Midi sounds fan topic

[Rich Nagel]

Hiya Folks,

Several here might remember me mentioning my own custom soundfont that has been developing over the years (I'm really not sure if I've mentioned here before, but nevertheless...), but never really had an online "home" to store it: Weeds General MIDI SoundFont v3.0 for SBLive.

I've recently made an update to the soundfont, and Ian Luck of "XMPlay" fame has so graciously allowed me to upload it and host it on his server; so's it's now available for download over at the main XMPlay web page ( http://www.un4seen.com/xmplay.html#plugins / http://www.un4seen.com/download.php?extra/WeedsGM3 ). Readme (also included in the ZIP) is here -> http://www.cmoo.com/snor/weeds/SoundFonts/WeedsGM3.txt .

A little cut 'n' paste from one of my PMs to Mr. Luck over at his forums:


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Hi Ian,

In several of my messages in the forum I've mentioned a large custom soundfont that has been developing over the past few years. It's my main "base" GM soundfont that I've used extensively with my Sound Blaster Live and XMPlay (as well as my AWE32 sound cards... that is, before it got way to big for them LOL!).

I've finished another update to the soundfont, and was looking for an online home for it. Per my previous messages in the forum, I had never uploaded it to anywhere, due to it's sheer size (and my miserable dialup connection out here in the woods LOL!). I was wondering if you wished to offer it for download in place of (or as an alternative) to the "Chorium" soundfont that you have over at the XMPlay download page?

Anyhow, the ZIP contains a readme and a self-extracting "sfArk" archive (sfArk is great for compressing soundfonts, much better that ZIP/RAR/ACE/ etc...). The ZIP with the self-extracting sfArk weighs in at about 27 megs, and the extracted soundfont is almost 55 megs.

Some stats of the soundfont (included/mentioned in the readme):

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
SoundFont Filename: WeedsGM3.sf2
Self-extracting sfArk Archive Filename: WeedsGM3.sfArk.exe
Zip Archive Filename: WeedsGM3.zip
File Dates and Times: March 1, 2010 3:00a
Readme Documentation: WeedsGM3.txt
License Agreement Documentation: WeedsGM3.License.txt
MIDI Files: None
Number of User Samples: 762
Size of User Samples: 54,694,776 bytes
Number of ROM Samples: 0
Number of Instruments: 147
Number of Melodic Presets: 128
Number of Percussive Presets: 9
Total SoundFont Filesize: 54,894,076 bytes
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Anyway, this custom soundfont sounds considerably better than the "Chorium" soundfont IM(Not So)HO, and I was simply wondering if you wanted to offer it for download at the XMPlay download page? If so, I suppose I could upload the ZIP to your FTP server, although it will take me a while.


Cheers (and thanks for XMplay and the MIDI plugin!),

Rich

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


Anyhow, download and extract the ZIP, and then run the EXE to finish extracting the soundfont. You'll need a sound card that supports soundfonts (or simply "XMPlay", with the "MIDI Plugin" installed), and one that can handle loading a 54.8 meg soundfont.

BTW, attached to this message is a ZIP containing a few MIDI files that really show this thing off:

"Grabbag - Duke Nukem 3D - Lee Jackson.mid" (transposed and re-arranged a bit)
"March To War - Rich Weeds Nagel.mid" (threw this together last night)
"Mustang Sally - Arranged by Rich Weeds Nagel.mid" (no melody, go ahead and sing along <LOL>!)
"Ramblings of a Non-Pianist (Op. 2) - Rich Weeds Nagel.mid" (nope, I'm not a pianist <G>!)
"Toccata in D Minor - Bach.mid" (added bass pedals)

Hope y'all like it

[Rich Nagel]

Over at the VOGONS message forum on the Internet ( http://vogons.zetafleet.com ), forum member "DOSFreak" had previously posted a link to this... figured I'd post it here as well

BASSMIDI Soundfont Compatible MIDI Synthesiser Driver for Windows XP/Vista/7

Announcement and discussion -> http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/ind ... opic=87639
Download -> http://kode54.foobar2000.org/stuff.php

Directly from the above "Hydrogen Audio" forums announcement and discussion message thread:

This is a new SoundFont-based usermode MIDI system driver for Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7. It uses the BASSMIDI library by Ian Luck, as the synthesiser.

