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General discussionHow do I configure Ultima Underworld to utilise VirtualMIDISynth?(25 posts)(25 posts)
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Posted June 17, 2021
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Inosiphot: EDIT: I found a few options when pressing 2 to go to the settings, however there is no precense of a General MIDI sound option only PC Speaker, AdLib, SB, Pro and Roland.
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timppu: Ultima Underworld 1-2 don't support General MIDI, they were released before GM became commonplace in PC games.

To get fully correct sounds, you want to use Munt (a Roland MT-32 emulator) with CM-32L ROMs. MT-32 ROMs work too, but some sound effects are incorrect with them, like the swimming sound.
The best sound in those games is under MT32, indeed but the Roms are not public or freeware. You know what I mean...:)

Anyway the GM patches work fine, and the game sounds better than with adlib/sounddblaster only.
Posted June 17, 2021
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Gudadantza: The best sound in those games is under MT32, indeed but the Roms are not public or freeware. You know what I mean...:)
True, but then they are not sold anywhere either, so it is up to each other's own moral code, whether they are still fine in obtaining them somewhere, in order to hear a couple of old games as they are intended to be heard.

For Ultima Underworld 1-2 specifically, the CM-32L ROMs are preferred over the MT-32 ROMs.

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Gudadantza: Anyway the GM patches work fine, and the game sounds better than with adlib/sounddblaster only.
I haven't tried that option, mainly because I haven't had to (thanks to Munt). I guess I am a purist, I want the game to sound as it was intended.
Post edited June 17, 2021 by timppu
Posted June 17, 2021
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timppu: True, but then they are not sold anywhere either, so it is up to each other's own moral code, whether they are still fine in obtaining them somewhere, in order to hear a couple of old games as they are intended to be heared.

For Ultima Underworld 1-2 specifically, the CM-32L ROMs are preferred over the MT-32 ROMs.
Buy a CM-32L second hand (+cables) or find the ROMs "somewhere" (+Munt); the choice exists.

Edit: Roland sells a Virtual Sound Canvas, but I don't know how well it emulates the MT32/CM-32L.... + it's very DRM'ed.
Post edited June 17, 2021 by teceem
Posted June 17, 2021
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Gudadantza: The best sound in those games is under MT32, indeed but the Roms are not public or freeware. You know what I mean...:)
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timppu: True, but then they are not sold anywhere either, so it is up to each other's own moral code, whether they are still fine in obtaining them somewhere, in order to hear a couple of old games as they are intended to be heared.

For Ultima Underworld 1-2 specifically, the CM-32L ROMs are preferred over the MT-32 ROMs.

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Gudadantza: Anyway the GM patches work fine, and the game sounds better than with adlib/sounddblaster only.
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timppu: I haven't tried that option, mainly because I haven't had to (thanks to Munt). I guess I am a purist, I want the game to sound as it was intended.
Of course :), nothing to object. But I posted the links and the option for the UltimaGM patches just becase the OP specifically ask about the availability of VirtualMIDISynth in these games (this is, General MIDI) He will have his reasons, who knows.

Greetings
Posted June 17, 2021
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timppu: True, but then they are not sold anywhere either, so it is up to each other's own moral code, whether they are still fine in obtaining them somewhere, in order to hear a couple of old games as they are intended to be heared.

For Ultima Underworld 1-2 specifically, the CM-32L ROMs are preferred over the MT-32 ROMs.
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teceem: Buy a CM-32Lsecond hand (+cables) or find the ROMs "somewhere" (+Munt); the choice exists.
I actually have a real Roland CM-32L unit and even bought an USB-MIDI adapter cable for it so that I could use it with DOSBox on modern PCs...

...but then I found out how well Munt is able to reproduce the music, so my CM-32L has been sitting unused for many many years. Using Munt is much easier anyway than setting up the real CM-32L MIDI module...

Plus, hardware will break eventually. I wouldn't be surprised my CM-32L has already stopped working, maybe its capacitors are already swollen and/or dried out... Emulators like Munt don't get broken with time, only by incompatible software.

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teceem: Edit: Roland sells a Virtual Sound Canvas, but I don't know how well it emulates the MT32/CM-32L.... + it's very DRM'ed.
I presume it is a Roland SCC-1/SC-55 emulator, kind of an extended General MIDI.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_Sound_Canvas

They are kinda successors to the Roland LA synthesizers, like Roland MT-32 and CM-32L.
Post edited June 17, 2021 by timppu
Posted June 17, 2021
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timppu: Plus, hardware will break eventually. I wouldn't be surprised my CM-32L has already stopped working, maybe its capacitors are already swollen and/or dried out... Emulators like Munt don't get broken with time, only by incompatible software.
There are no promises in life (except death). That CM-32L might still work 20 years from know, while Munt won't (it's possible!) on future Windows versions. (sure, old windows VM/emulations... and such... but it's not that easy for everybody)

Plenty of 80s sound hardware still works as well right now as when originally released. (just an observation, not a promise)


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timppu: I presume it is a Roland SCC-1/SC-55 emulator, kind of an extended General MIDI.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_Sound_Canvas

They are kinda successors to the Roland LA synthesizers, like Roland MT-32 and CM-32L.
From what I know/assume: it's mostly an emulation of this one:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_SC-8850

This is the one: https://www.roland.com/global/products/rc_sound_canvas_va/
Post edited June 17, 2021 by teceem
Posted June 18, 2021
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Inosiphot: Well, I did as suggested but it's just playing what sounds like the generic SoundBlaster or Wavetable Synth music :\. I have no issues with using VirtualMIDISynth in games like System Shock or what have you, only these GOG versions of Ultima. There's no sort of setup menu for this afaik, so I went into the UW.cfg file and found this:

"3 7 220 1 sound

1 7 220 1 speech

0 cuts"

I did a bit of searching and found a thread about changing it, when I did change the sound option it was playing the same music except only in the left side of my headphone so I reverted it.
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timppu: Read this:

https://www.gog.com/forum/general/music_and_sound_effects/post2

So you need Munt (Roland MT-32/CM-32L emulator), which you can either use in tandem with VirtualMIDISynth, or without it by selecting the right (=Munt) MIDI device with the DOSBox config file. Read that whole thread.
Thank you for mentioning this, I managed to get Roland MT-32 working with Munt and it sounds fabulous! I still couldn't get VirtualMIDISynth to work or install the unofficial patch for general midi because it wouldn't let me add files to game.gog, but this sounds great! Thanks :).
Post edited June 18, 2021 by Inosiphot
Posted June 18, 2021
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Inosiphot: Thank you for mentioning this, I managed to get Roland MT-32 working with Munt and it sounds fabulous! I still couldn't get VirtualMIDISynth to work or install the unofficial patch for general midi because it wouldn't let me add files to game.gog, but this sounds great! Thanks :).
Windows 10? Have you installed games in a Program Files folder? (bad idea)
Posted June 19, 2021
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teceem: Windows 10? Have you installed games in a Program Files folder? (bad idea)
Nope, I installed it directly into one of my drives. It wouldn't let me edit the archive itself in WinRAR or 7-Zip, only extract items.
Posted June 19, 2021
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teceem: Install (Coolsoft) MIDIMapper; to change the default Windows midi device.
Hmmm i have a soft spot for Timidity++, but that worked best on XP and Win7 it's not so happy with unless you want to just give it midi files and compose them out as wav files...

Course you gotta select good Soundfonts too...

Either way, yes replacing the default driver and just configuring the usual midi port should do the job...
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Community
General discussionHow do I configure Ultima Underworld to utilise VirtualMIDISynth?(25 posts)(25 posts)
(25 posts)