Ensoniq Audio PCI
Wavetable Sound Card
User's Guide

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Specifications Specifications are subject to change without notice or obligation. Host Interface Port address One 64-byte I/O port Interrupt usage One PCI interrupt Number of ports One stereo input port, One mono microphone input port w/BIAS power and Boost available, One stereo output port, One stereo internal CD audio input connector, One internal TV tuner input connector and One internal mono modem/TAD input/output connector Joystick interface Standard PC-compatible joystick port Max number of joysticks Two (2 axis, 2 buttons) or One (4 axis, 4 buttons) Synthesizer Architecture Digital wavetable synthesis Number of voices Up to 32 D/A converter 18-bit linear serial Sigma-Delta converter Level and panning controls Separate 5-bit L&R controls for each voice Envelopes Per-voice envelopes for amplitude and filters FM Synthesis OPL2 FM software emulation Digital PCM Playback Section Devices One wave output (playback) device and one wave input (record) device D/A converter 16-bit linear serial Sigma-Delta converter Max playback sample rate 48.0kHz Level and panning controls Separate 5-bit L&R controls for each voice Data formats 8-bit unsigned linear, 16-bit signed linear; All formats Mono or Interleaved stereo Digital recording section A/D converter 16-bit linear serial Sigma-Delta converter Available sampling rates 4.0 to 48.0kHz Source selection Any external source, microphone, CD, synthesizer, wave, modem or TV tuner Level control Individual Level control range +12 to -50dB on all other record sources Formats 8-bit unsigned linear, 16-bit signed linear. All formats Mono or Interleaved stereo Audio Mixing Input sources Synthesizer output, CD input, Aux input, MIC input, TV tuner input, modem input/output Level control 5-bit for all mixer control Level control range +12 to -50dB for all Frequency response 20-20,000Hz ± 1dB Distortion <0.01% Signal/Noise ratio 90dB typical Internal Audio Connectors CD In Connector MPC III standard (Molex 70553) 4-pin shrouded .1-inch centers Pin 1 = L channel Pin 2 = Ground Pin 3 = Ground Pin 4 = R channel TV Tuner In Connector MPC III standard (Molex 70553) Pin 1 = L channel Pin 2 = Ground Pin 3 = Ground Pin 4 = R channel TAD In/Out Connector MPC III standard (Molex 70553) 4-pin shrouded .1-inch centers Pin 1 = Modem audio input Pin 2 = Ground Pin 3 = Ground Pin 4 = Boosted (30dB) microphone output External Audio Connectors MIC In Connector 3.5mm (1/8-inch) mini phone jack Tip Tip and ring are connected together internally Sleeve = Ground Nominal input level 30mV r.m.s. (85V p-p) in MIC mode Nominal input impedance = 50K Ohms output Aux In Connector 3.5mm (1/8-inch) TRS mini phone jack Tip = L channel Ring = R channel Sleeve = Ground Nominal input level IV r.m.s. (2.8V p-p) Nominal input impedance = 50K Ohms output Line Out Connector 3.5mm (1/8-inch) TRS mini phone jack Tip = L channel Ring = R channel Sleeve = Ground Max output level into a line input = 2V r.m.s. (5.6V p-p) Max output level into headphones = 100mW into Hi-Z headphones (Walkman style) Many Gateway 2000 products are custom engineered by our suppliers to Gateway 2000 specifications, and may vary with similarly marketed products.   Introduction AudioPCI™ provides the very latest in sound card technology, offering unparalleled sonic quality far exceeding that of previous sound cards, along with powerful facilities for the recording, playback, and synthesis of sound. AudioPCI combines hardware and software to provide the highest quality in PC sound and compatibility. AudioPCI’s driver compatibility enables continued software support as new standards emerge. The PCI bus transfers data on a 32-bit bus, providing a 4 to 20 percent increase in speed compared to an ISA bus. AudioPCI allows legacy software to function as if ISA signals are present, but utilizes the faster speed of the PCI bus. A brief overview of AudioPCI’s main features follow.   Synthesizer Provides up to 32 voices (instruments) of wavetable synthesis. 128 General MIDI sounds are stored on the PC’s hard drive and are accessed through the computer’s onboard RAM. Includes 2MB General MIDI/Roland MT-32 sound sets as well as AdLib/SoundBlaster Pro I with OPL2 FM synthesizer emulation.   Digital audio Allows the recording of CD-quality stereo sound (up to 16 bits, 48.0kHz sampling rate) from Aux, CD and TV tuner inputs as well as from the internal synthesizer. Allows recording of mono sound from the microphone input, with or without 5V BIAS power or 30dB boost. Allows recording of mono sound from the modem/TAD input/output. Allows playback of stereo wave samples of 8- or 16-bit sound. Enables playback of standard PC Wave files (.VOC, .WAV, ...).   MIDI Provides an MPU-401 compatible MIDI interface, including MIDI in and MIDI Out/Thru (requires external cable, not supplied). Adds an external MIDI In/Out port to your PC. Allows the recording of MIDI events from an external MIDI keyboard controller. Enables playback of standard PC MIDI files (e.g., .MID, .ROL, ...) to either the onboard synthesizer or to an external synthesizer.   Mixer Provided software mixer allows synthesizer and digital audio output to be mixed with signal arriving at the card’s CD, Aux, microphone, modem and TV tuner inputs.   Included software AudioPCI ships with installation software, configuration and initialization utilities and device drivers.   