Do you own an AWE64 sound card, but don’t have enough memory for loading larger sound fonts? This is especially true for the Value edition that came with a measly 512KB of onboard memory. It is almost as if Creative wanted to make sure that sound fonts was a feature reserved for their premium product: The AWE64 Gold.
With 512KB onboard memory, you couldn’t do much. It was enough to load some of the default sound profiles that shipped with the card, but you couldn’t load the nicer sounding files. If you tried anyway, you were greeted with a nice error message. Some might suggest that this was a hint to get yourself one of these expensive memory boards Creative started to sell in the mid ’90s.
The AWE64 Gold at least was equipped with 4MB! This card is definitely usable in its standard memory configuration, but it is still a far cry from the maximum capacity of 28MB you can achieve by purchasing a dedicated memory expansion board. I already designed a board like this, but due to some licensing issues, the board is on hold for the unforeseeable future. But that doesn’t mean that there can’t be other boards that are not susceptible to copyright claims and licensing agreements! Let me introduce to the MIDI FORGE Minuet! A small 8MB expansion board for your Sound Blaster AWE64!
The beauty of this board is that it should be quite easy for DIY enthusiasts! 4 memory chips, a GAL chip (needs programming), two buffers, four resistor arrays, and eleven capacitors. That is all you need – apart from the PCB and two plastic connectors to clip the board on your Sound Blaster AWE64.
Here is the breakdown of components you need to make the board:
Bill of Materials (BOM)
| Name | Designator | Footprint | Quantity | Pins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0MM 2*13P | H1 | HDR-TH_26P-P2.00-V-M-R2-C13-S2.00-2 | 1 | 26 |
| 2.0MM 2*12P | H2 | HDR-TH_24P-P2.00-V-F-R2-C12-S2.00-1 | 1 | 24 |
| 100nF | C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C9, C10, C11 | C0603 | 11 | 2 |
| 33Ω Resistor Array | RN1, RN2, RN3, RN4 | ES-ARRAY-SMD_0603-8P-L3.2-W1.6-BL | 4 | 8 |
| SN74F244DBR – or – 74ABT244PW | U2, U3 | SSOP-20_L7.2-W5.3-P0.65-LS7.8-BL | 2 | 20 |
| GAL16V8A-15 | U1 | PLCC-20_L9.0-W9.0-P1.27-LS9.9-T | 1 | 20 |
| MT4C4M4E8DJ – or – GM71C17403CJ6 – or – 4M x 4bit EDO/FPM, 2K | M1, M2, M3, M4 | SOJ26-24 | 4 | 24 |
GAL Equations
; Title: AWE64 Memory Interface GAL
; Author: Bits Und Bolts
; Date: June 2025
; Description: Configures 8MB DRAM (4 chips, 4M x 4, 2K-refresh) for AWE64 Value and Gold editions,
; achieving 8MB/12MB addressable memory respectively. Compatible with PALASM 4 Market Release 1.5.
;---------------------------------- Declaration Segment -----------
TITLE AWE64_MEMORY_UPGRADE
PATTERN MINUET
REVISION A
AUTHOR Bits Und Bolts
COMPANY Bits Und Bolts
DATE 26/06/25
CHIP AWE64Memory PALCE16V8
; Inputs
PIN 1 A11 ; Address bit for decoding
PIN 2 A10 ; Address bit for decoding
PIN 3 /RAS ; Row Address Strobe (active-low)
PIN 7 BASEM0 ; Base memory enable (see table below for details)
PIN 8 /CAS ; Column Address Strobe (active-low)
PIN 9 BASEM1 ; Base memory enable (see table below for details)
; Outputs
PIN 13 /CAS0 ; CAS Signal
PIN 14 /RAS0 ; RAS Signal
PIN 15 CASD ; CAS driver signal
PIN 16 CBR ; CAS-before-RAS refresh (registered)
PIN 17 RA10 ; Latched A10 (registered)
PIN 18 RA11 ; Latched A11 (registered)
EQUATIONS
CASD = /CAS
RA11 = /RAS * A11 + RAS * RA11
RA10 = /RAS * A10 + RAS * RA10
CBR = CASD * /RAS + /CASD * CBR
/CAS0 = /CAS + (/RA11 * /A11 * /RA10 + /RA11 * /A11 * /BASEM1 + RA11) * /CBR
/RAS0 = /RASGerber Files and compiled GAL Equations / PCBs
If you don’t want to deal with Gerber Files – you can just head over to PCBWay and order your PCBs from there!
Schematics
Here is the video where I showcase the board in action. You can also listen to a handful of sound fonts and how they change the music playback in DOOM II.
How does it look on a sound card?
HELP! I can’t do this myself!
I got you covered! I will sell preassembled MIDI FORGE Minuet boards for 100 USD (includes shipping up to 25 USD). At the moment, I have green and black PCBs, but if demand is there, I can also get other colors.
All you need to do is to send me an email: bitsundbolts@gmail.com
The preferred methods of payment is Bitcoin/USDT or via Patreon (I will create a dedicated product on my store for the MIDI FORGE Maestro).
Unfortunately, PayPal blocked my account permanently for unknown reason.
If you sent an email may way, please include the following details:
Full Name:
Email:
Phone:
Country:
City:
Postal Code:
Address:
Preferred Color: Green/Black
If you have any other questions, shoot them my way and I will try to answer them!
Cheers,
Alex
l would like to thank PCBWay for their awesome support helping me to build prototypes and refine the final board! Without their help, I wouldn’t have been able to get this project off the ground!
You can also order your PCBs directly from PCBWay. All parameters have already been set for you – just pick the color and finishing and you’ll have your PCBs in no time!