New SC-88 owner with a ton of questions...

[KommisMar]

I recently purchased a used SC-88 off of eBay, and I've been playing with it for the last few days. I am really impressed with the way it sounds! I have had an MT-32 for a few years, so I was able to get the unit up and running fairly quickly, but the SC-88 is much more complicated and I'm basically a MIDI rookie. (This fact isn't helped by the fact that the unit didn't include a manual.)

I've been saving up my questions, planning to drop in here one day and see if I could find some help. If you folks could answer any of these, it would be much appreciated!

First, the most obvious one: Does anyone know where I can download a manual, or even just find a list of tips for the SC-88 online? I have found a lot of SoundCanvas fansites, but unfortunately, most are now nothing but dead links.

What is the difference between a GM reset and a GS reset? I learned these terms after getting frustrated with the fact that I had to turn the unit off and back on between songs in order to keep certain settings from holding over. I have found, though, that some tracks don't play correctly if I do a GS reset before playing them, which is a little surprising to me since the SC-88 is a GS device. The GM reset seems to work right.

How do I put the unit into SC-55 mode? I have noticed that none of the GS soundtracks on this site play correctly on my SC-88 (though the GM soundtracks sound fantastic). I tried the "SC-55 Map" button on the front, which doesn't seem to do anything. I have used a program called SendSX to try to send a SYSEX file which is proported to accomplish this, but the unit didn't even respond (I have no trouble sending SYSEX files to my MT-32 with the same program). Lastly, I tried a program called "XG/GS MIDI Jukebox" which has a "SC-55 Mode" toggle, and that also did nothing. The tracks play back exactly the same way.

Finally, what are some of the good MIDI downloading sites out there, aside from this one? (Particularly Sound Canvas or SC-88 - specific MIDIs.) I have been a regular visitor to this site since it opened, but Sierra only made so many games. ;-)

I don't care for MIDI covers of pop songs, but I do like videogame music and original compositions.

Here are a couple that I've found so far:

http://www.falcom.com/midi/mididown/
A large archive of MIDIs from Falcom games (Sorcerian shows up several times here), sequenced for SC-55, SC-88, and SC-88 Pro.

http://www31.ocn.ne.jp/~snb/midi.html
A collection of MIDIs from Squaresoft games, mostly sequenced for SC-88. The Chrono Trigger songs are particularly amazing - they sound exactly like the Super Nintendo versions (though much cleaner, obviously). I'm not sure how he pulled that off. Maybe the SNES music was tracked using SC-88 samples?

[Tom]

Fancia may be able to help you in terms of a manual, or where one might be online, or have some operator tips for you, though I believe her 88 is the "Pro" model.

If I'm not mistaken, a GS reset should encompass everything a GM reset does, which sets various parameters to their default values.  This doesn't sound like your problem.

The GS soundtracks on this site were designed for SC-55 GS, so I don't understand why they wouldn't playback on your 88 while in it's default mode; they'll sound a bit different (should sound better), but they should play properly.  And they should also play well in SC-55 mode.  That SC-55 map button should do the trick.  You may have to turn the power off, set the button to 55 mode, then turn the power back on.  My CM-500 is like that, but not my 8820.

...Fancia....HELP!....maybe you could shed some light on this?  I don't have a SC-88 or Pro and don't know the settings for them.

[Fancia]

Unfortunately, I don't have a manual, or know where to find one - I've been wanting one, too.

Pressing the SC-55 map button ought to do the trick, for changing to SC-55 mode; I couldn't say why it's not, since it has an immediate effect on my 88Pro.

As for MIDI sites - you can find just about anything you might want in terms of game songs at Computer Music Center. You'll need to search in Japanese, for most titles, but if you can overcome that hurdle you'll find it exceedingly useful. Searching Google with a game's title (Japanese, again) and SC-88 will also net results. Unfortunately, you'll find next to nothing in English.
If you like fusion jazz, you might like Taro's music; MacCaroke's fusion MIDIs are quite good, too. There's another I'd recommend, but the MIDIs have all disappeared from his page recently. :( Most of my links are on a currently-defunct computer, so I can't be quite as helpful as I might be.

