Gus Card For Busman Drivers

We are with Jonathan and Irena to celebrate Ilana's birthday (congratulations!). She turned 7 last Thursday and today she has a party for her friends and their parents. There will be two very surprising guests at the party: David and Milena! They are in New York for a vacation, and we're looking forward to see each other again.

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• Gus Busman New Program
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It's been more than. Last night, when we were traveling from Washington to New York we made a stop at the Woodrow Wilson truck stop, and I saw a very familiar name on a sign. My name is of course Guus Bosman, an amazing coincidence.

The pronunciation of Guss is different than my name's, but the difference Bosman and Busman isn't very large. 'Hop on the bus with Gus and sign up today!'

Ok, there is no rel purpose in this thread, but I'm really curious about that. Many games have more than one sound card config to choose from, and since DOSBox pretty much emulates everything, it's hard to choose. Can anyone (pretty please) rate these sound cards, from best to worst (quality-wise)?.

InterWave Digital Audio. NU Digital Audio. Media Vision Pro Audio Spectrum. Gravis UltraSound. Ensoniq SoundScape Digital Audio. Microsoft Windows Sound System.

ESS Technology ES688 Digital Audio. Sound Blaster 16. Sound Blaster Pro 1. Sound Blaster Pro 2. Sound Blaster. Roland RAP-10.

ESS AudioDrive God bless you. Member Posts: 409 Joined: 2003-9-05 @ 18:38 Location: Israel. I was kinda hoping you would stick to cards from the old DOS days.

Well, first off, 'Microsoft Windows Sound System' is Windows' generic sound card driver, not really any particular card. I've never even heard of the InterWave Digital Audio or NU Digital Audio cards. Gravis UltraSound 2. Sound Blaster 16 3.

Sound Blaster Pro 1.0 & 2.0 4. Media Vision Pro Audio Spectrum 5. Sound Blaster Some Notes: Normally I prefer SB16 over the GUS, unless a game specifically has GUS support for its wavetable synthesis. SBpro 1.0 & 2.0 are the same except in the board's firmware and software, the reason some games offer options for one or the other is because the game has to communicate with each board differently. Other than that, I can't tell any difference in sound quality. The PAS is pretty much just a cheaper knockoff of the SBpro.

Both ESS cards provide good sound in Windows, but the DOS drivers only allow for SBpro compatibility (8-bit stereo) and lower sound quality than a real SBpro or the PAS. The original SB is last due to the fact it only provides 8-bit mono output.

(still sounds pretty good though!) I didn't rate the Roland RAP-10 card because I KNOW OF Roland, but I haven't HEARD that particular card before. If it's anything like the Roland SoundScape, then I can say it sounds similar to Adlib. (crap) BTW, How could you leave out the Sound Blaster AWE32? That was Creative's answer to the GUS and the ultimate sound card to own! Easily my first pick! With some effort you can find some spec sheets on these.

Though its getting harder as time passes. Here is some stuff I found on those ESS chips. Perhaps if i'm less lazy, i'll dig up on the other cards. I gotta get some sleep. ESS Technology ES688 AudioDrive. Single, mixed signal VLSI chip found in various products.

16-bit 44.1KHz stereo recording and playback. 5 channel mixer. ESPCM compression. The MPU-401 on these is 'emulated' in software, you have to load a driver to use a WaveBlaster daughtercard. half-duplex. Sound Blaster, and Sound Blaster Pro compatible ESS Technology ES488 AudioDrive. 8-bit.

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register compatible with Creative Labs Sound Blaster board. creates all of the speech and sound of a Sound Blaster board, except music synthesis. half-duplex.

Best PCI DOS cards: Aureal Vortex 1/2 based boards - (no EMM386 needed, DB connector, great SBPro digital audio support) Ensoniq AudioPCI - (needs EMM386. DOS wavetable support. Supports 16-bit Soundscape audio + SBPRO) SoundBlaster PCI64/PCI128/Vibra PCI/16 PCI - (same as AudioPCI) SBLive - (same driver as AudioPCI but with SB16 support) Best ISA DOS cards: (that I've used) SB Pro 1.0/2.0 - pretty much every DOS game ever made will work with these. Not Plug'n'Pray, does not need drivers, and is Adlib compatible.

