Public Service Announcement

[Anonymous No.7337401]

Stop playing MS-DOS games using soundblaster audio! It's not even close to how it's meant to sound.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaVjBib5KH4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYx3JbitCAw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRrOBA4KyEY

[Anonymous No.7337423]

>>7337401
You know, I thought I was going to prefer SB since that's what I grew up with, but I have to admit I'm a little surprised at how good the Roland sounds.

[Anonymous No.7337519]

Tried to get the Sound Canvas VA software to work, but not even a cracked version would work and I'm anot about to pay 150 bones just to have slightly better music in doom and dark forces.

[Anonymous No.7337534]

>>7337519
>slightly better
nah
Dark Forces supports MT-32. You can use Munt for free.

[Anonymous No.7337541]

>>7337401
It can sound anyway you want. That's the power of PC.

[Anonymous No.7337559]

Sure, SC-88 sounds great but for me it's Nokia 6230i soundfont: https://mmontag.github.io/chip-player-js/

[Anonymous No.7337568]

Yep. Some say it doesn't work well for every game but I've yet to find a bad example.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GlkpdvRhQ0

[Anonymous No.7337569]

what one do dosbox come with i use that

[Anonymous No.7337579]

>>7337569
Sound Blaster is the default

[Anonymous No.7337581]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMsq92G6Urk

[Anonymous No.7337678]

>>7337401
For me, it's the Roland MT-32
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3dB0qEcG20

[Anonymous No.7337686]

>>7337401
>implying /v/ plays DOS games at all

[Anonymous No.7337697]

>>7337519
What's the problem you're having with it? It comes with a keygen that basically activates it automatically, it works flawlessly for me.
Roland.Sound.Canvas.VA.v1.0.0.Incl.Keygen.HAPPY.NEW.YEAR-R2R

[Anonymous No.7337717]

Speaking of cool Roland midi: is there a way to make windows 10 play midi through my sc-55 by default?
I'm using a usb to midi,the sc-55 works great with dosbox, but I can't seem to figure out how to make windows itself use it.

[Anonymous No.7337721]

>>7337717
http://www.shdon.com/software/tools#midisel
There are programs that change your default MIDI device; I think this was the one that I used.

[Radiochan !FhErN6z1NQ No.7337731]

>>7337401
Buy me one of those to hook up to my old 286 then

[Anonymous No.7337739]

>>7337731
Buy one yourself, poor fag.

[Anonymous No.7337759]

Opinions on the Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth?

[Anonymous No.7337765]

>>7337717
Virtual Midi Synth does that

[Anonymous No.7337808]

>>7337721
Thanks a ton, anon. It works with some programs.

>>7337765
I'll look into this, too. I'm playing Brave Soul and the game offers you to chose between GM and GS, but I can't seem to figure out how to play those through my device... maybe you can't?

[Anonymous No.7337828]

Somebody tell Roland to stop being massive faggots and release their legacy libraries (MT-32, SC-55, SC-88) to open domain already.

[Anonymous No.7337908]

>>7337828
Yeah, that is never literally going to happen. Some guys already asked them, they even dug up some proof that the MT-32 samples may not be protected under the same (((copyright))) shit that later ones are, but Roland won't acknowledge anything like that, they claim ownership of them. If you want to make music with them, go ahead, nobody will give a fuck.

[Anonymous No.7338040]

>>7337519
Follow this guide:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIxQvwJO7kM
You don't need to download cakewalk to use their VST, you can just open Sound Canvas VA or any other VSTI from these ones:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/p8hqyp2049v6sza/VSTi.zip/file

Here an example of everything working:
https://streamable.com

[Anonymous No.7338061]

>ScummVM supports Might and Magic: World of Xeen
>MT-32 music does not work and program defaults to Adlib sound, despite other games in ScummVM working fine
Back to Dosbox, I guess

[Anonymous No.7338270]

>>7338061
I think you need to do the trick with pirated libraries and a wrapper. No emulator comes packaged with Roland libraries, due to them being cheap fuckers.

[Anonymous No.7338317]

>>7337401
>soundblaster audio
You have to be 18 years old to post here retard

[Anonymous No.7338673]

>>7337717
I did it by changing the registry entry to point to a different DLL from a MIDI redirecter software and then used that software to send the MIDI data out the USB device

[Anonymous No.7338704]

>>7337759
It's mostly a compressed as fuck version of the SC-55, you're legitimately better off with an SC-55 GM soundfont

[Anonymous No.7338706]

>>7338673
Thank you very much, anon. It's a clever trick!

