The Mockingboard is a sound card for the Apple II line produced by
Sweet Micro Systems?. It uses one or more
AY-3-8913? chips and one (or more)
SC-01? or
SSI-263? speech synthesis chips, depending on the card version. There was an enhanced Mockingboard compatible sound card called the
Phasor? made by
Applied Engineering?. Another clone with additional features was made by PCL, see
http://johnson.tmfc.net/apple/mockingboard.html for some details. There has also been a modern reproduction of the Mockingboard A called the Mockingboard v1 produced by GSE Reactive available at
http://www.gse-reactive.com.
Mockingboards and related AY-3-891x cards
Card | Number of AY-3-8913 | Number of voices | Speech Capable? | Speech Chip | notes |
Alf Music Synthesizer | 1 | 3 | N | n/a | This is an AY-3-8913 based card, not sure how compatible it is with the mockingboard |
Arcade Board | 1 | 3 | N | n/a | This is an AY-3-8910 based card, not sure how compatible it is with the mockingboard. |
Mockingboard Sound I | 1 | 3 | N | n/a | |
Mockingboard Speech I | 0 | 0 | Y | SC-01 | unsure if different versions supported SSI-263 |
Mockingboard Sound/Speech I | 1 | 3 | Y | SC-01 | unsure if different versions supported SSI-263 |
Mockingboard Sound II/Mockingboard A | 2 | 6 | Y | SSI-263 | Has 2 sockets for speech chips. This allowed for multiple voices. |
Mockingboard Sound II/Mockingboard A | 2 | 6 | Y | SSI-263 | Has 2 sockets for speech chips. This allowed for multiple voices. |
Mockingboard B | 0 | 0 | Y | SSI-263 | Just the SSI-263 speech chip. |
Mockingboard C | 2 | 6 | Y | SSI-263 | Mockingboard A with SSI-263 speech chip preinstalled. Some (?) revisions have only a single speech chip socket. |
Mockingboard D | 2 | 6 | Y | SSI-263 | With speech chip installed. External serial controlled model for Apple //c |
Mockingboard M | 2 | 6 | Y | SSI-263 | (Unsure of official "M" name) Variant of Mockingboard A with a single speech chip slot. Sold bundled with Bank Street Music Writer. It was also sometimes sold as a Mockingboard A. (I'm pretty sure I received one in my mockingboard A box.) |
Mockingboard v1 | 2 | 6 | Y | SSI-263 | Mockingboard A clone. No built in volume controls on card. |
Phasor | 4 | 12 | Y | SSI-263 | With speech chip installed. |
Pro-Mocking Board | 2 | 6 | Y | SSI-263 | Appears to be a Mockingboard A clone with (optional?) SSI-263 speech chip. Also appears to use the 28 pin version of the sound chip, the AY-3-8912. Also supports an additional drum instrument and a nonstandard mini midi keyboard. Made in hong kong by PCL (Peninsula computerland company) |
Mocker Board | 2 | 6 | N | | Appears to be a Mockingboard A clone with no socket for a speech chip. Also appears to use the 28 pin version of the sound chip, the AY-3-8912. Made in hong kong by PCL (Peninsula computerland company) |
Mocker Extension | 0 | 0 | Y | SSI-263 | Adding this 2nd board to the Mocker Board (appears to require a jumper cable between boards) made an equivalent "Pro-Mocking Board" apparently. Appears to contain sockets for (possibly 2?) SSI-263 speech chips. May also contain the support for additional drum functionality? Made in hong kong by PCL (Peninsula computeral company) |
Supersprite? | 1 | 3 | Y | T.I. TMS 5200 | This is an AY-3-8912 based card, not sure how compatible it is with the mockingboard. Speech capable via Echo II? option (not sure if this was onboard or separate card) |
