DOS games with a mt-32 in real mode dos \ VOGONS

DOS games with a mt-32 in real mode dos

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First post, by ManOhManUS

Posted on 2011-03-16, 18:02

ManOhManUS Offline

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Joined: 2011-03-16, 17:58

HI I have searched and searched on this board and Google for an answer. I'm out of idea's and need some help.

I have a AWE64 GOLD sound card and a MT-32 hooked up to it. I can play SQ4, KQ5 in real dos 6.22 just fine. I can also play other games like tie fighter or doom2 with mt-32 picked as music device, and things work fine.
But when I try and play SQ3, or KQ4 after picking MT32, my computer will just freeze up. Or in the case of QK4 I get this msg. "Unable to initialize your music hardware" and the PC just hangs. Have to hard boot. As I said other later sierra games play fine with my setup.

Now I have A multi-boot setup DOS6.22 WIN98SE WINXP
In windows xp I can run dosbox and play SQ3 or KQ4 just fine with my mt32. The LCD screen comes up and loads fine and music is fine.

So I want to know why I can play sq3, kq4 etc just fine in dos box, but not in real dos?
Has to be something in my configs and I just don't know whats wrong.
As I said it's only the older sierra games that don't work also Silpheed.

Few things I tryed before I list my config.sys and autoexec.bat files.

After much searching I found the sentax for SET MIDI
My defalt and most ppls is
SET MIDI=SYNTH:1 MAP:E MODE:0
SYNTH 1 IS USE INTERNAL MIDI, 2 IS USE EXTERNAL.
I have tryed playing kq4 with no set midi string at all, and with SYNTH:1 and then with SYNTH:2
No luck.

I also was using the defalt pnp setup for awe64 cards in dos. I then installed the low-level drivers. By doing diagnose.exe /a
This add's the low level drivers to the config.sys file. NO games I have need this but I tryed it anyways to see if it would fix kq4 etc..

My config.sys

DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM
BUFFERS=15,0
FILES=30
LASTDRIVE=H
FCBS=4,0
DOS=HIGH,UMB
STACKS=0,0
BREAK ON
SWITCHS /F /W
SHELL=C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM /E:1024 /P
DEVICE=C:\DOS\SETVER.EXE
DEVICE=C:\DRIVERS\SB16\CTCM.EXE

AUTOEXEC.BAT

@ECHO OFF
PROMPT $P$G
SET TEMP=C:\TEMP
SET SOUND=A220 15 D1 H5 P330 E620 T6
SET MIDI=SYNTH:2 MAP:E MODE:0
SET CTCM=C:\DRIVERS\SB16
PATH C:\DOS;C:\;C:\DRIVERS\SB16;C:\UTILS\LL5;C:\UTILS\SDD;C:\UTILS\NORTON
C:\DRIVERS\MOUSE\CLOAKING.EXE
SET LMOUSE=C:\DRIVERS\MOUSE
LH /L:0;3,1040 /S C:\DRIVERS\MOUSE\MOUSE
SET NU=C:\UTILS\NORTON
C:\DRIVERS\SB16\DIAGNOSE /S
C:\DRIVERS\SB16\MIXERSET /P /Q
C:\DRIVERS\SB16\AWEUTIL /S

MEM
FREE CONVENTIONAL 619K
FREE UPPER 37K
FREE RESERVED 0K
FREE EXTENDED XMS 64,646K
FREE EMS 32,608K

If I install the low-level dos drivers the next two lines are in my config.sys
DEVICE=C:\DRIVERS\SB16\DRV\CTSB16.SYS /UNIT=0 /BLASTER=A:220 I:5 D:1 H:5
DEVICE=C:\DRIVERS\SB16\DRV\CTMMSYS.SYS

BTW: any typeos in the config.sys or autoexec.bat files are from my typing them for this post.
I did not cut and past. I just typed what was on my 2nd pc screen. so device=c:dos\emm386.exe would in fact not be the real line. Just a typo.

So I know my mt-32 is setup right and my awe64 plays other games in dos with mt-32 just fine. It's just sq3, kq4, Silpheed and others that don't
But do work under dosbox in windows xp with my mt32.

I hope that somebody can help. And that this post is not just a big incomprehensible mess.
I got my mt32 yesterday around 1pm it's now 10am the next day and no sleep. 🤣 just LOTS of coffee, sugar, anger, and reboots.

Also besides space quest 3, kings quest 4, I also found same prob with wing commander 2. But works fine in windows xp dosbox with mt-32.

Thanks for any help you can give.

Reply 1 of 8, by Shagittarius

Posted on 2011-03-16, 20:11

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Location: California, USA

It's possible it's a speed issue, I've received that message, ""Unable to initialize your music hardware" in DosBox and had to turn down the cycles. Perhaps your pure DOS environment is also too fast for the game. You could try to slow it down with hardware settings/applications and see if the helps.

