UPDATE: now we offer it fully assembled as a paid option (see product extras)

( See it in action here: https://youtu.be/Y732LxJJECU )

In 1988, DOS games were finally beginning to support cards and devices that would allow games to expand their musical abilities beyond the PC Speaker and PCjr./Tandy 3-Voice sound. King's Quest IV, released in September, 1988, was the first DOS game to support sound cards and midi interfaces. It supported the Adlib Music Synthesizer Card, the Roland MT-32 Multi-timbral MIDI Sound Module and the IBM Music card, all of which had been released the previous year.

While the Adlib would soon become supported by all developers, and the MT-32 would dominate the high end of PC gaming for several years, IBM's card was seen as overpriced and lacking in features. It was supported in games only by Sierra, and then as something of an afterthought. Could a third card succeed? A new company named 'Creative Technologies' of Singapore thought it could.

In late 1987 or early 1988, Creative Labs, Inc. (renamed from Creative Technologies) released the Creative Music System (CMS or C/MS as it was abbreviated) in the United States (it had previously been released in Malaysia and Singapore).

You now have the chance to own a piece of history by building the CMS/Game Blaster by yourself! This is a perfect intro hardware project as all components are through hole.

You'll get a complete kit to build the project: an ISA sound card based on two Philips SAA1099 sound generators (it's a stereo board).

This card is based on the work by Sergey and Tronix of the Vintage Computer Federation forums and is a successful attempt at creating a working clone of the Creative CMS / Game Blaster ISA cards.

Vogons: https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=63867

VCFED.org: http://www.vcfed.org/forum/showthread.php?59846-Creative-Music-System-Game-Blaster-clone

Kit IS NOT ASSEMBLED but contains ALL parts to do so including the PCB and chip sockets (DIY project) (Fully Assembled now available as paid option in product extras)

(Assembled photos are for illustration purposes only)

How to install

• Assemble by following the YouTube video below
• Place in a free ISA slot in your vintage IBM compatible PC
• Use any of these disk images to run the demos: https://archive.org/details/cms-game-blaster-drivers-1.44-mb
• Play the almost 100 games that support the CMS/Game Blaster: http://archives.oldskool.org/pub/CMSSoundPatches/Games/

Sound Quality Mod in Extras

If you check the product extras you'll see a 'Sound Quality' mod. It consists of adding a few components that are not part of the original design for audio filtering and gain control (better sound quality). If you choose this extra you'll get full instructions on how to apply this mod (basic soldering skills required).