Reply 20 of 47, by Ace
wrote:Additionally, the AudioPCI's software FM synthesis may be the worst out there. Just ask forumgoer Ace what he thinks. 😉
The AudioPCI doesn't even use FM Synthesis at all. What is uses to replace FM Synthesis is pure garbage. As Ensoniq did with the earlier Soundscape, which also lack FM Synthesis, the FM notes are remapped to the wavetable, resulting in completely messed-up audio. I've tried the Ensoniq AudioPCI's "simulated FM Synthesis" in Doom and Star Wars X-Wing and the result was horrible. Doom sounded really weird and X-Wing was a complete mess. I didn't record Doom's sound, but here are two clips of X-Wing using my SoundBlaster Vibra128 model CT4810(this is based off the AudioPCI):
Floppy disk edition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXObHZEY8u4
Collector's CD-ROM edition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua4F7ebOSWI
That is nasty.
wrote:I don't see a reason to use a AudioPCI over a Live!. They use the same DOS driver, except the Live version has SB16 support. I think FM might be better too (Ace investigated this).
The SoundBlaster Live! line of sound cards does have (software-emulated) FM Synthesis, but for the most part, it will make your ears bleed. I've only tried X-Wing on this sound card and got mixed results. The overall emulation of the Yamaha YMF262 and YM3812 is wrong, but when emulating OPL3, the SoundBlaster Live! manages to still sound quite decent despite sounding really wrong. When emulating OPL2, on the other hand, the SoundBlaster Live! is at its absolute worst. I'll let the floppy disk edition of Star Wars X-Wing speak for the absolutely horrid OPL2 of the SoundBlaster Live!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYsQbD33vtg
Then compare that to the Collector's CD-ROM edition's OPL3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5z8FjUlwd8
Sounds much better in OPL3, right?
FYI, the AudioPCI-based SoundBlasters DO support the SoundBlaster 16, but only when using Creative's drivers. If you use Ensoniq's drivers(for the AudioPCIs based off the ES137x chipset), you lose SoundBlaster 16 support while gaining backwards compatibility with the Ensoniq Soundscape both for MIDI and digital sound.