AWE64 WDM driver for Windows 98SE

[afotek]

Hello everyone,

I'm trying to find and install a WDM driver for Creative Sound Blaster AWE64 sound card in order to get Kernel Streaming in foobar2000.
I've tried to install driver that I have extracted from Windows XP SP3, but when I point the device manager installer to folder with driver (wdma_ctl.inf and ctlsb16.sys), it says something like "No information found about device in this folder".
I'm thinking about installing Windows 2000 and trying to extract driver from it, but if you have any suggestions on how to get WDM driver from other source, I'd be very glad to know about it.

Edited November 3, 2014 by afotek

[egrabrych]

For Windows 95/98/98SE best (and latest) set of drivers Sound Blaster AWE 64 is "SOUND BLASTER 16/32/AWE DRIVERS FOR WINDOWS 95/98" rev.16, including available here:

http://www.driversdown.com/drivers/6632.shtml

Note! Contrary to the information given, it is Rev.15, not 16 !!! To create a Rev.16 should AFTER unpack the downloaded file, but BEFORE installing the drivers, replace existing files with files that I attach.

These drivers for Windows 95/98/98SE work in my Windows 98SE without objection.

Best regards,

egrabrych

Update rev.15 to 16.zip

Edited November 23, 2011 by egrabrych

[loblo]

If it's low latency you are after you may well just use Asio4all, foobar's got an asio output plugin.

And btw I've an Audigy 2 ZS, with AFAIK, Windows 2k drivers installed, and I can't use KS in foobar, neither with the 8.3 version nor with later versions that require KernelEx.

With 8.3 I can use waveout or DirectSound, the asio output components I have found for it don't seem to work properly.

With later versions I can use DirectSound or Asio which works well with either Asio4All or the Audigy's own Asio driver.

This said I can apparently use KS without issues in at least one application and that is the modular tracker Buzz using the Polac wo_wdm output plugin so it seems KS works here but I never got it to work with foobar. Let us know in case you are succesfull.

Edited November 24, 2011 by loblo

[afotek]

egrabrych
That's VxD driver. Tried to use it, but KS's not working with it, and ASIO4ALL requires WDM driver installed.
Thanks anyway!

loblo
The goal is to get the best sound quality from AWE64 by bypassing any mixers, equalizers etc. Thanks for tipping about ASIO4ALL, but it requires WDM driver.

Currently installing Windows 2000 SP4, going to extract driver from it. I'll write back after installing Windows 98SE again.

Edited November 3, 2014 by afotek

[loblo]

So there is not any misunderstanding, when I said I was using Win2K drivers I meant the audigy drivers, not drivers transplanted from 2K to ME. I'm not sure what WDM drivers are included in 98SE but on my ME system all the following WDM drivers are apparently used, and they are all files from WinME apart perhaps from KS.SYS that might be from DirectX 9:

KS.SYS

KMIXER.SYS

wdmaud.sys

wdmfs.sys

SBEMUL.SYS

SWMIDI.SYS

SYSAUDIO.SYS

And btw I don't think audio output quality is affected by which audio drivers are used, WDM or VxD, I think the advantage of KS or Asio only lies in the lower latency they achieve which comes handy for audio playback only if you use DSP for enhancing your sound as the lower latency will mean that changes you make with, say, an equalizer, will be felt more instantly.

Edited November 24, 2011 by loblo

[egrabrych]

egrabrych

That's VxD driver. Tried to use it, but KS's not working with it, and ASIO4ALL requires WDM driver installed.

I know, but it works. I thought that it is most important I did not understand that it MUST be the WDM.

If so, try this (link below). It is in Spanish language, I did NOT verified - You install it at own risk!

Sound_Blaster_16_WDM_emula_XP_en_Win98SE.rar

Edited November 25, 2011 by egrabrych

[afotek]

loblo
The problem is (well, not a problem anymore), that there is no official Creative driver available for Windows 2000 or higher. As I've checked, Win98SE includes VxD driver for AWE64. And about sound quality. As I've read on some audiophile forums (yes, I'm a little bit addicted to music and audio), KS is recommended for best sound quality.

egrabrych
Thanks, saw that driver too, while was searching for WDM driver. But I've found an english version, so it's kinda better, than spanish.

OK, after a week of trial and error I've found out, that:
1. Windows 98SE is NOT compatible with foobar2k KS plugin at all. (But Wikipedia says, that KS was first implemented on Win98)
2. Windows 2k works best on my machine, which means no freezing and foobar2k works with KS well.
3. ASIO4ALL is working with AWE64 on Windows 98SE, but it's too complicated to find out the stable settings.

So, I think I'm going to stick with Win2k.
Thanks everyone for help.

Edited November 3, 2014 by afotek

[submix8c]

AWE64 WDM Drivers - apparently worked for this person. Not sure if it would work for your particular case (or if you even already have them...)

Edited November 27, 2011 by submix8c