8-bit 22KHz stereo audio. Pro 1.0 has two OPL2 while 2.0 has single OPL3. SB16/SB32/AWE32/AWE64 - SB16 may or may not be PnP. The AWE cards are SB16s with an EMU synth onboard.

SB32 is very similar to AWE but uses Vibra chipset. Can't load soundfonts in DOS.

Though some have a DB header, it usually doesn't work right with Roland DBs. No MPU-401 hardware so a big TSR is required to get wavetable from games without AWE 32 Midi drivers. Compatible with lots of games, but problems with SBPro and down. Ensoniq Soundscape/II/Elite - Superb sound quality if game natively supports it, otherwise SB 2.0 emulation (not so great). 2MB patch set. Elite has arguably the best patch set and an effects processor that defaults to some reverb+chorus (configurable by sysex and Windows toolkit).

Low host overhead and no memory overhead because the board is essentially a little computer with CPU and RAM. Some have PnP, but rather rare. Ensoniq Soundscape VIVO/OPUS - Cheaper cards similar to older Soundscapes. VIVO needs EMM386 for DOS support. OPUS is more like older Soundscapes, but is PnP and uses different wave port so compatibility affected. Patch sets are 1 MB and not as good as 2MB cards.

Ensoniq AudioPCI has the best Sound Blaster support of almost any non-Creative card. It's also PCI. And it has semi-decent MIDI. An impressive card and they are everywhere.

Also known as Creative Ensoniq AudioPCI, SBPCI64, and SBPCI128. Actually Sound Blaster Live! And Audigy use the Ensoniq AudioPCI DOS driver Happy. Creative bought them, probably because of them being stiff competition and because their tech was excellent. As I recall, the driver that allowed these cards to work in Real Mode DOS had to have an expanded memory manager loaded in the config.sys to work at all. Some games positively would not run with any expanded memory manager loaded, even if the NOEMS parameter was set. Perhaps one should look to the AWE32, which combines the compatibility of the SB16 (if not the Pro) with sound banks for midi.

It should be less noisy too. The only problem I have ever heard about it is that its drivers take up too much free conventional RAM. L33t Posts: 2381 Joined: 2003-4-27 @ 08:20. '.(AMD) InterWave Digital Audio = Gravis Ultrasound MAX.

All the Ultrasounds are not very compatible, but they are powerful and can be great if the game supports them.' Interwave was the core of the Gravis Ultrasound PnP/Pro. It seemed to be something like 'patched' version of the GF-1 voice chip found on the Gravis Ultrasound/MAX.

Main differences: - 44.1Khz with 32 channels (GUS/MAX was able to produce only 19Khz at 32 channels) - In Interwave mode no RAM required to operate - midi still available (but is recommended) - Addressable memory size 16MB opposed to 1MB on GUS/MAX. (Although the card was engineered to only have 2 simm slots (8MB max. In 2pcs 4MB SIMM module), you can google to find the howto to expand it to 4 slots. A nasty hack) - A base MIDI (2MB) ROM is on-board.

Hardware compatible with GUS/MAX - Modified, improved hw compatibility with SB and Adlib. New instrument format, sound data now can cross 256KB boundary (but still limited to 512KB) - Polyphonic patches (AFAIK neve released but promised) Yanee. All the Ultrasounds are not very compatible, but they are powerful and can be great if the game supports them.'

I take it that the various Ultrasound models should be compatible with a game that advertises support for a Gravis Ultrasound, regardless of whether the user is using a classic GUS, MAX, ACE, Extreme or PnP. As for games that exploit the power of the GUS, which ones are there? I am sure there are some games that demonstrate wavetable based midi compared to the FM synthesis of your Sound Blasters, but did they compete with the midi synthesis engine of the Roland MT-32 and Sound Canvas? L33t Posts: 2381 Joined: 2003-4-27 @ 08:20. Sound Blaster 16 = THE standard of the time. Somewhat noisy analog output. Excellent compatibility with many games.

It's SBPro/SB compatiblity isn't all that great though, believe it or not. Not true according to my (hands on) experience. The SB16 was the second-to-last card I owned for DOS gaming until the AWE32 came out. I ended up putting it in a rather old and slow computer. (386SX 16MHz w/4Megs) Ah, the days. Anyway, playing a game like DOOM was VERY taxing on my hardware, so I tried various ways of getting some speed.

