Virtual sound canvas or simular

Hi all,
I am looking for a softsynth or simular that can play back standard GM/GS MIDIfiles under XP.
Not going to use it for recordings, but just want something better than my soundcard. Any tip is apreciated, many thanks!

There's a lot of useful software here, you'll more than probably find something here.
Rgds
Noel
http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/

Hasn't XP got a GS Softsynth with it anyway? I've certainly got one (Microsoft GS WaveTable Synth). I think this was written by Roland if my memory serves me correctly.

You can tell XP to use this device by default using Control Panel - "Sound, Speach and Audio Devices" - "Change The Sound Scheme" - then select the "Audio" tab and select this synth from the pulldown for "Midi Music Playback" "Default Device".

You may have to use this technique to set up any other soft synth you get hold of; depends on the sophistication of the soft synth install program.

NI's BandStand, also in Sonar 6, there's TSS ot TTS sounds module powered by roland, all the best Roland sounds, plus very usefull sound sshaping filters like: LP, Reso, Character, EQ, and lots more, all Midi or GS standard!!

Coyote ForteDXi
Native Instruments BandStand
Roland HQ HyperCanvas
Roland VSC3

Other than my hardware keyboards (4 )..I have a few options for midi file playback. I have Hypersonic 2, Wusikstation, Hypercanvas, Sonar's TTS, and some good quality ( and free ) soundfonts including Titanic and SGM180. I have a friend who has NI bandstand and I've tested it a good deal myself.

My experiences when running any of these "all in one" modules goes something like this:

For playing and crafting individual sounds, ( like using panel voices on your kb or presets on a specigfic vst instrument ) Wusik was by far my favorite until Hypersonic 2 came out. Hypercanvas, the soundfonts, and TTS1 lagged behind. I only tried it briefly on Bandstand, and was not impressed at all.

For playing back most of my Standard midifiles, overall I preferred the SGM180 SF, with HS 2 very close, then Bandstand after those. Wusikstation didn't support CC / patch changes, and TTS and the Titanic sf were decent, but behind the rest. All of these sound better to me than my Motif ES or Tyros for midifile playback though. My PA80 and MZ2000 are very decent, but not as good as SGM180 and HS2.

So for the price of a VST / DXi soundfont host... I use Livesynth pro, but I think it's no longer made ( there are others out there ), I like the way my SMF's sound better than with any of the medium to high priced commercial offerings.

I can do a little better than SGM180 or HS2 using Forte and then instrument specific VST's and hardware for each instrument, but because I don't use many SMF's in the first place the effort hardly seems worth it .


AJ



[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 02-19-2007).]

I know you are talking about softsynths and samples,but I have been trying different hardware and software for years for the best GM sounset.

The Ketron SD2 is it. Check it out.

Bernie

Hi all,
Thanks for your replies. Howver, I haven't found anything as of yet. Could maybe someone point me to a product?
I don't have Sonar or simular. If there is a progam for Windows that will let me import soundfonts to use as a gm/gs bank i'd apreciate that as well. Many thanks!

I use this one
http://www.rgcaudio.com/sfz.htm

Bernie

For all the time and effort you spend in trying to get a GS file to play passably on a computer, it would be faster and more accurate to use a Roland module, the thing the file was originally developed for...!

Try to see if you can pick up a used MGS-64 rack module or higher, they can be found very inexpensively (my favorite is the SC880)....

No more worrying about CC codes or NRPNs, Reverb type sys-ex, etc., etc.. Why use an expensive laptop or computer to do what a cheap module can do better?

Excellent point.
I have a new in box Roland SK-88 Pro for sale, in case anyone is interested.