Card layout J6: The CD audio input port is an MPC-3 stereo connector, which can be used to attach a CD-ROM audio connector. J7: The TV tuner input port is an MPC-3 stereo connector, which can be used to connect a TV tuner. J8: The Modem/TAD input/output port on the board can be used to connect a modem audio line to AudioPCI. Use this connector with telephone answering machine software. J1: Line out/headphone (green) is a stereo line-level output. The combined signal of all internal and external audio sources on the board outputs through here. It can be connected to 1/8-inch stereo headphones or amplified speakers. J3: Aux input (black) is a stereo line-level input, which accepts a 1/8-inch stereo plug. It can be used as a source for digital sound recording, a source to be mixed with the output or both. J4: Mic in (red) is a 1/8-inch jack providing mono input. It can be used as a source for digital sound recording, a source to be mixed with the output or both. You can apply a 30dB gain to the microphone input by selecting Boost in the microphone panel of the Audio Mixer. J5: The 15-pin D-sub MIDI/Joystick connector can be used with standard MIDI adapters and joystick connectors. The joystick interface supports single and dual joysticks (requires a SoundBlaster-compatible Y-connector or industry-standard MIDI joystick kit). Note: In our effort to provide you with the latest developments in sound card technology, we seek the most recently updated hardware available. This means the sound card illustrated in this manual may not match the card that shipped with this manual exactly. Because these cosmetic changes do not affect the functionality of the card, the rest of the information contained in this manual is accurate for your card.   Installing the sound card Most users of the Ensoniq™ AudioPCI™ card purchase it as part of a system and do not need these instructions. However, if you purchased this card as an accessory item for an existing system, these instructions will help you install it correctly; please follow them carefully.   What you need To use AudioPCI, your computer system should meet the following requirements: 75MHz Pentium® processor or better VGA or SVGA graphics adapter and monitor Mouse Windows 95 or an earlier version of Windows One open PCI expansion slot At least 12MB of free hard disk space (to install all software and samples) RAM to accommodate the system, plus the waveset Set of powered speakers or headphones.   What you received Check to see that your AudioPCI package contains all of the following items: AudioPCI sound card in antistatic bag Audio cable Installation CD or diskettes Ensoniq™ AudioPCI™ Wavetable Sound Card User’s Guide (this manual).   Getting started Before opening your system case, read and follow these preventions and precautions to prevent damage from static electricity. Caution! Preventing Static Electricity Damage The components inside your system are extremely sensitive to static electricity, also known as electrostatic discharge (ESD). Static electricity can cause irreparable damage to your system; however, if you follow these preventions and precautions, you should prevent such damage. Static Electricity Preventions 1. WEAR A GROUNDING WRIST STRAP (available at most electronic stores). 2. Turn off the system power. 3. Touch the back of the power supply fan, located on the back of the case. 4. UNPLUG ALL CORDS FROM WALL OUTLET. 5. Remove the system case cover. Static Electricity Precautions • Avoid static-causing surfaces such as plastic and styrofoam in your work area. • Remove parts from their antistatic bags only when you are ready to use it. Do not lay parts on the outside of antistatic bags since only the inside provides antistatic protection. • Always hold cards by their edges and their metal mounting bracket. Avoid touching components on the cards and the edge connectors that connect to expansion slots. • Never slide cards or other parts over any surface.   To install the AudioPCI card: Use the "Sequential Procedure" in the preceding ESD information to open the system and ground yourself. For more information about opening the system case, reference the documentation that shipped with your computer. Remove the screw that holds the metal plate over one of your system’s empty PCI expansion card slots. Save the plate in case you ever remove the card and need to replace it over the slot. Remove the old sound card by pulling it straight out of its slot. Hold the card by its corners. It’s OK to slightly seesaw a card end-to-end to loosen a card, but do not bend the card sideways. (If you are adding a card to a new slot skip this step.) Press the card straight into the PCI slot. Make sure that you push evenly on both edges until the card is firmly seated. You may need to press in on the bottom of the metal bracket to keep it from catching on the case. It’s OK to slightly seesaw a card end-to-end as you work it into the slot, but do not bend the card sideways. If you have an internal CD-ROM drive, leave the flat, grey data cable connected to the interface card or system board. If you already have an audio cable connected to the CD-ROM drive because you are replacing an old sound card, disconnect the audio cable from your CD-ROM drive and remove the cable from your system. Connect the audio cable that came with your AudioPCI card to the back of your CD-ROM drive and the other end to the J6 connector on the AudioPCI card. Secure the card to the case with the screw you removed in Step 2. Replace the cover and the cables on the back of the system, but don’t fasten the screws. Power up the system, install the software and test the card to be sure it works. Tighten down the cover once you have verified that everything works.   