You're also a man of culture for playing EVE Burst Error.

[Anonymous No.7338713]

>>7337519
It's fucking nuts that Roland expects people to either pay over $100 for the Sound Canvas or subscribe to Roland Cloud (which includes Sound Canvas) for $40 a MONTH. They let you permanently own ONE VST on the Roland Cloud if you subscribe for an entire year (that's $480)

[Anonymous No.7338830]

MIDI music can sound truly fantastic if done right
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAsYu_HsnoY&feature=youtu.be

[Anonymous No.7338861]

>>7338673
Good stuff anon. Saved that image for when I need it.

[Anonymous No.7338943]

>>7338673
>>7338706
>>7338861
I found my notes I made at the time:
--------
I messed around for a while and settled on this to select the device for MIDI games in Windows 10 that don't have their own device selection.

1) Install loopMIDI
2) Change the "midi" entry in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Drivers32 from "wdmaud.drv" to the loopMIDI dll (C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\teVirtualMIDI32.dll -- this file path is shown on the Advanced tab of loopMIDI's interface)
3) Install something that can do MIDI thru from loopMIDI's output to whatever device you want to actually play the MIDI. (I grabbed something called "MusicLab MIDI Connection Center")

Don't forget to actually add a virtual port to loopMIDI.

It seems you can stick any virtual device dll path in that registry entry, so maybe you can send it to the VST host directly with its dll name and don't need loopMIDI and the midi-thru app. But I did it this way because I want to send it out to hardware USB midi interface which I can't figure out how to do directly with that registry entry.

[Anonymous No.7338952]

>>7338040
My configuration (Roland Sound Canvas VA + SAVIHost + Loopmidi + CoolSoft Midi Mapper)

Just follow this and you're set anon.

[Anonymous No.7338958]

>>7338952

[Anonymous No.7339293]

>>7337401
>Dune
>Music originally composed for Adlib Gold sound card
>MT-32 music in the game is ass
FM synthesis remains supreme!

[Anonymous No.7339301]

>>7337534
>>7337568
>>7337581
>>7337678
>>7338061

Here's a list for easy reference:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_MT-32-compatible_computer_games

Check the far right column for original synth info. If it's blank, then it was composed for MT-32/CM-32L (or as far as anyone knows).

[Anonymous No.7339318]

CONSUME CONSUME CONSUME

[Anonymous No.7339434]

>>7338673
What am I looking at? It looks serious.

[Anonymous No.7339449]

>>7339434
notes here >>7338943

[Anonymous No.7339473]

I would think that MIDI device selector programs like >>7337721 and CoolSoft MIDMapper (>>7338952) would eliminate the need to edit the registry (>>7338673) but >>7337808 says the midi selector is only working with some programs so I dunno

[Anonymous No.7339492]

>>7339473
>but (You) says the midi selector is only working with some programs so I dunno
I haven't tried MIDMapper yet, anon.

[Anonymous No.7339509]

>>7339293
An exception to the rule

[Anonymous No.7339558]

>>7339449
Thanks m8

[Anonymous No.7339613]

>>7337401
I am still fond of the music made through the original OPL2 SoundBlaster as that is what I had in my youth.

I more clearly remember the music and sounds in Ultima 7 via the OPL2 and it is a shame even in DOSbox and Exult they go with OPL3 or Roland sounds. However, I do find the MT32 amazing sounding in old DOS games, it is just that the nostalgia is greater with the harsher Yamaha audio; even in your examples, Doom in my memories is more like the SB16. I wish I had a SC-88 though, some of the Ys Eternal games I have uses that, even got some exclusive Evangelion and Ys soundtrack CDs that are for SC-88.

[Anonymous No.7340465]

>>7337401
>It's not even close to how it's meant to sound.
if you think they're all supposed to sound like the SC55, or if you believe all the standard general midi instruments were universal in sound quality between many different midi keyboards / synths / modules then you might just be a fucking retard.

[Anonymous No.7340484]

>>7339613
I really hope you bought all this shit when it came out and not decades later because that would be beyond pathetic.

