BASSMIDI MIDI driver for Windows Vista/7 (x64 incl.)

[Tarvis]

To clarify:

Someone had a issue with the current installer?

I first got the original version from Kode54's site, then uninstalled it and used your latest when that didn't work. Perhaps that's what caused the problem.

Anyway, due to the delay problem I think I'll stick with Timidity++ for games. However, I will definitely use BASSMIDI for things like FL Studio and Cakewalk!

[RichNagel]

Anyway, due to the delay problem I think I'll stick with Timidity++ for games.

That's weird that it does that (drop the first few notes), maybe it's the size of the soundfont that you're using.

I gave a test whirl using DOSBox running DOOM and then Duke Nukem 3D (with my WeedsGM3 soundfont; ~55 megs); no stutters or delays at all, and no dropped notes

(Intel P4 2.666GHz, 768MB RAM, Windows XP Pro w/ SP3)

[Tarvis]

It's only for certain games (like System Shock, where the entire game is paused while the next song piece loads. And they're only 10 seconds long.) Timidity++ has this problem too, if it isn't used with MIDI Yoke. If BASSMIDI could be expanded to use MIDI Yoke, then I'll probably use it for games as well.

[RichNagel]

Timidity++ has this problem too, if it isn't used with MIDI Yoke.

Any idea as to why would MIDI Yoke cause that (correct the problem)? Just a-wondering, as I use MIDI Yoke all the time, but simply for it's virtual "patch cable" capabilities (e.g. piping and chaining one thing to another, or piping the same source to multiple outputs).

[RichNagel]

If BASSMIDI could be expanded to use MIDI Yoke, then I'll probably use it for games as well.

BTW, one possible solution (I'm using Windows XP Pro SP3 (and had to set compatibility mode for W98) so's I'm not sure if this will work on Vista/7):

You could try the utility "MIDI Thruway". The author's page for the program is long-since gone, but you can snag it from the Internet Archive at http://replay.waybackmachine.org/200206 ... dithru.exe . This can be used in conjunction with MIDI Yoke and the BASSMIDI Driver.

For System Shock (I'm assuming that you're running it under DOSBOX), you could set up DOSBox to use MIDI Yoke for the MIDI device ("Out to MIDI Yoke 1"). From within a DOSBox command prompt, type "MIXER /LISTMIDI", and the number displayed next to "Out to MIDI Yoke 1" will be the entry that you add to your DOSBox.conf file's "midiconfig=#" line (under the "[midi]" section). See the attached pic for an example... in that example, "midiconfig=2".

DOSBox_Mixer_ListMIDI_Example.png

DOSBox "Mixer /ListMIDI" Example

(3.95 KiB) Not downloaded yet

In MIDI Thruway you would then set the MIDI input for "In from MIDI Yoke 1", and MIDI output to the BASSMIDI Driver.

MIDI_Thruway.png

MIDI Thruway with MIDI Yoke and the BASSMIDI Driver

(11.47 KiB) Not downloaded yet

Kind of a PITA, but if using MIDI Yoke seems to fix the delay problem for the BASSMIDI Driver, this might be a possible fix for ya

[Bregalad]

I might be a little late here but I downloaded Cakewalk 3.1 pro, and man it does have quite some features I've been lacking for years ! So many stuff I lost time to do by hand that it can do automatically such as remove part of controllers in a chain or things like that.

It will take a while until I can really understand how to use the new functionalities though.

[RichNagel]

I might be a little late here but I downloaded Cakewalk 3.1 pro, and man it does have quite some features I've been lacking for years ! So many stuff I lost time to do by hand that it can do automatically such as remove part of controllers in a chain or things like that.

Yeah, CWPro has all sorts of features that the "express" versions did not

It will take a while until I can really understand how to use the new functionalities though.

Another file that you might find handy -> ftp://ftp.cakewalk.com/Documentation/CW ... al8PDF.zip . That's the user's guide for CWP Audio v8.0, and a lot of the info in that guide also pertains to CWP3. One difference is that Twelve Tone Systems (in their "infinite" wisdom) removed the EXTREMELY handy "Faders" view for that newer version, and replaced it with another "sliders" sort of view (which is total CRAP IMHO).

