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Date:	Wed, 15 May 2002 10:12:41 PST7
From:	"J. R. Fox" <jr_fox@pacbell.net >
Reply-To:	scoug-help@scoug.com
To:	scoug-help@scoug.com
Subject:	SCOUG-Help: Re: Aopen AW320 soundcard

Content Type: text/plain

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Harry replied to me:

> The AOpen 320 soundcard is not toooooo bad. I have not had any problems

> with it. But then, I'm not a music or sound perfectionist! A couple of
> things I have noticed, however:
>
> 1. I was not able to install wavetable MIDI driver support for the
> card, only FM MIDI. The wavetable MIDI sounds much better. I don't
> recall exactly what I did in my attempt for wavetable MIDI (I think I
> tried to install the the MM Pack from Theta Band Software), but it did
> not work

I'm used to having MIDI support and the DOS legacy SB support, so their
absence would be a disappointment. But I'm not sure I have a viable alter-
native at this point. I do have another ISA soundcard based on a different
Crystal chipset (probably similar issues), and a PCI card from Turtle Beach
based on a Vortex chipset (the chipset maker went bust and is not around
anymore -- this card got rather mixed reviews, though I suppose I could
experiment with it at some point). A recent exchange of email with
Thetaband revealed that the MM Pack has been released to the OS/2
community as freeware, but that it is apt to work with some Crystal
chipsets and not with others. For the later Crystal chipsets, you just
have to roll the dice.

> 2. The sound levels for wav and MIDI are noticeably different. I have
> not been able to figure out how to get them to be closer together.

I'd settle for some consistency in the sound levels for different WAV or MP3
files. From what I recall reading on Timur's site, this is a notorious issue with
Crystal chipsets, which he generally favored. I know there have also been free
or shareware mixers for the Crystal chips, and probably some utility claiming
to regulate the volume level irregularities. If I saw it at some point -- thinking
ahead -- I'm sure I must have d/l'd it. Time to rummage around in the d/l
bins !

> I believe that the card comes with the Crystal Semiconduction driver
> installation instructions. Right? Those instructions are pretty good,
> even though they are in the form of an ASCII file (no illustrations).
> Follow them.

I looked over the instructions you sent me previously, and the various
Readmes. All told, they covered 3 possible installation methods. In the
end, I chose the MINSTALL from an OS/2 command line one. It seemed
to work out. We shall see.

> You can go directly there, putting that address in your browser.
> Download the cwos2306.zip file, which contains the drivers you want.

Earlier, Svobi had sent me the v. 2311 drivers, and that's what I used.

Note to Svobi: so far, this version seem like a notable improvement. The
playback problems I mentioned regarding certain MP3s appear to have been
cured by these drivers. After switching to the later drivers, I have also
determined that the sound flutter problem now seems limited to the WSEB
partition -- specifically affecting the music at bootup or shutdown. If that's
just some WSEB thing, who cares ? If it's a kernel thing, not good, because
I still plan to put in ECS soon.

Jordan

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