Random Link: it is a General MIDI/GS bank designed for playing game MIDI files. Version 1.6 alpha features so far:
- A new standard drumkit with mostly original samples;
- Original percussive instruments: Agogo, Woodblock, Melodic Tom;
- Original melodic instruments: Clean Guitar;
- Bugfixes relative to earlier versions;
- Some 44/24 samples;
- Optimised layers and preset volume balance.
Target bank size is between 200-300 MBs. Target engines are Fluidsynth, BASSMIDI and derivatives (like Coolsoft Virtual MIDI Synth) and Creative Sound Blaster cards (tested on Audigy-2ZS, compatibility expected with SB Live and newer soundcards with Soundfont 2.1 support).
Most likely there will be a different version for Creative cards, as they are more limited in polyphony (by the nasty drivers...). They do have a much better-sounding hardware filter however, it's really an E-Mu-made hardware synthesiser resonant filter (IIR 12-dB lowpass).
Updates
Current development version: 1.6 alpha. You can try it, but things will likely sound weird with some MIDI files, besides which it's too loud. On a Sound Blaster it might even clip.
Some new instruments:
- Clean SG - close to final;
- Crummy Les Paul Junior distorted guitar - made as an experiment, won't be there in the final version;
- Acoustic Bass - mixes better than many Soundfonts;
- Agogo - beta, works fine, use it if you like it;
- Woodblock - not equalised and hence natural-sounding, may not mix well in busy pieces;
- Melodic Tom - equalised and pretty powerful/realistic.
Possible future instruments:
- Fingered Bass;
- Picked Bass;
- Clean Guitar (improved version);
- Distorted Guitar;
- Muted Guitar;
- Overdriven Guitar;
- Synthesised basses;
- Warm Pad.
A couple demos featuring the crummy Junior guitar, on Coolsoft VMS and Audigy-2ZS (you can pick that one out by choir note dropouts :-/ ):
Descent Game05.mid;
Descent Game11.mid.
Descent Game11.mid on Virtual MIDI Synth with the new E2 (light) snare, crummy Junior distorted guitar, new C2 bass drum and D2 (heavy) snare and the rest of the drumkit:
Age of Empires - "Open" on Virtual MIDI Synth;
Age of Empires - "Quest for Butter" on Virtual MIDI Synth;
Age of Empires - "Ride, Lawrence, Ride!" on Virtual MIDI Synth;
Civilisation (1) Zulu theme on Audigy-2ZS (new agogo, melodic tom, drumkit, woodblock);
Descent Game01.mid on Audigy-2ZS;
Descent Game09.mid on Virtual MIDI Synth;
Doom E2M3/Intermission on Virtual MIDI Synth; the distorted guitar most likely won't be there in the final version;
Doom II D_Shawn.mid on Virtual MIDI Synth; the distorted guitar most likely won't be there in the final version;
Lemmings - Tenlemsp.mid on Virtual MIDI Synth;
Lemmings - Tim4p.mid on Virtual MIDI Synth;
Lemmings - Tim7p.mid on Virtual MIDI Synth (Mozart's "Turkish March");
Rise of The Triad Smooth.mid (Havana Smooth) on Audigy-2ZS;
Rise of The Triad Oww.mid on Audigy-2ZS (new clean guitar, drumkit).
Take No Prisoners Labs.mid on Virtual MIDI Synth (new acoustic bass, tuned small percussion);
Terminator main theme (Globa008.mid) on Audigy-2ZS;
Terminator Globa014.mid on Audigy-2ZS (new melodic tom);
Terminator Globa022.mid on Audigy-2ZS (new small percussion/drumkit);