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Blastfrog

What is the best SC-55 soundfont?

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Here is the last known release I uploaded to Mediafire:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/g6bmov62qmbky03/Patch93s_Roland_Sound_Canvas_V2.2_soundfont.zip

If you want the most accuracy, there is Sound Canvas VA but it is incredibly expensive:
https://www.roland.com/global/products/sound_canvas_va/

(Seriously, $125? You could get an actual SC-55 module for that much.)

Also the string and choir presets suck dick and it uses the SC-88 crash cymbals,
though the SC-55 map is for the most part faithful to the original.

I actually haven't updated my soundfont in a long time, I should get back to work on it.

I wish MUNT had Sound Canvas support, but we all know the legal trouble that thing went through in the first place.

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While it's not for SC-55 specifically, I did find a high-quality soundfont that is meant to represent the SCC-1.  I have no idea where I got it or who made this, but it sounds just as accurate to the SCC-1 as Patch93's soundfont is to the SC-55.  One difference I hear between a real SCC-1 and the soundfont however, is that some of the sounds (namely the cymbals) take too long to fade out completely.  Still, the SCC-1 is basically a cost-cut SC-55mkII anyways.

 

http://www.mediafire.com/file/ing2ddctd1h4bqy/Scc1t2.zip - I re-uploaded it to mediafire incase anyone wants to check it out.

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On 10/7/2016 at 11:00 PM, Joshua Schäferhund said:

Here is the last known release I uploaded to Mediafire:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/g6bmov62qmbky03/Patch93s_Roland_Sound_Canvas_V2.2_soundfont.zip

If you want the most accuracy, there is Sound Canvas VA but it is incredibly expensive:
https://www.roland.com/global/products/sound_canvas_va/

(Seriously, $125? You could get an actual SC-55 module for that much.)


Also the string and choir presets suck dick and it uses the SC-88 crash cymbals,
though the SC-55 map is for the most part faithful to the original.

I actually haven't updated my soundfont in a long time, I should get back to work on it.

I wish MUNT had Sound Canvas support, but we all know the legal trouble that thing went through in the first place.

Is this cool to post? 

 

Roland SC-88 (Full Version)

 

https://musical-artifacts.com/artifacts/538

 

Quote

FINALLY! there is a VST called Roland SOUND canvas,which is paid and it's not cheap. so i compiled the sounds (everything i could get from the 14 day trial and 10 mins. limitation.) It's GM Compatible tho.

 

Edited by Karmeck

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I use 'SC-55.SoundFont.v1.2b.sf2" - I've also used Patch93's SC-55, and even the Roland SC-88 soundfont that's floating around out there.

 

I forgot who made the version I use, or I would link it here. :)

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4 hours ago, Arrowhead said:

I use 'SC-55.SoundFont.v1.2b.sf2" - I've also used Patch93's SC-55, and even the Roland SC-88 soundfont that's floating around out there.

 

I forgot who made the version I use, or I would link it here. :)

I made it more clear that its the SC-88 soundfont I'm posting a link to, above. 

 

Or is there an other, better, version? To be found. 

Edited by Karmeck

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14 hours ago, leejacksonaudio said:

My Roland SC-88Pro. <evil grin>

I'm thinking of getting myself a Sound Canvas, would you know if there's a significant reason to get a SC-88 or would the SC-55 mk2 be fine for a GM module to use for Doom WADs and composing?

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Looking in the comments section for the awful SC-88 soundfont, I learn of a 103mb SC-55 SoundFont. A fast search lead me to this file

SC-55_v3.7.sf2 found here: !Outdated! see edit 2

https://telparia.com/fileFormatSamples/audio/soundFont2/

 

I have not found it elsewhere, so I don't know about the version number is about it why it is so big. 

 

Edit:

Found the original upload !Also outdated! 

https://archive.org/details/SC55EmperorGrieferus

 

Edit 2: here is the most recent version 

 

As the file was smaller I asked in the comments witch file was the most recent, and it's this smaller one. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G53wKnIBMONgOVx0gCOWrBlJaXsyaKml/view

 

What the archive like does have going for it. Is a changelog: 

https://ia600700.us.archive.org/2/items/SC55EmperorGrieferus/Changelog.txt

Edited by Karmeck

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13 hours ago, PsychEyeball said:

I'm thinking of getting myself a Sound Canvas, would you know if there's a significant reason to get a SC-88 or would the SC-55 mk2 be fine for a GM module to use for Doom WADs and composing?

I can't honestly say, but I'll admit I'm very biased toward the SC-88 family. I cut my composing teeth on an SC-88, and I just prefer it. It does give you more GS voice choices, you know.

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Speaking of GS, anyone know an SC-55 soundfont that actually has the extra instruments from GS melodic banks?

 

Sure, GS drum kits might typically be taken care of, but melodic banks are underrated. Even DMX ignores GS melodic banks despite supporting GS drum kits.

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7 hours ago, Nikku4211 said:

Speaking of GS, anyone know an SC-55 soundfont that actually has the extra instruments from GS melodic banks?

 

Sure, GS drum kits might typically be taken care of, but melodic banks are underrated. Even DMX ignores GS melodic banks despite supporting GS drum kits.

 The word melodic can be found 2 times in the change log for the file i posted above:

https://ia600700.us.archive.org/2/items/SC55EmperorGrieferus/Changelog.txt

 

So maybe that soundfont has what you are looking for. 

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12 hours ago, leejacksonaudio said:

I can't honestly say, but I'll admit I'm very biased toward the SC-88 family. I cut my composing teeth on an SC-88, and I just prefer it. It does give you more GS voice choices, you know.

