Using Roland MT-32 w/ A500 & Gotek ADF Files

[blainelocklair]

Hello everyone!

I have an A500 with a Gotek floppy drive emulator with 16GB USB drive with .adf files. I can run Sierra games, such as Space Quest III, directly from the .adf files on the Gotek. I recently bought a Roland MT-32 and would like to use it for Sierra game sounds. I also have a MIDI interface already connected and tested with the A500 with Music-X, so the MIDI In / Out is good.

When I run the .adf file for Space Quest III from the Gotek, it only asks me if I want to use internal Amiga sounds. After selecting that option, it asks about installing the game to the hard drive, which my A500 doesn't have, and then closes the installer.

What do I need to do to run Sierra games with MT-32 support, such as SQIII, from the Gotek? Can it even be done, or do they absolutely have to be installed on a hard drive for that option? Are special .adf files required for this purpose?

Thanks!
Blaine

[lesta_smsc]

Hmmm I know if you install these games it gives an option of using MT-32 or Amiga... Can you access disks in Workbench? If So, there may be a resource.cfg or something which I think holds the key to getting MT-32 working. I believe you link it to mt32.drv or something of that name.

[blainelocklair]

Hi there! Thank you for your reply.

When I open the first .adf in Workbench in the desktop, I see the first pic below. When I click on the installer, I get only the choice to use internal sound. Of course, there's no place on the A500 to install, so the installer doesn't continue.

Any ideas? Do I need a different set of .adf files for this purpose?

Thanks!

[lesta_smsc]

What if you do show All? The hidden files may have the config?

[blainelocklair]

I don't seem to have a "show all" option in Workbench. I'm on Workbench 1.3.3 because of using the A500 and Kickstart 1.3 ROM that came with it. Is "show all" a Workbench 3 feature?

[blainelocklair]

Any ideas? It would really be great to pair up the A500 and the MT-32. Yeah, I can hear it on YouTube, but there's nothing like the real thing.

Thanks!

[lesta_smsc]

I'll try and take a look at the disk later if I can. Can't promise I'll find a solution...

UPDATE: So the required mt32.drv is actually missing in SQIII. However, it is present on SQIV. You could try copying across and removing amigasnd.drv (if space is required). Then you go into the resource.cfg and make "soundDrv=mt32.drv". This is pure speculation as to whether it would actually work! I have done a quick edit in WinUAE and if you run "install" it will allow you to select the new mt32.drv (although it will be 2 squares which I presume is because it does not recognise it), then you select "No" when it asks to install on hard drive - this will actually amend the resource.cfg file for you!

Let me know how you get on...

[blainelocklair]

Good info. So, to build the file, I'll need to download FS-UAE (I'm on Mac) and edit the .adf fine in FS-UAE first before running it on the A500? I've used FS-UAE before but didn't know it has capabilities for editing files. I will have a go at it but just wanted to make sure that's the correct workflow before hacking away at .adf files.

Thanks!

[lesta_smsc]

Try SQIV initially. You can edit ADF from workbench just use install feature inside disk but then select no to install to HD.

[blainelocklair]

Excellent! Progress. I got SQIV to play through the MT-32 by selecting the MT-32.drv option from the install menu and bypassing the install as recommended. Beautiful sound and so happy to be maximizing the value of the MT-32. How do I now build out the MT-32.drv so that SQIII can put it to use? Will I need to transition to FS-UAE in order to edit the .adf file in order to use the MT-32 on SQIII?

Thanks!
Blaine

[lesta_smsc]

Go in to Workbench. Put in SQIV and copy mt32.drv into RAM disk. Then insert SQIII and copy from RAM disk to SQIII...

[blainelocklair]

Gosh, I hate being that guy that has to be walked through something like this step-by-step. I tried to get the mt32.drv file copied to RAM disk but couldn't figure out how. I can't access the file directly on the disk by clicking on it to open it. I can only get to the install file and the game launch file. I tried changing the destination directory in the installer to RAM: but it still didn't put the file there. Should I be using a different process, such as a command line, to do this? I just can't seem to see the file in Workbench from a window. It's me, I'm sure.

Thanks!
Blaine

[lesta_smsc]

Doing the copy via shell/cli would be best option.

[ajk]

Workbench 1.3 is limited in that files without icons can't be manipulated via the GUI. Later versions have the option to show all files (and list them by name instead of icons, among other things).

[lesta_smsc]

Originally Posted by blainelocklair

Gosh, I hate being that guy that has to be walked through something like this step-by-step. I tried to get the mt32.drv file copied to RAM disk but couldn't figure out how. I can't access the file directly on the disk by clicking on it to open it. I can only get to the install file and the game launch file. I tried changing the destination directory in the installer to RAM: but it still didn't put the file there. Should I be using a different process, such as a command line, to do this? I just can't seem to see the file in Workbench from a window. It's me, I'm sure.

Thanks!
Blaine

Any success?

[blainelocklair]

Originally Posted by lesta_smsc

Any success?

Hello again!

Well, not yet. At the moment, the MT-32 is with a trusted friend for a capacitor replacement and some internal power improvements. It's done, and sounds amazing, but not home just yet. I'll get cracking on this again as soon as it gets back, probably next week some time.

However, I'm not quite sure where to go from here. Since Workbench 1.3.3 can't do the task, will I need to go into UAE (on Mac) or something to transfer the MT-32.drv file around? I sure wish there was a .adf file somewhere that already had this configured in it for SQIII. Either way, what would you recommend?

Thanks!
Blaine

[Retroplay]

I've zoned a pack of Sierra MT32 enabled adfs.
Just use TOSEC images for the remaining disk 2,3,4 etc.

Space Quest III is the german version, you can select english in-game.
The v1.0V english version doesn't work with MT32.

Conquests of the Longbow skipped as it requires HD install.

[blainelocklair]

Originally Posted by Retroplay

I've zoned a pack of Sierra MT32 enabled adfs.
Just use TOSEC images for the remaining disk 2,3,4 etc.

Space Quest III is the german version, you can select english in-game.
The v1.0V english version doesn't work with MT32.

Conquests of the Longbow skipped as it requires HD install.

Wow! This is great. Thank you for letting me know. Where do I go to get them? I have the TOSEC .adf files for the remaining disks, so I'll have that covered.

Thanks!
Blaine

[Retroplay]

They're in the zone
http://eab.abime.net/faq.php?faq=vb_...ezone_faq_item

[lesta_smsc]

Awesome. Thank you. I wasn't sure about creating them and stuff in case it was against the rules lol