That's interesting, do you have a link where I can educate myself on how to load the SC55 sound fonts on the SB live? I have the physical SC55 module but can't get it to work properly with n'y SB live when playing DOS games.

mtest001 wrote on 2025-08-24, 10:55:

That's interesting, do you have a link where I can educate myself on how to load the SC55 sound fonts on the SB live? I have the physical SC55 module but can't get it to work properly with n'y SB live when playing DOS games.

i dont have a link anymore, because i set this in win98 2 years ago. but with google ai its seem to be like that:

To load the Roland SC-55 soundfont on a Sound Blaster Live! card for DOS games in Windows 98, you must use a modified driver pack that supports SoundFonts and load the desired SC-55-like soundfont in Windows 98 or use a DOS utility like Thomas Hammer's SF2LOAD to change it via batch files. The card's General MIDI (GM) capabilities in Windows 98 are what allow the use of .SF2 files, which need to be configured within the game's setup or through the SoundFont Bank Manager in the Creative folder.

Edit: You have to play dos games within dos prompt command in windows 98. just put the screen fullscreen. that dont work in pure dos 6.22 neither in pure dos from windows 98. i never succeed in that.

Thanks I'll look into it. I recently used a 9 MB SC55 sound font sf2 file (link) in Dosbox and to my hears it is close enough to the original.

mtest001 wrote on 2025-08-24, 11:03:

Thanks I'll look into it. I recently used a 9 MB SC55 sound font sf2 file in Dosbox and to my hears it is close enough to the original.

Thanks a lot for your answer, its really appreciated

renejr902 wrote on 2025-08-24, 09:24:

Hi! I have a few questions. I sold my sc-55 external module in the last few months at a good price, i needed money. I try to rem […]
Show full quote

Hi! I have a few questions. I sold my sc-55 external module in the last few months at a good price, i needed money. I try to remember if it sounds faithfully enough to a sb live with a great sc-55 sounbfont in windows 98 for dos games in dos prompt.

1. What do you think ? To me using windows 98 sc-55 soundfont its sounds very similar in quality and authencity, but i didnt heard sc-55 hardware for months. and i know a lot of sc-55 soundfont exist. i prefered the one with 22mb compressed and 37 not compressed.
( i dont like the general midi quality of awe64 or other daughterboard, because i much prefer the sc-55 one ) Thanks for your opinion.

I thought about buying a dreamblaster s2 or s2p for use with all my vintage pc and laptop but it doesnt sound as good as a sc-55.

2. I suppose you can load sc-55 22mb-37mb soundfont on a Dreamblaster X2 but does it sound faithfully too and similar quality to a real sc-55 ?

3. Last question, right now, finally, does it exist a way in 2025 to load sc-55 soundfont or any soundfont on a sblive in pure dos 6.22. ( i just got it working in windows 98, i didnt try windows 95 )

Dreamblaster X2GS contains fully licensed Roland GS Soundbank. Why not just get that?

SuperDeadite wrote on 2025-08-24, 13:05:

renejr902 wrote on 2025-08-24, 09:24:

Hi! I have a few questions. I sold my sc-55 external module in the last few months at a good price, i needed money. I try to rem […]
Show full quote

Hi! I have a few questions. I sold my sc-55 external module in the last few months at a good price, i needed money. I try to remember if it sounds faithfully enough to a sb live with a great sc-55 sounbfont in windows 98 for dos games in dos prompt.

1. What do you think ? To me using windows 98 sc-55 soundfont its sounds very similar in quality and authencity, but i didnt heard sc-55 hardware for months. and i know a lot of sc-55 soundfont exist. i prefered the one with 22mb compressed and 37 not compressed.
( i dont like the general midi quality of awe64 or other daughterboard, because i much prefer the sc-55 one ) Thanks for your opinion.

I thought about buying a dreamblaster s2 or s2p for use with all my vintage pc and laptop but it doesnt sound as good as a sc-55.

2. I suppose you can load sc-55 22mb-37mb soundfont on a Dreamblaster X2 but does it sound faithfully too and similar quality to a real sc-55 ?

3. Last question, right now, finally, does it exist a way in 2025 to load sc-55 soundfont or any soundfont on a sblive in pure dos 6.22. ( i just got it working in windows 98, i didnt try windows 95 )

Dreamblaster X2GS contains fully licensed Roland GS Soundbank. Why not just get that?

I'm not sure to understand what do a fully licensed Roland GS Soundbank ? is it include the original sc-55 soundfont or another one, like a modern general midi soundbank ? Thanks for answer

renejr902 wrote on 2025-08-24, 14:34:

I'm not sure to understand what do a fully licensed Roland GS Soundbank ? is it include the original sc-55 soundfont or another one, like a modern general midi soundbank ? Thanks for answer

See here: https://www.serdashop.com/X2GS. From the site: DreamBlaster X2GS features a preloaded officially licensed, read only 16mbyte GS bank. So it's the GS bank from Roland (the creator).

