I'm the other way around, don't know DosBox very well but know more about the real hardware.
Think of Midi more as music notes written down on paper. As long as the device understands how to read the music it'll play. The quality of the music will depend on how good the hardware is (just like if its the school band vs a full on orchestra playing from the same bit of paper)

SoundBlaster is about the same level as the school band, (and does use the OPL chip) AWE, Roland devices, Munt, etc are getting up towards the orchestra level.

What I don't know is how DosBox actually emulates Midi. If it passes it onto your actual soundcard then probably that's why it sounds better, and depending on your soundcard you may be able to load up different midi sondfonts or the like to even further improve the sound.

Check out this by fellow member "Great Hierophant" especially the Midi Music part for even more info
http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07 … -pc-gaming.html

General MIDI requires an external module, waveblaster daughterboard, or wavetable capable chipset on the sound card itself. The only ISA card chipset which Creative has that is capable of interpreting MIDI is the EMU8k featured on the AWE32, AWE64, and SB32.

Many daughtercards have an MT-32 mode which emulates the default configuration of the MT-32. This works for games like Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis which do not modify the instruments on the MT-32 and do not require an intelligent mode interface like a genuine MPU-401. Other games modify the instruments and require a fully MT-32 compatible device but still don't require a genuine MPU-401. Lastly, some titles require both an MT-32 compatible device and a genuine MPU-401.

Some builds of DOSBox incorporate MIDI emulation in the build, but the default SVN build requires either a genuine MIDI device or MIDI emulation software exposed by your operating system to use MIDI playback.

chinny22 wrote:

What I don't know is how DosBox actually emulates Midi. If it passes it onto your actual soundcard then probably that's why it sounds better, and depending on your soundcard you may be able to load up different midi sondfonts or the like to even further improve the sound.

I forgot to mention this, I use BASSMIDI with a SB16 sound font.

SB16 sound font? SB16 didn't have wavetable except with an EMU8k. Is this one of the Creative sound fonts you're referring to (like 8mbgmgs.sf2) or a collection of the Proteus instruments from the Waveblaster I?

This is the one:

OPL-3 FM 128M" Sound Blaster 16 FM Synthesis SoundFont, by Zandro Reveille

Available at http://woolyss.com/chipmusic/chipmusic-soundf … L-3_FM_128M.zip

I considered that since DOSBox emulated the SB16 by default, I wanted a font that sounded as close to it as possible.

Hmm... not sure if you want an OPL3 sound due to the admittedly inferior emulation DOSBox has had previously. If so, I'd recommend a recent SVN build with NukedFM as it's a big upgrade in this regard. Wavetable synth is ultimately not a great way to emulate OPL3.

If you simply like the soundfont, though, that's definitely cool! I'd like you're take on how it compares with the Creative/EMU soundfonts and some of the good SC-55 soundfonts (linked below).
https://www.vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fil … =14&menustate=0
https://forums.duke4.net/topic/6973-sc-55-sou … nt-huge-update/

Did a quick test, using "4D Stunts Driving", "Duke Nukem 3D" and "NASCAR Racing". In the first two games I couldn't notice any significant difference. In "NASCAR Racing", both the SB16 font I use and 8MBGMSFX.SF2 from the Creative/EMU soundfonts sound poractically the same, while the exit music with the Roland SC-55 font sounds more strident and out of tune.

Neville wrote:

2) Can the SB16 emulate the MT-32?

OK, I know how silly this does sound. However, I've noticed that some setup programs -usually in Sierra Online games- tick the Roland MT-32 as being "supported by your system" when DOSBox emulates the SB16, and one can indeed select it.

The setup might just be looking for an MPU-401 interface, imperfect as the SB's is.

That's generally the case. I believe both the Sierra and Dynamix installers show MT-32 and General MIDI as available if the MPU interface can be successfully initialized. Of course, Dynamix titles generally require IRQ driven intelligent interfaces.