For those interested, here are the specs on the Adlib Gold vs the Sound Blaster Pro (per Adlib). . . AdLib Sound Blaster Gold Pro ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FM Synthesizer Chip 1 Stereo YM262 2 Mono YM3812 # FM voices used in Stereo 20 11 # FM voices used in Mono 20 22 Two Operator FM Synthesis Yes Yes Four Operator FM Synthesis Yes No # FM Waveforms 8 4 Negligible Wait Between Chip Writes Yes (0.28fs) No (23.0fs) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Sampling Resolution 12 bits 8 bits Sampling Dynamic Range 72 dB 48 dB Accepts 16 bit PCM Data Yes No Sampling Input & Playback Channels 2 2 Maximum Stereo Sampling Rate 44.1 KHz 22.05 KHz Digitized Sound Data Format 5.5125 KHz 2 KHz Hardware Comp/Decompression 3 to 1 4 to 1 Simultaneous use of 2 DMA Channels Yes No Sampling FIFO Buffer 2 x 128 Bytes unspecified Programmable Interrupts Yes Jumpers only Interrupt Conditions(s) 8 Choices On Completion Variable Anti-aliasing Filter Yes No Double Oversampling Digital Filters Yes No Double Undersampling Digital Filters Yes No ---------------------------------------------------------------------- On-board Analog Stereo Mixer Yes Yes Accepts CD-Audio (RedBook) Input Yes Yes Volume Control on Each Source 128 levels 8 levels Stereo Output Power Amplifier 1.2 W in 8j 0.75 W in 8j ---------------------------------------------------------------------- MIDI Interface (IN, OUT, THRU) Yes Yes Simultaneous MIDI IN & OUT Yes No MIDI FIFO Buffer Yes Yes Joystick Port Yes Yes SCSI CD-ROM Interface 153 kB/sec 153 kB/sec ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Programmable Output Volume Control Yes Yes Programmable Output Tone Control Yes No Programmable Gain for Mic & Aux Input Yes Automatic Programmable Card Localization Yes No Programmable DMA Channel Selection Yes Jumpers only Programmable Interrupt Selection Yes Jumpers only Programmable On-Board Chip Select Yes No ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ID Code Available Yes No Directly Accessible Control Registers Yes No Readable Control Registers Yes No Registers Stored in Non-Volitile Memory Yes No ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Price With On-Board SCSI Interface $399.95 $299.95 Price Without SCSI Interface $299.95 n/a . "The major difference between the Ad Lib Gold and its competitors is the quality of the sound, both digitized and synthesized." . "* Ad Lib Gold features a twelve-bit rather than an eight-bit ADC/DAC, which increases the dynamic range from 48dB to 72 dB and provides crystal-clear digital sound output." . "* Ad Lib Gold utilizes a powerful, new stereo FM synthesizer chip from Yamaha called YM262, rather than two monophonic YM3812 chips. This gives Ad Lib Gold eight FM waveforms instead of four, and permits operators to be combined in groups of 4 instead of only 2, for richer, more resonant sounds." . "* Ad Lib Gold's true stereo synthesizer chip allows voices to be direct left, right, or center. In contrast, YM3812-equipped boards must use two voices (one on each side) to direct sound to the center, which red the number of stereo voices to eleven. Only Ad Lib Gold provides real stereo on each and every one of its 20 synthesized voices." .