[Anonymous No.7340490]

>>7340465
OP just claimed that SoundBlaster is garbage, which it is.

[Anonymous No.7340491]

>using roland mt-32 for games that support general midi
Bruh

[Anonymous No.7340530]

>>7337519
Stop paying bones for crack. Instead you need to
Smoke
Weed
Everyday.

[Anonymous No.7340714]

>>7337519
What are you doing? Just download the Sound Canvas soundfont and install virtual midi synth for free. No need to bloat your system with literal trash.

[Anonymous No.7340893]

>>7337686
>/v/
This is /vr/

[Anonymous No.7341097]

>>7338040
I can't remember if I'm doing something wrong or out of order, but I think I'm having the same problem as I did when I tried this a few months ago with that exact download you gave me. Savihost just refuses to acknowledge the correctly named .dll file. I've tried this across three brand new windows installs and they all throw the same error.

[Anonymous No.7341104]

>>7338040
I can't remember if I'm doing something wrong or out of order, but I think I'm having the same problem as I did when I tried this a few months ago with that exact download you gave me. Savihost just refuses to acknowledge the correctly named .dll file. I've tried this across three brand new windows installs and they all throw the same error.

[Anonymous No.7341110]

>>7339293
Most japanese pc games sound better in fm mode too.

[Anonymous No.7341359]

>>7341110
That's because the music was coded for some flavor of Yamaha synth chip.
Of course it will sound like ass when a MIDI chip tries to guesstimate what instrument goes to what note.

[Anonymous No.7341421]

>>7339613
Very nice, marbleanon. You just need an Ultrasound card.

>>7340465
>he doesn't know about Fat Lab

[Anonymous No.7342098]

>>7341421
You mean Fatboy or is there something else?

[Anonymous No.7342113]

>>7341359
Some games offered sc-55 support with arrange soundtracks. Castlevania and Metal Orange on x68k, or Night Slave on pc-98 for instance. Of all three, I think only Castlevania sounded better on sc-55.

[Anonymous No.7342117]

I use Chorium (Rev A)

[Anonymous No.7342123]

>>7337401
Go to bed Clint.

[Anonymous No.7342135]

>>7342098
Something else.

>>7342113
>Of all three, I think only Castlevania sounded better on sc-55.
The sc-55 sounds incredibly better, anon.

Just compare those two:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSwOcxWlzlk
https://youtu.be/Yv8KNENrdH8

[Anonymous No.7342224]

>>7342135
As much as I love sc-55, I still prefer the fm for these games. Hell, I even prefer fm to full orchestral renditions in some cases (like the umemoto games). That's a complete matter of taste I guess, such as the debate snes midi vs megadrive samples/fm.
There's a real appeal for fm on these japanese yamaha chips when it's properly used, with custom synth sounds and such. But I understand not anyone is into this kind of stuff.
On sound blaster hardware, fm (through adlib) sounds like shit, though.

[Anonymous No.7342275]

>>7342224
>On sound blaster hardware, fm (through adlib) sounds like shit, though.
As in you don't like how Adlib music sounds on SB hardware or you don't like how the chip they used sounds in general?

[Anonymous No.7342293]

>>7342224
It's cool anon, I respect your opinion (and I'm usually not a fan of full orchestral either).

[Anonymous No.7342314]

>>7342135
Yeah, it's not even a contest.

[Anonymous No.7342334]

>>7342275
I only experienced adlib on SB hardware desu (and later on DOSBox). Apart for the nostalgia factor, I can't find any genuine enjoyment for it. When the SC-55 or MT-32 option is avaliable, I gladly switch.
Meanwhile, I love listening to Koshiro or Umemoto OPNA soundtracks and think they still hold well, even if never experienced them on original hardware back in the days.

[Anonymous No.7342462]

>>7340484
Most of my games I got around the turn of the century in bargain bins. I quit video games around the time Dreamcast died. I still do get stuff every now and then to maintain these old things, like this new old sound card.

>>7341421
I always wanted once since Zone 66 advertised it in its instructions. It was always out of reach at its price, so I am just used to the SoundBlaster sound. I think in part of the Ultrasound's desirability was how so much from the demoscene loved using it.

[Anonymous No.7342471]

>>7342462
There are some solder-it-yourself UltraSound clones for cheap, anon.