This included having sound playback at 8-bit instead of 16-bit. All the extra processing power helped in the end. Some other games wouldn't give an option for this, however, so I would choose SBpro or SB where possible. I did a lot of tweaking like this and never found a game that my SB16 wasn't backwards-compatible with.

Compatability issues may have existed within a certain driver version. As for games that exploit the power of the GUS, which ones are there? I am sure there are some games that demonstrate wavetable based midi compared to the FM synthesis of your Sound Blasters, but did they compete with the midi synthesis engine of the Roland MT-32 and Sound Canvas? It has a shareware version and features different musical tracks for both SB and GUS owners. In DOSBox, you may have to turn off DPMI, XMS, and EMS and only have the GUS and PC Speaker (I think) turned on for sound. If it still doesn't work, turn off PC Speaker.

The game will default to GUS if you have everything turned on though, so to hear the SB tracks, shut off GUS support. Sadly, the game has no Roland card support for comparison, but I think the GUS and SB beat the pants off pretty much any Roland card with the sound in this game! Just give it a listen and decide yourself. There's GF1 & Interwave based /w variance of the mixer chip, if at all, on GF1 based.

Interwave integrated the GF1 & CS4231 (ie a GUSMAX) into one IC along with other enhancements already mentioned. Not mentioned and the main selling point/upgrade incentive at the time was the addition of chorus, reverb, etc effects. Zone66 is a shining example of what the GUS can do, though it's tracker music; GUS did it better than anyone else. LAPC-I & SCC-1 wins hands down for MIDI in my opinion, with the very rare occasion of prefering the GUS(not that I can think of any).

Roland's competition was Yamaha's DB50XG/SW60XG, which sounded better in some circumstances, but the override is that things were written for and developed on MT-32/LAPC-Is & SCC-1s so take it to heart you'll be hearing it as they intended when run with those. The RAP-10 was a cutdown SCC-1 that only has 128 of the SCC-1's instruments.

The Wave Blaster daughtercards used EMU based(WBI:REV A, WBII:8k), the EMU8k Creative later integetrated to make the AWE32/64. Not in the same league as the Roland/Yamaha offerings. There was also a Korg daughtercard which was supposed to be more on the Roland/Yamaha end but is almost forgotten if search engines are anything to go. MediaVision's Pro Audio Spectrums were decent SB compatibility with cleaner DACs. Adlib Golds were OPl3 /w a fine grained mixer & clean 12bit SB-incompatible DACs. The main issue of SB compatibility was DAC output. All the clones had no trouble slapping on a Yamaha chip to get FM going.

I found Japnese site that has a selection of mp3 comparisions of sound/daughtercards. The Wave Blaster's output; woof. Oldbie Posts: 931 Joined: 2003-7-25 @ 17:20. Now posting to just csip.soundcard.advocacy and games, and csip.games.misc. It will also be carried at the soundcard ftp site: ftp.netcom.com in /pub/jonin/midi/soundcards/opinions/buyers-guide-for- gaming.

Since initial response has been favorable, I'll probably continue to post updates to the above. Some seem to prefer a more FAQ-like format.

For now, I'm more comfortable with this less formal style. I've intentionally avoided a spec-type approach as I want to convey a more bottom-line approach. I recognize that it makes it more difficult to see what is new in a given version, but please bear with me. Thanks for all the input, whether on content, criticism, or just kudos! This version adds the Monte Carlo, MV Premium Deluxe, RAP-10, Wavepower DB, and includes small corrections or modifications to most others. Dave Masten - PC Gaming Sound Cards - A Buyer's Guide v0.34 (11/4/94) This guide is directed at gamers in the market for a new PC soundcard.

Let me state up front that I am not a soundcard hardware expert, musician, or soundcard 'hobbyist,' which may become obvious by whatever gaffs I make. This means not only one might be advised to take my observations on sound quality with the requisite NaCl, but also that again one best consider my observations to be applicable to the parochial interest of gaming. I have owned the Soundblaster (SB), SB Pro (SBP), Roland LAPC-1 (LAPC), Reveal Sound FX 32 (Ensoniq chipset), Logitech Soundman Wave, and Gravis Ultrasound (GUS). I've also heard the Turtle Beach Maui, and some Roland products. And wasted far too much time reading the net, magazine reviews and product literature.

