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From: mek4_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Mark Kern)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: IBM SOUND and OTHER STUFF...
Message-ID: <1991Jun18.140659.17748@galileo.cc.rochester.edu>
Date: 18 Jun 91 14:06:59 GMT
References: <9106171813.AA16322@apple.com>
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There are basically three different sound add-on options for the PC.

1) Addlib card : The Addlib card has 11 voices of FM synthesized sound.
	This is the card I know least about, but I believe it does not
	have a DAC channel to play back digitized sounds with.  As for
	the FM sound generation, this is pretty good, but the Ensoniq
	is much more impressive because all its instruments are sampled
	and thus sound more realistic (albeit a little noisier).

2) SoundBlaster card : The Soundblaster card has all the capabilities
	and full compatability with the Addlib plus an 8-bit DAC
	channel that is DMA compatable.  I've heard that the Addlib
	emulation is superior to the original Addlib card. As for the
	8-bit channel, you can sample using this board, but it can
	not play back at as high a rate as the Ensoniq can. Neither
	the Addlib or the SoundBlaster are true stereo. IMHO, this
	card sounds better than the Addlib, but not as nice as the
	GS.

3) Roland LAPC-1 card and derivatives : Give it up. This thing trashes
	the Ensoniq.  All the sounds (15-voices...not sure) have a rich
	and lush timbre that cannot be matched by the Ensoniq.  This
	thing also has built in effects such as reverb, chorus, etc, 
	that really make a difference in the overall production. There
	is one aspect where the Ensoniq is superior, and that is in
	its ability to play back and record sampled sounds.  the
	Roland card has a couple of built in samples for game sounds,
	but you are limited to what is built in to the card.

Software Considerations: Most games support both the Addlib and Sound-
Blaster options, and more and more support the Roland card. Sierra has
done a fantastic job of creating music on these cards for their games.
Origin broke new ground with the score for Wing Commander, which sounds
like it was composed for the next Star Wars and changes depending on
whats happening in the game.  As far as music players for these cards 
go, there are quite a few - shareware is overabundant in the IBM world.
I haven't seen one with snazzy graphics though, like SoundSmith on the GS.

Mark E. Kern


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Mark Edward Kern==========================================================
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