Sound Card Recommendation?

Hello everyone.

I have a refurbished AmigaOne XE G4 with dead on board VIA-AC97 sound (and yesterday the on board sound on my AmigaOne Micro also died so I am having a "bad sound week!") so I need to buy a sound card.

I have done some research already but would like to ask here for suggestions for a sound card that is *guaranteed* to work with AmigaOS 4.1, before I go out and waste any more money on this disaster* I have created.

Ideas anyone?

* See thread entitled "RadeonHD driver + RadeonHD 5450 => Not much is working".

I'm sorry no one answered you. Just find an SB Live 128, it will work

@Hitman
I think K-L means the Soundblaster Live! and the SB 128.

Both work but don't get the 128, it is a older card based on the Ensoniq PCIAudio soundcard which sounds average and in this comparions shows that it is a CPU heavy card under Windows and might also be for AmigaOS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC01uiyuJxI
AudioPCI is listed here as the 'Mystery card'

The Live! is much better but I read now and then that the Live! chip is actually not a pci compliant chip and requires software work arounds. I think that it might be unstable.


My recommandation for a good, simple, 16 bit soundcard would be one based on the CS4281. (found in the Sam440ep)

Here's one
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Pine-Crystal-4 ... 69e775:g:D8UAAOSwawpXuMkd

More can be found on eBay if you search for 'Crystal PCI' instead of 'CS4281 soundcard', carefully check the chips though! some have a CS4280 which does not work.



And for 24 bit playback and higher sample rates one based on the Envy24 HT
like this one
http://www.ebay.de/itm/M-Audio-Revolu ... 56e0e5:g:o-wAAOSw6n5Xs4zD


As a headsup, LyleHaze is also working on an audio driver for the Radeon HD, so don't go for a very high end Envy24 HT card if digital audio is your thing.


*edit*
Erm, I completely ignored your question :)
The Envy I listed here is guaranteed to work but the CS4281 card i listed here is such a simple design that it HAS to work, its identical to my ASound Express II, CS4281 paired with its CS4297A codec for which it is designed for.

@Hitman
I have a SoundBlaster Live (MODEL SB0220) that I've used in a SAM440 and an X1000. I bought it used from a company that tears apart old PC's and sells parts. I got it for less than $10. I've seen reports on Amiga forums that SB Live cards with other model numbers may not work. It uses the emu10kx.audio AHI driver which was included in OS4 for my SAM & X1000. They're really cheap on ebay so it may be worth trying one.

EDIT: Please post results if you get a sound card that works. It might be useful info for others who get older OS4 hardware with broken or flawed sound output.

@xenic

Quote:


I purchased an X5000 and have had nothing but problems out of the included SoundWave 5.1 PCI sound card, which Amiga on the Lake told me they would be shipping a replacement card, that is supposed to work, but I haven't received anything.

I read you post to pick up a SB0220, but I can confirm that it is not working with the X5000 on OS 4.1 FE. The sound prefs freeze up when I try to go in and modify the chose sound mode. Not even a desktop boot sound, at least I got that with the included card :P




Any tips?


It looks hopeless getting the SB0220 to work, I went ahead and, per your instruction, ordered a Pine Crystal CS4281 PCI Sound Card. Gosh, I really hope this one works. Had my X5000 for over a month and a half now and still no audio support.


*LAUGH* Amiga on the Lake is still selling the SoundWave 5.1 PCI card that came with my X5000 on their site as a single item intended to be the "most cost-effective solution to transform your AmigaOne into a home theater system improving your music, gaming and movie entertainment quality". This card DOES NOT WORK FOR ME, recommend to not purchase.

@m1nuto

It looks like you are using Sound prefs from Enhancer package. Try the original AHI prefs which comes with AmigaOS if you have better luck with that.

@m1nuto
TSK might be right because I'm still using the OS4.1FEu1 AHI prefs. I only have some of the Enhancer programs installed; like Multiviewer, the classes, Radeon drivers and SFS2. The used SBLive card I bought has worked in a SAM440, X1000 and X5000. Others have reported it working in an X5000. On the other hand, if you bought your SBLive card used it could be defective.

After looking at your screengrab, I see that you have 'Music Unit' set to 'EMU10kx: 16 bit Stereo++'. Unless you want programs that use the AHI lowlevel API to block other programs from playing sound, here are my AHI prefs settings:

For 'Music Unit' set the device to: 'Unit 0: HiFi 16 bit Stereo++'
-Frequency is set to 44100.
-All the settings below are unsettable.

For 'Unit 0' set the device to: 'EMU10kx: HiFi 16 bit Stereo++'
-Frequency is set to 44100.
-Channels is set to 10.
-Volume is set to +0.0dB
-The setting below 'Volume' are set all the way to the left.

Datatypes sound play normally uses Unit 0 and regardless of your 'Music Unit' settings, if you have no settings for Unit 0 it's possible that programs using Datatypes sound play will not work.

If you are using Enhancer sound prefs, I don't know what you would need to do to revert to AHI sound prefs. For all I know, the Enhancer sound prefs might override AHI prefs. Maybe some one else knows about that.

And there was sound....




0x1013 0x6005 Cirrus Logic Crystal CS4281 PCI Audio

@m1nuto

Neat, does your card come with a gameport?