My apologies for any offense I may cause, and for errors and omissions, but I do mean this to be my own subjective review. As always, I'll gladly entertain any (relatively civil) feedback.

First, what do game players need/want? My priorities are, in order: 1) Games compatibility (DAC, FM, hardware mpu401/G-MIDI, all in DOS). 2) Sound quality. For compatibility, one currently needs an SB compatible DAC, very preferably SBP, and better yet, 16-bit on top of that. But the last is of secondary importance as very few games support 16-bit.

Don't be mislead by 'SB-16' on the game box or configuration menu. They nearly always use 8- bit sound. This may change in the future, so you may weigh the need for 16- bit more heavily. Next is SB FM compatibility, which was called the (OPL2) Adlib standard. Now that this encompasses the stereo OPL3 based SBP v2, it may be called the SBP standard. Most games support SB and SBP FM.

Mediocre as it sounds, I still want it for old games, new games that still don't support G-MIDI (or GM) music, and for those that do so badly (Fleet Defender comes to mind, not giving engine sounds). Next, there is the emergent G-MIDI standard for music, mostly used with 'wavetable' (a misnomer I won't get into) synth cards. I demand hardware mpu-401 based support as the majority of games look for this. You may be able to get software based drivers to work in most games.

In my experience, not in all, or near all. Remember my bias: DOS (not OS/2, not even Windows) compatibility first. Last, from my experience with the GUS, I've grown to appreciate RAM capability. While not as yet a gaming advantage, it is fun! According to Rich Heimlich, who tests soundcards for a living, gaming and soundcard companies are looking at standardizing RAM support. With this in mind, here we go. The Basics: Creative Labs Sound Blaster (v 2.0) For about $40, you enter the glorious world of non-PC speaker sound.

8-bit mono digital playback, 22kHz sampling (=11kHz audible), FM mono synth. Plus it has a joystick game port. No input for CD audio. Works with everything. Digitized sounds and music can be quite lifelike, if a little noisy. But upon first hearing the FM, I likened it to a glorified kazoo. Sound Blaster Pro (v 2) For about $60 (OEM) to $80, get the above plus stereo digital and FM sounds, a CD-rom interface for Creative (Panasonic) drives, an internal connector for Red Book (audio) CD's, a line-in, and more IRQ and DMA choices for fewer conflicts.

Well worth the extra $$. If you buy used, make sure it is SBP2, not SBP1. The initial ones had two OPL2 chips instead of the more capable stereo OPL3 synth. Aside from stereo, don't expect it to sound different from an SB in games. Sound Blaster SB-16 (many versions) The following are available: SB-16 Value Edition ($95), SB-16 Basic ($95), and versions with either SCSI-2 or multi-CD interface (the previous two have the Creative/Panasonic, the MCD adds Mitsumi and Sony), and with/without the Advanced Signal Processor (ASP) chip.

Prices range from about $130 to $200. The choice depends on your CD needs. Many report that these cards are fairly noisy. As to the ASP, it is used for Q-sound (surround), real-time digital sound compression, and text-to-voice. I'd call the ASP of little utility for gamers right now. All have the OPL3, same as the SBP.

All claim to be SBP compatible, but net consensus is that it often is NOT (at least for DAC). So often you may have to use it as an SB, not SBP. All EXCEPT the Value Edition have the ASP socket and 'Waveblaster' (WB) connector. The WB connector has become the standard for G-MIDI daughter boards. This is one of its most important gaming features.

If it wasn't for that, I'd just say get the SBPro for better gaming compatibility. Through the connector, it gives access to some fine, and inexpensive G-MIDI cards. Plus 16-bit may see future support. So it's a tough call between it and the SBP.

Just don't get the Value Edition! Mediavision (MV) 3D Premium About $145, but occasionally sighted at lower. Comes with either the multi- CD or SCSI-2 interfaces.

A bit cheaper, and more feature laden than the equivalent SB-16's. Has 16-bit record/playback, OPL3 FM, 'SBP compatibility,' SRS surround sound, WB connector, and VESA compatible. To date, the VESA spec hasn't caught on, so it may, or may not be an advantage. This card is generally getting higher marks for quietness compared to the SB-16's.

