Volunteers for writing a FF7 soundfont usage FAQ?

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It would seem that there's need for comprehensive guide to soundfont usage with FF7, especially with Windows XP, and with newer cards, like Live!, Audigy and Audigy 2.

It's not the most complicated thing in the world, but people seem to ask about it very often. It would be easier if there was a FAQ, with all the little details (like; do not pust test button).

Perhaps even with screenshots, that way it would be really hard to misunderstand.

Anyone willing to write such a thing?
 
As we speak, I am putting together a "patch" which contains:

FF7.sf2, with all of its original instruments, and also contains compatability with One Winged Angel.

And, an updated midi.lgp file which fixes a few songs that're a little screwy.

And that'll be it. Has anyone done anything like this before..?

Why am I doing this? I finally realized that windows XP will not automatically load soundfonts.

[EDIT - awhile later]

...And here it is! Download this sucker and be sure to read the readme included. This one's for you, Elitist1.

(and for the love of god, tell me if the link is broken. my server really pisses me off sometimes)
 
*The link above in my previous post DID work. Instead, you can have fun and splash around in the goodness of google.com*

Ok, I'll postpone the release until I find a way to make a patch.

...grumble...grumble  :oops:

Great, now I gotta do more work  :-?

Send the patchmaker, my friend. I cannot find it anywhere with the search option.
 
Of course, you do know that the lb2 fonts will mess up a few other songs..... Forgot what it was named, woodblocks?, That the one that conflicts with other songs.
 
Yes, threesixty, I am way ahead of you on that one. The only song besides OWA that uses the woodblock is Cait Sith's theme, and hurry faster. And it doesn't even use the same notes that OWA uses. So...it's all good.
 
OWA?

????

????

what?

Um....I don't know what OWA is, and I haven't messed with Sfonts in a very, long time....so I may be wrong about this. But I think(/thought/whatever)...that the song that it messed up, the most, was that Casa de Sol song (maybe I got the name wrong). The one that has that, latin sounding beat...that plays when you arrive at "that" city, from Junon....by ship....after the first encounter with Jenova/Sephiroth.
 
OWA= one-winged angel, aka "lb2" or "lb2_awe". There are also a few other woodblock-using that I didn't list, but I belive they are fine. I am going to begin the final putting-together of it using the patchmaker.

And I have made a not-so-final version of my "patch". Please TELL me if any songs sound bad, especially one-winged angel. I decided to use the instruments that were in ff7.sf2 already, and put the voices in with the woodblock. Just tell me what you think, dammit.

And here it is!

We could also use halohalo's soundfont. It works pretty decently. As does mine. But his instruments are more accurate than mine. I would have put the trumpets from lb2.sf2 into my soundfont, but I was rushed to finish  :-?
 
It would seem that there's need for comprehensive guide to soundfont usage with FF7, especially with Windows XP, and with newer cards, like Live!, Audigy and Audigy 2.

It's not the most complicated thing in the world, but people seem to ask about it very often. It would be easier if there was a FAQ, with all the little details (like; do not pust test button).

Perhaps even with screenshots, that way it would be really hard to misunderstand.

Anyone willing to write such a thing?
Click to expand...
Although the document was written for my new soundfont work. It should be useful :)  
 
Usage:   
Ex1: Win98se, Audigy2 (WDM driver, must be updated to driverpack3)
1.   Go to C:\Program Files\Square Soft, Inc\Final Fantasy VII\data\midi, and replace original awe.lgp with new awe.lgp from the patch.
2.   Use ff7config.exe to select MIDI device. If you use Audigy2, you can choose SB Audigy Synth A or SB Audigy Synth B.
3.   Use ff7config.exe to select music file, and choose “soundfont midi (AWE64/32)”. If you click the test button but fail the test, don’t worry about that. Because it always happens when you use WDM driver and installed Soundfont Manager.
4.   Use Audigy2’s Soundfont Manager to choose your favorite device (SB Audigy Synth A or B) and load FF7.sf2 from the patch. Before you load FF7.sf2, you need to remove other soundfont loaded in that device. Then choose bank [000] and load FF7.sf2.
5.   Now enjoy the music:)
※   If you use Audigy2’s WDM driver under Win98se, you need to:
1.   Update your soundcard driver to driverpack3. It will help solve unexpected system down when you use ff7config.exe to set the game. (The problem happens if you selected soundfont device as your music device)
2.   Install WDM driver compatibility patch for Win98se. Take Audigy2 for example, you can find the patch in Audigy2’s installation CD. If your CD-ROM’s drive letter is D, just go to D:\Audio\Setup\MSPatch and unzip the *(language).cab you need. You should find out 269601xxx8.exe (AC-3 & WDM driver compatibility patch) and 242975xxx8.exe (IEEE1394 patch) in it. Then install the patches. If you use other soundcards, you should find Q242937.exe (WDM driver compatibility patch) or Q269601.exe to solve the problem.

