I pick OPL for all.

I prefer GM. Had no GM device back then in the 90's. But as I said, there are some games that sound better with FM.
I do not want to get started on games which use .MOD's. They sound almost the same on all the soundcards I tried. For example, little known Ascendancy has same sound on SB or GUS. Even more obscure Reunion... Good SB sound, great GM and GUS.

The nostalgic factor does play a part. Although Roland MIDI often sounds nicer, many games I played with a Sound Blaster as a kid and so there is an emotional connection with the FM tunes.

Later games, I had a Roland Sound Canvas, so there I don't have the problem.

Monkey Island 2 is one game were the Sound Blaster version has better Sound effects. The Roland version even has some sounds missing.

Once you get used to the Roland music however you don't want to miss it.

Well... For me Dune is the big exception of them all. Munt MT-32 emulation sounds good, but, sincerely, I prefer selecting MT-32 in the game setup, then use it with some GM synth (be it hardware or software).

I normally pick OPL due to the uncanny valley factor when there's games with low frequency sound effects (like 11khz and below) and you hear rich high frequency/range of music mixed with them, which also includes a preference of OPL > CD audio.

Yep, Monkey Island 2 has the digitized voices for the Sound Blaster cards, like the part when Largo shouts while Guybrush using the voodoo doll on him, and many more. I really like the MT-32 music, but since I have first played Monkey Island 2 with only the Sound Blaster formerly, I sorely miss the digitized voices being used in it while playing with the MT-32.

Saying that, I must admit Monkey Island games have great FM sounds.

And I'm also one of the FM/OPL(x) fans. There's something special about FM/OPL(x) music.

What you can do is play Monkey Island 2 in ScummVM. It has a this feature - mixed Adlib mode. What it does is play Sound Blaster effects whenever there is nothing for the MT-32. Really neat IMO.

You've also got the opportunity to use the 'Ultimate Talkie edition', which appears to give the best of both worlds as ScummVM does.

http://gratissaugen.de/ultimatetalkies/

Works in original Dos too, as far as I can gather.

That should mean you can get speech (and effects?) *and* MT-32 music in the original two games in Dos.

Dune, ( not dune II ) I think is one of the game that sounds better with FM sound. In fact, it was composed with the Adlib gold in mind and i think it makes great use of the OPL chip. My choice for Dune is always FM sound.

Other game that comes to my mind where i prefer FM sound is Comanche maximum overkill. I was all excited about trying it with the MT-32 then got disappointed. I think it sounds goofy on the MT-32. The FM track has a darker feel that goes better with the game ( Imho )

Mortal Kombat allegedly supports "roland" for music but I've tried both an mt-32 and a scc1 with it and oth sound aweful compared to FM.

Damn I love that game, I'd play it with no sound at all if I had to.

Wing Commander I somehow sounds better with the FM sounds, in my opinion, including the weapon sounds and the hit sounds. The FM/OPL music seems to capture the tension during dogfights more intensely, in my opinion. MT-32 sounds do sound nice in certain parts though, but I tend to use FM sounds in Wing Commander I and II.

Origin somehow managed to make good use of the FM/OPL sounds in their games. Can't really find fault. Ultima VI's music sounds good either in Adlib mode or MT-32 mode.

XCOM and XCOM 2 here. GM music sounds OK, but FM music intensifies the suspense and fear factor greatly (in particular when going around dark corners trying to find the alien that took a shot at one of my soldiers).

Yea, I almost forgot about the XCOMs...

Your avatar reminds me... Wolf is another game that sounds stunning in OPL3.

DOOM II, for some tracks (or parts of them) I prefer the OPL3 version.

"Read Me", for example, I like the softer OPL3 rendition of the track's first half:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XDxciJxdBQ

over GM/SC version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSvBw2fejDw

but then I found some remix/remake versions...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9lcwznBmTM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwIydTlAmiI

...and realized the potential this piece had all along (I mean, live performance, string quartet/symphony + electric guitars...)

Great tune!

I tend to use:

• General MIDI for games that have symphonic-style music (such as Star Wars games) or are hi-res talkies (such as Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes 2)
• FM synthesis for older games where too high quality music would feel too out of place
• and MT-32 for games that have crappy FM and don't have a GM option.

The great thing about GM is that sound quality is dependent on the soundfont/synthetizer you're using and so can be theoretically unlimited. I've been editing together my own soundfont for the past half-year or so, using instruments from other soundfonts according to my own tastes. So whenever a game supports both GM and MT-32, I pick GM.

On the topic of game's I'm indecisive on, Legend of Kyrandia 1 is one. The MT-32 soundtrack is good enough to override my nostalgia, but the FM version is also great. Some of the tracks sound better in the MT-32 and some better in FM.

Wolf is another game that sounds stunning in OPL3.

Agreed! One of the best ones I've ever heard. I actually wonder whether it has been originally composed for Adlib Gold.

Generally i'll pick GM/MT-32 when it's available to utilize the NEC XR385 (perfect Yamaha DB60XG clone) to it's fullest, and stick with FM/OPL when the GM/MT-32 option is not available. However, I DO very much enjoy FM/OPL very much because as Malik said, there's something special about FM/OPL music. 😁

archsan wrote:

DOOM II, for some tracks (or parts of them) I prefer the OPL3 version.

"Read Me", for example, I like the softer OPL3 rendition of the track's first half:

I find Doom's music to be all over the place.

I think Doom 1, E1M1 sounds best on SC-55, but say E1M5 actually sounds best on GUS.