elfuego wrote:

retro games 100 wrote:

elfuego, unfortunately, HOTU is no longer available. 🙁

Damn... I just noticed 🙁 Thats really sad. HOTU was always my main DOS-games source.

Anyone knows any other similar sites?

I didn't mean to kick off another abandonware discussion, please don't ask where to download copyrighted stuff.
There is a HOTU thread over here.

I'll post more about my strange RoA1 version soon.

OK, I've given up with my RoA1 CD. It's a 1996 German re-release from Topware, comes on a mixed-mode CD with 14 audio tracks. The music seems to be the same as in the floppy disk version, but apparently it has been recorded from a more expensive-sounding synth.The CD audio tracks are the only way to get music in this release.

I got a floppy version from the net, this one comes with Miles AIL drivers. Currently I'm playing the game on the CT3980 with Roland SCB-55 in MT32 mode, digital sound is configured to SB Pro. No hanging notes so far.

5u3 wrote:

I didn't mean to kick off another abandonware discussion, please don't ask where to download copyrighted stuff. There is a HOTU […]
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elfuego wrote:

retro games 100 wrote:

elfuego, unfortunately, HOTU is no longer available. 🙁

Damn... I just noticed 🙁 Thats really sad. HOTU was always my main DOS-games source.

Anyone knows any other similar sites?

I didn't mean to kick off another abandonware discussion, please don't ask where to download copyrighted stuff.
There is a HOTU thread over here.

I'll post more about my strange RoA1 version soon.

Well I never asked where to download copyrighted stuff - I asked about abandonware. Copyrighted material is easy to find - ebay, shops or torrents. I care only for oldies that are shareware/abandonware/free etc. Thanks for the link though.

As far as hanging notes is concerned, maybe its a matter of my Yamaha db50xg? I will try the BoD (RoA1) with SC-55 soon - it should come by the end of the week.

elfuego wrote:

As far as hanging notes is concerned, maybe its a matter of my Yamaha db50xg? I will try the BoD (RoA1) with SC-55 soon - it should come by the end of the week.

I tried RoA with my DB50XG just for fun and WHOA! 😳 Hanging notes! Plenty of 'em!
It took me a couple of seconds until I realized that I had forgotten to load the MT-32 patch bank... 🤣

RoA only supports MT-32/LAPC-I, not General MIDI. Fortunately it only uses the standard instruments, so it will work fine on the DB50XG. You just have to switch the DB50XG to the MT-32 patch set, otherwise you'll get some really awful music.
We've already talked about this here.

There is no term "abandonware" in any current jurisdiction so stop asking
about that. It is illegal to download or distribute it as it usually still belongs
to the copyright holder (otherwise it would be declared freeware by them).

5u3 wrote:

I tried RoA with my DB50XG just for fun and WHOA! :shocked: Hanging notes! Plenty of 'em! It took me a couple of seconds until I […]
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elfuego wrote:

As far as hanging notes is concerned, maybe its a matter of my Yamaha db50xg? I will try the BoD (RoA1) with SC-55 soon - it should come by the end of the week.

I tried RoA with my DB50XG just for fun and WHOA! 😳 Hanging notes! Plenty of 'em!
It took me a couple of seconds until I realized that I had forgotten to load the MT-32 patch bank... 🤣

RoA only supports MT-32/LAPC-I, not General MIDI. Fortunately it only uses the standard instruments, so it will work fine on the DB50XG. You just have to switch the DB50XG to the MT-32 patch set, otherwise you'll get some really awful music.
We've already talked about this here.

How did you load the MT32 patch bank on your DB50XG?

Amigaz wrote:

How did you load the MT32 patch bank on your DB50XG?

Get the GSPlay command line MIDI player from the Quest Studios Utilities page. It works on port 330H by default, so if your interface is on a different address, edit GSPLAY.CFG to fit your needs. Then type "GSPLAY MT32".