Managed to find a cheap SC-88 for sale (there was a SC-88 Pro listing but it was like 250 extra bucks). Looking forward to using it!

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1 hour ago, PsychEyeball said:

Managed to find a cheap SC-88 for sale (there was a SC-88 Pro listing but it was like 250 extra bucks). Looking forward to using it!

Didn't know you were actually planning on buying one - great news! Make sure you get a little 2-port MIDI interface so you can use all 32 MIDI channels the thing has to offer. :)

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22 hours ago, Karmeck said:

I'm sorry. I tested that SC-88 soundfont on a midi app and it sounded horribel. 

Indeed it is. I just tested it with some of my own MIDIs. It's borderline unusable, as none of the instruments have been sampled correctly.

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12 hours ago, Karmeck said:

 The word melodic can be found 2 times in the change log for the file i posted above:

 https://ia600700.us.archive.org/2/items/SC55EmperorGrieferus/Changelog.txt

 

So maybe that soundfont has what you are looking for. 

Bruh the word 'melodic' has only been used to refer to 'Melodic Tom', one of the standard General MIDI instruments. That's not what I was talking about when I was saying 'GS melodic banks'.

 

I meant the extra banks of melodic instruments Roland GS lets you choose from, which the SC-55 supports. Not 'Melodic Tom', a pitchable percussion instrument.

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13 hours ago, Nikku4211 said:

Bruh the word 'melodic' has only been used to refer to 'Melodic Tom', one of the standard General MIDI instruments. That's not what I was talking about when I was saying 'GS melodic banks'.

 

I meant the extra banks of melodic instruments Roland GS lets you choose from, which the SC-55 supports. Not 'Melodic Tom', a pitchable percussion instrument.

The maker of that soundfont is responsive 

(24h) in the youtube linked above. 

 

Maybe you, who know what you are looking for, can ask of him to included it in the soundfont. 

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On 3/19/2022 at 11:10 PM, leejacksonaudio said:

I can't honestly say, but I'll admit I'm very biased toward the SC-88 family. I cut my composing teeth on an SC-88, and I just prefer it. It does give you more GS voice choices, you know.

But did you not compose the Rise of the Triad and Duke Nukem 3D soundtrack on an actual SC-55??

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4 hours ago, Gregor said:

 

But did you not compose the Rise of the Triad and Duke Nukem 3D soundtrack on an actual SC-55??

I've never owned nor had access to an SC-55 in my life. I've had a RAP-10, an SCC-1, and an SC-88. Some of ROTT was done using the RAP-10. Most of Duke Nukem 3D was done on the SC-88.

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1 hour ago, PsychEyeball said:

Duke Nukem 3D was composed on a Roland RAP-10.

See above. I think I'd outgrew my RAP-10 when I began working on the Duke Nukem 3D soundtrack.

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56 minutes ago, leejacksonaudio said:

I've never owned nor had access to an SC-55 in my life. I've had a RAP-10, an SCC-1, and an SC-88. Some of ROTT was done using the RAP-10. Most of Duke Nukem 3D was done on the SC-88.

That's very interesting. I think a lot of people (like me) assume that both ROTT and Duke 3D were made with the SC-55 in mind since that seemed to be a bit of an industry standard at the time (probably in no small part because of Doom & Bobby).

I'm curious because i love the ROTT soundtrack and always thought the SC-55 version is a "authentic" representation of how it was supposed to sound. But apparently, that's not the case. So was the ROTT OST really made with GM in mind instead of GS? Have you listened to the SC-55 rendition of your tracks?

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10 minutes ago, Gregor said:

So was the ROTT OST really made with GM in mind instead of GS?

That's correct. I would compose my songs for ROTT on whatever soundcard du jour I had, and I would then bring them in for approval by Tom Hall, the project director. He would listen to them on his Roland SCC-1, a General MIDI card. So, in a sense, you could say ROTT was sort-of written for the SCC-1, indirectly speaking. ;)

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16 minutes ago, Gregor said:

Have you listened to the SC-55 rendition of your tracks?

Not all the way through. Like I said, I have an SC-88/SC-88Pro bias, since that's what I have had access to. I've had no need to listen to the SC-55 versions of my songs. Still don't, to be honest.

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9 minutes ago, leejacksonaudio said:

Not all the way through. Like I said, I have an SC-88/SC-88Pro bias, since that's what I have had access to. I've had no need to listen to the SC-55 versions of my songs. Still don't, to be honest.

Well, i guess that makes the SC-88 the "new" official synth of choice for getting the authentic experience for Duke 3D and ROTT then. Btw, do u still have your original SC-88? How long do these things last?

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2 hours ago, Gregor said:

Btw, do u still have your original SC-88? How long do these things last?

I don't have my original SC-88 - that remained at 3D Realms when we parted ways. I've since purchased an SC-88Pro from Japan and use it for writing my commissions. I have no idea how long they last, but I take very good care of my SC-88Pro, just in case.

 

BTW, my SC-88Pro has recently been joined by a Yamaha MU100, so now I have both full GS and XG capabilities for doing commissions. In case anyone is interested. :)

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I'm using SC-55 Patch93.sf2 for my Roland fix and I'd say it's pretty damn serviceable, Duke Nukem 3D sounds great with it as does Doom naturally. Is there a superior version? I got mine along other soundfonts from @Doomkid's soundfont collection thread.

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5 hours ago, leejacksonaudio said:

Most of Duke Nukem 3D was done on the SC-88.

I learned about this just yesterday while researching accurate soundfonts and the limits of the sound format and had to look up how my favourite composition of yours, Plasma, sounded on an SC-88.

It genuinely gives off such a different mood from the SC-55 version that it almost felt like a time machine to my childhood :D

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