I just saw this over at 8-bit guy, and thought this was pretty cool. It’s an YM3812 / OPL2 of AdLib fame, on a parallel port.
Naturally the parallel port sits at a different IO port then where the Adlib would normally sit. There is 2 strategies around this, the first is a 386 based driver that can intercept calls to the Adlib port, and redirect them to the parallel port, giving you audio. However that apparently conflicts with protected mode software, and will require you to patch games to output to the parallel port instead.
So yes, this means you can boot MS-DOS with a USB stick on a modern machine, and get Adlib sound! Or bring music to older machines either lacking an ISA bus, or being unable to source a working 8bit ISA card.
Currently working patched games include:
- Sierra
- Games using the “SCI” engine. PatchÂ
ADL.DRV.
- Games using the “SCI” engine. PatchÂ
- id Software
- The Commander Keen series
- Wolfenstein 3D
- DOOM (v1.9 tested)
- DOOM II
- Softdisk
- Keen Dreams
- Dangerous Dave’s Risky Rescue
- Dave Does Nutz
- Apogee
- Bio Menace
You can pick them up in the USA from 8-bit guy, or in Europe from Serdaco.
I had no idea sampled digital sounds could be played on an adlib! I wonder at what rate (presumably CPU dependent).
When I first got an Adlib I had one game that did effects, but I can’t remember what it was.
I ended up trading it for a no name sound blaster clone. It’s crazy how much a n Adlib goes for these days
I remember being awfully confused the first time I heard clear speech in BattleTech : The Crescent Hawks’ Revenge on my 286 with an Adlib clone.
I don’t know why I just couldn’t get into that game but I’d played the one before to absolutely death.
The game engine actually has all the 3025 mechs in there. I’d hacked the mechs using a hardware debugger on my Commodore 64, but had no idea how the maps worked.
Shame that title never was fully reversed.
Nice project.