Installing software AudioPCI is easiest to use when installed in a Plug and Play system. When installed in the Windows 95 operating environment, AudioPCI requires a minimal amount of configuration by the user. Before installing the software, make sure you have installed the card in the system according to the directions in the previous section titled, "Installing the sound card."   Installing Windows 95 driver The first time you run Windows 95 after installing the AudioPCI card, the Configuration manager detects the card and prompts you to insert the media containing the Ensoniq AudioPCI driver. Use the following instructions to install the driver from the CD correctly.   To install or update the sound card driver: Power up the system. Windows 95 automatically detects the presence of the new hardware and displays a New Hardware Found dialog box. Click Cancel. Make sure the System CD containing the sound driver is in the CD-ROM drive. Click Start, Run and type: d:\win95drv\audio\enqpci\setup.exe in the command line provided, then press <ENTER>. The ENSONIQ AudioPCI Install Wizard appears. Click Next. Make sure that Remove and Install Software is selected. Click Next. A screen stating that the system is being checked for old drivers appears. Click Next. A screen stating that the latest driver will now be copied and installed. Click Next. A screen appears monitoring the installation process. Click Next. The ENSONIQ AudioPCI Legacy Drivers Setup screen appears. Click Next. The Choose Destination Path screen appears. Click Next to accept the default drive destination. The Restart Computer screen appears. Select Yes, I want to restart my computer now., then click OK.   Installing Windows 95 multimedia extensions Windows 95 includes a number of multimedia utilities. If your system was configured with Windows 95 before installing the AudioPCI card, it is possible that these utilities are not installed.   To add the multimedia extensions: Click Start, Settings and Control Panel. The Control Panel screen appears. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Add/Remove Programs Properties screen appears. Click the Windows Setup tab to access the page and bring it to the front. Click on the Multimedia check box to select the Multimedia components. You may have to scroll down the list of options. Click OK. If the Windows 95 System CD is needed, a prompt appears asking for it. If no prompt appears, the components have been successfully installed from the hard drive.   Configuring AudioPCI card AudioPCI requires one 64-byte I/O range and one PCI interrupt to function in Windows 95. To enable legacy compatibility for DOS Box and MS-DOS Mode applications, additional resources must be allocated. The resource settings are found under ENSONIQ AudioPCI Legacy Device Properties of the Windows 95 Device Manager. The ENSONIQ AudioPCI Properties screen contains several tabs with configuration options.   To configure the AudioPCI card: Click the My Computer icon with the right mouse button. A menu box appears. Click Properties. The System Properties screen appears. Click the Device Manager tab to access the page and bring it to the front. Double-click the Sound, video and game controllers icon to see the list of devices. Double-click the ENSONIQ AudioPCI device icon. The ENSONIQ AudioPCI Properties dialog box appears.   MIDI Synthesizer Wavesets The first section under the Settings tab allows you to choose the 2MB wavetable instrument set included with AudioPCI. In the future, new wavesets may be available, so an Add Waveset button is also available. If the Lock MIDI Waveset box is selected, all wavesets are locked into memory. If not selected, only the wavetable sounds playing are locked into memory. In MS Box and MS-DOS Mode applications, the entire waveset is locked regardless of this setting.   Legacy Emulation Legacy emulation provides the additional resources necessary to function in a DOS Box or MS-DOS Mode. AudioPCI does not require most of the resources used by legacy (ISA) devices. To ensure compatibility with applications designed to function with those non-PCI cards, legacy emulation must be enabled.   To configure the Ensoniq AudioPCI Legacy Device: Click the My Computer icon with the right mouse button. A menu box appears. Click Properties. The System Properties screen appears. Click the Device Manager tab to access the page and bring it to the front. Double-click the Sound, video and game controllers icon to see the list of devices. Double-click the ENSONIQ AudioPCI Legacy Device icon. The ENSONIQ AudioPCI Legacy Device Properties dialog box appears. Click the Resources tab. The current AudioPCI resources are displayed. These resource settings are obtained from one of ten Base Configurations. These Base Configurations contain the most popular hardware resource options. In most cases, you can change just the Base Configuration to resolve a conflict.   To change the Base Configuration: Clear the check box labeled Use automatic settings. Select the Setting based on: pull-down menu. Choose a Base Configuration noting the changes in the Resource window. In some cases, you may wish to have more control over which resources are used. In this case, you can modify individual resources.   To modify individual resources. Clear the check box labeled Use automatic settings. Select the Resource you wish to modify in the Resource window. Click the Change Setting button. If the Device Manager indicates that the resource is not modifiable, you may be able to change it by selecting an alternate Base Configuration. The Device Manager presents you with the available options for this device. Click OK when you are finished configuring the AudioPCI card.   