🚀 go-pugleaf

Help!

I really like the sounds generated by my Ensoniq SS Elite but it keeps
crashing DOS (6.22) and Windows (3.11) whenever it uses the wave (.WAV
files) port and the CD-ROM (NEC 6xi SCSI-2 with Adaptec 2842a VL bus
SCSI controller) is active (usually with a repeating sound).  It does
MIDI and SB emulation just fine.

Some history here.  Last summer, I decided to give my system a
multimedia upgrade so I added an Adaptec 2842 VL bus controller and an
NEC 6xi SCSI-2 CD-ROM drive.  Then I bought Space Quest 6 and happily
anticipated getting a new soundcard.

I carefully studied the newsgroups and when Ensoniq offered the SS
Elite for $159.00, I jumped at the chance.  With trembling hands, I
carefully installed it, started up SQ6 and halfway through the intro,
Windows crashed with a GPF parity error.  Ok, I thought, some kind of
I/O conflict, par for the course.

I write drivers (though not for PC's) so I'm not unfamiliar with the
notions of DMA channels, IRQs, etc.  I spent most of a weekend
carefully studying the manuals and MSD's output and could find no
conflict.  I reseated the boards and even reloaded DOS and Windows.
Then I discovered that I could easily reproduce the problem by running
the CD-ROM and playing sounds using the wave port and that I could
cause the same problem with either DOS or Windows.  I also found that
Myst, Return to Vietnam, and Thinking Things 2 can all cause this
problem.

I sent a 24 page problem statement with all the information which I
had found out as well as fairly complete diagnostic info to Adaptec
and Ensoniq.  Adaptec sent me an immediate message acknowledgement and
a week later (as promised) said "Check your documentation for I/O
configuration problems.".

Ensoniq never replied so when I called them about it, they appeared to
have lost my mail.  I resent the problem mail (about 24 pages).  Their
next response was that there was new ucode coming out around the end
of October and maybe that would solve the problem.  The mail response
showed that my careful collection of relevant data hadn't even been
carefully read.

Since its now the middle of November, I decided to call Ensoniq.  The
person who I talked to allowed me to fax my problem statement to him.
He did read it and said that nothing jumped out at him.  He wasn't
interested in working with me to understand the problem.  Instead, he
said that I could return the card for a refund.

So I'm appealing to the net folk.  First, has anybody else experienced
this problem?  Second, does anybody have any suggestions for fixing
this.  I like the sounds of the card and any other equivalent card
will be more money.  Third, is there anybody with an Adaptec 2842
who's using a good quality soundcard?  Which one is it?

Email or news replies are fine.  I'll summarize if I get helpful
responses.

System configuration is described below:

Motherboard is installed in a tower case.
	- GA-486VM (no name)
	- Intel 486DX33 cpu
	- 256K secondary cache
	- 8MB 70ns RAM
	- AMI BIOS
	- 3 VESA Bus slots (for more info, see below)
		- 1st slot has Adaptec 2842A SCSI-2 controller
		- 2nd slot has ColorDesigner TSVGA
		  Local Bus ET4000 graphics board
		- 3rd slot has GCW757VL multi I/O card (no name)
	- 4 ISA bus slots (for more info, see below)
		- Ensoniq Soundscape Elite soundcard
	- 1 XT slot (empty)

Adaptec 2842A SCSI-2 controller is connected only to a NEC MultiSpin 6xi
CD-ROM reader.
	- I/O Port address at 1c00
	- Floppy interface disabled
	- Host adapter BIOS base address at d800:0
	- Host adapter BIOS enabled

ColorDesigner ET4000 graphics card is connected to CTX 15" SVGA
color monitor.  It has 1MB ram.

Multi I/O card has the following devices:
	- IDE port (compatible with VESA Local Bus standard)
		- connected to 2 Western Digital 200 MB IDE drives.
	- Floppy port connected to:
		- 3.5" 720K/1.44 (drive A:)
		- 5.25" 360K/1.2M (drive B:)
	- 2 Serial ports
		- COM1 connected to 1200 baud Microsoft mouse
		- COM2 connected to Cardinal MVP288XF external modem
	- Parallel port connected to Canon BJC4000 color inkjet printer
	- Game port is not connected or used.

Ensoniq Soundscape Elite card line out is connected to AUX input of
Sony receiver etc.  Ssinit program reports the following results:
	- MIDI Interface at port 330; IRQ 2/9
	- SoundBlaster/Wave
		- SB Emulation enabled at port 220; IRQ 5; DMA 1
		  (I've also tried DMA 3 with no change in the problem.)
		- WavePort at 534
		- Joystick not enabled
--
Obligatory .signatory...
Opinions expressed here are not those of my employer.
David Warren	(warren@hi.com)    phone: 617/890-0444, fax: 617/890-4998
Hitachi Computer Products (America), Inc., 1601 Trapelo Rd.,Waltham, MA 02154
-- 
--
Obligatory .signatory...
David Warren	(warren@hi.com)    phone: 617/890-0444, fax: 617/890-4998
Hitachi Computer Products (America), Inc., 1601 Trapelo Rd.,Waltham, MA 02154