A lot of visitors have written to me asking which MIDI sound card I recommend for game play, and/or for simply listening to MIDI files. That’s not an easy question to answer, since they all have their advantages and disadvantages. Beyond the realm of individual taste, there’s many options to consider when choosing a sound card — and these depend on what you intend to use the card for. Musicians tend to want the most realistic instrument reproduction possible for a sound card, while gamers are often more interested in digital quality of a sound card.

This is the third installment of the Sound Card Comparison page. Our focus is on Sierra General MIDI playback. Since many of the General MIDI files found on this site are ‘conversions’ from original Roland MT-32 Sound Module scores, this comparison uses a converted General MIDI file as played through various General MIDI compliant sound cards and MIDI modules.

A rather interesting discussion on the history and capabilities of various past MIDI devices can be found by reading Eric Wing’s History Of PC MIDI. To build upon this informative document, I’ve added this page to enable visitors, and possibly those considering the purchase of a new sound card, a chance to compare between major contenders in the MIDI market. I hope you find it beneficial.

ROLAND MT-32 SOUND MODULE

In order to provide a reference point for comparing MIDI output, a Sierra Soundtrack MIDI file written specifically for the Roland MT-32 Sound Module was used. Comparable instruments and balances were mixed to provide the Roland Sound Canvas SC-55 General MIDI file. (Roland General MIDI is considered the de facto standard for GM balance.) Each MP3 sample on this page was recorded using this same General MIDI song file. All MP3’s are encoded at 128 kbps, 44.1 kHz stereo.

Roland MT-32 reference song file.

General MIDI song file.

Sound Card Comparisons