Sound Master Plus

Sound Master Plus
Developer:	Covox, Inc.
Released:	1991-??-??
Type:	Sound Card
Slot:	ISA
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Platforms:

Covox's second attempt to capture the sound market was the Sound Master Plus. The internal ISA board uses a YM3812 (OPL2) for FM synthesis and an 8-bit mono DAC for sound and speech. The board was a complete flop and only one game is known to have supported it directly.

Though the name suggests an upgrade to the original Sound Master, the Sound Master Plus was a complete overhaul of the board to try and make it similar to the more popular Sound Blaster. Covox dropped the AY8930/P from the original and switched to the YM3812, which by this time was the market standard. However, Covox also dropped both DA-15 game ports, making it essentially a crippled Sound Blaster.

By using the same FM synthesis chip as the AdLib, the Sound Master Plus was compatible with AdLib music, though it was not compatible with Sound Blaster because they each used a different DAC. Currently, the only game known to specifically code for the Sound Master Plus is Alone In the Dark (DOS).

The PCB is dated 1991, although this may not be the official release year.

Games

• Games That Use Sound Master Plus For Music.
• Games That Use Sound Master Plus For Sound.

Emulation Status

No software properly emulates the Sound Master Plus, but the board's audio chip, the YM3812, has been successfully emulated numerous times.