BASSMIDI Driver

Raymond · Post by **Raymond** » 04-10-11 7:44 pm

What security system are you using?
I have COMODO on one computer and Avast on the other and nether found anything wrong with it.

RichNagel · Post by **RichNagel** » 04-10-11 7:48 pm

Nicholas wrote:There, I just updated the official FAQ on the site to point to your page (and list the short instructions). I've heard a half-dozen positive reports now, so I'm happy to make the recommendation.

Super, thanks!

Raymond wrote:BASSMIDI works Much better than TiMidity++. And since they do about the same I don't see why we would need both.

Not only that, the BASSMIDi driver is also easier to install and configure, and sounds better to boot

DC64 wrote:What do i do?

Ignore it <grin>.

I have NO idea why Mickey$oft's "safety database" seems to think that it's unsafe, but I can definitely say that the file is clean

Note that also your antivirus software may complain when installing the driver, but the same thing applies here as well... ignore it.

The problem is because that Mudlord (recently, as of the last build) encrypted the setup program, as well as the BASSMIDI Driver configuration utility that's included with the driver. This due to the fact that someone elsewhere on the Internet grabbed the source code (which is now no longer available for download, because of this), made a change here and there, and then reposted the driver as an "alternative" for the original BASSMIDI Driver by Mudlord and Kode54.

Anyways, the file is clean (this coming from a PC tech... me)

Install, and enjoy!

Post by **Nicholas** » 04-10-11 9:40 pm

How can he pull the source? It's based on the GNU-licensed TiMidity code. Doesn't that violate the license? Technically he must make the source available...

RichNagel · Post by **RichNagel** » 04-11-11 8:13 am

Nicholas wrote:How can he pull the source? It's based on the GNU-licensed TiMidity code. Doesn't that violate the license? Technically he must make the source available...

I dunno, but the original source is still available here -> http://kode54.foobar2000.org/stuff.php . AFAIK, the actual BASSMIDI driver itself hasn't changed throughout all of the various versions that have been released, only the installer and configuration program has changed.

aria1121 · Post by **aria1121** » 04-11-11 1:20 pm

Just tested out BASSMIDIDRV and it was super! Finally no more mess with Timidity!

Also tested Rich's SoundFont, and it was great too! Congrats!

AnthonyReynard · Post by **AnthonyReynard** » 04-11-11 9:34 pm

hi I was trying to download "bassmidi driver" and my computer keep saying that its a virus so it won't download it.

Raymond · Post by **Raymond** » 04-12-11 2:57 am

There is a few anti-virus software that are reporting this as unsafe:
http://virscan.org/report/c05a6babb4bcf ... f23f1.html
http://virusscan.jotti.org/en/scanresul ... 74f683bdaa
http://www.virustotal.com/file-scan/rep ... 1302590475

The installer I "had" did not have any viruses in it. I downloaded it at the time this post was posted:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2955#p18709
But apparently the file Has change since then. So it is possible that someone else has infected the file.

RichNagel · Post by **RichNagel** » 04-12-11 9:23 am

The file is clean and has *no* viruses or other such malware. The file that is currently on his server was released on April 6, and is the fourth release of the driver (I've unoffically been calling it version 1.04 <grin>, as the author hasn't been using any sort of version numbering system). Note that the driver itself is essentially the same.. only the BASSMIDI Driver configuration program has changed (as the author was trying to fix problems that folks were having with the configuration program switching the active MIDI device in Windows Vista and Windows 7).

Anyhow, I just now redownloaded the file, and it's an exact same mirror image as the one that I downloaded on April 6... byte for byte. In other words, all reports from virus scanners that say it's infected are false-positives; the file (and it's contents) are clean

aria1121 · Post by **aria1121** » 04-12-11 1:28 pm

I just tested BASSMIDI some more, and compared it to the Microsoft Windows (32) GS MIDI Wavetable and Timidity++.

Accuracy (Latency):
WinGS is pretty good, no latency. BASSMIDI too, has no (recognizable) latency. BASSMIDI looks also to have some issues with two notes on the same key at the same time with the same instrument. Timidity is an whole other story... Lags a lot and latency increases with the time Synthesia is opened.

Input (refers to input soundfont):
BASSMIDI gives you at least the ability to give up a whole list of soundfonts and the standard MIDI device. WinGS doesn't; instead it uses a fixed soundfont called 2gmgsmt.sf2. It sounds very synthetic if you compare it to FluidR3GM and Rich's soundfont. Timidity has somewhere a configurationfile, you'll have to find and edit.

