X86 Discussion

[lesta_smsc]

Great music! If I get a moment I'm going to check if my DOS laptop produces the same!

[Stewcumber]

Originally Posted by lesta_smsc

Great music! If I get a moment I'm going to check if my DOS laptop produces the same!

I haven't heard of a laptop being able to make this music as it isn't standard Soundblalster music. Only 100 or so games support it and it was superceded by Soundblaster and FM Synthesis / OPL. Might as well give it a try though!

Have a look at LGR's video on the GameBlaster if you want to hear more music!

[Glen M]

It does have a charming sound but I think I prefer the OPL synthesis.

Not so sure any laptop will have this chipset built in. I used to have an old pentium laptop with a sound blaster built in which was perfect for DOS gaming but I find any laptops older than that, even 486 based, don't have sound at all. There is the adlibsound card for parallel port but that's different again.

[lesta_smsc]

I currently have Roland MT-32 running for game sounds. Incredible music especially for MI!

[Gaula92]

Do you guys know of any new (not old hardware) 386/486/Pentium boards? I have read somewhere time ago they still make these boards with ISA slots for industrial use.

[lesta_smsc]

Originally Posted by Gaula92

Do you guys know of any new (not old hardware) 386/486/Pentium boards? I have read somewhere time ago they still make these boards with ISA slots for industrial use.

Nixsys were making some?

https://www.nixsys.com/motherboard-with-isa-slot/

[nathanm1991]

Originally Posted by Stewcumber

I got my Amiga out again the other day which reminded me that this thread is here too.

In January I picked up a Soundblaster 2.0 for £10 on Gumtree - Fully boxed with driver floppies, and from a elderly couple who were a 3 minute walk away!



This card is particularly interesting because it has slots for CMS chips for Creative Music System / Game Blaster music (12 square wave voices per channel, 2 channels for stereo sound). I've inserted them in the picture above. More pictures in the spoiler below: OK never mind I don't know how to use spoilers on here!

Anyway it into my 386 PC which has an AT PSU (these cards need a -5v rail) and it has a rather lovely sound (in my opinion). Not technically as good as FM Synthesis as it is just square waves but I still think I prefer it. Here are some dropbox links to sound recordings I made

Time of Lore 1

Time of Lore 2

Secret of Monkey Island

One Word

Jealous!

[Gaula92]

Originally Posted by lesta_smsc

Nixsys were making some?

https://www.nixsys.com/motherboard-with-isa-slot/

Ah! This is the kind of stuff I was talking about. But PIII is a bit too much.
No 386/486/Pentium boards?

[lesta_smsc]

Originally Posted by Stewcumber

I haven't heard of a laptop being able to make this music as it isn't standard Soundblalster music. Only 100 or so games support it and it was superceded by Soundblaster and FM Synthesis / OPL. Might as well give it a try though!



Have a look at LGR's video on the GameBlaster if you want to hear more music!

You're correct. It's SB Pro and FM by the looks of it.

Still real DOS sound is sweet!

[nathanm1991]

Hey Everybody it's been a While! What is Everybody up to?

[lesta_smsc]

Trying to build a VGA to scart cable for pixel perfect resolution in MAME.

Also trying to force resolution on my DOS laptop so it can do this via TV out. Not sure if that is possible.

Update: You must try TV out from laptop - wow what a difference it makes! It's like playing on a console with no pixels/blocks!

I may sell this laptop as I want to save up for MAME cabinet. Anyone interested? It has FULL sound in MSDOS which is rare on a laptop.

[Glen M]

Originally Posted by lesta_smsc

Trying to build a VGA to scart cable for pixel perfect resolution in MAME.

Also trying to force resolution on my DOS laptop so it can do this via TV out. Not sure if that is possible.

Update: You must try TV out from laptop - wow what a difference it makes! It's like playing on a console with no pixels/blocks!

I may sell this laptop as I want to save up for MAME cabinet. Anyone interested? It has FULL sound in MSDOS which is rare on a laptop.

I don't think you could do VGA to scart with just a simple cable, they aren't compatible standards.

[lesta_smsc]

You can. VGA is RGB as is RGB SCART (assumes that your TV supports RGB). The volts need adjustment with resistors that's all.

Oh and also you need to send 15khz signal for true pixel perfect resolution.

[dreadnought]

Originally Posted by lesta_smsc

You can. VGA is RGB as is RGB SCART (assumes that your TV supports RGB). The volts need adjustment with resistors that's all.

Oh and also you need to send 15khz signal for true pixel perfect resolution.

So it's just like I said in previous reply. To send the 15khz signal you need special drivers and/or video card. It's not as simple as just having some cable.

Also a, TV out from a laptop will never produce a pixel perfect 240p (which is what you want for MAME et al). You are probably getting a 480i, and even that it's often poor quality via these SVideo extra ports.

[lesta_smsc]

Correct. TV out is 480i which actually looks nice compared to visible pixels!

As for special hardware. Fortunately my graphics card supports 15khz!

[dreadnought]

Originally Posted by lesta_smsc

TV out is 480i which actually looks nice compared to visible pixels!

Okay, but it's not the same as 240p. All consoles/micros pre-Dreamcast era used these resolutions and they look best in 240p. I guess you can say 480i on CRT still looks better than superharp pixels on modern display but it's no substitute for 240p.

When you get this cable done and up and running you'll see the difference

[lesta_smsc]

Yes... when I get round to it hopefully I will!

Do you have vga to scart? If so what schematic you use?

I've got 240p on Wii anyhow so this is just to tinker with laptop based alternative.

[dreadnought]

That's what I've linked to on previous page: http://wavebeam.blogspot.com/2016/02...hat-plays.html

It's a really good guide, I recommend to read it all, but the link to a cable schematic is there too. Personally I can't solder so I went and bought a VGA-SCART converter from ArcadeForge, it does the same job.

Yeah, Wii is great for easy RGB output, have one too, problem is its a bit underpowered so MAME does not work well, also there's no microcomputers realy. I have Rpi with Pi2SCART RGB hat which is better.

PC is of course most powerful but the fact you need to make modelines for all different machines is a PITA...and I'm not sure it always works. Anyway, just getting into this myself, need to build a new, more modern box (win10 capable) because crtemudriver does not support XP anymore.

[Glen M]

I've went and bought myself a new project machine. Old mini tower from the early 90s fitted with a IBM Blue Lightning 486 DX2 66 chip, 4mb ram and an S3 805 VESA graphics card. No sound card and no HDD but that's not hard to fix. The IDE and floppy controller are on a separate PT-607g card.

Plan A is to drop in more ram, sound card and a HDD. Thinking of 16MB, maybe take the ESS sound card from my 286 build and an old 2GB IDE drive I have. Not sure what the maximum supported HDD would be... Might also keep an eye out for a 5 1/4" floppy drive too.

I was going to post pictures but imgur seems to be acting up just now.

Have also since bought another machine from the same guy. Its built around a cyrix 686 CPU and should be interesting. Hes also sending me a spare motherboard, more ram and an 8 bit sound card (which I'm planning to put into the 286 after robbing the ESS).

[lesta_smsc]

Finally VGA to SCART cable complete!

Incredible 240p and scanlines!

Now time to find HDD for permanent fixture!