Yoghoo wrote on 2025-08-24, 15:07:

renejr902 wrote on 2025-08-24, 14:34:

I'm not sure to understand what do a fully licensed Roland GS Soundbank ? is it include the original sc-55 soundfont or another one, like a modern general midi soundbank ? Thanks for answer

See here: https://www.serdashop.com/X2GS. From the site: DreamBlaster X2GS features a preloaded officially licensed, read only 16mbyte GS bank. So it's the GS bank from Roland (the creator).

ok cool, thanks

renejr902 wrote on 2025-08-24, 09:24:

Hi! I have a few questions. I sold my sc-55 external module in the last few months at a good price, i needed money. I try to rem […]
Show full quote

Hi! I have a few questions. I sold my sc-55 external module in the last few months at a good price, i needed money. I try to remember if it sounds faithfully enough to a sb live with a great sc-55 sounbfont in windows 98 for dos games in dos prompt.

1. What do you think ? To me using windows 98 sc-55 soundfont its sounds very similar in quality and authencity, but i didnt heard sc-55 hardware for months. and i know a lot of sc-55 soundfont exist. i prefered the one with 22mb compressed and 37 not compressed.
( i dont like the general midi quality of awe64 or other daughterboard, because i much prefer the sc-55 one ) Thanks for your opinion.

I thought about buying a dreamblaster s2 or s2p for use with all my vintage pc and laptop but it doesnt sound as good as a sc-55.

2. I suppose you can load sc-55 22mb-37mb soundfont on a Dreamblaster X2 but does it sound faithfully too and similar quality to a real sc-55 ?

3. Last question, right now, finally, does it exist a way in 2025 to load sc-55 soundfont or any soundfont on a sblive in pure dos 6.22. ( i just got it working in windows 98, i didnt try windows 95 )

I just tried SC-55 vs Live's 4MB and 8mb ECW soundfonts with Duke3D (sorry, can't record)... They are fairly different to my hears. Live's missing a lot of reverb, the drums are severely overpowered and the synth has a way too high pitch.

Linoleum wrote on Yesterday, 00:58:

renejr902 wrote on 2025-08-24, 09:24:

Hi! I have a few questions. I sold my sc-55 external module in the last few months at a good price, i needed money. I try to rem […]
Show full quote

Hi! I have a few questions. I sold my sc-55 external module in the last few months at a good price, i needed money. I try to remember if it sounds faithfully enough to a sb live with a great sc-55 sounbfont in windows 98 for dos games in dos prompt.

1. What do you think ? To me using windows 98 sc-55 soundfont its sounds very similar in quality and authencity, but i didnt heard sc-55 hardware for months. and i know a lot of sc-55 soundfont exist. i prefered the one with 22mb compressed and 37 not compressed.
( i dont like the general midi quality of awe64 or other daughterboard, because i much prefer the sc-55 one ) Thanks for your opinion.

I thought about buying a dreamblaster s2 or s2p for use with all my vintage pc and laptop but it doesnt sound as good as a sc-55.

2. I suppose you can load sc-55 22mb-37mb soundfont on a Dreamblaster X2 but does it sound faithfully too and similar quality to a real sc-55 ?

3. Last question, right now, finally, does it exist a way in 2025 to load sc-55 soundfont or any soundfont on a sblive in pure dos 6.22. ( i just got it working in windows 98, i didnt try windows 95 )

I just tried SC-55 vs Live's 4MB and 8mb ECW soundfonts with Duke3D (sorry, can't record)... They are fairly different to my hears. Live's missing a lot of reverb, the drums are severely overpowered and the synth has a way too high pitch.

ok thanks a lot. try the 22mb compressed that is 37mb, i will try to find the link

https://forums.duke4.net/topic/6973-sc-55-sou … nt-huge-update/

thanks. its the one i use

( wow 266mb

New SC55 Soundfont 266MB (all new 44.1k samples) )

renejr902 wrote on Yesterday, 02:06:

https://forums.duke4.net/topic/6973-sc-55-sou … nt-huge-update/ […]
Show full quote

https://forums.duke4.net/topic/6973-sc-55-sou … nt-huge-update/

thanks. its the one i use

( wow 266mb

New SC55 Soundfont 266MB (all new 44.1k samples) )

I believe the soundfont you're referring to is an SFPack file. Unless I'm mistaken, those can't be loaded directly through Creative SF Manager. I tried the smaller SF2 file shared in this thread—the one labeled "Decompressed version (sf2, 37MB)"—which actually weighs in at 45MB. Still, it's relatively lightweight and, to my ears, a pretty solid replica of the SC-55.

Yeah, I've been using that 266mb version on my MT32pi for a while. Even on a Pi3, it takes a little while to load...

Linoleum wrote on Yesterday, 16:31:

renejr902 wrote on Yesterday, 02:06:

https://forums.duke4.net/topic/6973-sc-55-sou … nt-huge-update/ […]
Show full quote

https://forums.duke4.net/topic/6973-sc-55-sou … nt-huge-update/

thanks. its the one i use

( wow 266mb

New SC55 Soundfont 266MB (all new 44.1k samples) )

I believe the soundfont you're referring to is an SFPack file. Unless I'm mistaken, those can't be loaded directly through Creative SF Manager. I tried the smaller SF2 file shared in this thread—the one labeled "Decompressed version (sf2, 37MB)"—which actually weighs in at 45MB. Still, it's relatively lightweight and, to my ears, a pretty solid replica of the SC-55.

Yeah, I've been using that 266mb version on my MT32pi for a while. Even on a Pi3, it takes a little while to load...

Thanks a lot for testing and for your answer. For now until.i buy another sc-55 i will continue to use the sfpack file, i load them in creative sf manager, to me.it looks.pretty solid, but i dont have real hardware anymore for compare 😉