Roland SC-55 Soundfonts Compared + 500 soundfont pack w/ download!

[Doomkid]

I made a WAY TOO BIG video comparison of 500 GM-compatible soundfonts using the E3M1 midi:

 

 

 

 

Download zip (37 GB) - https://archive.org/download/500-soundfonts-full-gm-sets/500_Soundfonts_Full_GM_Sets.zip

Torrent (faster than zip) - https://archive.org/download/500-soundfonts-full-gm-sets/500-soundfonts-full-gm-sets_archive.torrent

Full Soundfont list - https://archive.org/download/500-soundfonts-full-gm-sets/500_Soundfonts_Full_GM_Sets.zip/

 

…and here are 25 variants of the SC-55 soundfont!

 

Download - https://archive.org/details/sc-55-roland-25-gm-soundfonts

 

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I decided to make a "sampler pack" of 40 popular/nice sounding soundfonts for the Doom soundtrack!

 

 

I compiled these all into easy packs for newcomers to spare the grief of spending hours upon hours looking for satisfactory soundfonts. Coming soon is a comparison of various drum soundfonts as well as an instructional video for newbies on how to set up VMS with various soundfonts and even layer them for an optimal sound.

 

The pack includes the following soundfonts:

 

8MbGM_Enhanced18.sf2
8MbGM_SFX.sf2
32MbGMStereo.sf2
44GMgsmt.sf2
Airfont_380_final.sf2
Arachno SoundFont - Version 1.0.sf2
Chaos Bank v1.9.sf2
ChoriumRevA.sf2
Ct4mgm.sf2
Ct8mgm.sf2
DooM.sf2
ESS Tech 3 MB GM.sf2
FluidR3 GM.sf2
GeneralUser GS v1.471.sf2
GM.sf2
GM2 Map Soundfont.sf2
Gravis Ultrasound.sf2
Industrial_Dance_PC.sf2
JnsGM2.sf2
Masterpiece.sf2
MIRACLE.sf2
Mustheory2.sf2
Nintendo_Soundfont.sf2
OPL-2_FM_v2_FAT.sf2
OPL-3_FM_128M.sf2
Power GM 1.5.sf2
Reality_GMGS_falcomod.sf2
SC-55 Deemster [GZDoom].sf2
SC-55 EmperorGrieferus.sf2
SC-55 JMSexton.sf2
SC-55 Patch93.sf2
SCC1T2.sf2
SGMv2.01-GuitsPlusBass-V1.4.sf2
SnesDoom.sf2
Timbres of Heaven GM_GS_XG_SFX V 3.4 Final.sf2
Unison.sf2
WeedsGM3.sf2
Yamaha DB50XG Presets.sf2
Yamaha XG sound set re-map.sf2
Yamaha XG.sf2

 

Download it HERE: http://www.mediafire.com/file/pp6ny49tte7n8b2/40soundfonts.rar/file

Download the "best" 20 here, good for people with poor internet: http://www.mediafire.com/file/lp4xs7qvz5n98if/20soundfonts.rar/file

Download 10 great drum soundfonts to layer over top of any existing soundfont: http://www.mediafire.com/file/gi91si9fmoxd5fa/10soundfonts_drums.rar/file

 

For fans of gm.sf2 / Scc1t2.sf2, there are fixed for each here! Scc1t2 has out of tune pianos and GM.sf2 has bad volume levels for instruments, these downloads are improved versions that remove those issues:

http://dev.nando.audio/_static/sf2/__Florestan_Basic_GM_GS.zip

https://musical-artifacts.com/artifacts/724/RLNDGM.SF2_for_SoundFont-Midi-Player-Android.zip

 

EDIT: Just added a sampler for 10 drum soundfonts! Great for layering on top of other soundfonts:

 

 

Roland_GM_Drum_Kit.sf2

GiantSoundfontDrumkit2.1.sf2

HardRockDrums.sf2

HardRockDrumsV3.sf2

MelottiDrums.sf2

RealAcousticDrums_5.sf2

StandardDrumKit_by_Charlie.sf2

TamaRockSTAR.sf2

TamaRockSTAR2.sf2

UltimateDrums.sf2

 

Hopefully this is of some use to you all!

