IBM PS/2 Model 80 & SoundPiper 16

[trmg]

Through another forum member, I recently obtained a MCA sound card (gasp!). The SoundPiper 16. However, I'm having a heck of a time getting it to work in Windows 3.x (I have tried both 3.1 and WFW 3.11)

The card seems to work fine in DOS. Wolfenstein 3D and Commander Keen 4 & 5 exercise the card fine.

However, after installing the Windows driver (as found here: http://jshorney.incolor.com/piper.htm), Windows won't load. I get the background, and an attempt at playback of the startup sound, but shortly after the sound starts to play I get a quick burst of "static", then the system hard locks.

I thought that maybe there is a conflict of some sort, so I pulled out all of the expansion cards that I could. All that's left is the SoundPiper 16 and the IBM SCSI card.

Still no dice. So I fiddled around with the I/O, IRQ, and DMA settings on the card. Still no luck.

The system has a fresh (clean) install of MS-DOS 6.22 and Windows 3.1 (no tuning whatsoever, all vanilla).

Any ideas?

 

[Franchute13]

Hi.
I do not know the MCA systems but if these problems had it in an ISA system I would say that you have conflict with some IRQ.
Maybe it's the MOUSE / VIDEO / PARALLEL?
In what configuration do you have the board? I suppose that an I / O: 220, IRQ 5, DMA 1 should work.

 

[trmg]

Hi.
I do not know the MCA systems but if these problems had it in an ISA system I would say that you have conflict with some IRQ.
Maybe it's the MOUSE / VIDEO / PARALLEL?
In what configuration do you have the board? I suppose that an I / O: 220, IRQ 5, DMA 1 should work.

IO 220, IRQ 5, DMA 1 is what it's currently set to. I've tried IO 240 and various IRQ/DMA combos with no change. I'm wondering if it's a windows driver issue...

I played back a 44.1/16 WAV file (The Chain by Fleetwood Mac) using XTC-PLAY in DOS and playback was fine. Kept the hard drive busy though. :-D

Hmmm.

 

[ps2guru]

Some of the earlier SoundPiper 16 produced in 1995 have timing issues and cause system hangs and/or choppy sound. Check the the white label on the large chip on the lower left corner for the microcode version. I have one here with 'MCA_6A" that has the issues. Back in the day the fix was to send the card back to Sound Piper and he would reflash the sound card with new code and install a new label. Sound Piper went out of business about 18-20 years ago so that really isn't an option now. I did locate the owner but haven't tried to contact him to see if he still has anything from the old sound card business.

 

[hardeejr]

EXACT same problem here! I just got around to getting my IBM 9590 system up and running with a new CPU complex (486DX-50). Popped in the ol' Soundpiper 16. Works GREAT in Wolfenstein 3-D in DOS, but alas, as soon as I installed the Windows driver and restarted Windows, it plays the first half second of the startup chime and locks up hard. Frustrating as hell... Sure would be nice if someone smarter than me could engineer a NEW microchannel sound card that actually works worth a crap. As far as I know, the only "near flawless" ones are the ChipChat units, and those are rare as hen's teeth.

Through another forum member, I recently obtained a MCA sound card (gasp!). The SoundPiper 16. However, I'm having a heck of a time getting it to work in Windows 3.x (I have tried both 3.1 and WFW 3.11)

The card seems to work fine in DOS. Wolfenstein 3D and Commander Keen 4 & 5 exercise the card fine.

However, after installing the Windows driver (as found here: http://jshorney.incolor.com/piper.htm), Windows won't load. I get the background, and an attempt at playback of the startup sound, but shortly after the sound starts to play I get a quick burst of "static", then the system hard locks.

I thought that maybe there is a conflict of some sort, so I pulled out all of the expansion cards that I could. All that's left is the SoundPiper 16 and the IBM SCSI card.

Still no dice. So I fiddled around with the I/O, IRQ, and DMA settings on the card. Still no luck.

The system has a fresh (clean) install of MS-DOS 6.22 and Windows 3.1 (no tuning whatsoever, all vanilla).

Any ideas?

 

[pl212]

I have the SoundPiper 16 MCA running in a PS/2 M57 Ultimedia. It will indeed crash/freeze Windows 3.1, unless you follow the instructions in VDMAD.TXT on the SPIPERWIN1 disk. Specifically, copy VDMAD.386 from that disk to c:\windows\system, and then comment out device=*vdmad from your SYSTEM.INI file. Instead of that line, use device=vdmad.386.

 

[trmg]

Oooh. I will have to remember this one. My Model 80 is currently stashed in the garage (undergoing home renovations). As soon as I'm in a place to set up my collection again, this will be the first thing I do. Thanks!!

I have the SoundPiper 16 MCA running in a PS/2 M57 Ultimedia. It will indeed crash/freeze Windows 3.1, unless you follow the instructions in VDMAD.TXT on the SPIPERWIN1 disk. Specifically, copy VDMAD.386 from that disk to c:\windows\system, and then comment out device=*vdmad from your SYSTEM.INI file. Instead of that line, use device=vdmad.386.

 

[trmg]

Finally at a place with work on the house to be able to set up my office again. Dragged in the Model 80 from the garage and did just this. Woot! It worked! Thank you!

I have the SoundPiper 16 MCA running in a PS/2 M57 Ultimedia. It will indeed crash/freeze Windows 3.1, unless you follow the instructions in VDMAD.TXT on the SPIPERWIN1 disk. Specifically, copy VDMAD.386 from that disk to c:\windows\system, and then comment out device=*vdmad from your SYSTEM.INI file. Instead of that line, use device=vdmad.386.