Software Titles supporting the Mockingboard
Software Title | Sound I | Speech I | Mockingboard A/Sound-2 | Mockingboard D | Phasor | Music | Sound Effects | Speech | Max # of AY chips utilized | (notes -- e.g., must the card be in slot 4, configurable, how to activate card, etc?) |
Adventure Construction Set? | | | | | | | | | | |
Airsim-3? | | | | | Y | | | | | |
Apple Cider Spider? | | | | | Y | | | | | |
At the Gates of Moscow 1941? | | | | | | | | | | |
Auto Gyro? | | | | | Y | | | | | |
Bank Street Music Writer? | | | | | | | | | | |
Battle Cruiser SMS-2000? | | | Y | | | | | | | Example Game shipped with some Mockingboards. "A Stereo Space Adventure by Eric Hammond" |
Bejewelled? | Y | Y | Y | | Y | Y | Y | Y | | |
BerZap!? | ? | N | Y | | | Y | Y | Y | 2 | Card must be in slot 4. ctrl-c to reach setup menu to select which card type. Menu says "sound 2" and "sound/speech" so perhaps they meant sound 1? |
Bouncing Kamungas? | | | | | Y | | | | | |
Broadside? | Y | N | Y | | Y | N | Y | | | |
Clarinet Master? | | | | | Y | | | | | |
Crime Wave? | | | | | Y | | | Y | | |
Crowther and Woods Adventure? | | | | | | | | | | Example Game shipped with some Mockingboards |
Crypt of Medea? | | | | | | | | | | |
Flute Master? | | | | | Y | | | | | |
GI-Joe? | | | | | | | | | | |
GuitarMaster? | | | | | | | | | | |
Lady Tut? | | | | | Y | | | | | |
Lancaster? | | | | | Y | | | | | Card must be in slot 4. |
Legionnaire? | | | | | | | | | | |
Lethal Labyrinth? | | | | | | | | | | From UpTime? monthly disk vol 13 no 4 (verified from disk picture) |
Maze Craze? | | | | | Y | | | | | |
Microbe? | | | | | | | Y | Y | | Synergistic software, special mockingboard enhanced version. Card must be in slot 4 |
Music Construction Set? | | | | Y | Y | | | | | |
Music Star? | | | | | | | | | | |
Night Flight? | | | | | | | | | | |
One on One? | | | | | Y | | | | | Plays music at title screen. (Maple Leaf Rag) |
Operation: Obliteration? | | | | | | | | | | From UpTime? monthly disk or Nibble magazine? |
Pitfall II? | | | | | | Y | | | | Card must be in slot 4. |
Popeye? | | | | | | Y | | | | Plays music at title screen. Asks if card in slot 4. |
Rescue Raiders? | | | | | | | | Y | | v1.3 required |
Saxophone Master? | | | | | Y | | | | | |
Silent Service? | | | | | Y | | | | | |
Singing Master? | | | | | | | | | | |
Skyfox? | Y | N | Y | | Y | Y | Y | | | |
Spy Strikes Back? | | | | | Y | | | | | |
Tactical Armor Command? | | | | | Y | | | | | |
Thunder Bombs? | | | | | | | | Y | | |
Total Replay? | Y | Y | Y | | Y | Y | Y | Y | | v4 of this collection will auto detect and patch the supported mockingboard titles to work in any slot |
Trumpet Master? | | | | | Y | | | | | |
Ultima III? | Y | Y | Y | | Y | Y | N | N | 1 | Menu slot setup. Mockingboard version required |
Ultima IV? | Y | N | Y | | Y | N | N | N | 2 | Menu slot setup, Also supports dual Sound 1 cards |
Ultima V? | Y | | Y | | Y | Y | N? | N | 4 | Menu slot setup, Also supports midi sound output |
Under Fire? | | | | Y | | | | | | |
Willy Byte? | | | | | Y | | | | | |
Window? | | | | | Y | | | | | |
Zaxxon? | | | | | Y | | | | | Only the latest version supported |
ZooKeeper ? | | | | | Y | | | | | |
Mockingboard Documentation and References
- A+, December 1985, Volume 3 Issue 12, page 142
--
KevinGreene - 23 Dec 2005
- Ultima III mockingboard setup:
- Ultima IV mockingboard setup:
- Ultima V mockingboard setup:
- berzap! mockingboard setup: