Perfecting the Gaming Sound Card Collection

[Great Hierophant]

I consider myself blessed that I have the wherewithal to collect right.  But I want an efficient sound card collection.  Here I list my collecting goals:

Creative Game Blaster CT-1300
Unfortunately, the original Game Blaster is needed by some games because their detection routine is looking for a special custom logic chip only found on the Game Blaster.

Sound Blaster Pro 1.0 CT-1330 & 2.0 CT-1600
I obtained one of each because the earlier Pros use dual OPL2 chips and the later Pros use an OPL3 chip.  Perfect compatibility with the older Sound Blasters. 

Pro Audio Spectrum
Some games support dual OPL2 stereo on the PAS but not on the SB Pro, so I bought it.

Adlib Gold w/reverb Module
Rare but necessary to hear certain games at their fullest potential. 

Sound Blaster AWE64 Gold
Best audio characteristics of any Sound Blaster.  Supports AWE32 and 16 perfectly. 

Roland MIF-IPC-A + MPU-401 & Roland CM-32L, Roland SC-55ST & Yamaha MU-10XG
This will be used for all connected midi modules, and the ones I have identified are the best for gaming purposes.  Also can support the Yamaha FB-01 in Sierra games supporting the IBM Music Feature Card or the Casio CSM-1, MT-540 or CT-460. 

Gravis Ultrasound ACE
With 1MB of RAM and the ability to disable the Adlib emulation in hardware (and still use it for fun), the perfect Ultrasound. 

Aureal SQ2500 rev.B
This is the only PCI Sound Card in my possession (other than the Sound Blaster X-Fi).  I keep it because it supports A3D 1.0 & 2.0 in hardware.  Unfortunately, it is a revision A board and contains the older AU8830A2 chip.  The revision B boards contain the faster AU8830 chip.  I want a revision B board.

[MichalN]

If you know where to get memory chips for old Gravis UltraSound cards, please let me know   I have one (made in 1992, full length ISA card, red PCB) with only 256KB RAM.

How common are Microsoft Windows Sound System cards? I mean the real MS thing, not compatibles.

Do you have any ProAudio Spectrum cards?

[Great Hierophant]

If you know where to get memory chips for old Gravis UltraSound cards, please let me know   I have one (made in 1992, full length ISA card, red PCB) with only 256KB RAM.

How common are Microsoft Windows Sound System cards? I mean the real MS thing, not compatibles.

Do you have any ProAudio Spectrum cards?

I don't have any Pro Audio Spectrums, but I may want an 8-bit one.  I don't think I have ever seen a MWS in the wild, but I haven't been looking for one either (whats so good about it?)

As for the Ultrasound, the classic ones use 44C256, 100ns or better RAM.  You will need six chips.

[Tom]

Adlib Music Synthesizer Card
The first sound card with any gaming support.  Completely superceeded by the Sound Blasters, this card has no functional value.  I could trade it for something I really want. 

Sound Blaster AWE32 rev.3 CT-2760
I hate full-length sound cards, especially this extra-wide one.  I have come to the conclusion that no useful purpose is served with this card and am seeking to replace it with an AWE64 Gold.  With the 64, I will lose the waveblaster 

I would be interested in trading my AWE64 CT4500 for an AdLib Music Synthesizer card.  Mine isn't the 'Gold' version, howerver.

[MichalN]

I don't have any Pro Audio Spectrums, but I may want an 8-bit one.

Hmm... I only have one or two newer (1994-1995) 16-bit PASs.

I don't think I have ever seen a MWS in the wild, but I haven't been looking for one either (whats so good about it?)

Noting (besides being a 16-bit card with full duplex support). Just that I've got one of those   I'm not even sure they were ever sold in retail. There were few games supporting the WSS, although nearly all clone cards were WSS compatible. I believe that since 1994 or so, the AD and CS chips that most cheapie cards used had WSS compatibility, while they only had SB Pro compatibility, not SB 16. With those chips, WSS was the only way to get 16-bit audio.

