Re: Mockingboard any good?

[jnoyes@usa.net (The Blue Meanie)]

In article <3mvi2j$b84@cheyenne.iac.net>, Mark Fisher wrote:
>I couldn't resist - I saw a Mockingboard on sale at a flea market for $12.50 so I snapped it up. 
>Trouble is, I got no docs or software, so I don't even know how to test if the darn thing is any good. 
>Its got an empty socket, a 24-pin one in the lower, right-hand quadrant.
>
>Am I missing a PAL or something? How should I install this thing? How can I test it? It is even worth 
>the effort?
>
>TIA...
>
>Fish   <'><
Well, I have had a Mockingboard inmy //e for years now, and on the few programs that support it, I have
been suitably impressed.  As for the empty socket, don't worry.  According to the manuals & stuff I had
with mine, there were 4 Mockingboard models:
  Mockingboard 'A' delivers sound only, was upgardable to speech (this is what I have).  Had 2 empty
    chip sockets to add the speech chip (but only one was needed, says manual).
  Mockingboard 'B' was nothing more than the chip to put in the 'A' to give it speech.
  Mockingboard 'C' was (surprise!) 'A' & 'B' together (this is what it seems you have).  Had 1 empty
    chip socket, but didn't need anything in it, it was complete.
  Mockingboard 'D' was same as 'C' designed to fit inside a //c - tough fit, but worked well.
   Now the only tough part will be finding software that supports it.  All of the Ultimas except I
support it, as do a number of Electronic Arts games, but the most entertaining use of the board that I
have has to be Berzap!, a cheesy Berzerk clone that is downright humorous with its sound effects.  I'm
dying to hear it with speech, so if anyone has a leftover 'B' chip, or a dead 'C' board, please let me
know.  Or if anyone knows what happened to Sweet Micro, that'd be nice, too.
  Anyways, put it in Slot 4 and have a ball, there's no drivers needed or anything.  If you don't have
the external RCA cable, lemme know, I can give you the connector info.

                            James Noyes
                            (jnoyes@usa.net)

"Thank you for abusing AT&T."