Sound Blaster (DOS)

Sound Blaster

Platform: DOS Year: 1989 Developer: Creative Labs, Inc.

The Sound Blaster is a sound card for DOS-based computers which utilized a YM3812 (OPL2) sound chip capable of 9 distinct audio channels using FM Synthesis, a DAC to play digital sound effects and speech, and two older SAA1099 chips for backward compatibility with the Creative Music System. It was released in 1989 with a software bundle that included a handful of songs and sound effects. For additional details about the sound card, see Sound Blaster. Later versions required you to purchase the SAA1099 chips separately.

Creative Labs bundled various programs with the sound card to play the music and sound effects it included which have been recorded here. As improvements were made to the card, upgrades to the software were also made.

Screenshots

The title screen of the Juke Box. Version 1.0's Intelligent Organ used the old chips, but v1.5 and greater used FM Synthesis. Their music player left much to be desired. The talking parrot would repeat what you say into the microphone. An early version of the sound editor. Chatting with the poorly-designed AI, Dr. Sbaitso.

Music

VGMPF Album Art

The first couple revisions of the Sound Blaster included six sample songs, five were arranged public domain tunes, and one was a slightly modified version of the Star Wars (Main Theme).

Recording

#	Title	Composer	Arranger	Length	Listen	Download
01	Auld Lang Syne	Traditional	Unknown	1:48		Download
02	Home On the Range	Daniel Kelley	Unknown	1:12		Download
03	Little Brown Jug	Joseph Winner	Unknown	1:11		Download
04	My Old Kentucky Home	Stephen Foster	Unknown	1:17		Download
05	PDemo Theme II (Star FM)	John Williams, Sim Wong Hoo, J Tan	Sim Wong Hoo, J Tan	1:30		Download
06	Yankee Doodle	Traditional	Unknown	0:49		Download

Credits

• Ripper: TheAlmightyGuru
• Recorder: TheAlmightyGuru
• Game Credits:
  • Composer: Sim Wong Hoo credited as WH Sim
  • Composer: J Tan
  • Not Credited Composer: Daniel Kelley
  • Not Credited Composer: John Williams
  • Not Credited Composer: Joseph Winner
  • Not Credited Composer: Stephen Foster
  • Not Credited Composer: Traditional
  • Not Credited Arranger: Unknown

(Source: Meta data, recognizable songs)

The names of Sim Wong Hoo and J Tan are found only in the composer meta tag in the STARFM.CMF file, indicating that they arranged and modified the song. The other songs do not have names in their meta data.

Game Rip

Format	Download
	Download (Info)

The CMF files are installed into the PlayCMF folder, the VOC files are located in the VOXKit or VEdit folders, depending on the version, and the Intelligent Organ files (*.org) are located in the Organ folder (format and name change depending on the version).

The CMF files were recorded with the software's Play CMF program emulated in DOSBox.

Audio Devices

Music
Sound

The person who installs the Sound Blaster is expected to adjust the port and IRQ in their computer's settings in order to match the jumpers they set on the sound card.

Releases

USA Title: Sound Blaster Platform: DOS Released: 1989-??-?? Publisher: Creative Labs, Inc.

Links

• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster - Wikipedia.