PnP cards, or cards that need non-PnP init at boot, but what about jumper-based non-PnP cards, or cards with EEPROM that can be modified at boot, but already use resources before getting to the init stage?

Do you just avoid those cards, or do you have a crafty trick? If the latter I'd love to hear it, as that was where my 5-card rig hit problems.

Pretty cool, love these projects.

I have a similar one, but without the usefulness of a complete industrial backplane setup:

https://youtu.be/kk6nyrX4DK8

Everything mounted on a Corsair Obsidian case with 9 expansion slots. I did of course had to extend the ISA bus with a small backplane.

Sound devices on the system at the moment are:

1- AWE 32 Upgrade;
2- SPEA V7 Media FX; (Soundscape clone)
3- Roland RAP-10;
4- Orpheus Sound card + TB60XG;
5- Innovation SSI replica;
6- Gravis Ultrasound PnP;
7- Pro Audio Spectrum (dual OPL2);
8- Creative Game Blaster;
9- IBM Music Feature Card;
10- TNDLPT;

Since the video i replaced the Audiotrix Pro with the Innovation, and still all devices are usable within a single batch file activation.

I still see Room for improvement, where i can add another small 2 slot backplane for another 2 small cards like a couple of hosts for GM daughterboards. And the arrival of the FMonster one day will surely condense some chip tune synths on a single slot which will make Room for yet more cards.

And i still have IRQ 10 and DMA 0 available.

I see you have a Turtle Beach Pinnacle. Is the Kurzweil onboard synth available in DOS? What about the DB header for the HOMAC?

dionb wrote on 2020-11-01, 13:15:

Clear enough how that would work with PnP cards, or cards that need non-PnP init at boot, but what about jumper-based non-PnP cards, or cards with EEPROM that can be modified at boot, but already use resources before getting to the init stage?

Do you just avoid those cards, or do you have a crafty trick? If the latter I'd love to hear it, as that was where my 5-card rig hit problems.

We'll see how far I get. I may end up having to pull an offending card or two 😉

I definitely have to juggle the low-range IRQs. I have serial and parallel ports disabled on the motherboard, so that helps free-up those valuable IRQs. The plug and play stuff, I have sharing high-range IRQs. Here's how I have the low-range IRQs currently allocated:
• 2: LAPC-I
• 3: PAS 8
• 5: SB 16
• 7: SB Pro

DMA allocation is a bit of a challenge as well. Especially considering, 2, 6, and 7 are not available on this system.

I'm trying to use base addresses as a way to maintain uniqueness. Here's how I currently have them allocated:
• 210: CMS (SAAYM)
• 220: Maxi Sound 64
• 230: PAS 16
• 240: SB Pro
• 250: GUS ACE
• 260: SB 16
• 270: TBS Pinnacle
• 280: SB AWE64

I know that the forum members here have a wealth of knowledge. I'm open to any input 😀

-Brian

Although you have a good number of sound cards, i see a lot of redundancy. It's better to lose the SB16 and keep the AWE64, because you'll have EMU8000 synth and SB16 digital part. An SB Pro and a Maxi Sound 64 is also redundant, unless the reason is the OPL3 difference, but you already have a PAS16 which has a genuine YMF262 anyway. The Maxi Sound is cool, because you'll have SAM9407 + another header for a different DB + SB Pro. I would ditch the SB Pro.

I like the SAAYM card, as its a very nice addition to playing VGM music with its added YM chip.

All in all, very cool, everyone has different goals and ideas so if this is the way you want to do things, keep going!

Another vote for replacing the SB16 with something else. It's redundant since you have the AWE64 for digital sound and other cards for OPL3 in there.

I would suggest getting a WSS compatible card, since it doesn't seem like the ones you have support that standard. An OPTi 82C9xx card would work, or a Yamaha YMF71x if you prefer that.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2020-11-01, 15:36:

Another vote for replacing the SB16 with something else. It's redundant since you have the AWE64 for digital sound and other cards for OPL3 in there.

I would suggest getting a WSS compatible card, since it doesn't seem like the ones you have support that standard. An OPTi 82C9xx card would work, or a Yamaha YMF71x if you prefer that.

Or a straight up WSS card which so has OPL3.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2020-11-01, 15:36:

Another vote for replacing the SB16 with something else. It's redundant since you have the AWE64 for digital sound and other cards for OPL3 in there.

I would suggest getting a WSS compatible card, since it doesn't seem like the ones you have support that standard. An OPTi 82C9xx card would work, or a Yamaha YMF71x if you prefer that.

That Guillemoit Maxi Sound 64 has WSS support, and the PAS16 has OPL3

Regarding non-low-range IRQs, that was where I also hit problems to the point of just splitting my multi-card system up. The cards worked fine, but so few games would actually run on the more outlandish settings it made it pretty pointless...

What about modification to the board and some switches the enable/disable power to each slot?

Seems like a not too difficult way to take care of issues with a massive number of cards.

All very good feedback.

Regarding SB Pro, it's my general understanding that this isn't emulated well. Also, I have the CT-1330... the varient that has dual OPL2. I believe this is the only Creative soundcard with this configuration.

Regarding SB16, I have a heavily-modified CT-1790:
SB16 Nirvana

This SB16 frankencard doesn't have any of the hanging note bugs. I was planning to pair it with a Goldfinch... again, for an AWE32, with no hanging note bug. AWE64 is great and all... but it's CQM-based.

-Brian

dionb wrote on 2020-11-01, 16:29:

That Guillemoit Maxi Sound 64 has WSS support

Ahh nice! I mistakenly thought that was an ESS1868 based card instead of the Dream + Crystal combo.

In that case, adding an ESS card might be nice for ESFM and AudioDrive functionality.