Hence, the CWPA8 user's guide doesn't cover the older "Faders" view from CWP3... although, a lot of the other info in that guide is still useful

[RichNagel]

@Mudlord,

Just a status-report, the new version (that I'm unofficially calling "v1.05" <grin>) that you released on April 14 works without any problems (WXP Pro SP3)

[RichNagel]

Hey Mudlord,

Is something up with your web site? Seems that *everything* has disappeared, including the download for the latest version of the BASSMIDI driver

P.S. I also mirrored this message over at the Hydrogen Audio message forums... didn't know if you log in to that one more frequently than this one.

[mudlord]

Yes, C&D threats

Links updated.

[Rocco]

I finally built my new computer, installed Win7 64-bit, and am happy to say that the installer worked perfectly, and the drivers showed up immediately. I will be using BASSMIDI for all of my compositions that use soundfonts from now on.

I was under the impression that this also provided a way to increase the polyphony limit of the MSGS synth (which is crippled in Vista and 7), but I don't see any options for this.

MaliceX said:

Now we have a much more better avenue of using the GS soundset (Roland Sound Canvas soundfont variant) retrofitted with DSP us XG users got away murdering with.

But I have never heard of a Sound Canvas soundfont, only the gm.dls file in the Windows directory. At one point, I had a copy of Virtual Sound Canvas, but it was included in Sonar 5.0, which I no longer use. Any insight?

EDIT: I found a really good SC soundfont here, but it's not QUITE the same as MSGS.

[RichNagel]

I was under the impression that this also provided a way to increase the polyphony limit of the MSGS synth (which is crippled in Vista and 7), but I don't see any options for this.

Nope, the BASSMIDI Driver has nothing to do with the MSGS SW Synth (or it's operation). Two totally seperate animals... "apples and oranges", so to speak.

EDIT: I found a really good SC soundfont here, but it's not QUITE the same as MSGS.

As far as I can tell, that soundfont was originally based upon the GM.DLS file that is used by the MSGS SW Synth.

The "tuning" part prolly refers to:

The utility "AWave Studio" has the capability to convert DLS format sound sets to most any other sound set format, including the soundfont format (SF2). Unfortunately (at least with my experience with older versions of AWave Studio), it really butchers the sound of the final resulting soundfont... things WAY out of tune, instruments that don't play at all, and such.

Judging by the "comments" section embedded in the SCC1T2.sf2 soundfont file, it appears that it was originally converted from the original GM.DLS sound set. And I'm guessing, someone else prolly worked on it a bit more to correct the tuning and other problems with the original conversion.

[Rocco]

Thanks, Rich.

I'll make do with this soundfont, which actually sounds better than MSGS in a lot of instances, but will still shed a nostalgic tear for the passing of my softsynth of choice.

[YeRvftyeByfcvyte]

I feel the same way. Now I'm using this Arachno soundfont I found in... someone's signature here, forget whose, but a lot of my songs were made to sound their best with MSGS.

http://www.mediafire.com/?awazdqa9iilqdx1

My own rip of GM.dls with Awave. Sooo far the only thing that sounds wrong is one of the crash symbols. Not enough fade out. Haven't tested it with everything yet, so I dunno about tunings or missing instruments or anything.

[RichNagel]

I'll make do with this soundfont, which actually sounds better than MSGS in a lot of instances

Overall, the BASSMIDI Driver with most any soundfont will sound better than the bog-standard MSGS SW synth. The reason being, all of the MIDI controllers that the BASSMIDI Driver supports... the MSGS SW synth doesn't even support controllers as basic as reverb and chorus (MIDI CC 91 and 93).

My own rip of GM.dls with Awave. Sooo far the only thing that sounds wrong is one of the crash symbols. Not enough fade out. Haven't tested it with everything yet, so I dunno about tunings or missing instruments or anything.

The newer versions of AWave Studio just *might* do a better conversion. My experience with the utility was eons ago... I even forget what version that it was, but it was so old that it would run under Windows 3.x (with Win32s installed).