 

EDIT over a year later - here’s a comparison of 200 of the damn things!

 

 

Here’s where to download them:

 

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/mobile/folders/1EI2R4QMsJI5Vzemps8wz3rq97YKxja5l

 

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/mobile/folders/1492myFXb_4aG1HsQ4aNA4DcL2SUNVvYL

[dmslr]

GJ! It will be very useful! Thank you!

35 minutes ago, Doomkid said:

SC-55 Deemster [GZDoom].sf2
SC-55 EmperorGrieferus.sf2
SC-55 JMSexton.sf2
SC-55 Patch93.sf2

Which do you guys prefer?

[Doomkid]

Patch93 by a mile, that's just me though. EmpGriefer is second place, the others have too much bass. Which is nice for some songs, but it sounds kind of weird for Doom.

 

EDIT: Just added a drum soundfont comparison as well using E2M1, since it famously starts with a sweet little drum solo!

Edited July 5, 2020 by Doomkid

[seed]

Nice, but oh god Mediafire links... I'm triggered.

 

At any rate, my go-to fonts are SGM v2.1, just_t4_fixed, Masterpiece, Scc1t2, Arachno, ChoriumrevA, eawpats, Patch93's SC-55 & EmperorGrieferus', and Shadow 1.0. For the IWADs I usually use SC-55 and some SC derivatives since it sounds strange otherwise, but the others for mods.

[SyntherAugustus]

Do you have thoughts regarding UHD? (Link in youtube description)

 

 

[Doomkid]

Ooh, haven't heard that one til now. Will have to give it a proper go and let you know! Based on the previews using Duke music, it sounds quite good.

[Dimon12321]

Arachno doesn't sound that good with Doom music, but makes custom WAD music sound better. WeedsGM3 has good arrangements too, but not for all instruments. Otherwise, SCC1T2 and SC-55 Patch93 are my favorites.

[DynamiteKaitorn]

GeneralMidi will always be my waifu. uwu

SC-55 Deemster sounds quite similar to GM but with small enhancements whilst keeping it midi-esque.

[vanilla_d00m]

Gem thread!!!

 

Nice to hear E1M1 somany different ways.  Have not seen the video yet, wonder if anything on the list will sound better then OPL3 to me.

[markanini]

Scc1t2

[CyberDreams]

On 7/5/2020 at 2:15 PM, Doomkid said:

Patch93 by a mile, that's just me though. EmpGriefer is second place, the others have too much bass. Which is nice for some songs, but it sounds kind of weird for Doom.

 

EDIT: Just added a drum soundfont comparison as well using E2M1, since it famously starts with a sweet little drum solo!

Lately i've been using that EmpGriefer one and i'm loving it! I have not tried to overlay any drums though. I think the drums sound decent enough with that patch, imo.

 

I am tempted to try with another patch though. Maybe i'll watch your new vids that are on your youtube channel and figure it out lol.

Edited July 9, 2020 by CyberDreams

[plums]

Nice sampler! E1M1 is an interesting choice of tune, since it's very thrash metaly in a way that none of the other Doom OST songs really are, and also in a way that doesn't sound great with a lot of MIDI guitars. I guess maybe it makes a good trial by fire for people who want good sounding guitars, though.

 

I'm curious if you have any specific examples of songs where you think Patch93's SC-55 soundfont is better than EG's? I'm trying to prep some soundfonts to make a tutorial for using them on Linux, which is unfortunately not as simple as using something like Virtual MIDI synth and requires a bit of editing of the sf2 files in some cases to make them sound OK, and I'm wondering whether its worth having both SC-55 options available.

[Doomkid]

To anyone who isn't insanely pedantic about their audio, either the Patch93 or EmpGriefer should both be as good as one another. I just prefer the samples in the Patch93 one, it's hard to say which one is actually "better" - You're definitely getting more bang for your buck with Patch93 though since it's about 1/3rd the filesize.

