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No Sound from Dosbox in Windows (SoundMAX on-board chipset)

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First post, by diablo75

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I am currently using Windows XP with the most recent version of DosBox I just downloaded today. I am trying to play Descent/Descent 2, and the setup program (for setting the sound card settings) says it can't autodetect the audio card. The card that appears to be emulated is a Sound Blaster 16 with the default DosBox IRQ/DMA address assignments (IRQ 7, DMA 1). If I try to set the settings up manually and do an audio test it either fails (no sound) or at best, I get extremely choppy, unintelligible sound.

The sound card that is actually in the computer is some kind of on-board SoundMAX chipset. Windows itself plays sound just fine. But DosBox doesn't seem to work.

Reply 1 of 1, by MiniMax

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My config:

# Title:        Descent 1.4a
# Developer:    Parallax Software
# Publisher:    Interplay Productions Limited
# Year:         1995
# Genre:        3D first-person shooter
# Status:       Commercial license
#
# Link:         http://www.descent3.com/
# Link:         http://www.planetdescent.com/
#
# MD5-sum:      a6f2203ccf08bef25c003fa0609f6165 *DESCENTR.EXE
#
# Archives:
# Run:
# Setup:
# Save-games:
# Game-configs:
#
# DOSBox:       0.72
#
# By MiniMax

[sdl]
# Descent can be run using different resolutions. From the README-file:
#
# -320x100      Uses a low-res graphics mode good for full screen playing
#               on slower computers.  A bit blocky, though.
#
# -320x240      Uses a little better resolution than normal for a crisper
#               image. Uses ModeX page flipping to reduce "shearing."
#
# -320x400      Same as above, but much more resolution at the expense of
#               speed.  Only recommended for P-90's and above!!
#
# -640x400      Killer high res.  Requires a VESA driver.
#
# -640x480      Super-killer high res.  Requires a VESA driver.
#
# DOSBox is capable of running Descent in the 640x480 resolution mode.
# Using an output method like 'overlay' that supports hardware scaling to
# a window twice the resolution (1280x960) works nicely for me.

output=overlay
windowresolution=1280x960

[render]
# The scaler does not affect the main game graphics, only the lower
# resolution graphics used in the game menus and mission briefings.
# I like the hq3x scaler.

scaler=hq3x

[gus]
# The auto-detection in the Setup program defaults to the Gravis
# Ultrasound device if present, but complains about a driver not
# being loaded when testing music.  Wiser men than me says it is
# because I need to load some MIDI-patches into the GUS first.
#
# Anyway, disabling it here avoids the whole mess.  Feel free to
# enable it if you want to experiment with it.
…Show last 105 lines

gus=false

[ipx]
# Descant can do multi-player!

ipx=true

[autoexec]
@   echo off

rem +---------------------------------------------------------------
rem ! Mount the CD-drive and virtual harddisk.
rem +---------------------------------------------------------------

    mount C "C-drive"
 imgmount D "G:\Spool\ISOs\DESCENT.iso" -t iso
    echo.

rem +---------------------------------------------------------------
rem ! Are we ready to run the software, or do we need to install it
rem ! first?
rem +---------------------------------------------------------------

    if exist C:\Games\Descent\DescentR.Exe      goto Ready

:Install

rem +---------------------------------------------------------------
rem ! Install the software from the CD-drive using the supplied
rem ! installer. The installer will also invoke the setup utility.
rem !
rem ! OBS: After installing you are forced to watch through a little
rem !      trailer for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
rem +---------------------------------------------------------------

    D:
    cd \
    echo Installing Descent.

    Install
    if not exist C:\Games\Descent\DescentR.Exe  goto Done

:Levels

rem +---------------------------------------------------------------
rem ! Install the Levels of the Worlds expansion packet (if
rem ! available).
rem +---------------------------------------------------------------

    if not exist D:\Levels goto PostInst
    copy D:\Levels\*.* C:\Games\Descent 

:PostInst

rem +---------------------------------------------------------------
rem ! Additional post-install actions.
rem +---------------------------------------------------------------

rem +---------------------------------------------------------------
rem ! Create a fake electronic registration card file indicating
rem ! we do not want to register Descent by sending registration
rem ! information by modem or by printing out and mailing the
rem ! card.
rem +---------------------------------------------------------------

    C:
    cd \Games\Descent

    echo [STAMP]                >  eRegCard.Ini
    echo product=DESCENT        >> eRegCard.Ini
    echo counts=0 1 0           >> eRegCard.Ini

rem +---------------------------------------------------------------
rem ! Create D1VGA.BAT, a batch file to launch Descent with full VGA
rem ! resolution (640x480).
rem +---------------------------------------------------------------

    echo @rem Remove any leftover swap files.   >  D1VGA.Bat
    echo @if exist *.Swp delete *.Swp           >> D1VGA.Bat
    echo @DescentR.Exe -640x480 %%1 %%2 %%3 %%4 %%5 %%6 %%7 %%8 >> D1VGA.Bat
    echo @if exist *.Swp delete *.Swp           >> D1VGA.Bat

    echo Done!
    echo.

:Ready

rem +---------------------------------------------------------------
rem ! Switch to the harddisk, and inform the user about which
rem ! command to use for running the software.
rem +---------------------------------------------------------------

    C:
    cd \Games\Descent

    echo Type DESCENT       to start the game.
    echo Type D1VGA         to start the game in hi-res VGA mode (640x480).
    echo Type DESCENT -help to show additional options.
    echo Type SETUP         to reconfigure sound and VR devices.

    goto Done

:Done
    echo.

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