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i'm experiemnting with various midi sounds and wanted to try synthfont64. i added the vst in BIAB, the vst control window appeared and once i'd closed that window it worked straight out of the box with a sound set called gm.dls.

however i cannot find how to change the soundfont and as soon as i try anything in the vst window, the close cross on the plugin window gets grayed out, everything freezes and i have to close BIAB by control/alt/delete.

however, if i just close the vst window as soon as i select synthfont as the default synth everything works fine with a reasonable set of GM sounds.

it would be nice to be able to change the soundfont in BIAB but i'm not too worried as i can use the TTS1 as default for roughing out a song and then go to RB where i know i can use different synths.

however, the synthfont does not work in RB. the window shows the same gm.dls sounds are selected but the synth is silent. i get the mixer and tracks showing midi activity but no sound.

i've always assumed the green level meters showed midi output as a sound sent to the speakers but thinking about it, do the green levels show midi output to the synth and therefore if the synth is not working there is no sound? i get a nag screen telling me to pay for the new version, but i should be able to use the synthfont plugin for 15 days.

if paying for the new version will make it work i'm happy to do that but is that the problem?

the synthfont 64 shows as default synth but it's silent. port settings don't seem to help.

i'd like to get it working in RB and also be able to change the soundfont.

i've seen Jim Fogle's helpful post on updating the synthfont64 but i'm not sure that the update wll cure the RB problem.

and if RTM or RTFM applies (!) i've tried searching on google but come up with nothing useful.

advice would be welcomed please




Last edited by Bob Calver; 12/26/21 11:57 PM.
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at least i just got halion sonic GM set working in RB so that's a 50% success rate

synthfont 64 and soundfonts would be nice though

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Preferences->MIDI Driver or
MIDI->MIDI Audio Driver Setup->VSTi/DXi->SynthFont->OK->Options->Files & Folders->Default SoundFont->Change

It feels like there should be a quicker way :-\

What I haven't yet found is the way to make the synth 'stick' and not keep reverting to Coyote WT when I restart BiaB.


Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
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Ok thanks will try and hope it works in RB - is the default gm set limited to BIAB?

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I think gm.dll (or gm.dls ?) is probably part of Windows, as my Linux installation of BiaB couldn't find it wand popped up an error box about it.

I've not really done much with RB I'm afraid, though I should explore it some more. My main use has been as an accompaniment, which is why I'm more BiaB-oriented.

Last edited by Gordon Scott; 12/27/21 10:47 PM.

Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
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Far as I know you are correct in that gm.dls is the Windows default GM sound set.
In the old days we would swap other files in place of it to get Windows default to sound better. I *think* you can still do that if you have admin rights, since it is a Windows file. <grin>
But Windows may set it back at any point in time with an update frown

Conversion from a Soundfont (sf2) file to DLS was pretty simple. So using a Soundfont for your default windows sound set was possible if you were brave enough.
BTW, this is the same file Coyote WT would use as the default sound set, which is cool.

From memory I think I used to run the Chaos 12 meg SF2 as my default Windows synth, even in Windows Media Player, but it has been years.

And yes, you sound like you may enjoy RB if you gave it a whirl.
It is different than BiaB, but can do much of the same stuff, just in a different way (lots of different ways) .. and does some stuff better IMO


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Originally Posted By: rharv

Conversion from a Soundfont (sf2) file to DLS was pretty simple. So using a Soundfont for your default windows sound set was possible if you were brave enough.

That may have ben another way around the issue of the missing gm.dls file from Linux Wine. The problem was a checksum mismatch and Winetricks decklining to install it. I fould a way round the checksum issue, but the sf2->dls conversion may have been a better way.


Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
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I'm a registered owner of Synthfont. I'll load it into RB and see if I can post some screen shots of how to change the soundfont (it definitely allows that, as I've done it many times).


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i've managved to change the soundfont but in RB the synth is still silent. cakewalk and halion sonicSE both work fine.

with halion i have to remember to set the GM mode - am i missing something similar in synthfont?

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thanks everyone above - an update after talking to the owner of synthfont seems to have cured BIAB and RB problems.

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