Massive OPL (FM) ISA Sound Card comparison
Channel: Karl's Retro Channel (KITR)
Date: 2020-06-09

This is a comparison of ISA sound cards in DOS games, using just an FM synthesis. I've tested 13 sound cards with different OPL clone chips in different DOS games.

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Playlist:

DooM - E1M1:

00:02:23 - Sound Blaster 16 (OPL3)
00:02:43 - Aztech Sound Galaxy NX (OPL2)
00:03:03 - Sound Blaster AWE64 (CQM)
00:03:23 - Sound Blaster Vibra 16XV (CQM)
00:03:43 - Terratec Maestro 32/96 (Crystal 4232)
00:04:03 - ESS ES1868F
00:04:23 - ESS ES1688F
00:04:44 - Avance Logic ALS100 Plus
00:05:04 - Ensoniq Soundscape S-2000
00:05:24 - SoundPro HT1869V+
00:05:44 - Aztech AZT2320
00:06:04 - Anchor Media Concept 2.0
00:06:24 - DOSBox ECE


Monkey Island 2 - Intro:

00:06:44 - Sound Blaster 16 (OPL3)
00:07:04 - Aztech Sound Galaxy NX (OPL2)
00:07:24 - Sound Blaster AWE64 (CQM)
00:07:44 - Sound Blaster Vibra 16XV (CQM)
00:08:04 - Terratec Maestro 32/96 (Crystal 4232)
00:08:24 - ESS ES1868F
00:08:44 - ESS ES1688F
00:09:04 - Avance Logic ALS100 Plus
00:09:25 - Ensoniq Soundscape S-2000
00:09:45 - SoundPro HT1869V+
00:10:05 - Aztech AZT2320
00:10:25 - Anchor Media Concept 2.0
00:10:45 - DOSBox ECE


DooM 2 - Map 01:

00:11:05 - Sound Blaster 16 (OPL3)
00:11:25 - Aztech Sound Galaxy NX (OPL2)
00:11:45 - Sound Blaster AWE64 (CQM)
00:12:05 - Sound Blaster Vibra 16XV (CQM)
00:12:25 - Terratec Maestro 32/96 (Crystal 4232)
00:12:45 - ESS ES1868F
00:13:05 - ESS ES1688F
00:13:25 - Avance Logic ALS100 Plus
00:13:45 - Ensoniq Soundscape S-2000
00:14:05 - SoundPro HT1869V+
00:14:25 - Aztech AZT2320
00:14:46 - Anchor Media Concept 2.0
00:15:06 - DOSBox ECE


Lemmings:

00:15:26 - Sound Blaster 16 (OPL3)
00:15:46 - Aztech Sound Galaxy NX (OPL2)
00:16:06 - Sound Blaster AWE64 (CQM)
00:16:26 - Sound Blaster Vibra 16XV (CQM)
00:16:46 - Terratec Maestro 32/96 (Crystal 4232)
00:17:06 - ESS ES1868F
00:17:26 - ESS ES1688F
00:17:46 - Avance Logic ALS100 Plus
00:18:06 - Ensoniq Soundscape S-2000
00:18:26 - SoundPro HT1869V+
00:18:46 - Aztech AZT2320
00:19:06 - Anchor Media Concept 2.0
00:19:26 - DOSBox ECE


Duke 3D - Intro:

00:19:46 - Sound Blaster 16 (OPL3)
00:20:06 - Aztech Sound Galaxy NX (OPL2)
00:20:26 - Sound Blaster AWE64 (CQM)
00:20:46 - Sound Blaster Vibra 16XV (CQM)
00:21:07 - Terratec Maestro 32/96 (Crystal 4232)
00:21:27 - ESS ES1868F
00:21:47 - ESS ES1688F
00:22:07 - Avance Logic ALS100 Plus
00:22:27 - Ensoniq Soundscape S-2000
00:22:47 - SoundPro HT1869V+
00:23:07 - Aztech AZT2320
00:23:27 - Anchor Media Concept 2.0
00:23:47 - DOSBox ECE


