Newest version of Vice-x64 from RP4.4 missing sounds on Dino Eggs?

jamrom2

Pi Model 3
Power Supply used: plenty of juice... no power or heat issues.
RetroPie Version: 4.4 Stretch new build from new Retropie SD Image
USB Devices connected: bluetooth keyboard, UPCI controller, 4-button SNES
Controller used: 4-button SNES
Error messages received: none
Guide used: (Mention if you followed a guide): standard Vice build: same as I've done that prior 5 builds.
Emulator: Vice-x64

How to replicate the problem: Play Dino Eggs... wait for start screen when rock falls.. no sound. Also warp to first level when the large warp 'X' is drawn... no sound.

I have already tried all the usual fixes for this.. a new ROM was the first... but I think it's a little more than that. I switched machine types from PAL to NTSC, as well as OLD PAL, 64C... etc. I tried them all. No effect.

I also worked with the sound settings for frequency, output driver (SDL, dummy, ALSA), buffer size..etc. Nothing brings the sound back. The version of vice-64 I had running in Retropie 4.1 worked without issue, so I can only think the build may have changed or corrupted at this particular sound call out.

I have no knowledge of why or what could be wrong other than the sound simply doesn't play on the new version of Vice-x64, while it did prior with all other versions with the same .TAP file I've used for 15 years. I can only imagine if some of the sounds don't play on this game, others are effected as well.

Any thoughts on what could be wrong... or what has changed in Vice-x64? Maybe something I can tinker with other than what little I did already.

Thanks,

JR

mitu

Does this happen with other games also ? Did install from source or from binary the Vice-x64 package ?

jamrom2

I installed from binary. So far I haven't noticed it in other games, but it's definitely not the rom causing it. It's acting like it's missing a playback routine, or a range of sound effects. So other games that use this specific routine would be effected as well. I just haven't noticed it yet because it wasn't as blatent as it is in Dino Eggs. If I thought it was just a bad rom, I wouldn't have bothered... But I did run a few variations of the same game and got the same results. .TAP and .D64 both acted the same way. Missing the sounds at the same spots in the game.

I hope that helps a little. Thanks for replying.

JR

jamrom2

Ok, I figured this one out... as this was also effecting voices in Space Taxi, Castle Wolfenstien as well as Beach Head II.

I noticed the SID was set to 6581 (Fast SID) by default which I am guessing passed over some sound playbacks. So after playing around with the machine type from PAL, old-PAL.. NTSC.. etc... I finally thought to change the Fast SID to 6581 (ReSID) in the "Model Settings" -- "SID Settings". And it worked! All sounds are now present and playing.

I realize that this might not have been a show-stopper for many, but having the C64 emulate the sounds correctly makes a difference to an old skooler like me. :)

Best,

JR

mitu

@jamrom2 Thank you for posting the solution, I'm sure it will be useful for someone in the future.

stoney66

@jamrom2 FWIW my vice is set to default 6581 (Fast SID) and BH2 and Dino Eggs both have sound for me. I'm also on 4.4.