New soundfont for better MIDI

[K-j]

(EDIT: Much older demo links deleted).

CHASM CROSSFIRE
("The Swashbucklers")

The same old MIDI file that has been circulating on the web for years, I tweaked the panning, volume levels, and just a few velocities here and there.

It is simplified in a similar manner to the LucasArts games' MIDI tracks, complicated tempo changes are gone, a similar high and low strings method employed. Though it's simplified and cut down, it certainly still captures the mood, I feel.

https://soundcloud.com/gen-midi/star-wa ... sfire-midi

I'd be interested on opinions about how it sounds in general?

[Q]

I love the idea of replacing the original soundfonts with better ones. This has been done by several people over the past few years for X-Wing and TIE Fighter. For example here is the the Training Pod music from the TIE Fighter Re-Orchestrated project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX9yo4PQwzs Here is the intro from the X-Wing Re-Orchestrated project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXFkHMod6uo

[K-j]

I have downloaded the TIE Fighter one in the past. Whilst I like some of the epic-ness and space given to the sound, there are alterations and omissions, and seems to be a lot of reverb which has an overall dulling to the sound. The X-Wing one I hadn't seen before, and seems a more loyal translation, thanks for posting that.

The TIE Fighter one is in mp3 or Flac format, not sure if that X-Wing one is available yet, but they're just straight forward tracks. With my soundfont you load a bank of instruments' sounds & settings into RAM (using a program such as VirtualMIDISynth), and it will enable you to still play the original games with the changing interactive iMuse system, but sounding like those mp3s I posted, which are just basically demos of what MIDI sounds like on my system at the moment (WIP, I'm constantly tweaking things). I'm hoping to eventually set up a website for it and share for free so everyone can play the original games with better midi music. Of course it will work with all midi, so other games with midi will benefit too (DOOM, Indiana Jones and the whatevers, Duke Nukem, Return To Zork, Under A Killing Moon etc...). Some people may even use it for musical composition projects, especially if they can't afford more expensive alternatives.

[Q]

I have downloaded the TIE Fighter one in the past. Whilst I like some of the epic-ness and space given to the sound, there are alterations and omissions, and seems to be a lot of reverb which has an overall dulling to the sound. The X-Wing one I hadn't seen before, and seems a more loyal translation, thanks for posting that.

The TIE Fighter one is in mp3 or Flac format, not sure if that X-Wing one is available yet, but they're just straight forward tracks. With my soundfont you load a bank of instruments' sounds & settings into RAM (using a program such as VirtualMIDISynth), and it will enable you to still play the original games with the changing interactive iMuse system, but sounding like those mp3s I posted, which are just basically demos of what MIDI sounds like on my system at the moment (WIP, I'm constantly tweaking things). I'm hoping to eventually set up a website for it and share for free so everyone can play the original games with better midi music. Of course it will work with all midi, so other games with midi will benefit too (DOOM, Indiana Jones and the whatevers, Duke Nukem, Return To Zork, Under A Killing Moon etc...). Some people may even use it for musical composition projects, especially if they can't afford more expensive alternatives.

Here is a a project emulating the X-Wing iMuse music system to great effect! It uses new soundfonts but keeps the original midi tracks, go and check it out: http://azrapse.es/xwvm/ (You'll need the Unity Web Player)

[Fek'LeyrTarg]

Here is a a project emulating the X-Wing iMuse music system to great effect! It uses new soundfonts but keeps the original midi tracks, go and check it out: http://azrapse.es/xwvm/ (You'll need the Unity Web Player)

This iMuse project is basically the foundation on which Azrapse's XWVM is based:
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=11623

The reorchestration was done by Laserschwert.

[K-j]

Thanks for the link, Q. It does sound very good, much better than the old FM-synth (though the music was always awesome!).

Yeah I thought that was kind of what I'd heard in a video clip of the old game engine rebuilt. Great that it will be released with better midi from the off. Which is just as well, even though I've been trying to balance quality and file size, my soundfont is currently 1.76 GB uncompressed. So if people are still using older machines with low RAM (unless there are ways of using compressed formats like mp3 or Flac in soundfonts?)... Well, they might not be able to load it all into RAM at once (best option), but might still use it loading instruments as and when needed (which is said might introduce stuttering when loading on the fly).

Anyway it does sound good. It would be interesting to talk soundfonts with the creator(s) if possible, see which they thought were the best to use for whatever instruments etc. if they'd like. Or if they had troubles with anything, finding a certain instrument for instance. Call my people, let's do brunch.

[MajorParts]

I don't think Az is using any soundfonts for the original midi. He was given mp3 (or something...maybe ogg) files by someone who mixed down the midi with soundfonts/vst plugins

[K-j]

Thanks for the reply.

Oh right, the VST route. That's even more interesting if they have that, either pre-recorded files or VSTs being triggered by iMuse? "Very intriguing..." Plus ogg or mp3 formats will help keep the filesize down for distribution. I've got uncompressed 44kHz and maybe some 48kHz wav files to deal with so it's a much larger end result. Which is ok, if you have the RAM to spare.

[Rookie_One1]

So, who is work on it?

[K-j]

I'm not sure to which you're enquiring to now. I'm working on this soundfont individually, which is a completely separate project from the very promising X-Wing game engine rebuild which currently demonstrates it's own music method, as mentioned above.

[Rookie_One1]

sorry, was not awaken completly when I wrote my previous message and in that state, I tend to be completly incoherent in what I say or write.

I probably meant how the work is going on the soundfont

[K-j]

It's in an almost finished state. Currently it has a full General MIDI bank of 128 instruments, and some GM2/extra instruments. As I go through listening to this, that, and the other, testing and tweaking, balancing, I always come across something I wasn't quite satisfied with before so try to get things the best I can before release.

At the moment I'm going back to work on Distortion Guitar, and String Ensemble 1 (again). I'm also wondering if it's worth adding the extra drum/percussion sets or just leaving it with Standard and Orchestral as it is at the moment.

[nevara]

WOW, sounds really nice! Looking forward to it!

[K-j]

I nearly posted some more demos, the soundfont has reached a 'Release Candidate' state. Countless setting alterations later, some instrument swapping and removal, resampling/looping, some additional GM2 instruments and drumkits, nearly there. Only thing that stopped me posting more up to date demos is that I've been messing with both the string section preset settings again. But it is sounding much better to me, and should be worth all the extra effort.

One of the things I've readdressed is the reverb settings, global and preset values. I almost uploaded some demos as stated above, again the mp3s loose clarity and the kind of soundstage space I've been trying to recreate particularly for the main orchestral instruments.

A more recent demo should be forthcoming.

[nevara]

We shall watch your career with great interest

[K-j]

^

So this went from RC status to having a major overhaul. I found that some soundfonts I used were commercially released, so I removed those, found some more damned good free stuff, and it's sounding much better, better than ever!

I need to optimise the String Ensemble (lots of instruments in there meaning lots of active voices, probably resulting in slow down on older machines). I need to get the reverb right, it sounds much better now but listening to it on different sound systems, it could still do with turning up. I just don't want it over the top as others have done in the past. It's going to sound so different on different systems anyway. Tough to get a balance.

I want to release some new demos as the others are old hat now, but I know I'm almost there now and very soon newer demos would sound different to the finished release.

[K-j]

Project not abandoned, I've been working on it constantly.

New demo finally posted, much improvement over the old demos:

GEN MIDI (WIP) - Superman - Prelude and Main Title March

[Justagai]

Glad to see this is still going!

[K-j]

I've been having many troubles with Windows 10, so not much work done for a fair few months. Even considering crowd funding, so frustrating.

But amongst some things, I have managed to get what I think to be better reverb settings that shape the sound fairly well for the old MIDI synth engine. Here's a couple of new demos, one for Christmas, and one for some more John Williams appreciation.

The_Snowman_-_Walking_In_The_Air
http://k007.kiwi6.com/hotlink/2vhn16pqw ... he_Air.mp3

John_Williams_-_Olympic_Spirit
http://k007.kiwi6.com/hotlink/9aqf3f5nz ... Spirit.mp3

Merry Christmas everyone.

[K-j]

Hello there!

Despite many technical difficulties I have still been trying to work on my soundfont. Before my working MIDI HDD started giving SMART errors and requires 'immediate backup' (I've disconnected it for now), I rendered some recent demos of a John Williams MIDI and some inflight X-Wing MIDIs. If anyone can listen to these on different speakers, or just a setup you're used to and let me know what you think? Be it credit or critique, any input or advice is welcome, thank you.

John Williams MIDI (mp3)
http://k007.kiwi6.com/hotlink/tu2ah5zos ... _2021_.mp3

X-Wing MIDIs (OneDrive zip file of WAVs)
https://1drv.ms/u/s!ApDMaHDx0bwNg00etiA ... x?e=M1PO2G

[Rookie_One1]

oh nice!

[K-j]

Thank you kindly.

Can anyone say anything about the reverberation? It's one thing I have been able to work on, even though I only have four dials to play with I have spent much time trying to figure it out.

[K-j]

Never mind. I knew I could get it better. This should sound more upfront, this is more like it:

LINK DELETED

I should post some STAR WARS midis. Some in particular sound really good, though at the same time reveal what needs fixing in the soundfont.

[K-j]

OK, OK, so, I went a bit too much in the wrong direction there, from too boomy to a little too dry. This should be more balanced:

http://k007.kiwi6.com/hotlink/mmapb5vn0 ... 022_v2.mp3

Any thoughts and input please? I don't have any great speakers to test properly.

[K-j]

Some in flight MIDIs and Asteroid Field (Concert Version):

https://1drv.ms/u/s!ApDMaHDx0bwNg053EHc ... o?e=NkEZAJ