digger wrote on 2022-01-31, 20:04:

Question for dreamblaster and others here: […]
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Question for dreamblaster and others here:

After the X2GS, which would be the best sounding General MIDI wavetable board available on Serdashop? I know this question is somewhat subjective, but I'm gathering opinions and recommendations.

As I said a while back, I don't like the legal restrictions of the Roland license, but I'm still in the market for a nice sounding Waveblaster-compatible wavetable board.

Don't take me wrong, I'm not judging anybody who's buying the X2GS anyway. It's a quality product that many people like. It's just not for me. 🙂

I accept that a "second best" option might still not sound as good. That's okay. As long as it sounds decent and touches the nostalgia nerves enough for me.

I can open a separate topic for this, if people prefer. Or maybe some of you can point me in the right direction by posting links to relevant existing topics about good alternatives.

Thanks.

Depends on what you need, really. If you need a daughterboard then I'd say the ESS E-Wave is the second best option. If you want something versatile the X3MA is the best choice IMO.

The video of the demonstration for the X2GS is up now too, with over 30 (mostly DOS) game music scores to listen to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBu950rtdyw

I was peeping the other vids last night and thought "I hope we get one for the X2GS soon." and there it is. That little thing just doesn't disappoint thus far, so it's successors (coming later this year) should be equally enjoyable.

I was wondering if you could get license from roland's for MT32 type data and make new wavetable card too?

Cheers,

pentiumspeed wrote on 2022-02-28, 03:15:

I was wondering if you could get license from roland's for MT32 type data and make new wavetable card too?

Cheers,

MT-32 is a different type of synth and it's not available for licensing. Roland knows about and unofficially accepts the existence of MUNT, so that's what you should be using for MT-32. Some of the DREAM chips used in Dreamblaster synths have an MT-32 mode, but it's just an imitation of the synth, which doesn't work well with actual MT-32 games and files.

What is the best sound card to use with this daughter board ?

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2022-03-07, 10:45:

What is the best sound card to use with this daughter board ?

whatever is your favorite soundcard that has a wavetable header , there is no specific card that is "best" for it

You might want to avoid soundcards (e.g. some SB16 versions) with the notorious Hanging note bug to get the best experience out of your Waveblaster board.

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2022-03-07, 10:45:

What is the best sound card to use with this daughter board ?

That depends on your planned usage and your audio output requirements. Genuine DOS usage gives you one set of classic cards where quality might be not so great for most, Windows usage a set of cards focused on multi-media, and both will have cards shared between them, when looking for a card to use with the Windows 95/98/ME systems. XP is where MIDI moved heavily into software-synth usage, but you can still find some XP-compatible cards with wavetable headers. It's easier to throw together a modern Windows/DOSBox system than it is to put together a classic hardware system for DOS, which requires hardware hunting and hoping for components which may or may not still be functional.

3d print update :
New X2BOX color combo's :
- red+black ('classic')
- black+silver

I like the B&W box. The only thing that I would love to see is a box design for the X2GS (and any future successor) that has the GS logo on the top, but the X2 Box is obviously for both of the X2 models, so it's not sensible to have that printed on all of them.

RetroGamer4Ever wrote on 2022-05-01, 14:28:

I like the B&W box. The only thing that I would love to see is a box design for the X2GS (and any future successor) that has the GS logo on the top, but the X2 Box is obviously for both of the X2 models, so it's not sensible to have that printed on all of them.

Looks great!

So i bought the X2GS but i dont get something...its MT32 Compatible right? So i can use it on older games too? And when i choice lets say General Midi...i get normaly the GS Set Right? How do i switch to Buran as example by software? Thanks.

Its MT-32 compatible in that you'll hear something when you select that option in games, but it'll generally sounds like crap because they're a different kind of synth.

To switch banks you can run a little midi file (which is available on the serdaco website) - the midi file doesn't make a sound, just includes a command to do the switch.

Peter.Mengel wrote on 2022-06-02, 22:28:

its MT32 Compatible right?

Frankly, it's not.

It can be put into an MT-32 "mode", where it attempts to assign sounds to channels in a vaguely MT-32 like manner, but it is a far cry from actually being an MT-32 substitute.

Only actual Roland hardware from the very limited "LA Synthesis" range, or modern hardware emulators based upon the "MUNT" software package, provide true, actual MT-32 compatibility.

The world is full of GM and GS devices which purport to have an MT-32 "mode" (like this, or various hardware like the SC-55) - perhaps for marketing purposes - but the practical reality is that they are not the same thing at all, and people like yourself who go in expecting to have obtained actual MT-32 capabilities, are bound to be dissapointed.