As for the Ultrasound, the classic ones use 44C256, 100ns or better RAM.  You will need six chips.

Thanks! I don't have the GUS set up now, but I tried it briefly a while back and the demos were pretty impressive.

[5u3]

If you know where to get memory chips for old Gravis UltraSound cards, please let me know

Simple: Just take them off a cheap ISA VGA card
Seriously, many of those old 512kb/1MB Trident/OAK/Paradise VGA cards are not really worth keeping, but have just the right kind of DRAM chips, often socketed. I bet it would even be cheaper to get a used VGA with the RAM than buying the RAM alone...

[Cloudschatze]

IBM Music Feature Card
... I have heard rumors that Prince of Persia may use the card... 

This is bogus. You must not have tried it...

[Great Hierophant]

IBM Music Feature Card
... I have heard rumors that Prince of Persia may use the card... 

This is bogus. You must not have tried it...

And now I don't have to, so the IMFC is going to be added to the trade list.

[Cloudschatze]

IBM Music Feature Card
... I have heard rumors that Prince of Persia may use the card... 

This is bogus. You must not have tried it...

And now I don't have to, so the IMFC is going to be added to the trade list.

I'll trade you the CT1740 w/ASP and 4.05 DSP for it.

[MichalN]

Simple: Just take them off a cheap ISA VGA card
Seriously, many of those old 512kb/1MB Trident/OAK/Paradise VGA cards are not really worth keeping, but have just the right kind of DRAM chips, often socketed. I bet it would even be cheaper to get a used VGA with the RAM than buying the RAM alone...

Thanks for the tip! I don't have any old OAKs or Tridents but I do have some really old and exotic/useless/broken ISA cards (TMS340 accelerators or something like that) and I'm pretty sure they have those memory chips... probably even socketed like you say.

[BlueMax]

If you guys are serious - I have a HUGE cache of 256x4 DRAM chips for the Gravis Ultrasound!  Seriously!  Dozens of 'em that I bought for that exact purpose but the project fell through.

If anyone wants some, just tell me how many you'd like! 

[Great Hierophant]

If you guys are serious - I have a HUGE cache of 256x4 DRAM chips for the Gravis Ultrasound!  Seriously!  Dozens of 'em that I bought for that exact purpose but the project fell through.

BlueMax, you are a lifesaver.  Assuming I actually get my Ultrasound, I will most likely need six. 

[BlueMax]

If you guys are serious - I have a HUGE cache of 256x4 DRAM chips for the Gravis Ultrasound!  Seriously!  Dozens of 'em that I bought for that exact purpose but the project fell through.

BlueMax, you are a lifesaver.  Assuming I actually get my Ultrasound, I will most likely need six. 

No problem - I have probably 30-40 still...  some disappeared over time.  Used to have 50+!  I had 20 GUS cards and enough RAM to upgrade every one of 'em.  Was going to sell them to the tracker/demoscene but ISA & tracker music all but died out by then and noone wanted them.  Fortunately I was able to sell the GUS cards for the same $10/ea I paid for them.    But I'll never part with my 8MB GUS PnP!

I'll have to look at the old Impulse Tracker documents again - there were two ISA cards that IT used with the chorus/reverb of those cards.  (For that matter, didn't that work with the AWE32 as well?)

[Great Hierophant]

The Efficient Collection wears many hats.

It must support as many games as possible
It must produce the best music and sound for games
It must use as few cards as possible

The efficient sound standard makes certain assumptions and value judgments:
1.  A true Yamaha YMF-262 OPL3 chip is perfectly downwards compatible with a single YM-3812 OPL2 chip.
2.  Non-Yamaha OPL chips or OPL/FM emulation/simulation is worthless for gaming purposes.
3.  Sound Blaster DSPs 3.xx are perfectly downards compatible with 2.xx and 1.xx DSPs.
4.  If a game is known to have been composed for a certain device, then that device or one 100% compatible with it should be in the Collection.
5.  Even if a device cannot produce sound on its own, it is still included if a game requires that hardware.
6.  Widely adopted standards are listed even though less-supported standards that perform essentially the same function and produce clearer audio quality.
7.  There are far too many Midi/General Midi devices to list, the efficient sound standard only considers those that found their way inside a computer or were specifically supported by a particular game.
8.  That a device is historically of interest is meaningless if its functionally is wholly incorporated by a later device. 

