The Dink Network

Since I've posted how Dink Smallwood would sound like on SC-55 using the soundfont, might as well make this tutorial. Especially the PAT files.

Using Soundfonts

What is a soundfont?
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Basically it's a file which contains instruments created by people that is used mainly to create music with progarms like FruityLoop or something similar. Nearly all of them are free to use. They are also used to play MIDI files in the OS. Windows uses it's own soundfont that is a cutted down version of Roland's SC-55. On Mac and Linux, you have to however, get one to use it (or just get some pat files from freepats) along with a driver to use such as FluidSynth or Timidity. Soundfonts mainly have .SF2 extension. There is a SFPak and sfArk ones, but they are basically a packed soundfont file which you need to unpack it to use it, there are special programs to do this.

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1. Download CoolSoft's Virtual MIDI Synth and install it.
2. Download any soundfont you can find and unpack it if it's needed. I recommend using FluidR3 GM as an example.
3.Run CoolSoft's VirtualMIDI Synth and in Soundfonts tap choose the soundfont you want to use, move in to the MIDI Mapper and at "Windows Media Player default device" choose "CoolSoft VirtualMidiSynth" and press OK.

Rest of the tabs contains some options which you can turn off some features of it, you can use the Advanced Options only if you have performance issues.

and well, that was it. Once you run Dink Smallwood or any DMOD, you will have a MIDI music that will sound different.

Unpacking programs:
sfArk (For unpacking sfArk files)
SfPack Extractor (For unpacking sfPack files)

Other notable soundfonts:
SNES MIDI Soundfont - As the title says, a great soundfont which emulates the SNES music
Setzer's SPC Soundfont - Another great soundfont for emulating SNES music. Sounds different than the previous one.
Fan made SC-55 soundfont - As the title says (Requires sfPack to unpack it)

You can actually add more of theem and mix. Just remember that it may override the instruments.

Using PAT files

What is a PAT file?
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PAT files in current time, is basically a file containing palettes for Photoshop, but back in 90s it contains a Patched instrument. As far as I know, Gravis Ultrasound uses them to play a music that are in MIDI format. There is a free alternative in a form of FreePats created by the community.

Outside the hardware, there were no uses for it in current system, but there is a program which lets you use these files on modern system, called Timidity. It also supports soundfonts, it's on Linux, Mac and Windows and you can convert a MIDI file to MP3 or OGG as well, bringing an advantage over the CoolSoft's VirtualMIDI at the cost of slightly harder configuration.

Here's a tutorial for the Windows version.

Download Timidity Windows Synthesizer and install it, then use MIDISelector to choost Timidity ++ Driver. Since by default it includes PAT files from Freepats, you have it pretty much prepared.

But if you want to have Gravis Ultrasound PAT files on it then you have to do it on your own. Just make sure to run timw32g.exe to change the cfg file. You may use use a pre-made one from Doomworld then use it's timidity.cfg from there, just make sure that you set the directory of pat files you want to use by using dir command at the CFG file.

I just unpack it to the new folder which i call gus, open the CFG file that includes it and add
(This is an example if i have timidity installed at Disk C and if the PAT files are located in gus folder i've created)

dir "c:/timidity/gus"

at the beginning, then set the program to use that configuration file to play MIDI.

NOTE! SOMETIMES WINDOWS MAY REMOVE THE DRIVERS FOR ONE OF THESE PROGRAMS FOR NO REASON! When that happens just reinstall it.

For best effect, just use both and switch between Mappers with Coolsoft's VirtualMIDI Mapper. Heck, you can use them for DOSBox, once you pinpoint the program which mapper you want it to use.

The second to last link doesn't appear to work, I'm afraid...

Trying out different soundfonts is pretty cool, it's like listening to a new soundtrack every time. It's also worth giving a listen to midis that normally sound like plunging the toilet with Donald Duck; chances are the midi just doesn't mesh well with the Windows default, and might actually be decent with a different soundfont.

The second to last link doesn't appear to work, I'm afraid...

Fixed it.

Ha. I should have guessed that there were 3rd party programs for old midi emulation now that even soundfonts have become obsolete for most music-making purposes (at least, that's how it was last I checked).

I will definitely be checking this out.

EDIT: Tried it, that FluidR3 GM soundfont is very nice (only added my old Florestan AWW Choir to it). Quite happy with it. Thanks!

I'm still getting:

Error 404

The page cannot be found !

The page you are looking for might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.

Let me try linking it: here.
Scroll down until you see a soundfont called Setzer's SPC Soundfont.
Edit: Okay, I figured out that for some reason Dink Network has a limit in length for hyperlinks. That was the issue.

Cheers, thanks!

I have made small chnages and added the tutorial for Windows version of Timidity++, while including some info about the PAT files.