 

One of my test MIDIs for ambience is E2M2, another tester is GMDANC00.MID (which was used in Dwango5) for more dancey or poppy stuff, and of course E1M1 since it is a "harsh" test for guitars - Other metal tracks in Doom like D_E1M4, D_INTER, D_E3M1, etc tend to be a bit more forgiving due to their low pitch. Since it's a pretty high-pitched song, E1M1 is good for seeing if the guitars still sound good even getting into that higher range, which is where most guitar soundfonts fall apart in my experiences. I found the Patch93 SC-55 sounded great for everything I threw at it.

Edited July 9, 2020 by Doomkid

[Paf]

Do you know something that I can modify sound fonts with, Thanks for taking your time?

Edited July 13, 2020 by Paf

[Doomkid]

There's software called Viena out there that allows you to edit soundfonts. I wasn't able to do so successfully, but the program did work fine and everything, I just didn't understand it.

[plums]

5 hours ago, Paf said:

Do you know something that I can modify sound fonts with, Thanks for taking your time?

Try Polyphone: https://www.polyphone-soundfonts.com/download

[Paf]

Thank you both.

Edited July 14, 2020 by Paf

[Paf]

Nvm I found how

Edited July 14, 2020 by Paf

[Paf]

On 7/13/2020 at 11:30 PM, plums said:

Try Polyphone: https://www.polyphone-soundfonts.com/download

Seems like my computer can't run it because it couldn't start correctly, I've tried multiple times.

Edited October 10, 2023 by Paf

[NightFright]

I know it's been almost a year since the last post here, but I wanted to mention one soundfont that hasn't been covered here: Bill90's Masquerade55. It's also SC-55-like, and while it may be less accurate than other soundfonts of its kind, it convinces by its small filesize (17 MB). It's meant primarily for gaming, and as such it's doing a great job. All relevant classic tracks from Descent, ROTT, Doom or Duke3D sound the way they are supposed to. 

 

Everybody has their own preferences. Anyway, keeping in mind that especially Doom and Duke3D soundtracks were composed for the SC-55, a soundfont imitating that specific synth is never a bad idea. For MIDIs that come with current addons, things might be different, but for me, Masquerade55 is a good default. Another favorite of mine is the 8MBGM-Enhanced, which was also especially made for Descent and LucasArts adventures, but doing a great job in classic shooters as well.

Edited June 1, 2021 by NightFright

[Doomkid]

Glad you bumped this, gonna make sure I have Masquerade55 in there, I also saw a “Roland GM enhanced” sound font recently came out so ill add it to the big sound font collection as well (links at bottom of OP)

[TheUltimateDoomer666]

I've been wondering if there are any versions of gm.dls (the 1996 Roland Sound Canvas set) other than "960920 ver. 1.00.16" (which scc1t2.sf2 and such are based on), but I have never been able to find anything. That particular sound set was definitely revised at some point: The Microsoft DLS sound set is almost the same as the DAT ones used by Virtual Sound Canvas, but there are some small differences. For example, preset 034 (Picked Bass) in gm.dls is actually from the SC-88, while VSC's Picked Bass is the SC-55 one. Also, gm.dls and VSC have different Synth Drum instruments. I'm unsure which is the updated version of the sound set.

 

[Lila Feuer]

OPL-3_FM_128M.sf2 is virtually identical to what I heard growing up, I am so happy to hear the music like this again!

[Lemonzest]

I really like SGM v2.1 and a font called Merlin_Gold.sf2, when I just started getting back into doom and saw these videos on youtube I decided to go on a mad hunt for fonts, found some really hard to get ones, so if doomkid wants to shoot me a pm I can maybe help out with some? I use Linux with fluidsynth with reverb and chorus off as they sound like ass lol.

[Doomkid]

@Lemonzest Please do feel free to send me those, I'd like to add them to the big collection I have here:

 

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1EI2R4QMsJI5Vzemps8wz3rq97YKxja5l

 

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1492myFXb_4aG1HsQ4aNA4DcL2SUNVvYL

 

Anything that isn't in those two folders would be great to have!

[Lemonzest]

1 hour ago, Doomkid said:

@Lemonzest Please do feel free to send me those, I'd like to add them to the big collection I have here:

 

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1EI2R4QMsJI5Vzemps8wz3rq97YKxja5l

 

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1492myFXb_4aG1HsQ4aNA4DcL2SUNVvYL

 

Anything that isn't in those two folders would be great to have!