Joystick port The Gameport joystick driver is provided with Windows 95. Gameport joystick will appear in the Device Manager when Joystick Port Enabled is selected in the Settings tab of the ENSONIQ AudioPCI Properties screen.   Microphone BIAS If the Microphone BIAS box is selected in the Settings tab of the ENSONIQ AudioPCI Properties screen, 5V BIAS power is applied to the microphone input port. This option must be enabled for a electret condenser microphone to function, and disabled for a dynamic microphone to function. MS Box and MS-DOS Mode do not have microphone support.   Uninstalling AudioPCI software At some point in your system’s lifetime, you may want or need to remove the AudioPCI driver and software applications. Use the instructions in this section to make sure that everything is removed correctly and thoroughly.   Removing driver Since the AudioPCI card is a Plug and Play device, removing the hardware only prevents the drivers from loading. The next time you install the card, the drivers reload. If you wish, you can disable the drivers with the card installed.   To disable the drivers: Click the My Computer icon with the right mouse button. A menu box appears. Click Properties. The System Properties screen appears. Click the Device Manager tab to access the page and bring it to the front. Double-click on the Sound, video and game controllers icon to see the list of devices. Double-click the ENSONIQ AudioPCI device icon. The ENSONIQ AudioPCI Properties dialog box appears. Click the General tab if not already selected by default. Deselect the option Exists in all hardware profiles. Click OK. Reboot the system so the Gameport Joystick and AudioPCI Legacy Device are also disabled.   Using AudioPCI with Windows 95 games The AudioPCI card is compatible with all of the popular sound standards on the market. Games that support the following sound modes operate on the AudioPCI card: AudioPCI, DirectX, Soundscape, SoundBlaster Pro I, AdLib and MPU401/Roland (Sound Canvas/General MIDI or MT32/LAPC-1). Three operating modes are available for playing games on the AudioPCI card: Windows 95 Mode Windows 95 DOS Box Windows 95 DOS Mode. Windows 95 mode is the native mode of the AudioPCI card. Games indicating that they are for Windows 95 use this mode. In general, the only requirement to play a game under Windows 95 is to install the game. Double-click on the speaker icon in the right corner of the taskbar to access the Audio Mixer designed for use with the AudioPCI card. The new mixer accommodates some of the additional features found on the AudioPCI card. The sliders adjust balance and volume levels, advanced buttons access additional option screens and mute buttons mute each function. Experiment with different settings to find the ones that work the best for you. Note: Your mixer may look slightly different, depending on your system configuration.   Wave device The wave device advanced option adds a spacial enhancement effect emulating surround sound.   Microphone device The microphone advanced option offers microphone boost and microphone monitor options. The boost options adds a 30dB audio gain to the microphone. This is an audio gain only and will not effect power to the microphone. The monitor option allows you to hear anything spoken into the microphone through the system’s speakers. Deselecting this option could eliminate feedback with some full duplex internet phone applications. You will still be heard, but you won’t hear yourself through the system speakers.   MIDI/Synthesizer device The MIDI/synthesizer device advanced options can add spacial, chorus and reverb effects. The spacial effect emulates surround sound. The chorus effect adds depth to the synthesizer sounds. The reverb effect makes the MIDI instruments sound like they are playing in a large concert hall.   Using AudioPCI with DOS games The AudioPCI card is compatible with all of the popular sound standards on the market. Games that support the following sound modes operate on the AudioPCI card: AudioPCI, DirectX, Soundscape, SoundBlaster Pro I, AdLib and MPU401/Roland (Sound Canvas/General MIDI or MT32/LAPC-1). The AudioPCI Legacy Device must be enabled for DOS Box games to function. You can launch DOS games two ways in Windows 95: using a DOS session or using DOS Exclusive Mode. The DOS session method of launching games yields the best AudioPCI performance and is strongly recommended as the method of choice.   Using a DOS session The best way to launch DOS games is from a DOS session under Windows 95. Start by viewing Soundscape’s DOS settings (DMA, IRQ, and Address settings). This information allows you to make appropriate choices when you set up the game.   To view the DOS settings: Click the My Computer icon with the right mouse button. A menu box appears. Click Properties. The System Properties screen appears. Click the Device Manager tab to access the page and bring it to the front. Double-click the Sound, video and game controllers icon to see the list of devices. Double-click the ENSONIQ AudioPCI Legacy Device icon. The ENSONIQ AudioPCI Legacy Device Properties screen appears. Click the DOS Settings tab to view the settings. Record all settings for future reference when setting up a game under DOS.   