Improving quality of midi music, and fixing a common issue

[Sei Ryu]

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This post assumes you already have the UO midi music files, which are included on Ultima Online: Age of Shadows and previous versions. If not, see the relevant post:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=47
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In case your music sounds wrong at Queen Lissar's castle and some other places, that's a problem with Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth and can't be fixed, but there is a workaround which also gives better music quality: Installing the Timidity++ driver for Windows.

First install the E-MU 8 MB GM Soundfont Bank from here:
http://www.emu.com/support/files/downlo ... 1&File=266


Now install the Timidity++ driver for Windows by following the steps on this post:
http://www.doomworld.com/vb/doom-genera ... ty-driver/

Once the Timidity++ driver is installed and set up as described in that post, do the following:

1. Run the provided setwindrv program and continue with the following steps.
2. Set the "MIDI renderer latency" to 1.
3. In the "directory(where your soundfonts are.)" section, browse for the "uo folder"\music\4mb (where the "uo_4mb_2.sf2" file resides) folder, press the Open button to close the browse dialog, then click on the corresponding "add" button. It should now be on the list.
4. In the same section, add the c:\windows\system32 (or wherever the "EMUAPS8.sf2" file ended up installed... do a file search for it if necesary) folders, press the Open button to close the browse dialog, then click on the corresponding "add" button. It should now be on the list.
5. On the "soundfonts & includes" section, remove all the files there, then use the right panel to select the EMUAPS8.sf2 file and press the "add" button.
6. On the same section, select the uo_4mb_2.sf2 from the right panel and press the "add" button again. Both soundfonts should be listed in the left panel.
7. On the same section, make sure the uo_4mb_2.sf2 file is at the bottom of the list. You can move it to the bottom by clicking on it and pressing the "down" button.
8. Press the "save & quit" button.

Now run UO and enjoy the music.

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EDIT:

The E-MU 8 MB GM Soundfont Bank is no longer available.

This can be a good replacement. Just use the included sfpack program to decompress sYnerGi-8Mb.sfpack (you have to "Add Files", set the file type to "SFPack Files", select the sYnerGi-8Mb.sfpack file, click Open, and then "Go!", and you will get sYnerGi-8Mb.sf2)

http://soundfonts.homemusician.net/coll ... i_8mb.html

[Xanola]

Thanks, Sei

[Zoram]

Sorry to necropost, but I can't connect to the emu site to download the soundfont?

[Sei Ryu]

Well, this can be a good replacement. Just use the included sfpack program to decompress sYnerGi-8Mb.sfpack (you have to "Add Files", set the file type to "SFPack Files", select the sYnerGi-8Mb.sfpack file, click Open, and then "Go!", and you will get sYnerGi-8Mb.sf2)

http://soundfonts.homemusician.net/coll ... i_8mb.html