Choosing Sound System for MIDI Enables MIDI on All Sound Cards

• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to play MIDI sound on a computer with a Windows Sound System sound card and a Sound Blaster 16 card installed, MIDI sound is played simultaneously from both sound cards if "Windows Sound System MIDI" is selected as the default MIDI device. Selecting "Sound Blaster FM Synthesis" as the default MIDI device plays sound only from the Sound Blaster card.

CAUSE

This problem is caused by the OPL3 chip implementation on the Windows Sound System sound card.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, select the Sound Blaster 16 sound card as the default MIDI playback device in Windows NT. To do this, follow these steps:

1. In Control Panel, double-click Multimedia.

2. Click the MIDI tab.

3. In the Single Instrument box, click Sound Blaster FM Synthesis.

4. Click OK.

MORE INFORMATION

The OPL3 MIDI chip design implementation calls for all OPL3 chips installed in the system to play simultaneously. However, the Sound Blaster sound card works around this problem and plays MIDI sound by itself.