Hi,

I posted something about this topic the other day, but couldn't find it.

Anywho.......There are a couple of good options other than that mentioned above.

1. The Roland TTS-1 softsynth. This is bundled with Cakewalk Sonar, which can be a little pricey. Now Cakewalk has an entry level product ($35) called "Music Creator 5", which bundles the TTS-1. Not a bad deal, and the sounds are much better than that of the Roland sound canvas, about equal to Forte Coyote, but more control. Music Creator is actually a great program for the price, there are tons of good features as a DAW. Here is a link to a video explaining the features>

http://www.cakewalk.com/products/musiccreator/videos.asp

2. If you are really picky about the quality of your samples, and still want full GM compatibility, you should look into the VIR2 "One". Although the price is more ($199) the quality is fantastic, and you don't have to worry about manually loading each patch per song, as you have to do with Kontakt. Here are some demos and info>

http://www.vir2.com/4DCGI/vir2/products/vione/index.html?1198

Hope that helps,
Ed