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How do I get classic General MIDI synth sounds?


Dave G

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Everything under Audio in Cakewalk preferences.

If you capture images of the pages when driver mode is set to MME and ASIO4All (the two modes you had working) the changes should stand out.

The critical bits are

  • Devices, the input and output selections
  • Driver Settings, the timing masters
  • Playback and Recording, the driver mode
  • Sync and Caching, the Record Latency Adjustment device

 

Maybe the Cakewalk Tutorial videos linked in John's .sig above will help.

 

 

 

 

 

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On 6/1/2021 at 1:36 PM, Terry Kelley said:

Also look for the free Munt Roland MT-32 VST. He did a great job of emulating the MT-32 and undid the 14/15 bit limitations of the original hardware.

Goodness I suffered the MT 32 for 5 years! It was my band.  I had the editor made by Jeff Koftinoff . http://www.jdkoftinoff.com/main/Historic_Projects/Atari_MT-32_Editor/   He lived here in our town and later worked for Roland. His family owned the first Computer store here and sold Atari's and Roland. I bought my GR 50 and the MT 32 from them. I had 2 of those things as later a friend gave me there's. I actually chucked them both in the trash a few years ago  as I figured not even a collector would want those terrible sounds. I think TTS_1 a little bit better.  

 

Edit:   thanks to Terry I got the download sorted out . Will try the my 32 VST tomorrow 

 

Edited by John Vere
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On 6/1/2021 at 1:36 PM, Terry Kelley said:

Also look for the free Munt Roland MT-32 VST. He did a great job of emulating the MT-32 and undid the 14/15 bit limitations of the original hardware.

Note that the Roland MT-32 is not General MIDI, which is what the OP is looking for.

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Roland sort of always used the GM system from day 1. I started my sequencing days on a Roland 505 drum machine.  Those patterns still work using the TTS-1   Both my MT 32 and My GR 50  drums were close to the same. I know this because I still have and use the MIDI files I made back then.  

Drums were CH 10 on both by default just like GM.  I changed the GR 50 to use CH 11 for drums and CH 12 was piano. The GR 50 sounded way better but I had to be careful because the notes would cut out when I used the guitar synth. The MT 32 was marginally better than the 505 but that was only because of the reverb.  And that was a big reason for using Jeff's  MT 32 editor was to tweak the reverb 

I played in a Duo and my partner had a Yamaha FB01. It was totally different so we had to drag 2 Atari computers around. My midi files wouldn't play on his and visa /versa.  Later I bought a Korg 05/RW ( still use it) and it had a GM mode but I didn't use it because the GM bank didn't sound as good as the other modes did..  It played my drum files just fine but I had to edit all the other patches. Those are still in all my midi files which are the ones I've posted for people to use on my web site . ( see my signature) 

Edited by John Vere
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  • 1 year later...
On 5/31/2021 at 3:13 AM, msmcleod said:

You can download an XG VSTi synth here: https://veg.by/en/projects/syxg50/  It's 32 bit, but it should work with BitBridge.  I personally use JBridge, but can't recall any issues with BitBridge when I last used it.

Thanks for the link.

Patch switching is a bit awkward on this one. Normally you'd select patches thru the VSTi but N/A here. Patch Browser or manual entry using a list.

Would be cool to have creatable/editable list accessible thru the Bank/Patch buttons for VSTs.

Edited by sjoens
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2 hours ago, sjoens said:

Thanks for the link.

Patch switching is a bit awkward on this one. Normally you'd select patches thru the VSTi but N/A here. Patch Browser or manual entry using a list.

Would be cool to have creatable/editable list accessible thru the Bank/Patch buttons for VSTs.

You could try a search on KVRaudio forum for syxg50. I remember seeing someone had made an interface for it. Don't remember if it said to show patches. It was over a year ago.

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@Dave G, Did your older computer ever have a Creative Sound Blaster sound card?  If so then the instrument sounds you remember may have been generated by the built-in Sound Blaster instrument patches.

+++ HERE +++ is a Github link to download the OPL 3 instrument patch soundfont that sounds like the patches used in the Sound Blaster 16 sound card.

You will need a Soundfont 2 compatible plugin like +++ Sforzando +++ to use the soundfont in Cakewalk.

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2 hours ago, Jim Fogle said:

@Dave G, Did your older computer ever have a Creative Sound Blaster sound card?  If so then the instrument sounds you remember may have been generated by the built-in Sound Blaster instrument patches.

+++ HERE +++ is a Github link to download the OPL 3 instrument patch soundfont that sounds like the patches used in the Sound Blaster 16 sound card.

You will need a Soundfont 2 compatible plugin like +++ Sforzando +++ to use the soundfont in Cakewalk.

Yes, that PC had a Creative Sound Blaster AWE32 sound card.

And thank you for the links! I will be sure to check them out.

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On 9/25/2022 at 6:31 PM, bdickens said:

Hard to believe that the crappy Sound Blaster soundfonts  were brought to you by the same people responsible for those fabulous E-MU synths like the Emulator and the Proteus modules.


I used to think that, until I realised that the only reason more modern sample-based synths sound good is because of the FX units built into them, and in the case of the soundfonts, putting them through the E-MU filters did wonders.

Try listening to the raw samples of a JV1080 and you'll get what I mean.

Likewise, any early to mid 80's digital synth can sound amazing just putting it through some chorus & reverb, and even better though a decent multi-fx.
 

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