Author Topic: I need some ff7 aid (Read 14091 times)

KojiroTakenashi · « **Reply #25 on:** 2002-10-14 15:28:07 »

I think in some respects Yamaha instruments and the like can improve stuff...

dgp9999 · « **Reply #26 on:** 2002-10-14 18:54:29 »

Which is better quality, XG50 or XG100?

Goku7 · « **Reply #27 on:** 2002-10-14 21:12:40 »

The S-YXG100 in theory will understand the more of the more advanced SysEx messages (they seem to have a few more Variation Effect parameters than the S-YXG50), but for FF7 purposes that is a moot point, the since the game's XG soundtrack will play back correctly on even the S-YXG50.

However, I'll say it again, when I tested the performance FF7 had when using the S-YXG100 in comparison to its previous performance using the S-YXG70, I did notice the S-YXG100 did respond faster than the S-YXG70.

And, yes, I totally agree that the XG soundtrack really does bring FF7's music to a new level. My only gripes, though, are the fact that it doesn't have a French horn sample that sounds like the traditional Squaresoft one (the one found in the Soundfonts), and the fact that when using the XG soundtrack, OWA is only an Instrumental, which means no lyrics for me.

Oh, and one more thing. In case some of you are envying the fact that I can use my XG hardware synth in-game, let me tell you, that compared to the softsynths, my hardware doesn't have any bass emphasis. However, I suppose that that 2.1 subwoofer system I got for free a few month's back could make up for it, but still, I would have prefered the enhanced bass that the Softsynths seem to have.

J* H***** · « **Reply #28 on:** 2002-10-15 05:42:14 »

Message

dgp9999 · « **Reply #29 on:** 2002-10-15 08:15:55 »

The first time I played FF7, I used the XGLite of XG70. It sounded cool, but when I changed to XGSoft it was even better. Then I changed to the FF7 SoundFonts, vocals but crappy sounding. Then I got the XG Soundfont by one of you lot (sorry, I can't remember your name!).
The Audigy cards are so quiet on FF7. What causes this and how can I fix it?

Goku7 · « **Reply #30 on:** 2002-10-15 22:22:26 »

Quote from: Jari Huttunen

Quote from: Goku7
Oh, and one more thing. In case some of you are envying the fact that I can use my XG hardware synth in-game, let me tell you, that compared to the softsynths, my hardware doesn't have any bass emphasis. However, I suppose that that 2.1 subwoofer system I got for free a few month's back could make up for it, but still, I would have prefered the enhanced bass that the Softsynths seem to have.

Heh, get a real DB50XG, it has even the bass emphasis (apparently S-YXG70 is meant to be a software counterpart for one of those). In addition you'll get twice as large sample set (4MB instead of 2 MB carried by the softsynth).

Here's one, complete with the manual and cd-rom: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2061733519 Another one, although without the extras and really high price tag: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=912918438

You'll need a compatible soundcard to use one of them, pretty much everything from Creative before Live! will do, and other manufacturers still make PCI-based cards with WaveBlaster connector.

There's another alternative; DB60XG. It's identical to 50, except that it's a stand alone card instead of a daughterboard. Unfortunately it's ISA-card, which kinda makes it difficult to use in modern motherboards.

Believe me, the first thing I looked for was the DBXG50. Couldn't find it in any stores, and I wasn't exactly able to order it online.

Then, I found this card, which was the only one on the store shelves that did XG in a hardware solution (I still had only a 233mhz at the time, so I couldn't afford to get a new card and still wind up with software XG), and it was capable of EAX 1.0, 2.0, and A3D 1.0, and it claimed to have Hardware DLS (which it doesn't with the original drivers....took me a year and a half to find WDM drivers that let it do that, but then I lost the EAX/A3D capability), and then I saw the price tag (a mere $45 or so), and I basically jumped at the chance.

And besides, like I said, my subwoofer makes up for the missing bass emphasis.

KojiroTakenashi · « **Reply #31 on:** 2002-10-15 23:51:48 »

Ah, so these cards hook up to your main sound board? Interesting...that explains the connector dingy.

Rubicant · « **Reply #32 on:** 2002-10-16 08:24:00 »

Aaron, can you still get me a copy of the synthesizer driver that was included with ff7? I enjoy the newer ones that you and goku7 have brought to my attention, but I would like to try the older one out too...

Thanks

Aaron · « **Reply #33 on:** 2002-10-16 12:06:47 »

Ah yeah, forgot about that.

Uploading now...

[Edit] Done, sending you a private message with the URL.

Rubicant · « **Reply #34 on:** 2002-10-18 10:06:38 »

Thanks you guys for helping me out and giving me ideas about the yamaha XG synths. I have finall come to a conclusion on which is the best.
As far as instrument quality goes, I would rate XG-100plus the highest.

As far as compatibility with ff7, I would rate XG-50 and XG-70 highest.
With the XG-100plus combined with ff7's midis, some of the instruments are missing (organs on cait sith's theme, piano in aerith's theme). This can be somewhat annoying. I have also noticed a little bit better response time with the XG-50 overall.

Oh, and by the way "The man with the machine gun" (Laguna's battle theme) sounds wonderful with the yamaha softsynth drivers..of course with the right instruments

Goku7 · « **Reply #35 on:** 2002-10-18 20:55:31 »

That's odd.....what MIDI data setting did you use in the config?

If you tried to set it to "General MIDI" the way the XG70 prefers it, then that could be why.

