Aztech Sound Galaxy BX
Aztech's first sound card was the Sound Galaxy BX, released in early 1992. It supported both the Ad Lib and Sound Blaster audio standards.
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Released | Early 1992 |
| Bus | ISA 8-bit | |
| FM Synth | Yamaha YM3812 (OPL2) | |
| Chipset | APP20A0392 (pre-1st generation) / N80C51 | |
| Standards | Ad Lib, Sound Blaster | |
| Ports | Speaker-Out, Mic-In, thumbwheel volume control Game port |
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| CD-ROM | None | |
| Wavetable | None | |
| Plug & Play | No | |
| FCC ID(s) | - | |
| Price | - | |
| See Also | Sound Galaxy BXII, Sound Galaxy BXIII, Sound Galaxy NX |
Being based on the Yamaha YM3812, the same as the Creative Sound Blaster 1.0, it could only output 8-bit audio in mono. Unlike some other early Aztech sound cards, the BX did not support Covox Speech Thing or Disney Sound Source. Just like the original Sound Blaster it imitates, the BX got a volume control thumbwheel on the backplate.
The main Aztech chip (APP20A0392) is an Intel 8051 microcontroller.
Board Revisions
Just one board revision is known to exist: Revision 1.6.
Competition
At its time of release, Creative Labs were already onto their second generation, with the original Sound Blaster having arrived about 2 years prior, and the Sound Blaster Pro about 6 months before the Sound Galaxy BX. Even the Sound Blaster Pro II had launched a few months before, making use of the new Yamaha YMF262 single stereo chip. It is therefore apparent that Aztech's business model was simply to compete at a lower price point than Creative, probably targeting PC-compatible OEMs with discounts on bulk orders.
In the Media
I've not been able to find any retail advertisements for the Sound Galaxy BX. It was certainly sold via mail order from adverts in magazines in 1992.
Setting it Up
To install the Sound Galaxy BX software and diagnostic utility, insert disk 1 of the DOS utility disks set and run INSTALL.EXE. This will look for the presence of a Sound Galaxy BX sound card, and then decompress the files. If a BX is not detected the program will hang. To test your sound card, go to the utility subdirectory and run SG1.EXE to run Sound Galaxy Diagnostics.
Downloads
Operation Manual Get in touch if you can provide this missing item! |
DOS Utility Disks The DOS utility and programs disks (in floppy disk image format). Comprises Sound Galaxy Diagnostics v1.20, Galaxy Master, Monologue, Song Player, Band-in-a-Box, Play it by Ear, and NotePlay. |
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More Pictures
Aztech Sound Galaxy BX (Rev 1.6)
Another Sound Galaxy BX Rev 1.6