[Anonymous No.7342801]

>>7342224
When I switched from Amiga to PC, I was appalled of how bad Adlib sounded. There's no oomph to it. It's just farts and weird noises.

[Anonymous No.7342897]

>>7338673
>>7338943
Anon, I did it and it works a little too much...
Even with loopMIDI and MusicLab MIDI Connection Center closed, now Windows always tried to send midi to the midi interface.
Is there a way to conveniently switch between Window's normal midi handling and the midi interface?

[Anonymous No.7342937]

>>7342897
I didn't think that far...
I guess you could also export two registry files of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Drivers32, one with wdmaud.drv and the other with teVirtualMIDI32.dll, and double-click the one you need at the time you need it

[Anonymous No.7343084]

>>7342897
Use Coolsoft midi mapper

[Anonymous No.7343114]

>>7342801
Oomph can be achieved with FM synth but it requires a little bit of effort which many developers at the time didn't want to put in, especially when the MT32 and SC-55 gave arguably better results out of the box. It also didn't help that the YM3812 used in the Adlib was pretty heavily gimped compared to its parent chip in the Yamaha DX7. The YMF262 used in later soundcards eased some of the restrictions but those also added better hardware making tracker and other sampled audio options more viable. It suffered a bit of the same problem as the Genesis, where people didn't bother to learn FM synth and just used the GEMS presets so games ended up filled with Doom farts and tinny synth leads.
Despite this, it is a rather good and capable sound chip but it was rare to find people making good use out of it back then.

[Anonymous No.7343150]

>>7342937
Thank you once again, anon!

>>7343084
I'll try it out, but I'm getting lost between loopMIDI, MIDI Connection Center, MIDI Mapper...
Why is it so tedious yet so sweet to be able to enjoy good midi music?

[Anonymous No.7343213]

>>7343150
Because Microsoft thought it would be a good idea to completly remove decent midi support on os level since a few windows 10 updates. Hence the multiple tools required to achieve the same goal...

[Anonymous No.7343337]

>>7343213
I wonder why, since it must weight virtually nothing and they must have much more important stuff to care bout.

I'm still very grateful to the good anons ITT.

[Anonymous No.7343665]

>>7343337
They probably fired the people who understood the audio subsystem and didn't have the expertise in house any more.

[Anonymous No.7343742]

>>7343150
But once everything is set up, another very tedious and time consuming process will begin.
Testing all the games!! I spent hours going through various Dos games and finding out what sounds best.

[Anonymous No.7344125]

midi is only worthwhile on Japanese computers

[Anonymous No.7344740]

>>7344125
Nah, the jap pcs actually had great sound even without a midi module, the dos game got acceptable with Sound Blaster and shit but the difference with midi is almost generational:
https://streamable.com/yjghc7

[Anonymous No.7344756]

Lands of Lore with MT-32 is better than Sound Canvas and the CD music: https://streamable.com/0gta2a

[Anonymous No.7344852]

>>7344740
except dos games could've sounded good with FM synth so that using MIDI wasn't a necessity, just like Japanese games.

[Anonymous No.7344896]

>>7344756
How about LOL2? Digital or MIDI?

[Anonymous No.7344901]

>using the equipment of a tranny-lover like LGR
We take our Sound Blasters like men, and we learn to love it! No ground for the trannies! We will give up the very hobby of gaming if we must! NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER!

[Anonymous No.7344904]

>>7344901
1) When did LGR ever support tranny?
2) Kill yourself /pol/

[Anonymous No.7344989]

>>7344904
Kek yourself disgusting tranny.

[Anonymous No.7345148]

>>7344989
Based! Now THIS is retro!

[Anonymous No.7345190]

>>7338713
Its because of the VST industry. Basically, companies like Roland over-inflate the price so that the average consumer pays more. Its not to "lock-out people who aren't enthusiasts" as some would say. They realize that tons of people will subscribe to their service but not use their VSTs very much, but they can still suck money from those smalltime composers who like to hoard VSTs but never use them.

[Anonymous No.7345221]

>>7345190
Ironically the Ipad version is around $20 which is what the vsti version is based on, but without the built in midi player that the Ipad version has.

[Anonymous No.7345625]

>>7337759
Only for nostalgia.

[Anonymous No.7345802]

>>7344901
Real men use the PC speaker. Polyphony is for losers.