First post, by Great Hierophant
- Rank
- l33t
I have had a thought about OPL Passthrough, which in my opinion is a vital feature for DOSBox. For those who don't know, OPL Passthrough is an unofficial patch in DOSBox that allows DOSBox to send FM music data directly to an onboard OPL2/3 chip (Adlib/Adlib Gold) or PSG chips (Game Blaster). But how do you get a real chip to interface with your system? I can give you three options:
1. System with ISA slots and an old SB/Adlib/PAS/WSS
Most of these cards come with a geniune Yamaha OPL2 or OPL3 chip at I/O 388-389 or 388-38b. This will work with the OPL Passthrough and in 2K/XP with Porttalk. However, either you must have a low-performing (for DOSBox) retro system or expensive an industrial motherboard.
2. USB2ISA Adapter
These adapters should work with an ISA card, but they are expensive ($150) and require setup. Porttalk should be required in 2K/XP.
3. PCI OPL3
Yamaha's YMF-724 chip contains a genuine OPL3 component, so it will sound like a much cleaner version of the old cards. This OPL3 component is at I/O 338-38B, just like any other OPL3 chip that came on an ISA card. Some cards even support S/PDIF output. No drivers needed for this functionality. Of course, you will lose Game Blaster output, but that is easy to emulate and these cards can be had for dirt cheap.
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