When I used the XG100Plus on FF7, it preferred the "XG MIDI" setting, as if it was a hardware synth. Perhaps that'll give you a little more compatibility.

Aaron · « **Reply #36 on:** 2002-10-18 21:19:39 »

XG70 prefers General? I've used it on XG and it sounds five billion times better. (Only if you go to the XG70 control panel and change it from "XG Lite" to "XG Soft")

Goku7 · « **Reply #37 on:** 2002-10-18 21:30:03 »

Strangely enough, the XG70 appears to work on the config program with XG MIDI selected, but in-game all I get is silence, so I figured that that's what everyone else gets when they try to do that with the XG70.

Of course, I agree that the XG Data set is 5 billion times better...

Also, in case you didn't notice, there are two GM MIDI data sets. When it detects that its using both the GM data and the XG70, it uses the second GM package, which is a slightly altered XG data package.

Rubicant · « **Reply #38 on:** 2002-10-18 22:54:20 »

I only use XG Midi data when using the yamaha softsynths. I extracted all of the XG midi files from the lgp files, and cait sith's theme and aeris's piano theme were missing instruments. You think they would work in-game?

Goku7 · « **Reply #39 on:** 2002-10-18 23:00:59 »

Well, all I can say is that according to the manuel, the XG70 should be used with the GM data setting.

But, there is a noticeable difference between the XG MIDI data version of "Fighting", and the GM MIDI version the game uses when you select the XG70. The latter version doesn't have the gong, but the former one does.

And, I'm a little surprised that the XG package is missing some instruments, since I use the XG MIDI data setting with my XG hardware, and I haven't noticed any missing instruments on those two themes.

Yes, I have heard the SF2 Data packages version of those themes, so I do have something to compare it against. However, I've only heard the SF2 being used with the 512k SF provided by Squaresoft, so I don't know how much I'm missing, sample-wise.

Rubicant · « **Reply #40 on:** 2002-10-18 23:12:30 »

Oh well..It's no big deal anyways. I've worked my own way around it.

Can someone please enlighten me on how ff8 music works? Were there any soundfonts or yamaha compatibility included with the game?

Goku7 · « **Reply #41 on:** 2002-10-18 23:24:18 »

Well, FF8's a whole other animal, but fortunately a little more DirectX friendly.

The default configuration programs do NOT let you use any of your MIDI hardware if it can't handle DLS. That's one of the main reasons behind the creation of the FFSF's version of the config.

Second, DLS is basically software Soundfonts, only with the plus of being available on nearly all computers regardless of the soundcard, since the functionality is built into DX6 (or is it 6.1?). Anyway, on the FF8 Install CD, there is a DirectMusic upgrade for the S-YXG50/70/100 series, but it really doesn't do much for soundtrack quality, as there are all but 2 or 3 XG-specific songs in the soundtrack, plus both the MS synth and the yamaha synth still use the same DLS file, which unfortunately is built upon a DLS conversion of the Bank 0 instruments from the XG20 series, otherwise known as the XG70's "XGLite" mode.

But, that's where the FFSF Project comes in. Squaresoft put together a rather poor DLS file in comparison to the PSX soundtrack's samples, but it still had a lot of potential, which you can see by comparing the original PC soundtrack with my Improved Tracks patch, since both are geared for the Original DLS, so you're still dealing with the same sample set file.

Rubicant · « **Reply #42 on:** 2002-10-18 23:29:49 »

ok, just wondering. I don't even have ff8 (for the pc). I was just curious.

KojiroTakenashi · « **Reply #43 on:** 2002-10-19 00:38:57 »

The game's music sounds superb with my wunder-hardware X3
Speaking of which...how do I get the Orchestral DLS to work?

eerrrr · « **Reply #44 on:** 2002-10-19 19:31:22 »

I downloaded Samuel's DLS for FF8 the other day, along with Fice's plugin for Winamp, and I gotta say the music's amazing. The DLS came with the SGT files, so I used those. The sound quality's the same, if not better, than the PSX version, I felt quite nostalgic listening to replicas of the original songs. Plus the fact that they were MIDI and not MP3 was a nice change for me.

Now, how will I manage to listen to the music AND play the game?...

Oh, just wondering, I know this is a little off-topic, but does anyone else find that Winamp crashes when you try to seek through an SGT song using Fice's plugin?

Goku7 · « **Reply #45 on:** 2002-10-19 20:45:38 »

It has to do with the fact that Fice's plugin is still working out the length of the segment when you are searching back and forth within the song.

Take a close look at the Total Song Length being displayed by Winamp when you click play. It should be all over the place, giving you a numerical value that won't stay put, at least until the plugin finally figures out the length; at that point you should notice that the total being displayed will stabilize on a certain value.

At that point, you should be able to search thru any point in the song without it crashing.

Note, though, that this is all theoretical, as I've gotten it to work without crashing on my system by using that approach. Your actual milage may vary.

Aaron · « **Reply #46 on:** 2002-10-19 23:44:18 »

I use the FF8 Configurator (version 2.0) to play music from FF8. It lets you seek through the SGT and loops and everything.

eerrrr · « **Reply #47 on:** 2002-10-20 12:38:08 »

Winamp finds the total length of the SGT almost straight away for me, but even then I still get an illegal operation box after seeking. Then I found that if you pause, seek, then unpause it doesn't crash.

Aaron: Interesting. I've never used any of those programs before as I don't own FF8. Oh, and Fice's plugin loops fine, but I'll try FF8 Configurator anyway,

Thanks.

Author Topic: I need some ff7 aid (Read 14091 times)

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