Windows 98 SE's MIDI sound style

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Posts: 6
Joined: 31 Ott 2016 - 00:50
Windows 98 SE's MIDI sound style

Back in 1999, I had a Gateway desktop running Windows 98 SE. I don't know what sound card it had, or if that card used any soundfonts. The machine could have been using the version of Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth that 98 had at that time. Whatever it was using, I loved how MIDI files sounded on it.

While most people are looking to make their MIDI files more realistic, I'm looking to make them sound like they did back in 1999 on Windows 98 SE. I have files that were downloaded 16 years ago or so, and on these more modern fonts they don't really sound as good.

are there soundfonts that demulate this sound that anyone knows of?

Thanks.

Posts: 102
Joined: 8 Mar 2014 - 22:29
Re: Windows 98 SE's MIDI sound style

The best way to replicate such behaviour is by opening C:\Windows\system32\drivers\gm.dls with Viena, then save it as a SF2.

Video: https://youtu.be/e1OaMFvSo4I

Posts: 6
Joined: 31 Ott 2016 - 00:50
Re: Windows 98 SE's MIDI sound style

After doing some more research into this, I wonder if what I'm looking for is in ecw format and not in sf2. The closest thing I've been able to find is a soundfont that emulates Yamaha.

Just to give an idea of what I'm talking about, I'm attaching a MIDI file. At the very beginning of the file, there's a sound that's rendered as a sort of chime using most soundfonts. The sound card I had rendered it as a sort of chirp similar to the sound bats make.

Attachments (Only registered users)
conquest.zip