To launch a DOS game: Click Start, Programs and MS-DOS Prompt. The DOS window appears. Be sure to set up your game based on the DOS Settings page of the ENSONIQ AudioPCI Legacy Device Properties screen to insure proper performance. See the instructions that came with the game for more specific information on running the game.   Using DOS Exclusive Mode At times you may not be able to run a game using a DOS session. The game may be incompatible with Windows 95, or you may not have enough system resources to play with Windows 95 loaded. When these situations arise, you can use a mechanism called DOS Exclusive Mode, which loads only the real-mode portions of the operating system. Note: For DOS Exclusive Mode to work with the AudioPCI card, you MUST first install the driver disk (see the Section titled, "Installing Windows 95 driver").   To use MS-DOS Exclusive Mode: Click Start, then Shut Down. The Shut Down Windows screen appears. Click Restart the computer in MS-DOS mode?. Click OK. This unloads the Windows 95 GUI and puts the system in DOS Mode.   How MS-DOS Mode works When a user selects "Restart the computer in MS-DOS mode," Windows 95 uses a Program Information File (PIF) named "Exit to MSDOS.PIF." This PIF contains the information needed to shut down Windows and properly configure the system for MS-DOS mode. AudioPCI however, initializes in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file before Windows 95 even loads. During a Windows 95 session, the MS-DOS Mode is inactive. When MS-DOS Mode is entered, the driver becomes active. This ensures that AudioPCI is initialized even if you use an alternate method for reaching MS-DOS Mode (i.e. a shortcut to an MS-DOS application or pressing <F8> during system boot to access the system boot menu).   INITAP.BAT The applications disk installation creates an INITAP.BAT batch file in your AudioPCI directory that allows you to easily set up the AudioPCI hardware in DOS Exclusive Mode. The following describes the added lines. SET SNDSCAPE=<SNDSCAPE.INI location> The SNDSCAPE environment variable points to the location of the SNDSCAPE.INI file. This file is installed when you install the Windows 95 driver. It typically resides in the Windows directory (i.e., SET SNDSCAPE=C:\WINDOWS). The AudioPCI INI file is used for backwards compatibility with other AudioPCI cards and should not be removed. SET BLASTER=A220 Ix Dx T1 This is included for SoundBlaster compatibility. The x’s are place holders that are filled in after APINIT is loaded. <AudioPCI™Path>\APINIT.COM APINIT is the AudioPCI DOS driver. It is required for the AudioPCI card to function properly under DOS-Mode. Note: APINIT.COM requires EMM386 to be loaded. The applications disk adds, if needed, EMM386 and HIMEM.SYS to your CONFIG.SYS file.   DOS Exclusive Mode utilities The AudioPCI card includes a number of DOS utilities to make configuring the hardware easier. These utilities require the AudioPCI driver APINIT.COM loaded.   APCONFIG.EXE The APCONFIG utility is used to obtain hardware settings and to enable and disable emulation modes on the AudioPCI card. In some situations, certain games may incorrectly detect your AudioPCI hardware. Using APCONFIG, you can disable certain options to allow the game to correctly identify the hardware. APCONFIG will display: PCI Hardware Settings: Port, IRQ Soundscape Emulation: Base/MIDI port, Wave port, MIDI IRQ, Wave IRQ, DMA SoundBlaster Pro Emulation: Port, IRQ, DMA MPU-401 (GM, Roland MT32/LAPC-1) Emulation: Port, IRQ AdLib Emulation: Port. If the AudioPCI Legacy Device is disabled, APCONFIG will indicate this and provide only PCI Hardware port and IRQ settings.   APMIXER.EXE Use APMIXER to change the levels of the AudioPCI card. APMIXER has two modes of operation, Command-line mode and interactive mode.   Command-line mode Command-line mode is useful for advanced users who want to set up batch files with particular volume levels. /s: <0-127> adjusts the synth volume /w: <0-127> adjusts the wave volume /c: <0-127> adjusts the CD audio volume /m: <0 or 1> sets the synth MT-32/LAPC-1 mode; 0=off 1=on /? displays a help screen APMIXER without any options will invoke the interactive editor. The interactive editor mode allows you to change the mixer settings with the mouse, TAB, PG UP, PG DN, or arrow keys. The settings for APINIT are independent of the Windows 95 Ensoniq Mixer settings. If the Save As Default button is not used, settings will only remain in effect until the system is rebooted. Running Windows 95 and shutting down into DOS Mode will not reset the APMIXER. APMIXER can not be run from Windows 95.   MT-32.EXE MT-32 or LAPC-1 was a popular sound module in the late 1980s (prior to the General MIDI standard), which provided superior sound over the PC sound systems that were available at that time. During that period, many game manufacturers supported the MT-32 as their high-end sound device. AudioPCI provides two sets of patches: a General MIDI compatible patch set and a patch set which emulates a Roland MT-32 sound module. These patches cannot be used simultaneously, so a utility called MT32 is provided to allow you to easily switch from one patch set to another. Use this utility whenever a game supports MT-32 as a music/sound option. The usage for MT32 is as follows: MT32 [ON | OFF] ON selects the MT-32 patch set and OFF selects the General MIDI patch set. Typing MT32 without any arguments (i.e. ON or OFF) also switches you to the MT-32 patch set. Windows 95 always uses the General MIDI patch. Use MT32 in a batch file to temporarily enable the MT-32 patch set for DOS Box applications. If the Windows 95 MIDI device is opened, the patch set will automatically be switched to General MIDI. The MT32 command will have to be executed again before the MT-32 patch set is restored.   