VOGONS


First post, by jheronimus

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Hi, all

I recently got an EWS64XL, now I'm trying to get some more soundfonts on it (apart from the collection that is available on Vogonsdrivers).

1) Has anyone figured out a way to convert SF2 files to TTS/94B? I've seen some threads here on Vogons, but seems like noone has been able to get a good result.

2) Studio4All guide mentions that you can import Akai S1000 sets:

For all users who are working with the synthesizer intensivly and who wants loadup bigger sounds a change of the original RAM wi […]
Show full quote

For all users who are working with the synthesizer intensivly and who wants loadup bigger sounds a change of the original RAM with a bigger one would be an advantage.
In my case and in case of 2 friends (we changed the original RAM with a 64MB RAM) now the complete world of Akai Sound CD's (AKAI S1000-Format) is opened:
Even sounds with a size of 32MB are uploadable and usable for music production.
That means: There are a lot of high quality sounds available for the EWS64 if you have enough memory.
Note:
You need a 64MB RAM-module for the EWS64 to load 32MB Akai-Soundsets!
This is not possible with a 32MB EWS64-RAM-module, because the EWS64 loads their OS and all instrument settings into the RAM too.

There's a collection of Akai CDs on Archive.org.

CD8 is supposed to be GM:

Volume 8 – General MIDI Sets […]
Show full quote

Volume 8 – General MIDI Sets

A. GM Set #1
B. GM Set #2
C. GM Set #3
D. GM Set #4
E. GM Set #5
F. Percussion / Sound Effects
G. Drum Kit

Now, unfortunately I need to source a 64MB SIMM module to test it, but maybe someone has already tried this or can test it on his system?

I've tried Ed!son 1.9. It does have a menu option to import Akai sounds, but it gave me a bunch of errors and couldn't detect an Akai CD. I figure that's because I need an ASPI driver, and for that I'll have to install at least a Win95 OSR2 (I have an RTM with SP1 on my system currently).

Could those GM sets indeed be a full GM soundbank that would be loadable into EWS64XL? I'm a bit sceptical, because the CD has just 5 sets that weigh 540MB (so about 108MB each). Unless Ed!son does some kind of compression there is probably no way it could fit into 32 megs.

MR BIOS catalog
Unicore catalog

Reply 1 of 2, by Horun

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

Wish I could help but all I tinkered with is AWE32/64 and sound fonts 🙁

Hate posting a reply and then have to edit it because it made no sense 😁 First computer was an IBM 3270 workstation with CGA monitor. Stuff: https://archive.org/details/@horun

Reply 2 of 2, by jheronimus

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

So small update: I managed to source a new soundfont for EWS64, namely Rob Papen's 4MB GM Soundset from early 2000s. It was a free soundfont, but the file wasn't archived by Wayback Machine, so I've contacted the author and he still had the file. Kinda excited — usually nobody keeps these things, and I certainly didn't have the same luck with the EWS64 version of Utopia.

I'm going on a vacation soon, so won't be able to test it for a few weeks, but if anyone wants to give it a try, please let me know how you liked it.

MR BIOS catalog
Unicore catalog