Could you please add our second project? While AWE64 Legacy is still being cooked at the final stages of production, we're messing with some intense R&D on Fortex: Vortex 2 (AU8830B0) + YMF744B-V intended for small form-factor systems and all sorts of other weird applications. No working prototype yet, but we're optimistic on that.

hard1k wrote on 2022-04-05, 18:16:

Could you please add our second project? While AWE64 Legacy is still being cooked at the final stages of production, we're messing with some intense R&D on Fortex: Vortex 2 (AU8830B0) + YMF744B-V intended for small form-factor systems and all sorts of other weird applications. No working prototype yet, but we're optimistic on that.

The AWE64 Legacy was one of the ones I was talking about, since there were no updates in the thread and people were worried that the war put off production permanently. Maybe post an update there?

There's also this (rightmost gadget): https://i.imgur.com/aNYljS1.jpg
Which is basically a kinda discrete Stereo-on-2 Covox with switchable DSS support. The current layout has some errors, but I'd be willing to go fully open source with that project so it can be fixed by someone else for a neat and tidy PCB.

There's also my "DSS wrapper" (fully open source) which plugs between the parallel port and simple Covox plugs to add DSS functionality to existing Covoxes: Re: Reversing the Disney Sound Source

Nikita Lita wrote on 2022-04-05, 19:03:

The AWE64 Legacy was one of the ones I was talking about, since there were no updates in the thread and people were worried that the war put off production permanently. Maybe post an update there?

Stay tuned 😀

hard1k wrote on 2022-04-05, 18:16:

Could you please add our second project? While AWE64 Legacy is still being cooked at the final stages of production, we're messing with some intense R&D on Fortex: Vortex 2 (AU8830B0) + YMF744B-V intended for small form-factor systems and all sorts of other weird applications. No working prototype yet, but we're optimistic on that.

Added. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Let me know when it's released and I'll remove the unreleased tag.

Sure, will do! Thanks!

shock__ wrote on 2022-04-05, 19:05:

There's also this (rightmost gadget): https://i.imgur.com/aNYljS1.jpg
Which is basically a kinda discrete Stereo-on-2 Covox with switchable DSS support. The current layout has some errors, but I'd be willing to go fully open source with that project so it can be fixed by someone else for a neat and tidy PCB.

That would be great! ☺️ Maybe you can team up with dreamblaster on such a project?

There's also my "DSS wrapper" (fully open source) which plugs between the parallel port and simple Covox plugs to add DSS functionality to existing Covoxes: Re: Reversing the Disney Sound Source

Also a cool project. How well has it been tested for compatibility? Dreamblaster mentioned in some thread that he was planning on eventually developing and selling a DSS clone. Perhaps he could use your DSS wrapper as a basis for it?

shock__ wrote on 2022-04-05, 19:05:

There's also this (rightmost gadget): https://i.imgur.com/aNYljS1.jpg
Which is basically a kinda discrete Stereo-on-2 Covox with switchable DSS support. The current layout has some errors, but I'd be willing to go fully open source with that project so it can be fixed by someone else for a neat and tidy PCB.

If there's a name and a webpage I can link to, I'm happy to add it to the list.

shock__ wrote on 2022-04-05, 19:05:

There's also my "DSS wrapper" (fully open source) which plugs between the parallel port and simple Covox plugs to add DSS functionality to existing Covoxes: Re: Reversing the Disney Sound Source

Same thing - to go on the list, it needs a name. Since it's open source, it has clear value to the community. Do I understand correctly that this is not a Disney Sound Source by itself, but adds the buffering functionality of a DSS to a Covox Speech Thing?

I just realized something. If someone combined a Disney Sound Source with an OPL3LPT on a single parallel port dongle, would that be a compelling product? It would need some kind of primitive mixer, even if it's as simple as an analog potentiometer dial.

LightStruk wrote on 2022-04-06, 13:52:

I just realized something. If someone combined a Disney Sound Source with an OPL3LPT on a single parallel port dongle, would that be a compelling product? It would need some kind of primitive mixer, even if it's as simple as an analog potentiometer dial.

What would be really cool is if both those functionalities could be used at the same time, but I'm not sure whether that's possible. The Disney Sound Source uses pin 10 to signal to the host PC that its FIFO buffer is full and that the sound playback routine of the game or application should wait with feeding it more sample data. Perhaps this could be leveraged somehow in the development of such a combined device? Use that same pin to pause the streaming of sample data while allowing data intended for the FM synthesizer to be sent. Ideally in a way that would preserve DSS hardware compatibility with games from its era that support it natively. How feasible would that be?

digger wrote on 2022-04-06, 22:08:

What would be really cool is if both those functionalities could be used at the same time, but I'm not sure whether that's possible.

If I'm reading this programmer's guide correctly, bytes written to printer's data port intended for the DSS are followed by "strobe" (12) and "power up" (4) bytes sent to the control port. The OPL3LPT also uses this pattern (data followed by bytes written to the control port), but the DSS's "strobe" code is the same as the first of the OPL3LPT's "register value" codes (12, 8, then 12 again). Since the pattern of writes is different, it might be enough for a small CPLD, FPGA, or microcontroller to route the data and commands to the correct block by just buffering for a little bit to see if the byte after 12 is a 4 or an 8.

In other words, it doesn't look like someone could prototype this by simply plugging an OPL3LPT into the end of a DSS, but the additional engineering needed is not crazy. The analog audio parts are probably harder to get just right than any of the digital parts.

Added the MK8330 to the list. First clone soundcard featuring the CMI8330 that I'm aware of.

Added keropi's Orpheus II. With SoundBlaster Pro, Windows Sound System, GUS, and true OPL3 compatibility, not to mention a wavetable header, this card has most of the ISA sound card feature list covered. As SScorpio pointed out, it's a Tandy, CMS, and Covox away from being a real-life BitchinFastAudio 3000!

Added serdaco's QWave, which is a clone of the Diamond Monster Sound Wavetable Card, with a QS1000 chipset + QS1001A 4Mbit ROM.

Thank you for this list

https://github.com/polpo/picogus

which is derived from

https://github.com/polpo/pigus

There's also CMSLPT for Creative Music system, from Serdashop

Added the PiGUS and PicoGUS, thank you, oso2k!

As for the CMSLPT, I guess it's time to add the "requires modified or new software" section I thought of a while back. Folks really want to see these devices on the list.

The OPL2LPT, OPL3LPT, TNDLPT, and CMSLPT are on the list now. If a device requires a patch or TSR to behave like its vintage sound card counterpart, it can be included from now on, but will be specially marked.

Added the Hardsid ISA clone, the ES1868_ISA8, and the Covox Stereo-on-1. Thanks Baleog for the links!