There were DOS MIDI players and sequencers back in the day (I used a sequencer called something like Voyetra Sound Sequencer Pro), so this is possible. The problem is that the OPL chips are programmable as far as instrument sounds, so many MIDI files ripped from games will sound at least slightly different (since those games program custom sounds into the OPL chip). General MIDI music should work fine though.

I've actually downloaded a number of DOS MIDI players and ran them through DOSBox. Problem is, even under "General MIDI" settings, MIDIs in them sound exactly like they do in Windows using WinAmp. In fact, changing the sound modules/definitions/samplers/rackmounts -- for example, to Roland -- doesn't do a thing. The MIDIs always sound like they do in Windows.

What on earth are the games doing that these players aren't? You mentioned something like OPL chips, but I have no idea what those are.

Thanks,

Robert Aronson (Shoal)

You have to find a player that will play the midis using SB16 midi (OPL chips) not the General Midi since that is just forwarded to Windows. I had some success using Win31 inside dosbox with sb16 drivers and media player 😀

You mean all I have to do is play a MIDI file within Windows 3.1, itself in DOSBox? I mean, with SB16 activated in DOSBox's settings?

Thanks,

Robert Aronson (Shoal)

That seems like a much harder, but possibly workable, solution.

OPL chips are the physical microchips on the Adlib/Soundblaster/whatever sound cards that make the music on those cards that you refer to as "Adlib".

Seeing as I've spent hours upon hours searching for a DOS player that will do what I want, I think this is the only solution...

Thanks,

Robert Aronson (Shoal)

If you do get that working, check out this page: http://www.midiox.com/?http://www.midiox.com/jsoft.htm

FM Synth, SBTimbre, and IBK Selections may be of interest to you.

Well, I've got Windows 3.1 working, but I don't get any sound for some reason. All the sound in DOSBox is turned on.

Thanks,

Robert Aronson (Shoal)

Okay, I got WAV sounds working, but not MIDI sounds. I installed the Ad Lib drivers.

Thanks,

Robert Aronson (Shoal)

Okay, the only MIDI I've been able to play is "canyon.mid" that came with Windows 3.1. All other MIDIs throw a warning at me that they probably won't play correctly, and then I don't get any sound.

Thanks,

Robert Aronson (Shoal)

Try installing that FM Synth driver I posted a link to above.

EDIT: Try installing it in the virtual Windows 3.11 install, that is.

Actually, that worked. All MIDI files now play. However, MIDIs ripped from games still give me a warning, and don't sound anything like they do in-game (although they also sound far different than as if played via WinAmp).

Thanks,

Robert Aronson (Shoal)

Cool. One thing about that driver is that it can load custom instrument definitions from IBK/BNK files into the virtual hardware, so if you can rip those from games then it would make it sound the same.

Here's a DOS-based AdLib MIDI player for ya... I've tested it in DosBox and it works wonderfully:

http://www.pldos.pl/windos/midier.htm

Dude, if this works, you are the man.

UPDATE:

I can't win... the MID files sound much closer to the in-game original, but still not on the money. Plus, there are playback errors here and there. I used many different MID files both old and new and tried all different Sound Blaster versions offered by DOSBox.

Thanks for the effort anyway.

The thread's title should be rewritten to something more comprehensive, such as, "Playing MIDI music files using AD-LIB card". That's my opinion, though.

Good idea... I'll try that.