First of all, thank you Falcosoft for your wonderful program! I've been using it with loopmidi and my SC-55mkii to test and verify games for the MT-32 compatibility list on Wikipedia for some time now. I was just wondering if you would consider adding a counter for maximum voice polyphony/active voices for individual MIDI files, similar to what XMPlay's MIDI plugin has? The problem is that XMPlay's MIDI plugin is limited to soundfonts only and thus has no option for hardware output. A counter like this would make it easier to determine which Sound Canvas model to use for certain GM/GS games without experiencing any potential note drop-outs. I know that QFG4 and Gabriel Knight 1 are best played on an SC-55mkii for this reason, and I'm curious to learn if there are any other games that might require a later model (up to the 64-voice SC-88) in order to sound 'right'.

spiffythedog wrote on 2021-11-06, 13:11:

First of all, thank you Falcosoft for your wonderful program! I've been using it with loopmidi and my SC-55mkii to test and verify games for the MT-32 compatibility list on Wikipedia for some time now. I was just wondering if you would consider adding a counter for maximum voice polyphony/active voices for individual MIDI files, similar to what XMPlay's MIDI plugin has? The problem is that XMPlay's MIDI plugin is limited to soundfonts only and thus has no option for hardware output. A counter like this would make it easier to determine which Sound Canvas model to use for certain GM/GS games without experiencing any potential note drop-outs. I know that QFG4 and Gabriel Knight 1 are best played on an SC-55mkii for this reason, and I'm curious to learn if there are any other games that might require a later model (up to the 64-voice SC-88) in order to sound 'right'.

Hi,
If you use an external Midi Out port and then you open the Visualization (Channels) dialog you can see the count of active Note On messages. Be aware that active voices/polyphony count can only be displayed when you use the internal Bassmidi soundfont synth (similarly to XMPlay). This is because when you use a standard Midi out port/external synth the player has no idea how many layers/samples/voices an external synth uses to create a sound at a given pitch for a given instrument. The player only knows that it sends a Note On message. It entirely depends on the external synth and it is unknown by the player whether this note uses 1 or 2 or 4 voices of the synth. It is also unknown by the player how an instrument reacts to a Note Off message (many instruments still use sustained voices even after a Note Off is sent).

So it is not possible to calculate the real voice/polyphony count in case of an external synth from the player's side.
Bassmidi (or Munt VSTi plugin) can tell you the real used voices(partials) since it generates the sound itself.

You can try the S-YXG50 VSTi plugin in GS mode. S-YXG50 displays the voice/polyphony count and maybe in GS mode it gives similar results to a Sound Canvas. Unfortunately SC-VA VSTi has no voice/polyphony display.

Ah, no worries. I had a feeling that might be the case. The partial reserve system the SC-55 models use also further complicates things, because AFAIK soundfonts/VSTs don't emulate that particular behaviour, so they probably can't be used to determine the maximum polyphony of MIDIs as played on that type of hardware. Oh well. Big thanks for the info, anyway.

When upgrading FSMP, which files need to be overwritten? Also, can all config files be used with new versions without issue?

lukeman3000 wrote on 2021-12-08, 09:56:

When upgrading FSMP, which files need to be overwritten? Also, can all config files be used with new versions without issue?

Only the executable files (exe, dll). But a more perfect solution is that you use the full folder of the new version and overwrite the files with your custom/modified ones if any (midiplayer.ini, other ini files in Preset folder etc.).
Yes, old config files can be used without problems. New parameters that are not found in old config files will get default values at start (and saved next time).

Falcosoft wrote on 2021-12-08, 10:05:

lukeman3000 wrote on 2021-12-08, 09:56:

When upgrading FSMP, which files need to be overwritten? Also, can all config files be used with new versions without issue?

Only the executable files (exe, dll). But a more perfect solution is that you use the full folder of the new version and overwrite the files with your custom/modified ones if any (midiplayer.ini, other ini files in Preset folder etc.).
Yes, old config files can be used without problems. New parameters that are not found in old config files will get default values at start (and saved next time).

Excellent. Thanks Falcosoft. Still loving your software years later! I remember back when I asked you about being able to run in the background and such and you implemented these features - really appreciate it. It is an integral part of my DOSBox games collection since I launch it with either MT-32 or Roland Sound Canvas VA emulation with many games.

I have started using the player, it's very useful and polished app.

Special shout-out to the Reality GMGS soundfont, it just sounds great, very nicely balanced and pleasing. It has entered in my top 3 for retro gaming, together with Patch93 / Masterpiece soundfonts. I am using it in a McCake with Fluidsynth.

mihai wrote on 2021-12-10, 20:44:

I have started using the player, it's very useful and polished app.

Special shout-out to the Reality GMGS soundfont, it just sounds great, very nicely balanced and pleasing. It has entered in my top 3 for retro gaming, together with Patch93 / Masterpiece soundfonts. I am using it in a McCake with Fluidsynth.