5u3 wrote:

Amigaz wrote:

How did you load the MT32 patch bank on your DB50XG?

Get the GSPlay command line MIDI player from the Quest Studios Utilities page. It works on port 330H by default, so if your interface is on a different address, edit GSPLAY.CFG to fit your needs. Then type "GSPLAY MT32".

Tried it with Monkey Island Cd version and set Roland port to 300 in the game setup but get no music..
Maybe this only works with games that doesn't expect a true Roland MPU401 at IRQ 2/9?
I set the gsplay config to port 300 and IRQ 5 which my AWE32 is set to

Amigaz wrote:

Tried it with Monkey Island Cd version and set Roland port to 300 in the game setup but get no music.. Maybe this only works wit […]
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5u3 wrote:

Amigaz wrote:

How did you load the MT32 patch bank on your DB50XG?

Get the GSPlay command line MIDI player from the Quest Studios Utilities page. It works on port 330H by default, so if your interface is on a different address, edit GSPLAY.CFG to fit your needs. Then type "GSPLAY MT32".

Tried it with Monkey Island Cd version and set Roland port to 300 in the game setup but get no music..
Maybe this only works with games that doesn't expect a true Roland MPU401 at IRQ 2/9?
I set the gsplay config to port 300 and IRQ 5 which my AWE32 is set to

Try setting the I/O to 330.

5u3 wrote:

I tried RoA with my DB50XG just for fun and WHOA! :shocked: Hanging notes! Plenty of 'em! It took me a couple of seconds until I […]
Show full quote

elfuego wrote:

As far as hanging notes is concerned, maybe its a matter of my Yamaha db50xg? I will try the BoD (RoA1) with SC-55 soon - it should come by the end of the week.

I tried RoA with my DB50XG just for fun and WHOA! 😳 Hanging notes! Plenty of 'em!
It took me a couple of seconds until I realized that I had forgotten to load the MT-32 patch bank... 🤣

RoA only supports MT-32/LAPC-I, not General MIDI. Fortunately it only uses the standard instruments, so it will work fine on the DB50XG. You just have to switch the DB50XG to the MT-32 patch set, otherwise you'll get some really awful music.
We've already talked about this here.

Darn! I forgot! Wow!!! It sounds great now thanks! Really, really awesome! I owe you one. That said - I guess 3980 doesn't have hanging notes bug after all 😊

BTW, would you believe me that some games sound better on AWE32 (w/adv7 sf) in MPU-401 emulation mode? Just tried settlers 2 and I was really surprised twice: 1) that AWE32 emulation mode actually works and 2) that it sounds better then yamaha db50xg (with its driver selected!)

I found out that loading and changing of sound fonts really does work in games but only in MPU401 emulation. Too bad... I hoped to improve FM synth somehow magically but to no avail 😒

Just tested a CT1770. It has DSP ver 4.12. Hanging note detected using the "hexen warp test". So, I guess SB models CT17xx are not the "hanging note free" models.

Are there any specific SB CT model numbers which have a bug-free DSP version - that being either 4.05 or 4.16?

I just tested with hexen... my CT1740 that has the 4.12 DSP does have the hanging note bug... whereas my 2nd 1740 that uses the 4.05 DSP is OK! 😅

I wanted to take a break from my voodoo 5500 woes, so I carried out another batch of Soundblaster hanging note tests! These tests have proved to be the most promising.

Hardware: Creative SoundBlaster AWE32 Plug n Play model CT3980, DSP version 4.13. It looks like it could be a factory refurbished model? It has a small sticker on one of the chips that reads -

(c) Creative
0148292000

(That's all it says)

(@swaaye, please note that the midi daughterboard used was a Roland SCB-7, and it appeared to work fine.)