Rise Of The Triad - Map 01:

00:24:07 - Sound Blaster 16 (OPL3)
00:24:27 - Aztech Sound Galaxy NX (OPL2)
00:24:47 - Sound Blaster AWE64 (CQM)
00:25:07 - Sound Blaster Vibra 16XV (CQM)
00:25:27 - Terratec Maestro 32/96 (Crystal 4232)
00:25:47 - ESS ES1868F
00:26:07 - ESS ES1688F
00:26:27 - Avance Logic ALS100 Plus
00:26:47 - Ensoniq Soundscape S-2000
00:27:08 - SoundPro HT1869V+
00:27:28 - Aztech AZT2320
00:27:48 - Anchor Media Concept 2.0
00:28:08 - DOSBox ECE


Space Quest 5:

00:28:28 - Sound Blaster 16 (OPL3)
00:28:48 - Aztech Sound Galaxy NX (OPL2)
00:29:08 - Sound Blaster AWE64 (CQM)
00:29:28 - Sound Blaster Vibra 16XV (CQM)
00:29:48 - Terratec Maestro 32/96 (Crystal 4232)
00:30:08 - ESS ES1868F
00:30:28 - ESS ES1688F
00:30:48 - Avance Logic ALS100 Plus
00:31:08 - Ensoniq Soundscape S-2000
00:31:28 - SoundPro HT1869V+
00:31:48 - Aztech AZT2320
00:32:08 - Anchor Media Concept 2.0
00:32:28 - DOSBox ECE


Gabriel Knight:

00:32:48 - Sound Blaster 16 (OPL3)
00:33:08 - Aztech Sound Galaxy NX (OPL2)
00:33:28 - Sound Blaster AWE64 (CQM)
00:33:49 - Sound Blaster Vibra 16XV (CQM)
00:34:09 - Terratec Maestro 32/96 (Crystal 4232)
00:34:29 - ESS ES1868F
00:34:49 - ESS ES1688F
00:35:09 - Avance Logic ALS100 Plus
00:35:29 - Ensoniq Soundscape S-2000
00:35:49 - SoundPro HT1869V+
00:36:09 - Aztech AZT2320
00:36:29 - Anchor Media Concept 2.0
00:36:49 - DOSBox ECE


Quest for Glory 4:

00:37:09 - Sound Blaster 16 (OPL3)
00:37:29 - Aztech Sound Galaxy NX (OPL2)
00:37:49 - Sound Blaster AWE64 (CQM)
00:38:09 - Sound Blaster Vibra 16XV (CQM)
00:38:29 - Terratec Maestro 32/96 (Crystal 4232)
00:38:49 - ESS ES1868F
00:39:09 - ESS ES1688F
00:39:29 - Avance Logic ALS100 Plus
00:39:49 - Ensoniq Soundscape S-2000
00:40:09 - SoundPro HT1869V+
00:40:29 - Aztech AZT2320
00:40:49 - Anchor Media Concept 2.0
00:41:09 - DOSBox ECE


Warcraft 2:

00:41:29 - Sound Blaster 16 (OPL3)
00:41:49 - Aztech Sound Galaxy NX (OPL2)
00:42:09 - Sound Blaster AWE64 (CQM)
00:42:29 - Sound Blaster Vibra 16XV (CQM)
00:42:50 - Terratec Maestro 32/96 (Crystal 4232)
00:43:10 - ESS ES1868F
00:43:30 - ESS ES1688F
00:43:50 - Avance Logic ALS100 Plus
00:44:10 - Ensoniq Soundscape S-2000
00:44:30 - SoundPro HT1869V+
00:44:50 - Aztech AZT2320
00:45:10 - Anchor Media Concept 2.0
00:45:30 - DOSBox ECE

Check out my other channel with retro game MIDI music videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqim0LCBZum-R7XGRNp3l4w/