Quiet Music

[CrispyMallow]

I maxed out the Midi sound in my sound properties but music is noticably quieter than regular sound. The sound is fine when I use a software synthesizers like the Audigy SW synth or the Yamaha XG softsynth, but when I try to use hardware Audigy Synth A or Synth B (tried both General MIDI and Soundfont), the music is too quiet. Is there a remedy for this?

[Aaron]

You may need to adjust the volume for your card's synth.  Go to the Volume Control (Programs -> Accessories -> Entertainment -> Volume Control), go to Options -> Properties and check all of the boxes, and, see if you can raise your card's MIDI synth's volume.  If not, you can lower the rest of the volumes until they are about the same as the MIDI synth and then increase the volume on your speakers.

[CrispyMallow]

Even with the master slider and midi sliders maxed out, the sound is much quieter than it should be. The true MIDI volume can be heard when playing normal MIDI files or using software synthesis in FF7. I just don't get why hardware MIDI is dramatically quieter in only that game on my sound card. Does anyone else with an Audigy (not) suffer from this problem?

[KojiroTakenashi]

What chipset does your MoBo have?

[CrispyMallow]

Right now it's a via kt333, but I had the same problem when I had an intel 440bx.

[dgp9999]

I get that problem when I use the hardware synths on my Audigy. I haven't tried MIDI Out or Software Synth but I know it doesn't happen when I use Yamaha's YXG100. I'm using Windows 98SE, haven't tried it on Win2k. I used to have an SBLive! and it was perfecto wiht FF7. I think it's just a problem that affects Audigy cards. One of those little things that sensitive 'ol FF7 amplifies (or not, no pun intended). I'm going to say it's the new SoundFont system that Audigy uses.
Also, something that pisses me off, you can't import EA presets (made for Live!) into the Audigy EAX panel. Grrrr.

-Dan

[Sir Canealot]

Also, something that pisses me off, you can't import EA presets (made for Live!) into the Audigy EAX panel. Grrrr.

-Dan

!!!!!!!!

Happened to me to...

The volume thing happaned to me once with Yamaha Softsynth. I fixed it (kinda) by turning the sound volume down on the FFVII config in game, and simply turning the volume on my speakers up hella... it did the job any way.

[KojiroTakenashi]

Have you installed the latest VIA reference drivers?

[dgp9999]

I used the same mobo when I was using my SBLive. I don't think it's that cuz in any other MIDI proggy it's fine.

[mindjoker]

Try to install the SoundFont Manager that cames in the FF7 instalation CD, it usually solves the problem, and from times to times you may need to reinstall it again (after directx or drivers upgrades). Also note that on the FF7 And Audigy and even with the SFManager installed midi sound tends to be allways in a lower volume than wave but much much more less noticeable, a good way to solve all this is to upgrade to windows xp and to the latest audigy drivers with this combination i don't need to install the SFManager to get the right volume levels.

[Sir Canealot]

, a good way to solve all this is to upgrade to windows xp and to the latest audigy drivers with this combination i don't need to install the SFManager to get the right volume levels.

Yeah upgrade to XP and lose the ability to play FFVII Pc 100%  

[CrispyMallow]

I used XP, but it wouldn't get along with my CS (crashed every five minutes). My comp was noticably slower in everything it did (it would pause for no reason), which is a problem that wouldn't crop up on my other friends' XP installations. All this came off a fresh installation with latest drivers for everything. I had to revert to 98 for my precious CS, so I decided to try to get FF7 going while I was at it. The last time I played it, I had a Stealth S220 (Verite chipset). I think I used the NVIDIA patch to bypass the missing support for 8-bit paletted textures, but I was basically running around on a black background (I got through the game anyway because of the assist feature).

[mindjoker]

As i said upgrading to XP will solve the midi volume issues, as for the gameplay that will depend on the hardware combination, i can tell you that i have played FF7 from start to end with abosolutly no problem at all no crashes or anything, maybe it's luck, i had previously Windows ME and i played FF7 also without any problems except the midi volume witch was easily solved by the method i refered previously.