Two tests were performed -

1) Hexen -warp 02. I tried this about 12 times. Initially, every test worked. Edit (rewrote sentence) I left the computer alone for about 15 minutes for 4 of these tests, and then returned to check the music. 3 of these specific tests, no hanging note was detected. However, on one of these specific occasions, I could definitely hear one stuck note. It was not loud. It sounded "in the distance". Nevertheless, it was definitely a stuck note. Edit (added) (1 out of 12 tests failed.)

2) Blade of destiny. I tried this about 5 times. In fact, I'm listening to it right now as I type. I am listening to the introduction music - no stuck notes at all. Now, when I enter the game itself, please let me try to explain...

Do you know how a piano works, with those 2 pedals underneath it? Forget about the "quiet / soft" pedal, but think about the other pedal instead - I think it's called the sustain pedal. When you jam your foot on it, and hit the piano keys, the notes continue on and on...(The notes played are sustained.) Listening to the Blades of Destiny "in game" music, this "effect" occured regularly. But I don't know whether you would call this a "hanging note situation", or whether you would call this sound an intentional effect. To me, it sounded like it may be intentional, and therefore not really a problem.

My conclusion is that this CT3980 sound card does have the hanging note bug, but it seems to be much "tougher" at shaking off the effect of the hanging note problem than other Soundblasters, and consequently, it's almost worth recommending.

I stumpled upon this patch from Creative these days:
http://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/misc/creative/creative … tches/sbmpu.exe

Anyone know if it has something to do with the bug?

elianda wrote:

I stumpled upon this patch from Creative these days:
http://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/misc/creative/creative … tches/sbmpu.exe

Anyone know if it has something to do with the bug?

Description from that site:

sbmpu.exe 940627 Fix for MPU-401 support on SB16 for certain games

I've tried that TSR before and it doesn't help with stuck notes.

^^^ Same here.

AFAIR two other "SB16-MPU401 fixing" TSRs exist (can't recall their filenames), neither of which works.
Maybe these are meant to fix other issues with the SB16 MIDI port.

I noticed something else while testing around with different DOS MIDI Players. I read here that someone uses GSPLay.
I tried with MegaMid 1.66 and GSPlay.
MegaMid seems to play simply every message that comes from the *.mid.
GSPlay on the other hand seem to detect if the device is GM,GS and filters messages. This seems to be a big problem, since it detects wrong here.
Roland SC is detected correctly with GM,GS capable, but
Dream SAM9407 is detected as GM only (its GM,GS) and DB50XG is detected as GM only*

I played a GS MIDI on Dream and it skips all GS messages automatically, resulting in a 'different sound experience'.
My main use of gsplay was switching between MT32 and GM/GS mode.
Now with DB50XG it gets really weird,
gsplay MT32 says that the device does not support MT32 mode.
now if I try to send the *.mid that switches DB50XG to the MT32 bank gsplay detects some GS messages therein, skipping them since it detected the DB50XG as GM only.

Is that too much intelligence ?!?

Is there some option to prevent gsplay from detecting devices and simply enable sending any midi message?
I couldn't find any yet. This behaviour currently makes gsplay unuseable for me.

I have done some recordings with different wavetable cards. Maybe someone is interested, I posted it there:
http://www.voodooalert.de/board/index.php?pag … &threadID=17133
(Since this forum makes it impossible to post links with a login seperated by @)

elianda wrote:

My main use of gsplay was switching between MT32 and GM/GS mode. Now with DB50XG it gets really weird, gsplay MT32 says that the […]
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My main use of gsplay was switching between MT32 and GM/GS mode.
Now with DB50XG it gets really weird,
gsplay MT32 says that the device does not support MT32 mode.
now if I try to send the *.mid that switches DB50XG to the MT32 bank gsplay detects some GS messages therein, skipping them since it detected the DB50XG as GM only.

Hmmm... I never used GSPLAY for anything other than switching between modes, but it works well enough for me (just tested it again with both SCB-55 and DB50XG).

Maybe it's caused by some setting in the config file?

BTW, nice recordings!