I'm glad to hear it!

mihai wrote on 2021-12-10, 20:44:

I have started using the player, it's very useful and polished app.

Special shout-out to the Reality GMGS soundfont, it just sounds great, very nicely balanced and pleasing. It has entered in my top 3 for retro gaming, together with Patch93 / Masterpiece soundfonts. I am using it in a McCake with Fluidsynth.

These three and General User SF are the four that I always keep going between. I can't seem to pick a favorite, to be honest with you. I think Masterpiece sounds the best for retrogaming, but GUS sounds best for music.

On modern systems, when using DOSBOX etc, I tend to go for Musyng Kite.

Interesting, I will give a try to General User SF. At a first audition, it sounds nice and balanced; I noticed that the violin sound has a well defined vibrato.

It's possible to add more sf2 banks to MidiPlayer 6 - best to 127 😀 ?? There are 10 banks at the moment. I really care about this option if I can ask for a beta version that gives this option 😀

dj.ti wrote on 2022-01-05, 22:24:

It's possible to add more sf2 banks to MidiPlayer 6 - best to 127 😀 ?? There are 10 banks at the moment. I really care about this option if I can ask for a beta version that gives this option 😀

Midi Player already can handle 127 possible banks (even a single SF2 file can use 127 banks) . The limit of 10 is the usable SF2 files at once. I do not plan to extend this in the near future since I do not feel the practical advantages. If you have that many separate SF2 files that use only few banks you can merge them with a soundfont editor before using them.

Falcosoft wrote on 2022-01-05, 22:52:

dj.ti wrote on 2022-01-05, 22:24:

It's possible to add more sf2 banks to MidiPlayer 6 - best to 127 😀 ?? There are 10 banks at the moment. I really care about this option if I can ask for a beta version that gives this option 😀

Midi Player already can handle 127 possible banks (even a single SF2 file can use 127 banks) . The limit of 10 is the usable SF2 files at once. I do not plan to extend this in the near future since I do not feel the practical advantages. If you have that many separate SF2 files that use only few banks you can merge them with a soundfont editor before using them.

Thank you for the quick reply. I combined 3x127 files in the SF2 bank, but the file itself can be up to 2GB (in Awave for example). Unless it can have more ?? Possibly, is it possible to make a bank on SFZ files ??

dj.ti wrote on 2022-01-05, 23:09:

Falcosoft wrote on 2022-01-05, 22:52:

dj.ti wrote on 2022-01-05, 22:24:

It's possible to add more sf2 banks to MidiPlayer 6 - best to 127 😀 ?? There are 10 banks at the moment. I really care about this option if I can ask for a beta version that gives this option 😀

Midi Player already can handle 127 possible banks (even a single SF2 file can use 127 banks) . The limit of 10 is the usable SF2 files at once. I do not plan to extend this in the near future since I do not feel the practical advantages. If you have that many separate SF2 files that use only few banks you can merge them with a soundfont editor before using them.

Thank you for the quick reply. I combined 3x127 files in the SF2 bank, but the file itself can be up to 2GB (in Awave for example). Unless it can have more ?? Possibly, is it possible to make a bank on SFZ files ??

2GB is the maximum possible file size in case of SF2 files. So you should make 3 separate SF2 files from the 3x127. For using 2GB file(s) the x64 version of Midi Player is recommended. I do not know very much about SFZ files but as far as I know they do not handle banks at all.
But to tell you the truth I seriously doubt you will get smooth performance if you use 6GB SF2 files for real-time Midi listening...
Even the best sounding SF2 files are usually not bigger than some hundred megabytes.
SF2 is a 90's technology with a nostalgic factor 😀
If you want to use samples in the GB range I think using a modern DAW is a better choice.

Falcosoft wrote on 2022-01-05, 23:32:

2GB is the maximum possible file size in case of SF2 files. So you should make 3 separate SF2 files from the 3x127. For using 2 […]
Show full quote

dj.ti wrote on 2022-01-05, 23:09:

Falcosoft wrote on 2022-01-05, 22:52:

Midi Player already can handle 127 possible banks (even a single SF2 file can use 127 banks) . The limit of 10 is the usable SF2 files at once. I do not plan to extend this in the near future since I do not feel the practical advantages. If you have that many separate SF2 files that use only few banks you can merge them with a soundfont editor before using them.

Thank you for the quick reply. I combined 3x127 files in the SF2 bank, but the file itself can be up to 2GB (in Awave for example). Unless it can have more ?? Possibly, is it possible to make a bank on SFZ files ??