Installing AudioPCI games In both a DOS session and DOS Exclusive Mode, you generally have to tell the game what type of hardware is installed and what resources (Port, IRQ, DMA, etc.) the hardware is using.   To find resources in Windows 95: Click the My Computer icon using the right mouse button. A menu box appears. Click Properties. The System Properties screen appears. Click the Device Manager tab to access the page and bring it to the front. Double-click the Sound, video and game controllers icon to see the list of devices. Double-click the ENSONIQ AudioPCI Legacy Device icon. The ENSONIQ AudioPCI Legacy Device Properties screen appears. Select the DOS Settings tab. You can use the information in this screen to help you configure DOS games for use with the AudioPCI card.   To find resources in DOS Exclusive Mode: Switch to your AudioPCI directory and type: apconfig (e.g., C:\SNDSCAPE\APCONFIG). Note: The DOS driver APINIT must be running in order for APCONFIG to work. Some older games may have difficulty detecting the AudioPCI card at certain resource settings. Typically, these games would expect the card to be at a fixed set of resources and would fail to load if not detected. If you have any older DOS games that do not work properly, try moving the AudioPCI to a different resource. Use the following table as a guide. Problem Resource The SoundBlaster Pro emulation is not recognized. Try changing the AudioPCI wave IRQ between 7 and 5, use DMA channel 1, use Wave port 220. The Soundscape emulation is not recognized. Try using Base/MIDI port 330, use Waveport 534, use Wave and MIDI IRQ 5 to 7, use DMA 1. The MPU-401 emulation is not recognized Try using port address 330.   Selecting best game sound option Most DOS-based games that provide sound have some procedure for sound setup. These procedures generally present you with a list of popular sound cards or sound devices. The AudioPCI card will work with one or more of the available options. Differences exist, however, in the way games present sound options. Some may present a single option that corresponds to a particular sound device. (e.g., AudioPCI, SoundBlaster Pro I, Roland Sound Canvas, etc.). Others will provide a separate music and digital audio option, either as a single menu selection or as two separate menus (e.g., General MIDI music with SoundBlaster Pro I digital audio, etc.). Some game programs allow you to set the MIDI port address and IRQ for music and sound. Make sure that these settings correspond to the selections made in the Hardware Settings screen of APINIT. If the game offers MPU-401 General MIDI or MT-32 as options and allows you to set the MIDI port address and/or IRQ, make sure they match the MIDI Port Address and IRQ settings in the MIDI Interface section of the Hardware Settings screen. If the game offers SoundBlaster settings, make sure that they correspond to the SoundBlaster/Wave settings in Hardware Settings screen. Remember that AudioPCI emulates a SoundBlaster only at a fixed base port address of 220H. Note: When setting up the SoundBlaster game settings, make sure that the IRQ and DMA settings match the Wave settings of the AudioPCI card. Remember, an easy way to find out the current hardware settings in DOS is to type APCONFIG from the AudioPCI directory. Also, AudioPCI software emulates a SoundBlaster board with a 2.0 DSP. Generally, when you set up a game that does not have direct AudioPCI support, you should choose SoundBlaster as your digital audio option. However, in some instances selecting SoundBlaster Pro may improve digital audio playback. Experimentation with the SoundBlaster settings is the best way to determine if you can select SoundBlaster Pro as an option.   Music options Most DOS games offer a menu choice for sound when they start up. AudioPCI supports all of the popular music options. The only time you will need to provide instructions to AudioPCI is when MT32/LAPC-1 is offered and Sound Canvas/General MIDI is not. Because General MIDI provides the highest quality sound, the majority of today’s popular games offer it as an option. Those that do not, almost always offer MT-32 in its place. If you have a choice between General MIDI and MT-32, always choose General MIDI, since it will provide you with the best sound quality. If you need to use MT-32, you must first switch from the General MIDI patch set (the default) to the MT-32 patch set. When you are finished using the MT-32 patch set, be sure to switch back to the General MIDI set.   Digital audio options AudioPCI supports AudioPCI digital audio (applications that provide this option are commonly denoted by an AudioPCI logo someplace on the package), SoundBlaster digital audio emulation and Windows Sound System. If an application provides all three as options, specify AudioPCI digital audio as your first choice, SoundBlaster for your second and Windows Sound System for your third choice.   Troubleshooting If your AudioPCI card is not functioning as it should, don’t panic. The problem is probably very simple to find and fix as long as you approach the situation methodically. The secret to troubleshooting is to examine the evidence you have, gain as much information as you can, and eliminate possibilities one by one. In most cases, the source of the problem will soon become clear. Often, problems are extremely simple: bad cables, things not plugged in or turned on, etc. Check the obvious first, not last.   