The Sound Blaster AWE32, released by Creative Technology in March 1994, was a feature-rich ISA sound card designed for high-end audio and MIDI performance on PCs.
The AWE32 hardware included two distinct audio sections:
- The Creative digital audio section, with an audio codec and optional CSP/ASP chip socket.
- The E-mu MIDI synthesizer section, with the EMU8000 synthesizer and effects processor chip, 1 MiB EMU8011 sample ROM, and 512KB RAM. These chips formed a powerful and flexible sample-based synthesis system, inspired by E-mu's professional-grade samplers like the Emulator III and Proteus. The included effects processor could generate a variety of audio effects, such as reverb and chorus.
The AWE32 also supported legacy OPL-3 FM synthesis and various CD-ROM interfaces, and included two SIMM slots for memory upgrades.
