Only problem with running yet another PC is the size and power consumption; that's why I want to replace the laptop with something small. BASSMIDI is fine, but is just for Windows, so no possibility of a tiny Raspberry Pi just doing its thing in the background. It's for pure mode MS-DOS 6.22 on a dedicated machine by the way, real retro gaming.

I've already got a AWE32 (without SIMMS installed, way too expensive and very limited, just 28MB max). I do have a DreamBlaster X2 attached to it, but that can only use it's proprietary soundfonts, not SF2 files. I know some Korg units like the Kronos can use SF2 files, but they're very expensive (around 3000 bucks!), not rack mounted and way overkill for this, relatively simple, task. I'm particularly interested in using the Arachno soundfont, which is roughly 140MB in size, so a big boy.

Wondering how everybody else does this? Using dedicated laptops or PCs doesn't seem like a very efficient solution; the only reason why I'm doing it is because a better solution has yet to present itself.

"I will take your bones, still alive and in great pain, and make them into a chair. I will call it "My Screaming Chair". Every morning I will sit in it and listen to you scream. Any questions?"