Ability of preferences and setting up:
BASSMIDI has only a 'configuration'-window where you can give up the soundfonts and the standard MIDI driver. That's better than WinGS with its "Choose your default MIDI-Playback device".
WinGS is pre-installed/configured on all Windows Systems (even 3.11). BASSMIDI is very easy to install, works also on x64 systems.
Timidity is a bit harder to install, but has a lot to set up. (Even additional latency... ಠ_ಠ)

BASSMIDI is my #1 choice, after having some terrible time with WinGS and Timidity.

vicentefer31 · Post by **vicentefer31** » 04-12-11 4:26 pm

Hi, I can't use BASSMIDI. I have tried to reinstall this software several time with no luck.
My Windows is XP SP3.

: image1.png (11.76 KiB) Viewed 100249 times

RichNagel · Post by **RichNagel** » 04-12-11 4:28 pm

aria1121 wrote:compared it to the Microsoft Windows (32) GS MIDI Wavetable

I suppose that you're refering to the "Microsoft GS Wavetable Software Synthesizer", correct? If so, a few minor corrections:

aria1121 wrote:WinGS is pretty good, no latency.

The MSGSWTSS indeed suffers from some latency (approx. 90 milliseconds). Although it's not much, it indeed has a bit of latency (BTW, that figure is about comparible to the Yamaha S-YXG50 WDM driver as well). The BASSMIDI Driver's latency is so low, you can hardly hear it (I don't have any specs on it, but if I had to guess, I'd say around 5 milliseconds or so).

aria1121 wrote:WinGS doesn't; instead it uses a fixed soundfont called 2gmgsmt.sf2.

Actually, it uses the Roland GS Sound set, "GM.DLS" that can be found in your "C:\Windows\System32\Drivers" directory on your hard drive (actually, in Windows XP that's where it's located... I'm not sure where the file is located under a Vista or W7 installation).

IIRC, under Windows 98 it located in the "C:\Windows\System" directory on your hard drive.

aria1121 wrote:WinGS is pre-installed/configured on all Windows Systems (even 3.11).

Actually, the MSGSWTSS first reared it's ugly head <grin> under Windows 98 (with one of the upgrade versions of DirectX, as it was primarily used for DirectX's DirectMusic), but under Windows 98, you couldn't select it as a standard MIDI output device to use for MIDI music playback.

Under Windows XP and higher (I'm not sure about ME or 2000) it can be selected as a MIDI output device (and of course, Vista and Windows 7 are "hardwired" to use the MSGSWTSS, without a third party utility).

Anyhoo, the "GM.DLS" Roland Sound Set file that the MSGSWTSS uses is in essence an actual ROM dump of the onboard sample ROM of the old Roland SouncCanvas SC-55 MIDI modules. Bear in mind though, the MSGSWTSS will never sound the same as a *true* SC-55, because the MS software synthesizer doesn't support any reverb or chorus effects whatsoever (MIDI CC#s 91 and 93).

aria1121 · Post by **aria1121** » 04-13-11 1:25 am

But why isnt it a soundfont? And why is 2gmgsmt.sf2 in the Windows XP Drivers CAB?

RichNagel · Post by **RichNagel** » 04-13-11 12:46 pm

aria1121 wrote:But why isnt it a soundfont?

Simply because the Microsoft GS Wavetable Software Synthesizer doesn't use soundfonts for it's MIDI synthesis... it uses the that GM.DLS file (Roland "Downloadable Sound" (DLS) format sound set -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DLS_format ).

aria1121 wrote:And why is 2gmgsmt.sf2 in the Windows XP Drivers CAB?

Windows XP includes a lot of drivers for various PC hardware, including basic support for the AWE32 and AWE64, as well as the Sound Blaster Live sound cards. That soundfont is used when installing Windows XP on a PC that already has one of those sound cards installed in it, or when adding/upgrading to one of those sound cards on a PC that is already running Windows XP.

Note that the basic support that Windows XP provides for the soundfont compatible sound cards is extremely basic... you won't get all of the features of those sound cards without installing the Creative Labs drivers for them (e.g. the SoundFont Control Panel that is used to change soundfonts, EAX Environmental Audio Effects support, etc...).