I looked for patches on the sierra patch page but didn't see any that applied based on what you described as the issues.

However heres the sierra pages in case you want to check :

http://www.sierrahelp.com/Patches-Updates/Pat … es-Updates.html

Reply 2 of 8, by Mau1wurf1977

Posted on 2011-03-16, 22:55

Mau1wurf1977 Offline

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Your search skills need to be worked on, because all of this is very well documented.

Patching the games is a good option, but your machine is also way too fast and you don't have a fully Roland MPU401 compatible MIDI adapter.

- Disable L1 and L2 Cache in Bios to slow things down
- Buy a Roland MPU401 AT

My website with reviews, demos, drivers, tutorials and more...
My YouTube channel

Reply 3 of 8, by ManOhManUS

Posted on 2011-03-17, 00:34

ManOhManUS Offline

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Joined: 2011-03-16, 17:58

Your people skills could use some work. No need to start flaming buddy.

I have tried moslo setting my cpu from 4Mhz to 100Mhz
and no luck also I can play said games just fine at FULL speed with PC speaker used. But if I select mt32 I get the lockups. ..

Thanks for the reply's none the less.

Reply 4 of 8, by Mau1wurf1977

Posted on 2011-03-17, 00:39

Mau1wurf1977 Offline

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Well maybe try to understand where I'm coming from. All of this has been documented by people on this forum and it's frustrating to have to repeat it over and over every time someone buys a MT-32...

You just joined, so it's better to discipline you early on 🤣

Forget moslo. Disable L1 and L2 cache instead.

If you it still locks up, either patch the midi drivers as mentioned or source a Roland MPU401AT.

Reply 5 of 8, by ManOhManUS

Posted on 2011-03-17, 00:46

ManOhManUS Offline

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Posts: 3
Joined: 2011-03-16, 17:58

It's an old Dell box. No option to disable CPU cache's

In Space Quest 3 with mt32. Game starts I get the BIG arrow mouse cursor we all know and love. Then just a black screen. I can move the pointer around but nothing. I have let it sit for 20mins + just to make sure, and nothing.

Kings Quest 4 I get that error msg ""Unable to initialize your music hardware" in a white box. and the same BIG arrow mouse cursor. Now if I push esc the msg goes away and the courser changes to the king crown icon then my system will lock up or reboot. Both games same setup's if I pick PC speaker both games play fine.

I just got done playing sq4 for 30mins in dos with mt32 goofing around. I guess it's only a very small amount of games I can't get to work in real dos. I will just play them in windows. Just makes me mad that I can't.
Again thanks for trying to help. It has to be something in my configs if it works in DOSBox but not in dos. /shrug I'm done messing with it.

If it can help it's a dell xps t700r service tag 26zd10b
I did look if I could find out the real MB maker and re-flash my MB so I can get real options. But I did not find out any info.

Again thanks for the replys but meh never mind I will just deal with dosbox.

Reply 6 of 8, by Paddan1000

Posted on 2011-03-17, 13:42

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Have you tried to patch the games with the GOSierra patch? Thanks to it, I can play any Sierra game with sound on my slightly too fast Pentium 75.

http://www.sierrahelp.com/Utilities/SoundUtil … s/GOSiERRA.html

For other games that don't work on fast computers, you need to disable the cache of your processors. The program "icache.exe" does this to older Pentiums, but might not work with later computers like yours. You can try it out, and if it doesn't work maybe there is another program that does the same thing to your computer, or a jumper on the motherboard or something.

The AWE64 you use as a MIDI-interface isn't 100% MPU-401 compatible, so there will be a couple of games that won't work with it. Games like Simon the Sorcerer and Wing Commander, among others.
Some soundcards, like the Ensoniq Soundscape card has a much better MIDI-interface than the Soundblaster cards, but the best alternative is to get a real MPU-401 or a 100% compatible clone from Voyetra or Midiman.

Reply 7 of 8, by SquallStrife

Posted on 2011-03-18, 04:52

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Also try the MTBLAST driver from Quest Studios, that solved freezing in some Sierra games for me.

VogonsDrivers.com | Link | News Thread

Reply 8 of 8, by collector

Posted on 2011-03-18, 06:52

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SquallStrife wrote:
Also try the MTBLAST driver from Quest Studios, that solved freezing in some Sierra games for me.

Be careful about what games you use it for, though. If you use a driver for a game that it was not designed for it can cause the game to not start, give memory errors or be prone to infinitely looping digital sounds. Always check to see if your game is supported, first. All of the Sierra updated drivers can be found here:

http://sierrahelp.com/Patches-Updates/Patches … ardDrivers.html

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