[linux-audio-user] best sound of out midi using demudi?

[Emiliano Grilli]

mercoled?, 13 luglio 2005 alle 14:41:50, Allan Graves ha scritto:
> Hi guys.  I'm not a demudi wizard, so I thought I'd post this question
> for help.  My dad recently sent me a midi file that sounds awful on
> his machine, and requested that I make it sound better.  I've only got
> the standard onboard audio, so I'm assuming 8mb max of samples, or fm
> synthesis.  This midi file is mainly organ, so I'm thinking that
> zynsynth might do it, but I thought I'd post for discussion this
> question:
> "What's the best way using a stock demudi and no external synthesizer,
> to take a GM file and get the best possible sound out of my computer? 
> "

Probably using a GM soundfont with timidity or qsynth/fluidsynth.
The problem with most of the soundfonts you find online is that they
doesn't have an explicit licensing policy, so they can't be shipped with
demudi. There was a plan to create a GPLed GM soundfont, but you know,
it's a huge work. We have already some sounds:

http://freepats.opensrc.org/

Those in the sf2 directory are of good quality IMHO, but they're not GM.
You can find GM soundfonts for example on http://www.personalcopy.com
Personally I use one I found on http://www.hammersound.net (under
Sounds->Sound fonts->Collections, page 3) it's called  "sYnerGi 8Mb GM"
and it has a good balance and intonation between instruments (the main
problem I've seen in GM soundfonts) and it's rather small.

If you want to listen to differencies, some time ago I made a comparison
between an hardware module (roland SC-D70), timidity with personalcopy
soundfont and timidity with sYnerGi:

http://emillo.net/download/MidiTest.zip (about 2Mb)

> I know that initially, it won't matter if my playback device can't do
> anything, but assuming there's a playback device included with demudi
> that has good samples or synthesis, perhaps using some of the other
> control codes that GM doesn't let me use may help?

You should use the soundfonts with a soft-synth like timidity or
qsynth/fluidsynth, so the soundcard doesn't matter as the samples are
stored and used in RAM.

> Anyway, thanks for your thoughts.

HTH ciao
-- 
Emiliano Grilli
Linux user #209089 
http://www.emillo.net