2GB is the maximum possible file size in case of SF2 files. So you should make 3 separate SF2 files from the 3x127. For using 2GB file(s) the x64 version of Midi Player is recommended. I do not know very much about SFZ files but as far as I know they do not handle banks at all.
But to tell you the truth I seriously doubt you will get smooth performance if you use 6GB SF2 files for real-time Midi listening...
Even the best sounding SF2 files are usually not bigger than some hundred megabytes.
SF2 is a 90's technology with a nostalgic factor 😀
If you want to use samples in the GB range I think using a modern DAW is a better choice.

I know that SF2 is an old format 😀 I need it to play voices from banks in the XG standard (MSB / LSB / PC) . Maybe can add support for SF3 format ??

dj.ti wrote on 2022-01-06, 10:26:

Falcosoft wrote on 2022-01-05, 23:32:

2GB is the maximum possible file size in case of SF2 files. So you should make 3 separate SF2 files from the 3x127. For using 2 […]
Show full quote

dj.ti wrote on 2022-01-05, 23:09:

Thank you for the quick reply. I combined 3x127 files in the SF2 bank, but the file itself can be up to 2GB (in Awave for example). Unless it can have more ?? Possibly, is it possible to make a bank on SFZ files ??

2GB is the maximum possible file size in case of SF2 files. So you should make 3 separate SF2 files from the 3x127. For using 2GB file(s) the x64 version of Midi Player is recommended. I do not know very much about SFZ files but as far as I know they do not handle banks at all.
But to tell you the truth I seriously doubt you will get smooth performance if you use 6GB SF2 files for real-time Midi listening...
Even the best sounding SF2 files are usually not bigger than some hundred megabytes.
SF2 is a 90's technology with a nostalgic factor 😀
If you want to use samples in the GB range I think using a modern DAW is a better choice.

I know that SF2 is an old format 😀 I need it to play voices from banks in the XG standard (MSB / LSB / PC) . Maybe can add support for SF3 format ??

SF3 support depends entirely from Bass/Bassmidi libraries. Bass already supports compressed samples (SFPack format: wavpack, flac etc.) and ogg compressed samples (SFogg).
But compression actually makes performance worse since Bassmidi has to decompress samples in real-time or beforehand (with 2 GB samples it could be a minute long process when preload option is selected).
Also SF2 is much more GS than XG oriented. It has only 1 bank dimension (by convention CC#0 - Bank MSB) while XG requires 2 bank dimensions (Bank MSB+LSB). So making a single XG compatible SF2 file is not possible even in theory.
You have to make multiple SF2 files to handle all bank combinations. But even if you do this Bassmidi's deafult XG mode only sets XG compatible Drum channel options and leaves variation Bank addressing in GS style (Bank MSB) while XG requires Bank LSB for variation tones. No to mention the lack of XG specific effect engine. That is almost entirely missing from Bassmidi (with the exception of reverb and chorus effects).
So if you want to play with XG compatible Midi files/games I seriously recommend that you should not use Bassmidi and/or SF2 files.
S-YXG50 VSTi is much better than any current or possible SF2 based implementations and it works perfectly with Midi Player.

hi

i have a "small" idea/request for your midi player 😀
how about adding support for gravis ultrasound patches ?

atm i have to use dosbox and playmidi player or TiMidity++ to play midis with gus sound
(to use gus pro patches lite 1.61 with TiMidity++ you need to create a custom cfg file
which looks similar to the ULTRASND.INI )

TiMidity++ works ok, but would be nice if your player would support gus (especially with ppl 1.61 patches)

btw if you plan to implement gus support
this is how the timidity cfg file looks with gus ppl1.61 patches

(pat files need to be in same folder as timidity++gui
and midi files need to be also in tmidity folder to be played with gus)

i used the same drum chanel bank numbers from the ultrasnd.ini file
for the timidity cfg file
i am 99,9% sure that all gus ppl1.61 drum kits work as intended 😀

timidity.cfg

K.A.R.R. wrote on 2022-01-28, 17:03:

hi […]
Show full quote

hi

i have a "small" idea/request for your midi player 😀
how about adding support for gravis ultrasound patches ?

atm i have to use dosbox and playmidi player or TiMidity++ to play midis with gus sound
(to use gus pro patches lite 1.61 with TiMidity++ you need to create a custom cfg file
which looks similar to the ULTRASND.INI )

TiMidity++ works ok, but would be nice if your player would support gus (especially with ppl 1.61 patches)

Hi,
Soundfont support depends entirely on Bass/Bassmidi libraries. Bassmidi currently only supports SF2 and SFZ. Choosing between the existing standard WinMM Midi Out ports, Bassmidi and VSTi output types can be confusing already.
I have no plan to add another external library and output type directly so no, direct GUS support is out of my current plans.
Maybe later if an external library exists that can be integrated to a VSTi instrument plugin...

Falcosoft wrote on 2022-01-28, 18:22:

I have no plan to add another external library and output type so no, direct GUS support is out of my current plans.

okidoki and thx for your fast reply