Configuration Adding new hardware and software to your computer requires ensuring that nothing conflicts with your existing system. If you have difficulty with the installation procedure or are unable to make the card work, a conflict may be present. Three major configuration settings are possible: I/O Port Address, Interrupt Request lines (IRQ), and Direct Memory Access channels (DMA). Even though the AudioPCI card is a Plug and Play card, the presence of other legacy cards can still cause resource conflicts. To resolve such conflicts, it is important to know the settings of other cards (it is best to remove other sound cards) and peripherals currently in your system, including the mouse, fax-modem, video accelerators, etc. Many peripherals come with setup software similar to AudioPCI that let you see and change the current configuration. The AudioPCI software also includes utility programs that investigate and report on the configuration of your system and its peripherals. In either event, make a record of the settings used by all the peripherals in your system for reference when installing new hardware and software or trouble shooting problems. Generally, you will only have a DMA conflict if your system contains another sound card or an external CD-ROM drive   DMA channels Under Windows, the AudioPCI card is capable of full duplex. This means that the card can play back one.WAV file while recording another. In order for this to happen with older Soundscape legacy cards, 2 DMA channels had to be dedicated. The PCI bus allows full duplex without any DMA channels. There is no microphone support for MS-DOS Mode, so only a single DMA is required for legacy emulation.   Two sound cards Having another sound card in your system in addition to the AudioPCI card greatly increases the chances of having system conflicts. We highly recommend that any other sound devices and their associated Windows drivers be removed before installing the AudioPCI card.   Changing volume and balance levels To make adjustments to the volume and balance levels, double-click on the speaker icon on the right side of the taskbar to access the Audio Mixer.   To add/remove the audio mixer to the taskbar: Click Start, Settings and Control Panel. The Control Panel screen appears. Double-click the Multimedia icon. The Multimedia Properties screen appears. Click the box next to Show volume control on the taskbar in the Audio tab to add this shortcut to the taskbar.   Audio If you are satisfied that the AudioPCI hardware and software are properly installed with no conflicts, but you hear no sound at all, the problem may be with your audio connections. Here are some suggestions: Try playing both a .WAV file and a .MID file to ascertain that no sound is coming from the speakers. If you hear one and not the other, the problem is internal and has nothing to do with your audio system. Be sure that your speakers are properly set up. Try connecting a sound source other than AudioPCI, such as an audio CD player, and establishing whether or not you can hear it. Be sure that the sound card is properly connected to the monitoring system (a 1/8 mini-phone cable should be running from AudioPCI’s Line Out connector to a line input on the monitoring system). To eliminate the possibility of a bad cable, try plugging a pair of high-impedance headphones (such as most Walkman-type phones) to the AudioPCI Line Out jack and see if you hear any sound.   Microphone For ease of installation, we recommend that you use a dynamic microphone. These require the least amount of setup. Perform the following steps to be sure that your software is set up correctly for MIC input: Double-click the speaker icon on the right side of the task bar. The Audio Mixer appears. Make sure that the mute button in the microphone device panel is not selected. Click and drag the sliders all the way up. Click the advanced options button in the microphone device panel and select the Microphone Boost option. Deselect the Microphone Monitor option if there is a feedback problem.   If you are experiencing distortion using a dynamic microphone: Click the My Computer icon with the right mouse button. A menu box appears. Click Properties. The System Properties screen appears. Click the Device Manager tab to access the page and bring it to the front. Double-click the Sound, video and game controllers icon to see the list of devices. Double-click the ENSONIQ AudioPCI device icon. The ENSONIQ AudioPCI Properties dialog box appears. Click the Settings tab to access the page and bring it to the front. Deselect the Microphone BIAS option.   CD audio First, be sure that your CD volume is turned up to maximum in the Audiostation mixer. If you still aren’t getting music, you will need to verify that the internal patch cable is connected between your CD ROM drive and the AudioPCI card. This is typically a small connector with four wires coming out of it. If it is connected but not working, try unplugging it and reconnecting it to another connector (there are 3 to choose from). If this does not work, there is a chance that the patch cable is broken or defective. Another tip is to obtain a 1/8î stereo patch cord and connect one end to the "headphone out" on the front of the CD-ROM drive, and the other end to the CD/AUX input on the back of the AudioPCI card. Make sure the headphone volume dial on the CD-ROM drive is at maximum, and try playing a CD. You should hear the music playing. If your internal patch cable is missing or defective, contact your CD-ROM manufacturer for information on how to obtain another cable.   