Plugin/standalone app for GM-MIDI synth?

[macstatic]

Does anyone know of a multi-timbral General-MIDI (GM) mapped software synth. Preferrably as a stand-alone app, but a plugin (or both) will do as well.
Something like software version of the Roland MT-32 or similar.

 

[olavsu1]

In mac world? I don't know anyone. maybe hardware only: V3 Sound Grand Piano XXL, Roland Integra 7, Yamaha motif rack, etc

but windows world.. This is the best: https://coolsoft.altervista.org/en/virtualmidisynth (It is known that its developers have no plans to make a Mac version.)

 

[macstatic]

Ah, too bad.
I did find something that might work (though they all seem quite "geeky" and complicated so I need to spend some time figuring it all out):
- FluidSynth (and QSynth graphical user interface for FluidSynth)
- Munt (Roland MT-32 emulator)
- X42

I was hoping for something more streamlined and "ready to use out of the box" though.
Has anyone had any experience with any of the above?

 

[olavsu1]

To be honest, I still haven't found a satisfactory solution to the same problem.

That's why I use the most convenient solution for me, a another Windows PC, Cakewalk Sonar Platinum (it's now cakewalk by bandlab) and the aforementioned coolsoft synthesizer.

 

[theluggage]

MacOS has a General MIDI Audio Unit plug-in as standard - called "DLSMusicDevice" (AU Instruments -> Apple -> DLSMusicDevice). It can accept SoundFont files, but the default "QuickTime Synthesizer" has a standard set of GM sounds.

OK, this may count as a silly answer, because I haven't used it and I suspect it's very limited, but technically its an answer to the original question 🙂

 

[macstatic]

Wow, cool!
Thanks @theluggage ! I didn't know about that one and had to look it up in Garageband. As you say, it's a plugin instrument available within the "Apple" category.
It only played a piano sound, so I have to figure out how to get it to play different sounds at once (multi-timbral synth).
Thanks for sharing that info!

 

[theluggage]

It only played a piano sound, so I have to figure out how to get it to play different sounds at once (multi-timbral synth).

You send it MIDI program change commands. You can assign different voices to different MIDI channels - I don’t think it’s got any sort of “keyboard split” function but if you’re using a MIDI keyboard controller, that may have a function to split between two channels. If you’re programming it in a DAW just use multiple tracks…

I got it going in Logic to prove the point using the MIDI event list editor - I’m sure there are other ways of doing it.

 

[macstatic]

You send it MIDI program change commands. You can assign different voices to different MIDI channels

Got it!

I got it going in Logic to prove the point using the MIDI event list editor - I’m sure there are other ways of doing it.

I tried it in Logic as well, and it worked great!
Thanks for suggesting it!