I think even Phil posted some comparisons of the S1 to other stuff, and you can find others on yt and the S2 is supposed to be pretty similar to S1.
The X2 would be more of a match to the AWE32/64 crowd than the S1/S2.

Phil has X1 vs SC55 and MU80 but not the S1/2 unless I'm missing the video somehow. He also has a lot of recordings for the S1/2 which I really appreciate but doesn't really comment on how he thinks it compares.

New DreamBlaster S2 !

elod wrote:

New DreamBlaster S2 !

Cheers.

I have made recordings of 'Duke Nukem Ah Geez', on both S2 and X2 :
on S2 : https://youtu.be/8ZQ6HegSGKU
on X2 with standard dream bank : https://youtu.be/Oa9Ye_InxeY?t=30m42s

Don't judge X2 only based on the standard dream bank, Doppler and I are working on a new GM/GS bank,
and this gives great sound for X2 and X3M (the new module) :
have a listen here : https://soundcloud.com/dreamblaster/sets/x3m
especially tracks like this : https://soundcloud.com/dreamblaster/betrayal- … laster/sets/x3m
listen to the GUD flute 😀

dreamblaster wrote:

I have made recordings of 'Duke Nukem Ah Geez', on both S2 and X2 : on S2 : https://youtu.be/8ZQ6HegSGKU on X2 with standard […]
Show full quote

I have made recordings of 'Duke Nukem Ah Geez', on both S2 and X2 :
on S2 : https://youtu.be/8ZQ6HegSGKU
on X2 with standard dream bank : https://youtu.be/Oa9Ye_InxeY?t=30m42s

Don't judge X2 only based on the standard dream bank, Doppler and I are working on a new GM/GS bank,
and this gives great sound for X2 and X3M (the new module) :
have a listen here : https://soundcloud.com/dreamblaster/sets/x3m
especially tracks like this : https://soundcloud.com/dreamblaster/betrayal- … laster/sets/x3m
listen to the GUD flute 😀

You have my interest with flute because after listening to many S2 recordings the one thing that stopped me from ordering was hearing how poor the flute/recorder sounded..

Yes
S2 is rather a synthesizer, its strength is at electronic instruments :
This is because it uses a small ROM (512kbyte) combined with FM synthesis, for its unique sound.
This suits well for many game soundtracks, but orchestral music oftend doesn't sound realistic (if you prefer realistic sound).

The GUD bank sample set is much larger (currenlty approx 32 mbytes), so allows much more realistic sound
I'm glad you like it. Much kudos to Doppler for his great help and talent in getting this bank right.

The X2 is significantly better but at €75 it's competing with things like second hand 64 Gpşds so it's hard to justify for me, even with the new soundbank (which I must say is a huge improvement over what the X2 used to have).

So I have to look to S2 as an option and the 512K sound font is pretty unconvincing in instruments that need to sound organic as I mentioned earlier, but for what it's worth instrument quality seems to have been arranged with retrogaming in mind and sounds pretty good in games I would throw at it. FWIW after listening to quite a few hours of MIDIs recorded with it I'd say it brings to the table AWE32/64 Value quality of wavetable playback, but my issue is that for €30 I can actually find AWE64 Value cards.. I realize that a wavetable at 330h is more compatible with older stuff and more convenient to have but I feel the price could have been slightly lower..

Regardless, I think I'll bite on the S2, slap it onto a Yamaha or ESS+OPL card and enjoy. I'll be ordering one on your shop soon. I'll also be keeping an eye on the GUD sound bank, X3M (and for any possible X2 price reductions 😉 )

appiah4 wrote:

but my issue is that for €30 I can actually find AWE64 Value cards.

i agree that the awe64 is probably similar quality wise but the S2 also lets you combine with a card that has genuine OPL3 which can be a deciding factor depending on your preference

Placed an order for an S2. I'll be doing a lot of testing and recording, watch this space.

Find below my recordings of videogame MIDI on the Dreablaster S2 and AWE64, what I think is its best competitor in the price range..

Dreamblaster S2: https://soundcloud.com/user-470084971/sets/dr … blaster-s2-midi
AWE64: https://soundcloud.com/user-470084971/sets/awe64-midi

I will have a detailed write up of my thoughts tomorrow.

dreamblaster wrote:

Don't judge X2 only based on the standard dream bank, Doppler and I are working on a new GM/GS bank,
and this gives great sound for X2 and X3M (the new module)

Is this ready yet? And is this what we should upload to our X2?: http://serdaco.com/downloads/X2/X2_SoundbankP … /GUD/GUD_10.zip
Is there a direct comparison between this and the standard x2 soundbank using the same game scene?

feipoa wrote:

dreamblaster wrote:

Don't judge X2 only based on the standard dream bank, Doppler and I are working on a new GM/GS bank,
and this gives great sound for X2 and X3M (the new module)

Is this ready yet? And is this what we should upload to our X2?: http://serdaco.com/downloads/X2/X2_SoundbankP … /GUD/GUD_10.zip
Is there a direct comparison between this and the standard x2 soundbank using the same game scene?

That is the final GUD soundbank as far as I know, and I am in the process of doing direct comparison recordings of GUD vs the original SAM bank, I may have comparison clips on Soundcloud in a few weeks.

I believe there is also another soundbank in the works, presumably even better than GUD. *fingers crossed*

dreamblaster is doing a fantastic job with these.

This thread reminds me I need to buy an X2. Is there an X3 or X4 in the works? 🤣

feipoa wrote:

Is this ready yet? And is this what we should upload to our X2?: http://serdaco.com/downloads/X2/X2_SoundbankP … /GUD/GUD_10.zip

There's a newer version of GUD and IMHO it's much better:
http://serdaco.com/downloads/X2/X2_SoundbankP … GUD/GUD_104.zip
X2GU : New GM bank for DreamBlaster X2

Falcosoft wrote:

There's a newer version of GUD and IMHO it's much better: http://serdaco.com/downloads/X2/X2_SoundbankP … GUD/GUD_104.zip X2GU : […]
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feipoa wrote:

Is this ready yet? And is this what we should upload to our X2?: http://serdaco.com/downloads/X2/X2_SoundbankP … /GUD/GUD_10.zip

There's a newer version of GUD and IMHO it's much better:
http://serdaco.com/downloads/X2/X2_SoundbankP … GUD/GUD_104.zip
X2GU : New GM bank for DreamBlaster X2

Oh... not beta anymore?