While the card is relatively new, reports have been generally positive, most claiming near complete SBP compatibility. One negative it shares with the SB-16's is the lack of a non-amplified line- out. Also some have reported two joystick problems: no port disable (some say it auto-disables if another joystick port is detected), and conflicts with joystick2 and the midi output (has been noted that other cards can have this problem and the workaround is an easy rewiring of the joystick- port connection). Note: this card is NOT PAS-16 compatible, so even MV is abandoning their old line. MV is also in financial straits. I don't see this as a major issue if the SBP and G-MIDI (through the WB connector) compatibility is there.

It may impact future driver support. So questions exist, but this board may be a player. MV Premium Deluxe Brand new. At $99, essentially the above card without the SRS, some of the software, and a few other nonessentials.

You can always get the SRS later with the Nureality Vivid 3D box ($59). It adds a joystick disable jumper. Perhaps only a multi-CD version? A cheaper alternative to the SB16 MCD, and other MV/SB WB-compatible cards.

MV Pro Audio Spectrum 16 (PAS-16) While cheap, and having a cleaner 16-bit digital stage than SB's, I can't recommend it as: (1) it only has SB compatibility, and (2) MV doesn't even support it in the new cards. Expect game support to wane. But if you were going to stop at the absolute minimum, an SB, consider a $50 PAS-16 Basic (no CD interface) instead. There are plenty of SB/SBP/16-bit compatible clones out there like the Aztech line. Aztech has some with WB connectors too. There was one older Aztech (Sound Galaxy NX Pro 16) that had the WB connector, but it wasn't functional in DOS. Avoid that one.

I know even less about these others, so I won't comment any more on them. The Turtle Beach Tahiti, while by all reports a fine digitizing card plus WB connector, is not SB compatible. It is a Windows product and has no use in almost any game. I mention it for completeness. Wavetable Sound Most new games support G-MIDI for potentially far superior music.

It is usually used in tandem with digitized effects. G-MIDI sound is best when played through a wavetable (WT) synth. These games virtually all list support for one of: 'waveblaster' (WB), 'sound canvas' (SC), 'GS' (same as SC), General Midi (GM, G-MIDI), and sometimes more than one of these. This is a point of some confusion, as they often mean the same thing.

The WB is a GM card. The Roland SC has the GS set which is a superset of GM, GS having many more instruments and drum kits. Some now say that games that say SC or GS actually use more than the GM set, and only the Roland SC products take advantage. This may very well be true and a reason to opt for those Rolands. I don't know one way or the other. In practice, I think you will be more than happy with the GM compatible cards.

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There are other cards whose games compatibility is derived through drivers, most notably the SB AWE32 and the GUS. For a gamer, I'd strongly recommend sticking with the better support of hardware GM cards.

Note that some games attempt to use the GM synth for some effects. This may result in widely varying, and sometimes poor, results. I'll separate the products into those that require a slot (thus stand alone or with any other card), and those that require a WB connector host card (daughter boards). Slot Cards Gravis Ultrasound and Ultrasound Max Taking on this board invariably invites the wrath of its faithful.

So I'll explain. $100 and $180 respectively.

The first features 16-bit playback, only 8-bit record (not a gaming issue), a 256K (1MB maximum) RAM sample based wavetable synth, and speed compensating game port. You'll want to upgrade to the full 1MB (add $20). Has 32-voice polyphony, but only at 19KHz sampling. Full 44KHz is limited to 14 voices (best is a compromise between). The Max is the above plus 16-bit record, a multi-CD interface, and 512K RAM (but costs as much to fill to 1MB). The SB DAC support is usually good through a software driver.

The FM emulation by the synth is poor, especially in effects. So, at best, I'd say use it in tandem with an SB compatible card.

And its GM support is through software. Some will say no problem. My experience is otherwise, and not through lack of trying. I found it worked acceptably in about 2/3 of my GM compatible games. And in those, sometimes not as well as I would hope (partly due to the 1MB limit). It won't work in protected mode games that don't use standard drivers or have direct GUS support (ex: most Origin games). Positives for the card include the price, fine included software, incredible user free/shareware and support, hardware mixing capabilities that make it.the.

