ESS ES1968S Maestro-2 PCI Sound Card A311-H30 XG MIDI Game Port DOS

ESS ES1968S Maestro-2 PCI Sound Card A311-H30 XG MIDI Game Port DOS

The ESS ES1968S Maestro-2 is a PCI bus sound card built around the ESS Maestro-2 (ES1968S) audio controller — one of the more capable budget PCI audio chips of the late 1990s. The A311-H30 carries the full-height PCI bracket with three 3.5mm audio jacks and a DB15 game/MIDI port, and supports XG MIDI for enhanced General MIDI playback. It is compatible with Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, and XP, and provides DOS-mode Sound Blaster emulation for legacy game compatibility.

Specifications & What's Included

• Manufacturer: ESS Technology
• Model / Board Number: A311-H30
• Main Controller Chip: ESS Maestro-2 ES1968S (B178)
• Bus Interface: PCI (32-bit, full-height bracket)
• Audio Jacks: 3 × 3.5mm — Line Out, Line In, Mic In
• Game / MIDI Port: DB15 analog game port (also serves as MIDI I/O with adapter)
• MIDI Support: XG MIDI (Yamaha XG compatible)
• DOS Compatibility: Sound Blaster Pro emulation
• Compatible OS: Windows 95 / 98 / ME / 2000 / XP; DOS
• FCC ID: LWHA311H30
• PCB Revision: AT-Plus 10.03.00
• Country of Manufacture: Taiwan
• Included: Sound card only (no driver disc or bracket hardware included)

Applications

The ESS Maestro-2 chipset was widely used in OEM desktop systems and aftermarket sound cards throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s. Cards like the A311-H30 were standard audio hardware for Windows 98-era PCs, providing stereo playback, recording, and MIDI music for games, multimedia software, and home audio use. The XG MIDI support was a notable feature for the price range, enabling richer MIDI music output compared to basic General MIDI cards of the era. Today these cards are sought out for retro PC builds, Windows 98 gaming rigs, and DOS/legacy system restores where a period-correct PCI sound card with a game port is needed. The DB15 game port is a particular draw for users running older joysticks and gamepads that predate USB input devices.