Microsoft KB Archive/107624

SB 16 and SB 16 ASP Setting for Compressed Audio Playback PSS ID Number: Q107624 Article last modified on 11-30-1993 PSS database name: MMTitles

WINDOWS

= SYMPTOMS =

If the Sound Blaster 16 Wave (waveform) and MIDI driver (or the Sound Blaster 16 ASP Wave and MIDI driver) is not set up correctly, you will be unable to play compressed audio segments.

= RESOLUTION =

To play compressed audio segments with either the Sound Blaster 16 or the Sound Blaster 16 ASP, the HDMA setting for the Wave and MIDI driver must be set to DMA.

To change the HDMA setting:

  Open the Control Panel. Double-click the Drivers icon to display the installed drivers dialog.   Select the Sound Blaster 16 Wave And MIDI or Sound Blaster 16 ASP Wave and MIDI driver and press the Setup button.   Under the HDMA setting, set the selection to DMA.   Choose OK and choose do not restart now.   Exit Windows.   Run SBCONFIG.EXE from the SB16 directory.   This program will help you select and test each of the variables below. Make the following selections in the program: Variable Select ——– —— Base I/O port Autoscan MidiPort address Autoscan DMA interrupt Current 8 bit DMA Current 16 bit DMA Use 8 bit DMA 

The SBCONFIG application will then restart the machine.

 Restart Windows. All compressed audio will now work as expected.</li></ol>

= MORE INFORMATION =

Sound Blaster 16 or Sound Blaster 16 ASP sound cards use two DMAs: one for 8-bit audio (referred to as DMA) and one for 16-bit audio (referred to as High DMA or HDMA). Some machines using these cards do not properly pass through 16-bit audio. 16-bit audio is enabled when the Microsoft Audio Compression Manager (MSACM) streams the audio to the waveform driver in the 16-bit format. Because of the described problem, the system cannot properly play back the 16-bit audio it has received, and simply fails to play the sound. The above procedure will not cause sound quality to be affected audibly.

For further information on enabling 16-bit audio, contact the computer manufacturer or Creative Labs.

Additional reference words: compressed audio sound blaster 16 ASP multi media multimedia multi-media sound bits dinos dino winmm sbpro soundblaster 16asp

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1993.