Mod soundcard, good digitized sound, good midi sound due to its 5+MB of samples hard disk loaded into the RAM, and RAM sampling allowing user-created sounds. But if you value compatibility, look elsewhere. Turtle Beach Maui It's only a GM synth, so you'll need the SB/SBP for digitized sound and FM. Has 2MB of ROM samples (compressed from Rio's 4MB set), 256K of RAM standard (8MB max). At $128, it is an affordable entry into WT sound.

I'd rate the midi quality on par with the GUS. For me, easily good enough for games. And like that card, you can upload, and have access, to new sounds into RAM if you so choose.

Like the GUS, access to the RAM is quick, about a MB in a few seconds. Connect to an SBP via either card's out/in. For SBP owners, it's the easiest, cheapest entry into WT GM gaming. One negative is the rather long driver loading of about 25 seconds every cold boot. Ensoniq Soundscape, Reveal Soundwave 32 FX Available from Ensoniq and various OEMs. About $180 (I saw the Reveal for $155 at Computer City).

Like the GUS, attempts to be an all-in-one, and fails. Has 16-bit record/playback, a 2MB ROM based synth, multi-CD connector, SB (not Pro) 'compatible.' The FM emulation through the synth is awful, and SB DAC compatibility is not perfect. So I also would insist on having an SBP/16 in tandem. I had no problem getting it to work in all my games this way with my SBPro. I found it to be a quiet card, with good record/playback.

I rate the GM synth as somewhat better than those of the GUS and Maui, with 'crisper' sounds. Most professional reviews have been favorable too. Tradeoff vs Maui (remember, I think the Ensoniq needs a defacto SBP): better sound, 16-bit for Windows and maybe future games, but no RAM. Logitech Soundman Wave About $180. Also an 'all-in-one'. 16-bit record/playback, a 2MB ROM based OPL4 synth, which includes WT and an OPL3, SB compatible, mostly SBP compatible, and SCSI interface.

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An effects DB is planned. I found that it worked perfectly for SB DAC and FM, but not for SBP stereo DAC games. The latter gave sound out of the left channel only.

The card was very noisy having a high pitch squeal in 44kHz and stereo modes, and background noise. Many reviews have noted this, others have noted very good S/N! Perhaps now fixed, or computer dependent?

The WT sound isn't as good as the other cards mentioned above, with strings and winds especially weak. While some magazines have panned it, others inexplicably praised the sound. It is still far superior to FM, and I'd call it good enough for all but the more discriminating gamers. But with the emerging crop of cards, I consign it to also-ran status. Mediatrix Audiotrix Pro An OPL4 card like the Logitech.

I recall it uses the same sample set (though one respondee claims otherwise), it so should have the same middling midi quality. If it doesn't have the noise problems, it may be worth considering. It offers both effects and RAM daughter boards. Was introductory priced at $200. Hopefully its price is continuing downward as competition has strengthened. As they may perhaps be only available direct, I include their phone number: (800)-820-8749. Turtle Beach Monte Carlo Only $99, but there's a reason.

The card has 16-bit record/playback and an OPL3. Claims '101%' games compatibility, but the only user report I've seen mentioned problems with the SBPro sound.

As important, the WT is software based and, according to the box, only works in Windows. It also requires a fast processor. So not a gaming wavetable solution.

Turtle Beach Tropez As of this update, the Tropez still has just been released, and reports are barely trickling in. So still take care with the assumptions. At $200, this may be a most viable all-in-one solution. 16-bit record/playback (based on the Monte Carlo), 2MB ROM based synth, RAM capability (max 12MB), enhanced IDE interface. From the specs, I guess TB quality digitized sound (excellent, but not 'Hurricane' based), the same synth as the Maui (again hardware compatible), and the Maui's fast access to RAM. Rich Heimlich, who tested a pre-production model, says the card.is. SBP compatible.

IF all the above holds true, maybe the cheapest, and certainly a good entry into full games capability. SB AWE32 $265. An SB-16 MCD plus built in 1MB ROM E-Mu based synth, 0.5MB RAM (32MB expandable!), and chorus/reverb on FM and WT. The synth is only software mpu401/GM compatible, like the GUS. So it won't work in non-standard driver protected mode games, unless they include native AWE support (patches are out for many games). And the drivers take up a lot of precious low memory (at least 44K). So consider adding QEMM if you want this card.

