The mighty Orpheus II sound card has returned “due to popular demand.” This is claimed by some to be the ultimate ISA sound card for enjoying real hardware DOS and early Windows experiences. The Orpheus II makers surprised the community by opening up pre-orders for a new batch of these sound cards, which basically support every major audio standard of old - in hardware - in one ISA slot. Want real Sound Blaster, Gravis UltraSound, OPL3 FM synthesis, and MPU-401 MIDI support? You got it.
I tried to sum up the charms of the Orpheus II in the intro, but please check out the specs table to fully understand the offering:
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Audio Codecs | Crystal CS4237B (SB Pro / WSS) + InterWave (GUS) |
FM Synthesis | Yamaha YMF262 OPL3 + YAC512 DAC |
GUS Compatibility | Full InterWave‑based GUS PnP implementation |
GUS RAM | Up to 16 MB (SIMM slot) |
MPU‑401 | PCMIDI (true Intelligent Mode) |
Digital Audio | SB Pro 2.0, WSS, 16‑bit playback/record |
MIDI Connectivity | External MIDI I/O + internal wavetable header |
Wavetable Header | Standard 26‑pin (DreamBlaster, SCB‑55, X2GS, etc.) |
Outputs | Line‑out, Line‑in, Mic‑in, CD‑in |
Digital Out | S/PDIF |
Noise Floor | Extremely low (modern PCB + clean analog stage) |
Bus Interface | ISA 16‑bit |
IRQ/DMA | Fully configurable (SB + WSS + GUS + MPU) |
PCB | High‑quality multi‑layer board (green) |
Extras | Mixer utility, EEPROM config, high‑quality filtering |
Buyers of this new hardware release will get a green Rev 1.1 board, which includes configuration tweaks such as the change to the ‘classic’ YMF262 OPL3 chip, improved AdLib Gold output filtering, extra MIDI IRQ options, and switches the design to SMD audio capacitors.
If you own the Orpheus I, an upgrade to the II would be beneficial mainly if the AMD Interwave chip, giving the Orpheus II the extra capabilities of the Gravis UltraSound PnP soundcard, is something you must have.
Keropi and Marmes, the team behind several retro computing hardware projects including the Orpheus II, previously signaled that “the very last batch of Orpheus II sound cards” would be the special edition red PCB models that were produced in August 2024. So, retro enthusiasts will surely welcome this new batch.
Please decide quickly if you want to acquire one of these ISA cards. Pre-orders close sometime on Sunday, May 31, though some reports say the dev team is going to add an extra week to the pre-order deadline. Acquiring an Orpheus II is also rather pricey. Buying one card, including worldwide tracked airmail shipping, will set you back €340, which converts to a smidgen under US$400 (half payment up front). Sadly, U.S. residents will need to pay an extra €35 (~$41) for the UPS Express option. Shipments should begin in late July / early August.
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