 

made a list of the fonts I have here, https://pastebin.com/pGSp0uev just ask and point me to a place to upload or link them

[roadworx]

On 7/5/2020 at 11:50 AM, Doomkid said:

For fans of gm.sf2 / Scc1t2.sf2, there are fixed for each here!

👀👀👀👀

[Steve D]

I've finished my brief fling with soundfonts and VirtualMIDISynth. I originally installed VMS and MidiMapper to see if any soundfonts could "fix" the problem of high-pitched guitar, flute and synth I encounter in our beloved default MSGWS. Those that did, to some extent at least, did so by reducing volume on the solos and, usually, increasing the volume of mid-range power chords. In the end, it seems that midi just isn't good at doing high notes, which often, to my ears, come across as squealy, screechy, keening, piercing and shrill, and not like real metal guitars, flutes or synths.

 

But that wasn't all. Keeping in mind that I did not in any way adjust the soundfonts, it was my experience that fonts like Arachno, Chorium, Fluid and Timbres of Heaven could make a tune sound great, or ruin it completely. In the end, it seemed like the only really acceptable soundfonts were the SC-55s by Emperor Grieferus and Patch93, and Scc1t2. These were fonts that offered enhancements over MSGWS and were least likely to wreck a midi.

 

Aside from testing numerous midis from my own project -- I was trying to develop a list of Recommended Soundfonts -- I also tested essel's Entering -- an all-time fave -- from BTSX E1. IMO, all of the biggies -- Arachno, Chorium, Fluid and Timbres of Heaven -- ruined it thanks to overly loud mid-range power chords. Even the reliable SC-55 by Patch93 mangled it a little, while Scc1t2 and the Emperor Grieferus font sounded fantastic.

 

At that point, I decided I had become obsessed with testing soundfonts, so for the sake of my own sanity I uninstalled VMS and MM, and trashed all my fonts. Now I'm back where I started, with MSGWS, which IMO does a surprisingly good job. It will never match the heavyweights at making midis sound epic, but it's reliable, and music composed with its limitations in mind sounds great. Further, I don't have to create a list of recommended soundfonts which can literally change from song to song, as one sounds great on one tune, but wrecks another that sounds better under a different font.

 

I suppose that one of these days I'll come back to VMS and soundfonts, because some of it sounded incredible. Fwiw, my overall favorite would have been Arachno, which produced the best results -- to my ears -- on more tunes than any of the other heavyweights. Alas, it also did strange things to several midis. ;D

 

I'm just stating my experience, and in no way intend to dampen anyone's enthusiasm for soundfonts. In a way, I had too much enthusiasm myself, so I can hardly fault anyone else. And maybe I did something wrong, and with a little guidance, I can produce better results in the future. In any case, I'm interested in the topic and will definitely keep an eye on it.

[Lemonzest]

41 minutes ago, Steve D said:

Aside from testing numerous midis from my own project -- I was trying to develop a list of Recommended Soundfonts -- I also tested essel's Entering -- an all-time fave -- from BTSX E1. IMO, all of the biggies -- Arachno, Chorium, Fluid and Timbres of Heaven -- ruined it thanks to overly loud mid-range power chords. Even the reliable SC-55 by Patch93 mangled it a little, while Scc1t2 and the Emperor Grieferus font sounded fantastic.

 

The overly loud power cord thing I found annoying myself, map01 of Eternal Doom was crazy, but when I turned off reverb/chorus it sounded much better.

[Doomkid]

Oh my god Steve, your comment about becoming TOO obsessed and just trashing them all was hilarious to me. I get really obsessed with new “toys” in that same way once in a while, but thankfully it fades after a month or so imo. Now I’m just able to be a casual user of soundfonts, rather than a full-blown strung-out addict! 😂

 

I have a big list of 100ish soundfonts ready to cue up at any given time in VMS, but “RolandGM” (the one exactly like the Windows soundfont) sits at the top and is what I use 99% of the time. I still have too much fun applying different soundfonts to different MIDIs to ditch them though - It’s one of the few areas of life where an overabundance of choice wasn’t a detrimental thing!!