It has the WB connector so you can add a hardware compatible GM card to circumvent these problems. Reports on sound quality run the gamut. I most trust those with a musical bent, including Keyboard Mag, which haven't been complimentary. Its chorus, reverb, Q-sound and RAM sample upload capability make it versatile and better sounding. Further, the RAM and E-MU's 'Sound Font' technology have potential gaming advantages, if they are ever supported (see opening notes). This seems nothing less than an attempt by CL to set and control another standard. Judging by the early strong support (Doom, Tie Fighter, many new titles), they may very well succeed.

But because of the lack of the current standard support, I'd recommend either getting one of the other hardware compatible GM synths, spending a small fortune on the AWE32 plus a daughter board, or waiting it out. SB AWE32 Value Edition This is a bare bones version aimed at the gamer. It is the same as above but deletes the ASP, WB connector, and SIMM slots for optional RAM (still has the default 512K). Without the ASP, you lose Q-sound on WAV and FM. If the AWE32 takes over as the standard, it offers a marginally ($40??) cheaper way to get most of the gaming functionality.

But for now, it offers less as it doesn't have the option of adding a hardware compatible GM synth. MediaVision 3D Pro. $260, with some Computer City's (800-843-2489) offering it for as low as $200 (probably gone before you read this). Not a single card, but a combination of the MV 3D Premium and the Korg DB, at a potentially great price. See those two for features, questions, and caveats. If it meets its claims, a top choice.

Compared to the Tropez, it adds reverb/chorus, SRS, a bigger, and probably better ROM synth set, SCSI-2 (vs enhanced IDE), but no RAM capability. For gaming, I'd call that a win for the MV, though I like RAM. At the normal price, perhaps a slight nod over the SB-16+DB combos. Roland SCC-1 $275. The original GM/GS card, it has the same instrument set as the SC-55 module. 4MB ROM sample set, reverb/chorus.

Like the Maui, it requires a tandem SB type card for gaming support. With this one, you get exactly what the game music designers intended as this is the card they virtually all use. Roland sound quality carries a big reputation too. Reverb/chorus reportedly makes the already top notch sample set even better. I found their effects to be subtle, though most GM aficionados insist on them.

Quite possible I used a simpler rendering than these cards provide. SBPro + this gives perfect games compatibility, only lacking 16-bit. Look for the SCC-1B, which includes more bundled software, and adds the extra sounds of the SC-55mkII. Roland RAP-10 $250. This is a combination of the SC-7 module (GM not GS, 4MB ROM, reverb/chorus) and a 16-bit digitized stage on a card.

The DAC is not SB- compatible, so again, an SB type card is needed. The midi gets the usual glowing Roland reviews, the ADC/DAC is reviewed less favorably. Part of this is explained by its passing through the effects engine of the card. The advantage over an SCC-1 is having the 16-bit support in Windows.

The disadvantage is not having the full GS set. Aria & Analog Devices DSP There are many wavetable cards based on the Analog Devices DSP (ex: Orchid Soundwave/Gamewave), and Sierra Aria (Prometheus Aria 16se). Their wavetable sound have been universally panned, with some Orchid reviewers claiming they thought they were listening to FM. Some of these cards offer 16-bit record/playback and other features for around $100. Maybe not a bad deal if you want something with SB compatibility, 16-bit, and somewhat better than FM sound (when supported). The SB FM sound is usually considered to be good. While the Aria's are not hardware GM compatible, I understand a TSR is available to make any Aria soundcard GM compatible in many games.

But don't expect sound comparable to any of the other WT cards in this guide. I never considered them serious wavetable contenders and thus never learned much about them.

Daughter boards All these require a WB compatible connector. They are all hardware mpu401 compatible GM synths.

So they should work fine in games. They generally offer a cheaper upgrade route. Most have reverb and chorus effects which give more full and natural sounds. The only one with RAM is the Rio (but see caveat). With some, you are getting chipsets and many of the samples found in the companies' multi-K$ synths. Turtle Beach Rio $130. Expect it to sound somewhat better than the Maui's as it isn't compressed.

