Help Out a Noob (please!)

[C_Guy]

Hey everyone;

I'm a LONG-time Sierra fun but don't have a strong knowledge of MIDI synthesizers and such so I am hoping for some help. 

I've been thinking of buying a software MIDI synthesizer for awhile to improve the playback of Quest Studio's MIDI files.  Now that a majority of the files are available in digital (MP3 or OGG) format, I'm wondering if a software synth is necessary? 

As far as music quality during games, would a software synthesizer help here?  What if I need to run a game in DOSBox, can I use a software synth with that?

Thanks to anyone for their insight!

[jharris01]

Hello there and welcome to the forums.

If all you want is to hear the songs then I would say the MP3s/Oggs should be enough for you. As I understand from reading other threads many of those use a mix of Roland sound module devices and take the best instruments from each. A software synth is necessary if you want to play games that use MIDI playback or insist to play midi files instead of the digital soundtracks (maybe for a song that doesn't have a digital offering [yet]). Of course all of this is assuming you don't have a hardware sound module.

When you play a midi file on your Windows system you are already using the default software synth from Microsoft. It's not the best quality (at least for me) but it suffices for some people. Other choices you might want to try are Yamaha's S-YXG50, Roland's Virtual Sound Canvas (VSC), MUNT and SFZ Sample Player. They all got their pros and cons. Sound quality varies but all of them are better than the default Microsoft soft synth. Some may not work on Vista (all of them work on XP). Some are easier/harder to install. The biggest problem will be music delays while playing games. Some synths suffer from it greatly, others less or nothing at all.

Hope that helps.

[C_Guy]

Hi;

Thanks for the information!  In the past I have tried Roland Virtual Sound Canvas (VSC) and the Yamaha S-YXG50 but all I've ever been able to find are trial editions - no place to purchase a license?

I know that installing a software synth will work for Windows-based games but what about older Sierra titles?  KQ4, for example.  How can I get better sound through DOSBox?  Can I use a software synth or would I need a hardware module?

[Rhizome]

In the past I have tried Roland Virtual Sound Canvas (VSC) and the Yamaha S-YXG50 but all I've ever been able to find are trial editions - no place to purchase a license?

Support for them was dropped many years ago. They sometimes pop up on eBay, although I find the Virtual Sound Canvas has terrible latency issues.

I know that installing a software synth will work for Windows-based games but what about older Sierra titles?  KQ4, for example.  How can I get better sound through DOSBox?  Can I use a software synth or would I need a hardware module?

DOSBox simply outputs to the MIDI device you have set in Windows, so software based synthesizers will work fine.

[C_Guy]

That's just what I needed to know, thanks!