Shreddoc wrote on 2022-06-03, 00:01:

Frankly, it's not. […]
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Peter.Mengel wrote on 2022-06-02, 22:28:

its MT32 Compatible right?

Frankly, it's not.

It can be put into an MT-32 "mode", where it attempts to assign sounds to channels in a vaguely MT-32 like manner, but it is a far cry from actually being an MT-32 substitute.

Only actual Roland hardware from the very limited "LA Synthesis" range, or modern hardware emulators based upon the "MUNT" software package, provide true, actual MT-32 compatibility.

The world is full of GM and GS devices which purport to have an MT-32 "mode" (like this, or various hardware like the SC-55) - perhaps for marketing purposes - but the practical reality is that they are not the same thing at all, and people like yourself who go in expecting to have obtained actual MT-32 capabilities, are bound to be dissapointed.

Any Guess what Munt Hardware Emulators are worth it?

Peter.Mengel wrote on 2022-06-03, 00:13:

Shreddoc wrote on 2022-06-03, 00:01:

Frankly, it's not. […]
Show full quote

Peter.Mengel wrote on 2022-06-02, 22:28:

its MT32 Compatible right?

Frankly, it's not.

It can be put into an MT-32 "mode", where it attempts to assign sounds to channels in a vaguely MT-32 like manner, but it is a far cry from actually being an MT-32 substitute.

Only actual Roland hardware from the very limited "LA Synthesis" range, or modern hardware emulators based upon the "MUNT" software package, provide true, actual MT-32 compatibility.

The world is full of GM and GS devices which purport to have an MT-32 "mode" (like this, or various hardware like the SC-55) - perhaps for marketing purposes - but the practical reality is that they are not the same thing at all, and people like yourself who go in expecting to have obtained actual MT-32 capabilities, are bound to be dissapointed.

Any Guess what Munt Hardware Emulators are worth it?

It's what I use, for my MT-32 duties. Requires, at a minimum:

• A Raspberry Pi 3A (or Zero 2) or better, + microSD card
• A quality (not a super cheap one) USB-to-MIDI cable
• mt32-pi software

A basic, bare-bones build could be done for about US$50, give-or-take.

Here is a thread showing ones people have built.

Alternatively, for a little more money, pre-built ready-to-go commercial options (including ones by the maker of this X2GS) are available.

Shreddoc wrote on 2022-06-03, 00:56:

It's what I use, for my MT-32 duties. Requires, at a minimum: […]
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Peter.Mengel wrote on 2022-06-03, 00:13:

Any Guess what Munt Hardware Emulators are worth it?

It's what I use, for my MT-32 duties. Requires, at a minimum:

[...]

A basic, bare-bones build could be done for about US$50, give-or-take.

As this is the thread about a module with a licensed GS bank, it's sensible to point out that the bare-bones MUNT-based for 50$ hardware clone you describe requires the MT32 firmware, but does not include a licensed copy. As far as I know, there is no place to buy legally licensed firmware copies of the MT32, so the only (most likely) legal option you have seems to own your own MT32, and run MUNT on a firmware dump of your MT32, which isn't powered on at the same time.

mkarcher wrote on 2022-06-03, 08:18:

Shreddoc wrote on 2022-06-03, 00:56:

It's what I use, for my MT-32 duties. Requires, at a minimum: […]
Show full quote

Peter.Mengel wrote on 2022-06-03, 00:13:

Any Guess what Munt Hardware Emulators are worth it?

It's what I use, for my MT-32 duties. Requires, at a minimum:

[...]

A basic, bare-bones build could be done for about US$50, give-or-take.

As this is the thread about a module with a licensed GS bank, it's sensible to point out that the bare-bones MUNT-based for 50$ hardware clone you describe requires the MT32 firmware, but does not include a licensed copy. As far as I know, there is no place to buy legally licensed firmware copies of the MT32, so the only (most likely) legal option you have seems to own your own MT32, and run MUNT on a firmware dump of your MT32, which isn't powered on at the same time.

I'm merely discussing the hardware prices of hardware products of the same type (i.e. MUNT-based products) that this seller, dreamblaster, also markets and sells and profits from. And, just as with the users of dreamblaster's various MUNT-based products, any user of my mentioned "DIY $50 MT-32 solution" is quite welcome to make their own decisions on the firmware front.

If they want legal or licensing advice, then they can seek a lawyer familiar with the laws of the jurisdiction in which they live. It's not an topic where I (or, I assume, you) are qualified to make universal claims to entire, global user bases.

In any case, if someone wants MT-32 functionality then a GS product is pointless - licensed or otherwise.

I just got an X2GS and connected it via USB to my Windows 10 machine with the line out connected to the line in on the computer. When I go to play midi, the playback is only mono. Is this to be expected by design?