Several DOS mame sound issues

[Wade]

Okay, first issue.  I want to adjust the sound volume in some games (dkong is too low, MK is too high) by adding a parm to the mame.cfg file for Game Launcher.  According to the mame docs, I can do "Mame mk -volume -10" and it will do 10db attenuation.  I have tried several values and this never seems to work (if I bring up the volume slider in mame it is always at 100%).  Any ideas?  Using the slider in the game does work, but the volume isn't saved so I would have to do it each time I go into a game.

Second issue.  I recently bought a new PC and tried to use 3 different genuine soundblasters with it.  Only one works properly with my motherboard, and it is the oldest one I have (8 bit, mono 22khz!).  I have one last card to try to get increased quality, but I'm not sure how to set it up.  It is a Pro Audio Spectrum 16.  I have the original disks and I set it up with the install program.  It adds MVSOUND.SYS to the config.sys and the install program tests the card and it plays properly.  It also works properly in Windows.  But when I run mame and select 3) Pro Audio Spectrum, after the OK screen, mame hangs.  Does anyone have any details on what mame needs to use a Pro Audio Spectrum?  Are there some environment variables that should be set?  The install program didn't set a BLASTER variable.  I can't find anything about Pro Audio Spectrum sound for mame in any of the docs.  The only place I see any reference to it is when selecting a sound card, it is choise #3.

Thanks,
Wade

[MrArcade]

the mk games...as well as many newer games have an internal software volume.  hit f2 to get into the menu (then hit it again so you can exit later) then you can go down and select volume...

if all the older games have similar volume levels this might solve it for you.

[Wade]

MrArcade,

This worked for me to get MK II sound level to where I wanted it.  But I couldn't find any volume setting in the MK setup, and I looked through there on more than one occasion.  Am I overlooking it?  I swear I couldn't find it.  I'll look once again.

On a follow up for the PAS16, I found some info on the net about its setup and soundblaster compatibility, so I'm going to play with it more tonight and see if I can get somewhere with it.

Thanks,
Wade

[Wade]

Another follow up, in case someone else finds this when searching for help with similar problems... remember this is all DOS stuff.

The "mame romname -volume -10" thing is now working.  Apparently that only works with some sound cards, as I tried it several times before and it had no effect.  But last night it worked every time I tried it.  I added these switches to GameLauncher mame.cfg to adjust those games with very low or high volume.

As far as my soundcard problems.  Both of my ISA SB16 cards "clicking" noises.  I couldn't get the Pro Audio Spectrum to work with Mame.  I finally got a Soundblaster Pro to work without "clicking".  The sound is better, I'm satisfied.

Wade