I found this list from 1998: https://community.fortunecity.ws/tinpan/elton … 231/softsyn.htm

https://kbswiki.miraheze.org/wiki/List_of_sof … are_MIDI_synths

I collect some here in a rather terrible review format. Be it drivers, VSTs, or standalone players.

pachuco wrote on 2024-12-09, 23:29:

https://kbswiki.miraheze.org/wiki/List_of_sof … are_MIDI_synths

I collect some here in a rather terrible review format. Be it drivers, VSTs, or standalone players.

i did your whole list of softsynths. except for the phone related ones, i was familiar with most of them. i didn't know about the edirol hyper canvas gm2 synth and i revisited the inivision cybersynth which i had tried before, but gave up on. this time i found a v3 iso which installed with a midi-in option setting that allows cybersynth to be used with external programs. i'm using midiplayer6 via midiyoke, but i'm unable to get anything that approaches smooth playback from cybersynth. conversely, when i load the same midi file in the cybersynth interface it plays as expected. i don't think the issue is midiyoke as this is the only instance where playback is stuttering. i'm wondering if an internal cybersynth setting will address this?

another softsynth i gave up on is novastation. i've since discovered a 'yamaha S-YXG50' edition of the software. the question in my mind is whether this is a special licensed edition or if yamaha has always been the softsynth bundled with novastation?

stanwebber, did you ever find the Korg softsynth mentioned at MIDI (GS/XG/GM/GM2)

Stretch wrote on 2025-01-17, 00:38:

stanwebber, did you ever find the Korg softsynth mentioned at MIDI (GS/XG/GM/GM2)

no, that is the only softsynth on that page i've never been able to source.

I created a project on Github that uses disassembled / statically recompiled version of the WebSynth D-77 synthesizer to build a Linux ALSA driver and a tool to convert a midi file to PCM.

j^aws wrote on 2019-06-09, 12:30:

Not very well known that works with Win98 (manual says so): […]
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Not very well known that works with Win98 (manual says so):

Terratec Komplexer
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.soundo ... -vst%3famp

It's a virtual analogue/wavetable synthesiser based on a Waldorf MicroQ. Works as a standalone or VST soft synthesiser.

i recently got my hands on a copy of terratec producer (komplexer) v1.0.3 which i believe is the last version before it was discontinued. i can confirm that it runs under win98 as a vsti or standalone, but i had to jump thru some hoops to get there. the installer i obtained required nt5.0 & up and kernelex was no help. i had to install under win10 and track the registry changes with regfromapp (nirsoft) then copy the output .reg file and terratec producer folder over. i needed to convert the unicode regedit5 format to ansi regedit4, but after applying to the registry i was up & running. so far it's borderline unusable on my p3 850mhz...i expect you'd need a processor well north of 1ghz for reliably smooth playback.