First of all, legal mumbo jumbo.
Timidity++ is under the GNU General Public License.
All soundfonts are copyright of their respected owners and creators. They're freely available for NON COMMERCIAL USE
With that out of the way, lets begin.
First, make sure you have enough RAM. I would guestimate that it would require at least 256 megs of ram and a decent processor to utilize this. You also need at least 200 megs of hard drive space available for use.
Windows XP Instructions
First of all, you need to install Timidity++.
The site is in Japanese, but I'm sure you can read which file to get. If not: TiMidity-CVS081206_setup_ENG.exe
This should be a fairly simple process.
Second step. Download necessary soundfonts.
Set 1 includes the Chronotrigger, Electroinic, Mario Paint, K.K. Slider, NES, Drums, and Merlin Gold soundfonts.
Set 2 Contains Megadrive/Genesis soundfont
Third Step. Replace timidity configuration file with THIS ONE Your timidity++ configuration file should be in your C:\WINDOWS directory.
Forth and Final Step. Make Timidity++ your selected driver.
XP Users: Go to Start -> Control Panel -> Sound, Speech, and Audio Devices -> Sounds and Audio Devices -> Audio and select Timidity++ Driver as your default MIDI Music playback device.
Vista & 7 32 Bit Instructions(Untested)
Follow the above instructions, then install the following: CP Object and set the driver.
Windows 7 (and possibly Vista) 64bit Instructions
Follow the above instructions(both XP AND Vista/7 32 bit), download MidiYoke 1.75
Then do as this handy quote box says:
QUOTE
In vista midi mapper you have to choose:
Out to MIDI Yoke: 1
(it works for me for windows media player, but dosbox has to be configered separately in its dosbox.conf)
In timidity synthesizer icon you choose preferences and in synthesizer tab you
choose:
Port max 1
Port 0: In from MIDI Yoke: 1
(other ports are not important as you need only one)
(timidity player preferences doesn't have synthesizer tab)
In timidity synthesizer icon you choose preferences and in output tab you choose windows audio driver.
precision 16-bit (8-bit has extra hissing noise )
In timidity synthesizer icon you choose "start synthesizer" and check whether it has changed to "stop synthesizer" (if it doesn't change it is not started)
You need to have the Timidity Synthesizer program open(c:\timidity\twsyng.exe) And you need to make sure its receiving input from MidiYoke. After that, start the synthesizer in the control pannel and boom.
Guides
Set up you that MIDI A guide that explains the intricate process of setting up a MIDI to use alternate banks. Be warned, that the method doesn't always work. But when it does, celebrate for great justice!
Other Stuff
Props to Questwizard88 on AG for telling me about the Timidity++ Driver.
Blood sweat and tears not included.
Other programs of interest: Synthfont Soundfont Player and Midi editor(Necessary for Bank Select Course statements),
Anvil Studio(Necessary to initiate GM-Events,
Vienna Soundfont builder(Necessary if you want to develop soundfonts for use with AZCEMS)
Examples: One
Two
It in action
Later on, I'll upload a guide on how to set up MIDIs to use the alternate soundbanks, and a guide on how to prepare and manage the Timidity++ Configuration file.
Also, any song made using AZCEMS is almost completely backwards compatible with General MIDI(Default Windows MIDI Driver) The only exception is the Electronic bank.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, OR PROBLEMS ASK!