Games Make sure that you have the game set up in a music option that AudioPCI supports. One way to be sure is to follow the guidelines for choosing game settings. Remember, you can obtain the AudioPCI hardware settings by looking at the DOS Settings page of the ENSONIQ AudioPCI Legacy Device driver in Windows or by running the APCONFIG utility in DOS. If the game’s install or setup program does not give you a particular sound option that you know the game supports, (for example, the game’s box and manual specify MT-32, but the game’s install or setup does not support it) try rerunning the game’s install or setup program. If you select a sound option in a particular game and the game’s install program says something like, "Sound card not found, proceed anyway?" choose Yes. In some cases, you can still install the program and it will work fine. The problem is in the way some install programs check for the presence of sound cards. In order to use two joysticks, you will need to use a SoundBlaster-compatible Y-connector, or use an industry-standard MIDI Joystick kit. This will make allowances for the proper direct connections for dual joysticks.   Game crashes If you are experiencing game crashes in games that use DOS extenders (like Doom and Doom II), check the sound card’s IRQ. If the AudioPCI card is set to IRQ10, that is more than likely the problem. Older DOS extenders have problems dispatching IRQ10 events that occur in protected mode, causing the game to crash.   To change the card’s IRQ: Note: Do not perform this operation unless you game will not run. Reboot the system. Press <F1> when prompted to run Setup. Select the Advanced tab. Set Plug and Play Configuration to Use Setup Utility. Highlight IRQ10 and change it to Used by ISA Card. Save the changes and exit. The AudioPCI card will find a different IRQ when the system is rebooted.   Notices   All rights reserved This publication is protected by copyright and all rights are reserved. No part of it may be reproduced or transmitted by any means or in any form, without prior consent in writing from Gateway 2000. The information in this manual has been carefully checked and is believed to be accurate. However, Gateway 2000 assumes no responsibility for any inaccuracies that may be contained in this manual. In no event will Gateway 2000 be liable for direct, indirect, special, exemplary, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from any defect or omission in this manual, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. In the interest of continued product development, Gateway 2000 reserves the right to make improvements in this manual and the products it describes at any time, without notice or obligation.   Trademark acknowledgments AnyKey, cow spot motif, CrystalScan, Destination, Field Mouse, Gateway 2000, GW2K, HandBook, TelePath, Vivitron, stylized "G" design, and motto "You’ve got a friend in the business" are registered trademarks and EZ Pad, Family PC, and Gateway Solo are trademarks of Gateway 2000, Inc. Intel, Intel Inside logo, and Pentium are registered trademarks and MMX is a trademark of Intel Corporation. Microsoft, MS, MS-DOS, and Windows are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other product names mentioned herein are used for identification purposes only, and may be the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 1997 Gateway 2000, Inc. 610 Gateway Drive, N. Sioux City, SD 57049 USA   Regulatory Compliance Statements American Users: This device has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio or television reception. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause interference to radio and television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. Caution! The Federal Communications Commission warns the users that changes or modifications to the unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment. Canadian Users: This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus as set out in the radio interference regulations of Industry Canada. Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites applicables aux appareils numériques de Classe B prescrites dans le règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique édicté par Industrie Canada. European Users: This Information Technology Equipment has been tested and found to comply with following European directives: [i] EMC Directive 89/336/EEC amending directive 92/31/EEC & 93/68 EEC as per - EN 50081-1:1992 according to EN 55022:1995 Class B EN 61000-3-2:1995 or EN 60555-2:1986 EN 61000-3-3: 1995 - EN50082-1:1992 according to EN 61000-4-2:1995 or IEC 801-2:1984 ENV 50140:1994 or IEC 801-3:1984 EN 61000-4-4:1988 or IEC 801-4:1998 [ii] Low Voltage Directive (Safety) 73/23/EEC as per EN 60950: 1992 Japanese Users: This equipment is in the Class 2 category (Information Technology Equipment to be used in a residential area or an adjacent area thereto) and conforms to the standards set by the Voluntary Control Council for Interference by Information Technology Equipment aimed at preventing radio interference in such residential area. When used near a radio or TV receiver, it may become the cause of radio interference. Read instructions for correct handling. Australian and New Zealand Users: This device has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to the Australian/New Zealand standard AS/NZS 3548 set out by the Spectrum Management Agency. Caution! Disconnect power before servicing. Attention! Couper le courant avant l’entretien.