(Edit: I just noticed that there don't seem to be 88 or 88Pro MIDIs at MacCaroke's site, as I rememebered their being. Sorry... there are a couple of SC-55 MIDIs, at least.)

(Return of the Living Edit: I just realized I had left out a particular favourite, Music Creators Group. This should teach me not to write forum posts at 1:30 AM. >.<;)

I must admit that the samples in the Chrono Trigger MIDIs sound a bit different to me; perhaps I've been listening to my OST a bit too often. :b But you will find that many games do use exactly SC-88 samples, Square games especially. Final Fantasy VII is almost entirely SC-88 samples, for instance; I have a number of quite accurate renditions downloaded. For that matter, even last year's Sword of Mana uses 88Pro samples.

[Alistair]

I don't know why a 55 MIDI would sound 'better' on a SC-88 than a SC-55.. surely it would playback optimally on the device it was composed for. Would be out of balance on a 'Super Sound Canvas'..

The 88 has a lot of pain in the ass buttons, I know, (I much prefer the 55 and ED, don't like my MU100R's buttons either) but still, playing around with it yourself, sending QuestStudios MIDI files to it and then pressing buttons and seeing what they do, is the best 'hands on' way to get used to a newer SC.

I don't like SC manuals very much, complicated ways of explaining relatively simple functions. SC-55 manual was fairly useless.. I learnt most SC functions from practice and this marvellous resource website.

GS reset should be used if you want the device to operate in GS mode, and GM reset if you want GM mode. Not that it really matters, of course, since you can access everything anyway. But a GM reset might not clear everything from memory if you've played a GS file, for example. You'd only know the difference for example if you played the SQ6 GM Soundtrack MIDI, which contains SysEx that isn't really General MIDI SysEx.

To utilise SC-55 mode, I suppose you have to use Creative Controller 32, where 0 is SC-55 mode and 1 SC-88 mode, or vice versa. (I forget.)

XG-GS MIDI Jukebox rules. Best utility ever.

For SC-88 MIDI's, I guess Japanese sites are the go. Most compositions for a SC-88 were done by people of that nationality, for obvious reasons.

Anything else, I'm sure Tom and I (and everyone else for that matter) will try and answer your queries.

Regards,
- Alistair

[Tom]

I don't know why a 55 MIDI would sound 'better' on a SC-88 than a SC-55.. surely it would playback optimally on the device it was composed for. Would be out of balance on a 'Super Sound Canvas'..

The obvious reason would be the improvement in SC's quality as they've emerged over the years.  The balances are only slightly affected with a few songs...maybe.  The GS files I've created on my original SC-55 sound better on my 8820 because the instruments sound better on the 8820.  The optimal mix is heard on the device they were created on, but up until the release of the SD-90, most SC's have been pretty much the same with instrument volume and velocity parameters.

[Alistair]

That's true. But I tend to find, especially on the Pro and 8820/50, where SC's changed a LOT, most 55 MIDI's for example play back weirdly on the default GM tones. 'Captain Quirk' for example. Awesome on the SC-55, poor in ED GM.

- Alistair

[Ari]

Maybe the SC-88's 55 map is better. I've heard a few people say they actually prefer the 88's sound (and it varients) to the 8850/20's.

[Alistair]

Yes, the SC-88 has a better 55 map. That's common knowledge, at least I thought so. It has similar sound characteristics to the SC-55,whereas the 88Pro and 8820/8850 sound quite different.

- Alistair

[KommisMar]

First off Fancia, thanks for those links. I actually enjoy Japanese jazz quite a bit. If you're a fan, maybe you could recommend an artist or two (non-MIDI)? Most of my exposure to the genre has been in the BGM for certain anime series (and video games), so I'm still quite the neophyte. I wish I could figure out where they come up with those chord progressions, though.

