[wellylug] Soundcards with hardware midi syth?

[Pete Black]

Most sound cards have some form of hardware MIDI synth onboard, many of 
them based on single-chip Yamaha XG devices with embedded wavetables, 
and older ones on OPL-2/3/4 FM Synth chips.

However, Yamaha refuses to release documentation for the XG parts so 
there is no support for these wavetable cards under Linux. I think the 
OPL-2/3/4 chips may be supported but will likely sound pretty crap 
compared to wavetable or softsynths.

Your best bet is SB Live/Audigy, and a little script that loads a 
soundfont with the 'sfxload' tool on boot. Otherwise I think you're out 
of luck w/regard to hardware wavetable on Linux.

-Pete





>Hi,
>
>I've been trying to find a good way to play the collection of midis I
>have even since I've started using Linux.  I've tried timidity but
>wasn't happy with the amount of cpu time it took up and besides which
>programs like kmidi and some games don't support it.  (I know you can
>use timidity via alsa as a software midi syth system wide, but I could
>never work out how to make it go).
>
>So I'm left hunting for a soundcard that actually has a hardware midi
>syth chip on it.  Could anybody recommend a model to get?  I've been
>trying to google the information but I can't work out how to tell what
>does and doesn't have a midi chip.   Also I would prefer not to get a
>$500 dollar card, I don't need every bell and whistle.  Just a
>hardware midi chip so I get better midi playback support.
>
>Any help and suggestion would be appreciated.  My system only has pci
>slots so I can't use an isa card.  I'd also prefer a card that 'just
>works' when you load the module if possible.  I've in my googling
>found that some cards need the midi tables loaded via extra commands
>first which I'd consider extra annoying work.  I'm very much a fan of
>hardware which just needs a module loaded and nothing else.
>
>Thanks
>Jason
>
>
>  
>