BS: Midi and Sound cards

Subject: RE: BS: Midi and Sound cards
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 10:56 PM

Not really sure what sound fonts are hesperis but I'd guess these are samples of real insturments and that we are taliking what I beleive is termed wave table synthesis in both configurations. Im assuming they both belong to this sound card as they only became availible to me on its installation. My guess would be one uses some internal chip and the other uses software to try to make the sounds from the samples.

There was BTW and probably still is in use something called FM synthesis. I don't believe any of the samples I have posted use this - the ones I have heard really sound like computer generated noises.

Look forward to hearing your clip.

Jeri, another thing to my ears is that the Yamaha banjo (main melody instrument) is the only one that sounds banjo like - perhaps a consideration if trying to arrange. The "reality" does vary from instrument to instrument but overall, I find the Yamaha sounds reasonably close with the other options going out further by varying degrees.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: Midi and Sound cards
From: hesperis
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 08:13 PM

"Two possible configurations"? SBLive uses soundfonts, doesn't it?

Anyway, I made a wav of my AWE64 playing that piece of yours... I don't know how soon I can get it up somewhere, but it should be interesting.

Subject: RE: BS: Midi and Sound cards
From: Jeri
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 06:02 PM

The Live Synth was very trebley. (Such a word?) It was very bright and sort of tinny.

The S/W Synth sounded awful muddy to me. Too much mid range.

The difference in the Yamaha just about blew me away, and there were lots of sounds that came out of hiding. I couldn't hear the string "hits" or the choir "oohs" at all with either of the other two. The bass was also a lot more prominent.

Subject: RE: BS: Midi and Sound cards
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 02:19 PM

And I need to know what to get to go with my new soon-to-arrive 'puder to take stuff off stereo tape and dump it into the CD burner.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Midi and Sound cards
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 01:24 PM

I've just noticed I have missed some of what I meant to say...

I would be interested to know how these samples compare with the same MIDI file played through other sound cards as it seems to me that variations in quality are great and making the right selection could well be the difference between enjoying MIDI and thinking MIDIs are awful.

Jon

Subject: Midi and Sound cards
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 12:04 PM

Thanks to Micca, I've been able to revert back to my 5 (I think) year old Yamaha daugter board and and happy with my MIDI again.

I thought others may be interested in the difference in sound between this and the two possible configurations of my new Sound Blaster Live card. This is a sort of middle of the road example - sometimes the differences are more striking than others.

The recordings in RM are not that brilliant but I have put them here together with the MIDI file I used.

Jon