Afaik, "GS" was first one (own that), then came "GS Standard", then GS/GM. However, the front panel doesn't really tell about the firmware version, which is what is actually more important. Early versions do not do GM reset correctly (GS reset is done instead) and have one patch placed differently.

derSammler, thank you for answer.
- So v3 with GS GM logos is the best for DOS gaming?
- Or, anyway, people have to own "GS" + "GS/GM" + "mkii" + "SC-88" ? (like MT-32 new + old + CM)
- How to know?: game is using GS reset only or GM reset only or GS + GM reset both ? If I executed random DOS game, how I will know which synth need to use with this game? It is written on the game box or in the about.txt ot in the install.exe or in hex or anywhere?
- Are there any lists for DOS games which using different MIDI standarts? Like here http://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_g … y_MIDI_standard But of course 6 games in list is <1 % of all DOS games.

The non-GM SC-55's peculiarities were the de facto standard for a little while. There's at least a dozen games that use the first generation's capital tone fallback behavior. I don't think interpreting GM resets as GS resets has too many unintended consequences when playing GM music; conversely, Blood, Duke Nukem 3D, Dune II, Might and Magic IV & V do expect to use GS features after a GM reset. The Fl. Key Click vs. Breath Noise swap can be annoying - the first gen arrangement is going to be incorrect most of the time for that.

For DOS gaming the most compatible without any tweaking are the GS (non-Standard) modules with serial #s starting with BD, CD or DD. These units are 1.20 or 1.21 firmware which have capital tone fallback as well as Breathe Noise.

infiniteclouds wrote:

For DOS gaming the most compatible without any tweaking are the GS (non-Standard) modules with serial #s starting with BD, CD or DD. These units are 1.20 or 1.21 firmware which have capital tone fallback as well as Breathe Noise.

I second that. I have two of those (one as a backup) for the reasons described here:

http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.de/2013/06/fi … gs-devices.html

firage wrote:

The Fl. Key Click vs. Breath Noise swap can be annoying - the first gen arrangement is going to be incorrect most of the time for that.

I assume with "first gen arrangement" you mean the pre-GM arrangement of the early SC-55? Because beginning with Control ROM 1.20 the first generation SC-55 do have the correct arragement (i.e. GM, although not necessarily with the GM logo on the front). My devices resemble #2 in the OP (one has Control ROM 1.20, and the other has 1.21).

Yeah -- the 1st generation is the 'GS Standard"

Lots of good stuff about ROM versions in Apparently not all GS-only sc-55s are the same, some are GM

The SCC-1's (not SCC-1A) are also middle models. Yet to check their drum behavior to figure whether they're 1.2x or 2.x (mkI) equivalent.

Thank you for answers.

Differences:
"GS standart" - #121 Fl. Key Click, no Breath Noise tone, cannot initialize GM mode via the front panel, has capital tone fallback
"GS" Control ROM 1.10 - #121 Fl. Key Click, no Breath Noise tone, cannot initialize GM mode via the front panel, has capital tone fallback
"GS" Control ROM 1.20 1.21 2.00 - #121 Breath Noise, Fl. Key Click as a variation tone, cannot initialize GM mode via the front panel, has capital tone fallback
"GS/GM" - #121 Breath Noise, Fl. Key Click as a variation tone, cannot initialize GM mode via the front panel, has capital tone fallback
"mkii" - #121 Breath Noise, Fl. Key Click as a variation tone, can initialize GM mode via the front panel, no capital tone fallback

1. These differences are right?
2. Are any other differences exists?
3. How to test: "Fl. Key Click", "Breath Noise", "reset GS", "reset GM", "Rx GS Reset", "capital tone fallback" ?
4. Are any hardware differences? (yes) Or only Control ROM version? (no) Anybody dumped Control ROM*.bin? Anybody uploaded another Control ROM by yourself? If I will take "GS/GM" version and will upload Control ROM 1.00 into him, then will it become "GS standart"?

infiniteclouds wrote:

Yeah -- the 1st generation is the 'GS Standard"

So they noticed that "General Standard Standard" makes no sense at all..? 😊

I have the SC-55 that uses GS (General Sound) with no GM (General MIDI) whatsoever. Even some of the GM files I have don't play right (notes either play for a split second or not), and when I play the REGGAE.MID file on my system, the drum is AWOL and I have to manually change the Rhythm to the appropriate drum sample. I'm looking either for the MKII model, SCB-55 (in the future), or both.

Not an expert at troubleshooting MIDI, but did you try different things to rule out a buggy or speed sensitive interface and resource conflicts?

firage wrote:

Not an expert at troubleshooting MIDI, but did you try different things to rule out a buggy or speed sensitive interface and resource conflicts?

The sound card that it's connected to is a Sound Blaster 16 WaveEffects CT4170 (like the AWE64, except for not a lot of memory for the GM it comes with), and there aren't any resource conflicts.

Maybe I can hook up the module to my Packard Bell to see if the issue persist.

Hi!

I have a question that might be dumb. I got a SC-55 just as the number 2 in the first's post picture, without the GM logo.

How can I be sure that I am running this unit in GM mode? The manual for the mkII (page 36) says that to initialize GM, I need to turn the unit ON while holding PART > and when "Init GM, Sure?" is displayed I need to press ALL. But for some reason this message won't appear on my unit, it is like it is not programmed like that. I checked the buttons (they work fine) and how to activate the GM and MT-32 modes and those seem to initialize OK.

I wonder if it is because my model does not have the GM logo on the front (non mkII) that this initialization mode is lacking? Maybe it came with later revisions? (mine is firmware 1.21) Do I need to do something in particular to activate GM on my unit or if it would start automatically and configure itself for GM once I run a game like, let's say, Leisure Suit Larry 6 from DOS. This particular game seems to sound better in GS mode than the normal one when I just turn on my unit in default mode.

I just don't want to run games that use GM and do it wrong with this particular unit. Specially the ones that seem to have soundtracks that were composed with the SC-55 (and mkII) itself.

Thank you, I really appreciate your help.

UPDATE: I think I found my answer in another post: Roland SC 55 first batch able to play GM games properly?, so it seems my unit can not do GM right? I need to get the one that says mkII on the front. Thanks again.

holaplaneta wrote on 2021-08-28, 02:48:

I wonder if it is because my model does not have the GM logo on the front (non mkII) that this initialization mode is lacking? Maybe it came with later revisions? (mine is firmware 1.21)

You might want to take a look at this thread: Apparently not all GS-only sc-55s are the same, some are GM

From what I gather, a SC-55 with the GS logo, a serial number greater than AC94800 and firmware 1.21 is one of the best versions. If that's what you have, then you probably don't need to worry about compatibility issues.

Thank you Joe! So I would need to put it in GS mode to use it with General Midi games?

holaplaneta wrote on 2021-08-28, 07:43:

Thank you Joe! So I would need to put it in GS mode to use it with General Midi games?

It don't think that will cause any problems. You can find a more detailed explanation here. Relevant bit:

Great Hierophant wrote:

General MIDI is a derived subset of the GS standard. In other words, GS is General MIDI with some extra features. In a pre-General MIDI module, if a GS reset or a GM reset was sent to the module, it would have the identical effect, the module would be reset.

As far as I know, this should apply to all early SC-55 units with firmware versions up to and including 1.21.

Thanks! I checked and GM is indeed the mode that sounds the best with General Midi. I tried Dark Forces and LSL6 with the SC-55 "default", MT-32 and GS modes.