[BlueMax]

I still have lots of GUS RAM for anyone who wants it...  $20 shipped for a set of 8!  (6 needed, two spares.)

[Great Hierophant]

So, in short, our efficient collection is as follows:

LA Synthesis Modules: Roland MT-32 rev. 0; Roland CM-32L
You could find a need for both, because some games composed for the first, other games for the second.  The first offers midi messages on the LCD screen and certain preferred sound characteristics, the second cleaner sound and 33 extra sound effects. 

GS Synthesis Modules: Roland CM-300; Roland SC-55ST
The first is based on the SC-55/SCC-1, the second on the SC-55mkII/SCB-55.  The second is noticeably more capable in sounds and polyphony, but some people could prefer the sound of the earlier model, although the differences are far less dramatic than the LA modules (which are barely demonstrable in the first place.)

XG Synthesis Module: Yamaha MU-10XG
The only external module whose specs match an internal device (the Yamaha SW60XG).  The odds are very high, given The Fat Man's seal of approval, more games than just Final Fantasy VII composed for it.

Roland MPU-401 Interface: MPU-401 + MIF-IPC or MIF-IPC-A; MPU-IPC or MPU-IPC-T; LAPC-I; SCC-1; MPU-401AT; Music Quest MQX-32 or MQX-16
Pick whichever one you can find, any will do just fine for gaming, except for the first with a ROM of less than 1.5A.

8-bit OPL Sound Card: Sound Blaster Pro 2.0 or Adlib Gold
The Pro 2.0 is fully downwards compatible and uses an OPL3 chip, the Gold boasts 12-bit digitized output and enhanced OPL3 with the surround sound module, but that is ridiculously rare and the digital audio is compatible with nothing else.  The Pro 1.0 is noisier & rarer, dual OPL2 is not as good as OPL3 music and pales before the stereo MT-32.

16-bit Sound Card: Sound Blaster AWE64 Standard or Gold and Gravis Ultrasound Ace
AWE64 needed for only 4 things: 8-bit @ 44.1kHz, 16-bit digitized playback, gameport, EMU-8000 Synthesis.  Compatibility with pre SB-16 Sound Blasters is not guarenteed.  GUS Ace is the only GUS that will not conflict with it.  Do not get a cheap "Value" AWE64 because they don't have the good mixer. 

[glendower]

Are Adlibs really worth this much? starting at $325?? http://cgi.ebay.com/Adlib-Gold-Yamaha-8-bit-ISA-Sound-Card-1992-Vintage_W0QQitemZ140103552621QQihZ004QQcategoryZ4193QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

(sorry for the long URL)

[Cloudschatze]

Are Adlibs really worth this much? starting at $325??

Not sure if you noticed, but almost everything that seller offers is ridiculously overpriced.

[glendower]

Well, no, I didn't look. I thought that price was absurd so didn't bother to look at anything else. The question was semi-sarcastic ("semi" because I wanted to leave some room for my ignorance of the subject ).

It does look like he forgot to take his camera out of the bag, though.

[Ari]

Are Adlibs really worth this much? starting at $325?? http://cgi.ebay.com/Adlib-Gold-Yamaha-8-bit-ISA-Sound-Card-1992-Vintage_W0QQitemZ140103552621QQihZ004QQcategoryZ4193QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

(sorry for the long URL)

Well, the Adlib Gold is, in fact, relatively rare, so I guess it might be worth that much, but only to the most enthusiast sound card collector. There's nothing in the Adlib Gold that other cards from it's era don't have or surpass (except for the surround module, which I didn't see the seller offer), which is one of the reasons it failed so miserably - thereby causing Adlib, Inc. to bankrupt.