Windows 98 SE: Trying to change MIDI instrument to GS Wavetable Synth

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ACMDogfight1997
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Joined: Wed 15 Nov, 2017 2:00 am

Windows 98 SE: Trying to change MIDI instrument to GS Wavetable Synth

Post by ACMDogfight1997 »

I've been trying to figure out how to change MIDI instrument on Windows 98 SE in PCem from Yamaha OPL2/OPL3 Synthesis to that of the Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth (the MIDI instrument used by default of Windows versions even to this day. The problem is that even though it's already included in Windows 98 SE, I can't seem to get it to operate as a MIDI instrument. I looked in Control Panel/Multimedia/MIDI and it's not available to select. I would like to know how to get this to work. I have some screenshots available to look at.
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leilei
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Re: Windows 98 SE: Trying to change MIDI instrument to GS Wavetable Synth

Post by leilei »

Windows98 doesn't generally make the software synth available when there's hardware with native playback (as with the real systems with such sound cards). In the 90s it was only really common to see the GS synth on post-AC'97 laptops and other onboard audio chips and a bunch of OEM machines with cheap AudioPCIs.

It's still available as a DirectMusic device for games that really need it. You can also use it through a WinAMP plugin that interfaces with the directmusic api (it's what I had to do to try that synth on a Sblive then)

You can switch to a Sound Blaster PCI 128 and it'll have that GS synth available (in addition to Ensoniq's synth, unless it's Microsoft's WDM driver)
ACMDogfight1997
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Joined: Wed 15 Nov, 2017 2:00 am

Re: Windows 98 SE: Trying to change MIDI instrument to GS Wavetable Synth

Post by ACMDogfight1997 »

leilei wrote:You can switch to a Sound Blaster PCI 128 and it'll have that GS synth available (in addition to Ensoniq's synth, unless it's Microsoft's WDM driver)
Okay, where can I find that?
Katakis
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Re: Windows 98 SE: Trying to change MIDI instrument to GS Wavetable Synth

Post by Katakis »

From the menu. select Misc > Machine to bring up the PCem Machine, then go to Settings > Configure. Click the tab that looks like a gray speaker. The options drop-down box should include a SB PCI 128.
ACMDogfight1997
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Re: Windows 98 SE: Trying to change MIDI instrument to GS Wavetable Synth

Post by ACMDogfight1997 »

Well I had to download a the newest version since the settings you were specifying weren't on the version I had (v12). Unfortunately I have some problems. The drivers weren't there at first so I had to download and install software that had the drivers. That solved the issue of having sound, but selecting any other MIDI instrument other than SBI PCI128 MIDI Synth gives no playback to midi files and it's not the same MIDI instrument as the default Windows one.

These are screenshots of Device manager and the .exe I installed the drivers from.
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