Features:

* Dynamic sample caching
* Unlimited polyphony
* SoundFont chaining/stacking
* Works on Windows Vista and Windows 7, including 64-bit versions.
* Support for the following controllers & events:

MIDI note events.
MIDI program events.
Channel pressure.
Pitch wheel.
Bank change MSB. (CC#0)
Modulation. (CC#1)
Portamento. (CC#65 / CC#84 / CC#5)
Volume. (CC#7)
Panning. (CC#10)
Expression. (CC#11)
Sustain pedal. (CC#64)
Soft pedal. (CC#67)
Low-pass filter resonance. (CC#71 or NRPN 121h)
Release time. (CC#72 or NRPN 166h)
Attack time. (CC#73 or NRPN 163h)
Low-pass filter cut-off. (CC#74 or NRPN 120h)
Reverb send level. (CC#91)
Chorus send level. (CC#93)
Stop all sounds. (CC#120)
Reset all controllers. (CC#121)
Release all keys. (CC#123)
Mono/poly mode. (CC#126 and CC#127, respectively.)
Pitch wheel range. (RPN 0)
Fine tuning. (RPN 1)
Coarse tuning. (RPN 2)

And presumably if GS/GM2 mode is activated:
Drum key low-pass filter cut-off. (NRPN 14knh)
Drum key low-pass filter resonance. (NRPN 15knh)
Drum key coarse tune. (NRPN 18knh)
Drum key fine tune. (NRPN 19knh)
Drum key volume level. (NRPN 1Aknh)
Drum key panning. (NRPN 1Cknh)
Drum key reverb send level. (NRPN 1Dknh)
Drum key chorus send level. (NRPN 1Eknh)

It also supports GM, GS, and XG reset System Exclusive messages, and the drum channel enabling features of GS and XG when switched into those modes. It also supports GS and possibly XG reverb preset control messages for adjusting reverb time, delay, low-pass cut-off, high-pass cut-off, and level. And chrorus delay, depth, rate, feedback, level, and chorus to reverb send level. It also supports the master volume level message.

Kode54 should be thanked for making this possible. I wrote the installer and configuration app.

...and cut 'n' pastes of what I posted over at VOGONS:

I haven't tried it yet, but that looks EXTREMELY interesting... been saying to/nagging Ian Luck (the author of XMPlay, the XMPlay soundfont compatible MIDI Plugin, and the BASS audio libraries) for quite sometime that he should create a 'global' WinDoze MIDI driver of sorts using the MIDI plugin for XMPlay (the BASSMIDI Synth is essentially that)

OK, I installed the BASSMIDI MIDI Synthesiser... and it works GREAT!

From what I could tell, ZERO latency, and it sounds just like XMPlay's MIDI plugin Running on a P4 2.666Ghz CPU with 768MB RAM, output was smooth with no glitches or stutters.

One problem though, it seems to completely knock out/disable Jamie O'Connell's "MIDI Yoke" patch driver ("Out To MIDI Yoke: #", "In From MIDI Yoke: #", etc...). I use that driver for various things when composing MIDI music.