Nonetheless, that soundfont (2gmgsmt.sf2) is included with Windows XP for basic support for the drivers for those sound cards that are included with Windows XP.

aria1121 · Post by **aria1121** » 04-13-11 1:18 pm

Ah, thanks

But do you know how to get that file where it is located in Windows Vista/7?
I read somewhere it is located in a 'hidden' place in de System32 section. I didn't find it. Do you know?

RichNagel · Post by **RichNagel** » 04-13-11 4:29 pm

aria1121 wrote:But do you know how to get that file where it is located in Windows Vista/7?
I read somewhere it is located in a 'hidden' place in de System32 section. I didn't find it. Do you know?

I'm really not sure, but I have read several things on the Internet that state that it's located on Windows Vista and Windows 7 in the same place on your hard drive as it is in Windows XP, "C:\Windows\System32\drivers"... not sure though, I'm only going by what I've read elsewhere on the Internet.

The file name will be "GM.dls" (of course), and the file size will be 3,440,660 bytes. Of course, the file date will vary depending upon the operation system.

BTW, note that under Windows XP (not sure about Vista and 7) the file will *also* be located in the "C:\Windows\System32\DLLCache" directory on your hard drive. This is the directory that Windows XP (and prolly Vista and 7 as well, I dunno) uses to restore any corrupt DLL system files, especially when the file is "locked" by the operating system (e.g. if you delete certain files from the "C:\Windows\System32" directoy, they will "magically" reappear; as Windows XP automatically copies (and restores) the original file from the "C:\Windows\System32\DLLCache" directory back to it's original installed directory).

RichNagel · Post by **RichNagel** » 04-15-11 1:03 am

Folks,

Mudlord just released a new version of the BASSMIDI Driver installation that will hopefully fix anyone's problems with selecting the driver (or getting it to "stick"). Note that the driver itself is exactly the same... only the installer and the BASSMIDI Driver configuration utility has been updated.

http://mudlord.emuxhaven.net/stuff/bassmididrv.exe

As before, the installer (and it's included files) are virus-free... any "hits" are *false-positives* (including Mickey$oft's "This site may be unsafe" Internet Explorer warning thing).

aria1121 · Post by **aria1121** » 04-15-11 11:02 am

Won't I mess it up if I install it over the older version?

RichNagel · Post by **RichNagel** » 04-15-11 12:23 pm

aria1121 wrote:Won't I mess it up if I install it over the older version?

No, simply uninstall the older version first (you'll find a link in your Windows start menu).

That being said, I prolly wouldn't bother with the newer version; if you're not having problems with the older version (i.e. selecting the Windows active MIDI device, geting the selected device to stay/stick, etc...).

aria1121 · Post by **aria1121** » 04-15-11 4:04 pm

Some problems with using the new version of BASSMIDI (with FluidR3 soundfont) while playing this.
Intro sounds strange, like BASSMIDI werds it up some.

RichNagel · Post by **RichNagel** » 04-15-11 4:42 pm

aria1121 wrote:Some problems with using the new version of BASSMIDI (with FluidR3 soundfont) while playing this.
Intro sounds strange, like BASSMIDI werds it up some.

That's an "artifact" of the BASSMIDI driver intially loading the samples (dynamic sample caching) from a relatively largish SoundFont (such as Fluid).

The BASSMIDI Driver itself (BASSMIDIDrv.dll), which is what actually does the "magic", hasn't changed a bit since it's first incarnation (March 19th or so)... only the configuration utility and installer has changed (for folks who were having problems with selecting the driver under Windows Vista and 7).

Try this (I bet it will fix it, not permanently though, only when first playing any given MIDI file):

Play the first few seconds of the MIDI file once (say, using Windows Media Player... if the BASSMIDI Driver is set for your active MIDI playback device in Windows). Stop the playback within WMP, and then hit play again. The second time it will probably sound normal... like I said, that's simply a glitch when initally loading the samples from a large SoundFont. Generally on a faster PC/CPU, that wouldn't happen (and generally, when using a smaller SoundFont it won't happen).

(edit) P.S. On another message forum there was a user or two who requested an option to disable sample caching; if one had a lot of system RAM to spare, the BASSMIDI Driver would load the entire SoundFont once within any given Windows session, and lock the SoundFont into system RAM (until a reboot, of course).

Dunno if Mudlord will add it though, but I figured I'd mention it here.