Gus Card For Busman Drivers License

Has reverb presets, but no chorus. A negative is that the additional 4MB RAM capability is crippled by slow access times through the WB connector (10+ minutes per MB). Again, the latter isn't a real gaming issue.

So a good, cheap, gaming choice. MediaVision Korg $145. 4MB ROM set, reverb/chorus. Most reports, including from professionals, say excellent, one mentioned plusses and minuses compared to the GUS, and one said crappy.

I'd expect it to be a fine performer based on Korg's reputation and sample size. CL Waveblaster $170.

4MB ROM set, older E-Mu synth (no reverb/chorus). Again opinions vary, generally reviewed below most other daughterboards, but probably fine for games. The first WB daughterboard, it surprisingly hasn't dropped in price. It gets little attention from CL, and may be discontinued.

I'd opt for one of the other newer cards. Roland SCD-10 $160. Roland SC-7 on a daughterboard. Similar to a RAP-10 without the digital channels. GM set (4MB?), reverb/chorus, not the full GS set.

A fine choice. See comments on the RAP-10. Roland SCD-15 $210.

Roland SC-55mkII (Sound Canvas) on a daughterboard. Similar to the SCC-1B (perhaps more voices), except not requiring a slot.

Similar to the SCD-10, plus the full GS (354 instruments, 9 drum sets). Now you know you are getting exactly what it was meant to sound like. So for the best, this is it. Again, the only downside (and presently not a gaming issue) is the lack of RAM. Wearnes/AVM Summit (Kurzweil-based) Wearnes makes a daughterboard, AVM Summit is an external box. Kurzweil is another big name in synths and this one comes loaded with 6MB of samples.

Reviewers have been impressed with the sound. One owner said some of the samples are Kurzweil's best, but some GM samples are 'faked.' The price of around $350 is higher than any of the above. Aztech Wavepower Uses the Ensoniq synth and 2MB samples, but reportedly only 8-bit. I believe it sells for around $120. Reviews have been negative, so I recommend looking at other cards.

Ensoniq may have other versions available as daughterboards. If they use the full 16-bit samples, they should sound like the Reveal card I tried. This may make it a contender against the cheaper cards. Also, they plan to release a RAM capable card in '95. Some comments about a dying standard: Roland MT-32/LAPC-1.

I still have an LAPC-1. Using an older synth technology, it doesn't sound nearly as realistic as the good WT cards. But it is far better than FM. This line is discontinued, so game support is slowly waning.

Yet I still find the occasional new title that supports it, and not GM. Where it shines is in non-digitized effects that are far superior to FM or GM. So even in some GM games, I'd opt to use it. Many GM cards claim MT-32 compatibility. But in practice, this is for the music, not the effects.

The latter are handled by 'system exclusive' (sysex) messages these other cards (including Roland's own SC series) can't process. End result, poor or no effects, and possible hangs. Bottom line is, if you want true MT-32 compatibility, you need an MT-32, CM-32L, CM-64 (all external modules needing an mpu-401 interface card) or an LAPC-1. I hope I've touched on the main players and gaming issues. Other things you may want to consider are included OS drivers, optional IRQ's and addresses, jumperless installation, included software, support, and more. In summary, we finally may have acceptable all-in-one WT gaming cards appearing, though combos still give the best functionality and sound And the prices have been dropping.

For those starting out, or willing to sell their current hardware, I suggest paying attention to reports on the new Tropez and MV 3D Pro. Or consider the MV 3D Premium (or deluxe)+ other daughterboard. If you already have an SBPro, I recommend the Maui for economy, the SCC-1 for the best. Or split the difference with the Ensoniq, which sounds better than the first, has 16-bit, but no RAM. If you have an SB-16, save money with one of the daughter boards. The prices of the Rio, Korg, and SCD-10 are close enough such that you should pick the one which sounds best to you, with perhaps the nod to the Roland for games fidelity. You might want to spend the extra $50 and get the full GS compatible SCD-15 to know you have everything the game designers intended.

The prices listed here are mail order estimates as of mid October '94. Many are from Computability (800-554-9978). Also check out CDW, which allows returns (800-537-6752). Two game-oriented mail order companies that carry soundcards are Chips&Bits (800-699-GAME) and Computer Express (800- 228-7449). Dave Masten.