improved soundfont for FF7?

[pyrozen]

I've been enjoying the hard working of many people since i found this forum a few weeks ago.  There's some great content on here, espically since it convinced me to dust off my copy of FF7 for the 50th time. 

Anyways, here's what i'm currently running:

1.02 patch w/chocobo patch
motorcycle/snowboard frame limit
NPC reconstruction (not phoenix)
saint's highres patch
MIDI through windows

Anyway, i want to improve the quality of the music.  I've tried FF7music with OST remastered and had all of my mp3s queued up correctly, but the game refuses to start when ff7music is open.  All the required .dlls are present, and i'm not getting the error messages that many users do.  I got tired of messing with it and scraped the idea all together.  What i'm looking for would be an improved soundfont, if one exists, that i could replace my windows XP default with.  I have no idea how to go aobut this, of if it is even possible, but i figured someone on here ought to know.  If not it isn't a big deal, i'm re-enjoying the game all over again with the content i've found on here.

Thanks to everyone who's made this game better!
lee

[Landarma]

I've been enjoying the hard working of many people since i found this forum a few weeks ago.  There's some great content on here, espically since it convinced me to dust off my copy of FF7 for the 50th time. 

Anyways, here's what i'm currently running:

1.02 patch w/chocobo patch
motorcycle/snowboard frame limit
NPC reconstruction (not phoenix)
saint's highres patch
MIDI through windows

Anyway, i want to improve the quality of the music.  I've tried FF7music with OST remastered and had all of my mp3s queued up correctly, but the game refuses to start when ff7music is open.  All the required .dlls are present, and i'm not getting the error messages that many users do.  I got tired of messing with it and scraped the idea all together.  What i'm looking for would be an improved soundfont, if one exists, that i could replace my windows XP default with.  I have no idea how to go aobut this, of if it is even possible, but i figured someone on here ought to know.  If not it isn't a big deal, i'm re-enjoying the game all over again with the content i've found on here.

Thanks to everyone who's made this game better!
lee

If you're about to use GM data or Y-GM Data, you can search for soundfonts like Fluid 3, SGM v2.  If you're about to use AWE data, try somedude41's.

[pyrozen]

okay, i'm using the xp default GM.dls file and i can't forthe life of me figure out how to adapt the file for fuild 3 or SGM into a usable format.  The files i've downloaded contain sfARK files.  I've found a utility to decompress these archives, but i'm left with sf2 archives, which only work with SB! Live cards.  I'm very computer literate, but i'm confused on how i'm supposed to use these files.  Any help is much appreicated.

lee

[Landarma]

okay, i'm using the xp default GM.dls file and i can't forthe life of me figure out how to adapt the file for fuild 3 or SGM into a usable format.  The files i've downloaded contain sfARK files.  I've found a utility to decompress these archives, but i'm left with sf2 archives, which only work with SB! Live cards.  I'm very computer literate, but i'm confused on how i'm supposed to use these files.  Any help is much appreicated.

lee

There's way to use soundfont without SB sound cards via Timidity++(I made a clip for that, but I can't link to that since YouTube is currently on maintenance..).  Or, alternately, if your OS is Windows XP or earlier, you can search for Yamaha Y-XG50 WDM(I don't think it will work for Vista or later).

**Now Youtube returned to normal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LpA13h93BQ

[pyrozen]

thanks a ton! I couldn't figure out how to get Timidty++ working, but the Y-XG50 softsynth works great.  The built in soundbank almost sounds better than the one thats available on csomedude41's website.  One thing i've noticed though, when using windows default MIDI, i never got any crashes, but using this softsynth and someguy41's soundfont, crashes are much more prevelant.  Not sure if it's the soundfont or the softsynth, i'll do some experimenting the next few days and try to pin it down.

lee

[pyrozen]

well i figured out the cause of my crashes.  Using the Y-XG softsynth with somedude41's soundfont causing random crashing in my game.  It works and sound good, but the crashes are too random to play continually like that.  The soundfont that comes stock with y-XG sounds phenomal though.  It's different than the PS music, but it sounds much more full and alive than the default windows version.  I'd recommend it to anyone who doesn't have a SB! card and wants to improve the music with out bunch of hoops to jump through.

lee

[Landarma]

Huh?  Y-XG50 has its own wavetable, while somedude41's SB soundfont is replacement of FF7 PC default soundfont.  Well, I haven't had problem with installing all three of Roland Virtual Sound Canvas, Yamaha Softsynth XG-50, and TwSynth(MIDI device version of TiMidity++).

[Trenholm]

Damn even just using the sound blaster live features makes it sound better

[pyrozen]

well i got twsynth working as well last night and it sounds pretty good, though i still think YXGs built in instruments sound better.  Maybe not true to the PSX original, but they don't sound as flat and cold.

[Trenholm]

I noticed as soon as I changed it to the soundblaster specific driver, the instruments immediately sounded better, smoother, and better articulated (as a musician you can really notice these things).  However it kills me that it seems like there's no good MIDI  electric guitar.  It always sounds terrible.  Can never get the boss music to sound exactly how I want it.  Oh well, only so much one can do.  It already sounds MILES better than the microsoft MIDI driver.

[Landarma]

However it kills me that it seems like there's no good MIDI  electric guitar.  It always sounds terrible.

I agree.  Getting good distorted/overdriven guitar sound is.... too hard.