According to the Roland website, they sell reprints of their manuals. I was hoping to avoid that, though, because I have the manual to my MT-32 and would rate its usefulness at about nil. I learned everything I know about it from the resource center here and poking Tom's brain via email. So, I'm thinking the "play with the buttons" method sounds pretty good for learning how to use the SC-88.

But, if I can find the manual for free, it'd still be nice to have, right?

I wanted to post some examples of what I was talking about, with the GS soundtracks that don't seem to play back correctly. The "SC-55 Map" button seems to be the ticket - I have played with other MIDIs that I have downloaded, and the instruments actually do change on a couple of them when I hit the button. However, they do not change when I am playing the GS MIDIs on this site. To demonstrate, I hit the button a few times when recording each of these demos. Bet you don't hear a difference. The demonstrations compare what I hear when playing back the GS soundtracks on this site, versus the GM versions of the same.

(All files are in the 500KB range.)

http://www.msu.edu/~artmanja/lsl3gm.mp3
http://www.msu.edu/~artmanja/lsl3gs.mp3
http://www.msu.edu/~artmanja/silpgm.mp3
http://www.msu.edu/~artmanja/silpgs.mp3 (Clips slightly at the beginning - my fault.)

So what gives? Any ideas?


Incidentally, does anyone else with they could bottle up the MT-32's reverb and use it on everything? Even the SC-88 doesn't have quite that same warmth (I haven't found any reverb that does, on any device), although admittedly I haven't played with the settings yet.

[Alistair]

I vastly prefer SC reverb- sounds much more natural and realistic to my ears.

Much more professional when mixing, as well.. for my money, anyways.

Hall 1 at mid levels (say, turned down from 90 to 50 via SysEx) is closer to MT style reverb than Hall 2 (default SC reverb) is.

In answer to your QuestStudios GS MIDI query.. most files send a GS reset message at the start, which will reset your SC to SC-88 mode. So.. unless you delete that message and change your SC to 55 mode beforehand (or insert a CC 32) you will simply play back in 88 mode, and hear 88 instruments.

- Alistair

[George Montemayor]

First off Fancia, thanks for those links. I actually enjoy Japanese jazz quite a bit. If you're a fan, maybe you could recommend an artist or two (non-MIDI)?

You may have probably heard of this guy already but just in case, check out Motoaki Furukawa's work.  He was involved with the Konami pro-fusion music and I think was one of the founders of the Konami Kukeiha Club.  He produced a solo album under the Konami label titled "Sound Locomotive" which from a few comments I have read is supposed to be good although I haven't heard it myself.

[Fancia]

First off Fancia, thanks for those links. I actually enjoy Japanese jazz quite a bit. If you're a fan, maybe you could recommend an artist or two (non-MIDI)?

You may have probably heard of this guy already but just in case, check out Motoaki Furukawa's work.  He was involved with the Konami pro-fusion music and I think was one of the founders of the Konami Kukeiha Club.  He produced a solo album under the Konami label titled "Sound Locomotive" which from a few comments I have read is supposed to be good although I haven't heard it myself.

Oh, yes, he's definately quite good; I've heard his Policenauts F/N album.

KommisMar, who would you recommend? I must admit that my non-MIDI Japanese jazz experience is limited to game arrangements, T-Square, Dimension, and APJ, so I'd be interested to hear who you'd recommend.

[Laust]

I can recommend Casiopea if you like Japanese fusion/jazz-funk. I'd probably put them in between APJ and T-Square, style-wise (mind you, I don't consider myself very adept at categorizing music, but if you like those two, there's a good chance you'll like Casiopea too). A few sample tracks are available on request if anyone is interested

[Fancia]

Laust, I definately would be interested! I've only heard a tiny bit of their music, and then in SC-88/Pro MIDIs.

[Laust]

Okay, I will upload some tracks and send you a PM later.

[tbcarey]

Months later, I've something to add.. though I don't know if anyone is still in need of it, anyway.  The SC-88's manual is available on rolandus.com, as are most other sound modules' manuals. Here's the direct link:

http://www.rolandus.com/products/pdf_manuals/product_manuals_form.asp?Pdf=653&ProdId=SC-88&CatId=&SubCatId=