SCC1T2.sf2 has out of tune pianos, GM.sf2 has bad volume levels. Fixes for both!

[Doomkid]

So many people like using SCC1T2.sf2 as their main soundfont, because it sounds 99% identical to classic versions of Windows, without the weird volume level issues you get when converting gm.dls to gm.sf2.

 

The one and only problem I have with SCC1T2 is that the pianos go out of tune in the lower ranges.. This can easily be heard in the famous Canyon.mid, as well as in Wormhole of TNT, as well as many other piano-heavy MIDIs.

 

A guy named Florestan fixed this problem back in 2001 but his version seems to be extremely rare, perhaps due to having a kind of dumb filename (__Florestan_Basic_GM_GS).. why the heck does it start with two underscores?!

 

Anyway, download it here: http://dev.nando.audio/_static/sf2/__Florestan_Basic_GM_GS.zip

 

This is a solution I've been wanting for damn near two years now, and I thought I should share it. Finally I don't have to choose between GM.sf2 and Scc1t2.sf2, AKA choosing between bad leveling and out of tune pianos.. The best of both worlds!

 

I actually renamed my copy after I downloaded it to "SCC1_Florestan_Basic_GM_GS", so it's stored right next to SCC1T2 when sorted alphabetically, just as it should be.

 

I don't have a Vogons account even though I've used that site for help with MIDI and other oldschool game related stuff for eons, but it would be great if they could add a link to this fixed version on this page to help end the tyranny of SCC1T2's detuned pianos, but I have no idea how I'd even go about such a thing and don't want to barge into a site where I'm not known and start requesting changes, the definition of rudeness. I just want people to have better pianos!!

 

EDIT: Just found an excellent fix for GM.sf2 as well. Normally, when GM.dls is converted to sf2 format, the instrument levels get all fucked up. Here's a fixed, basic Roland soundfont that someone made - identical to GM.sf2, but with the levels all sorted out. In essence, both of the "main" GM soundfonts have little-known fixes..

 

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

Edited July 14, 2020 by Doomkid

[ReaperAA]

BTW, since you found fixed/improved versions of SCC1T2.sf2 and GM.sf2, I think it would be a great idea to update the downloads in the "40 soundfonts" thread to include these.

[Doomkid]

You're definitely right! Will do that soon.

[Good-Old]

What's a .midi where I can hear the bad leveling? It would be nice to hear the difference.

[Doomkid]

E1M6 midi from Doom1 really shows how obnoxiously loud certain instruments can be. The “war drums” are way too quiet compared to the synth when using GM.sf2, but when you use the fixed RLNDGM.sf2, all the Doom music is balanced perfectly.

 

As for the out of tune pianos, On map04 of TNT (and canyon.mid) you can really hear the our of tune pianos for SCC1T2.sf2. Florestan’s fix makes them sound great again.

Edited July 17, 2020 by Doomkid

[Good-Old]

You mean On The Hunt? I'll try it! Thanks

[D1m3]

Doom 2's Running from Evil is actually another example(the organs is really quiet with GZDoom's default soundfont)

[Good-Old]

Well the difference between RLNDGM.sf2 and GM.sf2 is noticeable in D_E1M6.mus, it's just that I have to run the the former above the latter without completely removing it because the fix only contains the instruments which are fixed and not the ones which are already okay. 

Thank you very much for sharing this @Doomkid!

 

One last question; Does RLNDGM.sf2 have any problems? Out of tune pianos which the other .sf2 had?

 

[Doomkid]

Not as far as I can tell, every MIDI I throw at it seems to sound exactly as it’s supposed to