(Update) I posted a message over at Hydrogen Audio forums ( http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/ind ... opic=87639 ), and the author said that he would see if he could fix the MIDI Yoke problem with the driver


P.S. Of course, like the XMPlay MIDI Plugin, it sounds GREAT using my "¥Weeds¥ General MIDI SoundFont v3.0" -> http://www.richnagel.net/#soundfonts <grin>

[Rich Nagel]

I posted a message over at Hydrogen Audio forums ( http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/ind ... opic=87639 ), and the author said that he would see if he could fix the MIDI Yoke problem with the driver

Problem fixed! Download the new version here (*Note: Uninstall the old version before installing this newer one) -> http://mudlord.emuxhaven.net/crap/audio/bassmididrv.exe

[1nsane]

Hey, thanks for this one! Now I can actually get better midi sounds to FL-Studio too. The default ones are so weak..

[Rich Nagel]

Hey, thanks for this one! Now I can actually get better midi sounds to FL-Studio too. The default ones are so weak..

Yer welcome!

Hehe, anyone who know me, knows that I:

1) Plug the usage of soundfonts (and *REAL* EMU-8K/10K/20K MIDI hardware, if possible).

2) Plug the usage of Ian Luck's XMPlay, with it's soundfont compatible MIDI Plugin (if ya don't have any EMU-8K/10K/20K MIDI hardware).

3) Been wanting a "global" WinDoZe driver of sorts of Ian Luck's XMPlay MIDI Plugin for EONS now (for folks who don't have any EMU-8K/10K/20K hardware).

4) Plug my own soundfont whenever possible -> http://www.richnagel.net/#soundfonts .

<grin>

Anyhow, this thing is a lot easier to use and install than any of the VSTi options out there, same for Timidity+++; and sounds better then all of them as well

...and, has almost *ZERO* latency to boot!

[Rich Nagel]

Just a little linkage update, it appears that there's more "official" discussion about the BASSMIDI driver over at the VGMusic forums here -> http://www.vgmusic.com/phpBB3/viewtopic ... 16&t=13967 .

[Rich Nagel]

BTW, here's a little web page that I typed up with full instructions on how to install and configure the BASSMIDI Driver. Although the little tutorial is geared towards "NoteWorthy Composer", it's still applicable for most any MIDI sequencer, editor, or player program (including Windows Media Player, or any other player that uses the default active MIDI device within Windows for MIDI music playback).

http://www.cmoo.com/snor/weeds/SoundFon ... ration.htm

...and more info on the driver here -> http://www.cmoo.com/snor/weeds/SoundFon ... mididriver

[Rich Nagel]

After almost a decade and a half, Team Eternal's complete Eternal DOOM MIDI Soundtrack (containing all of the revamped original MIDI files) has been publicly released!

The archive contains the complete original MIDI soundtrack that I composed for Team Eternal's "Eternal DOOM" back in 1996 through 1997. Also included in the archive are several bonus MIDI files, images, and other miscellaneous Eternal DOOM and Eternal DOOM Soundtrack related material.

More information about the Eternal DOOM MIDI Soundtrack can be found at http://www.richnagel.net/#eternal_doom_soundtrack (or http://www.simpilot.net/~richnagel/#ete ... soundtrack ) on the Internet.

Downloads can be found at the usual DOOM related FTP and web sites:

ftp://ftp.gamers.org/pub/idgames/themes ... ernmus.txt
ftp://ftp.gamers.org/pub/idgames/themes ... ernmus.zip

ftp://ftp.fu-berlin.de/pc/games/idgames ... ernmus.txt
ftp://ftp.fu-berlin.de/pc/games/idgames ... ernmus.zip

http://youfailit.net/pub/idgames/themes ... ernmus.txt
http://youfailit.net/pub/idgames/themes ... ernmus.zip

ENJOY!

[Trigger Happy]

Midi related topics merged.

[Rich Nagel]

Just a heads-up: Mudlord has uploaded a new version of the BASSMIDI Driver (currently version 2.0).

New web site for the BASSMIDI Driver is here -> https://github.com/mudlord/bassmididrv

Download is here -> https://github.com/downloads/mudlord/ba ... drv2.0.exe

Version History/ChangeLog is here -> https://github.com/mudlord/bassmididrv/ ... HANGES.txt