Ex2: Win98se, Audigy2 (VXD driver)
1.   Find out and install “soundfont midi router” from ff7pc install disc. If your CD-ROM’s drive letter is D, you can find out the program in D:\sfman\setup.exe.
2.   Go to C:\Program Files\Square Soft, Inc\Final Fantasy VII\data\midi, and replace original awe.lgp with new awe.lgp from the patch.
3.   Use ff7config.exe to select MIDI device. Please choose ”soundfont midi router”.
4.   Use ff7config.exe to select music file, and choose “soundfont midi (AWE64/32)”. Remember never click the test button. You may be able to hear the test music, but the soundfont will be affected. That means “The way it’s meant to be played” will become impossible. : P (my new awe.lgp contains different versions of songs, which may be one reason) If you clicked the test button and encountered the problem, just remove FF7.sf2 then reload it.
5.   Go to Control Panel | Multimedia | Devices, and find out “soundfont midi router”. Click “Property” and set MIDI device (like SB Audigy Synth A or B). Because soundfont midi router doesn’t memorize your setting, you must set it again if you reboot. : P
6.   Use Audigy2’s Soundfont Manager to choose your favorite device (SB Audigy Synth A or B) and load FF7.sf2 from the patch. Before you load FF7.sf2, you need to remove all other soundfonts in that device. Then choose bank [000] and load FF7.sf2.
7.   Enjoy the music. :)
 â€»Because VXD driver of Audigy2 causes music volume problem when you play ff7pc. So we need soundfont midi router to solve the problem. Besides, Live!5.1's VXD driver also has same volume problem.
 
F*ck it. I just can't get my get done correctly and soon enough. No matter what I do I can never get the instruments to work 100% correctly. I have gotten quite far, but I haven't given up. You also may want to fix yours, halohalo. There are a few instruments that're off in certain songs. But lb2 sounds great. Everything is great in my version except for the timpani and taiko drum.
 
I've fixed lb1.mid (string ensemble1) and ta.mid (French horn).
The two files are from midi.lgp, so that was SQUARESOFT's fault :roll:
However, it is a hard work to find out all faults in midi.lgp :P
 
I just changed the bank that the choir loaded into to something (either 002-115 or 003-115, whichever was the first open one) else and then edited the MIDI accordingingly.
 
The above link for my orginal ff7 soundfont patch for windows xp is completely broken. This new link works just fine. Once again, this patch is designed to help those of you who just want to play the game with the original soundfont in windows xp without any changes to the original FF7PC experience.

Now here's something weird...when I loaded the soundfont today, I got this disturbing image. Weird.
 
In ta.mid, Horn1 and Horn2 sound odd since second loop. But all other songs are perfect. The patch works without any problem on my pc (win98se + Audigy2).  
 
Great job, Rubicant_II :)
 
(I also completed a sf patch for ff7  :P )
 
Oh...oh...!!! I think I know what you mean. Since the french horn fades out at the end of the song and after the loop it will play, I think they may have forgot to change back the volume of the song. The same thing happened with LB1...and I bet there are other songs that are screwed up in that manner. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I'll fix that up and update the package. With your name in the credits  :D
 
In original midi.lgp or awe.lgp, three songs have this problem. They are ta.mid, lb1.mid, and rocket.mid. You've fixed lb1.mid, so there are still two songs. (But I didn't find out any problem in rocket.mid)
 
No, I actually caught lb1.mid before I released the patch...You can try it yourself. So I guess I've got one more to fix. Thanks again; I've fixed ta.mid, and I'll release the new version later today, along with the new OWA remix (oh the horror!).
 
if the soundfont is in sf2 or dls format all people can change the samples in ! cool !

(using "Audio Compositor")
 
what does this soundfont-thing mean? *sry*

i thought that the midis play correctly in win2k and a 5.1 player live!  -_-
 
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