SoundBlaster 16 Adlib Compatibility

[Raven]

I have an SB16 Value in my 486 at the moment. It works with 99.9% of software I try to run with it.

One game doesn't work properly with it - Castlevania. If I run this game in adlib mode (parameter "ADL", i.e., "castle.exe ADL") it says "initsound returns: 2" and returns to a prompt.

If I run the game the same way in DOSBox it works, so I know it isn't the software.

Thus my question - is it that the Adlib hardware and the SB Adlib implementation are different enough that some older software won't work? Can I rectify this with a TSR or something?

 

[vwestlife]

Creative had numerous different sound cards all called "Sound Blaster 16". What exact model is yours, and what chipset does it use? The later models with "plug-and-play" may have deviated enough from the original CT1740 chipset that true hardware-level Adlib compatibility is no longer guaranteed. And of course when Creative switched to the Vibra chipset, then everything became an emulation, even native SB16 support.

 

[aitotat]

How fast is your 486? For some older games, like Cycles, fast CPUs and Adlib is a bad mix. I don't know if Castlevania is one of those games. Try to disable L1 cache since it will slow all 486s enough for Adlib sounds to work.

 

[Raven]

I've got a 133mhz Am5x86 in there - Evergreen 586 to be precise.

As for my SB16 model, as I mentioned above it's the SB16 Value - which is CT2770 according to Wikipedia. It's pre-Vibra non-PnP.

 

[aitotat]

133 MHz is definitely too fast for many older Adlib games.

If i remember correctly, there are no Adlib problems with 33 MHz but there are with DX2-66. Disabling Turbo was enough for DX2-66 but not for 486DX4-100. I use icd.exe and ice.exe with DX4-100 to disable L1 cache from command line (much easier and faster than from BIOS).

Those utils do not work with Pentiums or latest 486 revisions (like Am5x86) so that is why i prefer 486DX4-100 for DOS gaming. It can be slowed down very easily (turbo more than halves the speed, icd.exe makes it very slow and both can be used to make it very very slow) and it is fast enough for all but latest DOS games.