ideal sound card for MAME?

[krick]

I was wondering if there were any opinions on the use of different sound cards with MAME.

I assume that there will be two major camps...

DOS MAME users

Win32 MAME users

(I know there are Linux and Mac users too but I think they are by far the minority)

As I understand it, for running DOS MAME, it is essential that a sound card have very good soundblaster pro compatibility.  This rules out many PCI cards as some don't even have DOS drivers.  I read on this page that the Crystal CS4281 chipset is better than a Soundblaster PCI64...
http://www.mameworld.net/dosmame/troubleshooting.php


Though, I admit I'm more interested in which cards are optimal for Win32 MAME.  

At my disposal, I have the following three PCI sound cards...

- SoundBlaster Live Value
- Generic card using the Crystal CS4281 chipset
- Generic card using the Crystal CS4280 chipset

I also have the option of using the onboard sound on my ASUS P4S533 motherboard using the C-Media CMI8738 chipset

My instinct would be that the SoundBlaster Live would be the best as it has hardware acceleration and can relieve the CPU of audio processing chores.  However, I do not know if this makes any real world difference in MAME.

Has anyone spent time investigating this before?
Is there any consensus on what's best?

...
Krick

[Trenchbroom]

MAME doesn't utilize any real PC hardware to "offload" some of the burden from the CPU.  I imagine that for 99%+ of the games you really don't have to worry about the soundcard at all--integrated sound is usually adequate.  Are there newer games that need a better sound card, anyone?  

Any PCI sound card should do you just fine as long as it sounds OKto your ears.

[Nailz]

I am pretty sure the best all around card would be the Soundblaster 16 PCI card.  Works in DOS, Windows, Linux, compatible with everything, what more would you need?

[GroovyTuesdaY]

I am pretty sure the best all around card would be the Soundblaster 16 PCI card.  Works in DOS, Windows, Linux, compatible with everything, what more would you need?

I agree with this one.   Unless you know for certain what Operating System you are going to be using.If its windows xp or even ME, i think i would go for the Sound blaster live. You can pick up one of the OEM versions of the LIVE card from newegg.com for around 32.00.  Thats a helluva deal in my oppinion.
Also, there is always turtle beach sound cards and those are really nice cards as well. In fact, some aficiendos prefer then TB cards to the SB LIVE cards , simply because the TB cards have a much more streamlined driver. Sb live drivers are kinda bloated and install alot of crap that most people dont even need or use. But thats all a personal choice really.  

groovY~

[krick]

I am pretty sure the best all around card would be the Soundblaster 16 PCI card.  Works in DOS, Windows, Linux, compatible with everything, what more would you need?

I agree with this one.   Unless you know for certain what Operating System you are going to be using.If its windows xp or even ME, i think i would go for the Sound blaster live. You can pick up one of the OEM versions of the LIVE card from newegg.com for around 32.00.  Thats a helluva deal in my oppinion.

The SB Live and the SB16 are completely different beasts.

[Sephroth57]

i got a sound blaster audigy platinum 5.1 surround card for mine... its one of the best cards you can buy and it was only 15$ on pricewatch. i got it because i have one of those nice speaker sets for my machine, 4 satellites and a subwoofer, and it needed extra inputs. works great in MAME32, i havent tried it with a front end yet but im sure it would work fine

[mr.Curmudgeon]

I know the SB16 works in DOS...any chance the Audigy would as well? Or is it one or the other?

I'd like to have an advanced soundcard for Jukeboxin', but be able to run stripped down DOS for Mame games.

[jerryjanis]

I was using a Sound Blaster Audigy Gamer sound card in DOS, but it required that I use some sort of "emulation layer" - I think that this was to pretend that it was a SB16.  Not only was it a total waste of a good card, it was probably slowing down dos more than a good ol' sb16.

[StephenH]

Almost any modern card or onboard adapter will work if you go the windows route.   For DOS, the Soundblaster series works best.