Midi playback device for windows xp

[leesky56]

how do i play midi files through my laptop with yamaha sounds - the sound card in the laptop does not have the sounds that i need to make it sound correct.

 

[tigsounds]

The MIDI playback supplied by Microsoft will sound very much like a computer from the 1970's.

If you want real music playback, you'll need to purchase a better MIDI playback device.

If you have a better MIDI player, make it the one that Windows uses....

Start>Control Panel>Sounds and Audio Devices>Audio (tab)>MIDI Music Playback
and select your better player. Also click the "Only use default devices" so it can't be switched by an application.

 

[leesky56]

what do you recommend i purchase - i want it to look for yamaha sounds - thanks for your advice. i have been researching this for over 4 years. you are my first response. thanks!!!

 

[hang-the-9]

Hi, this is an old article, but read the last section of it on MIDI sounds http://musicmall.com/cmp/article6.htm, that is your issue.

As a fix, try one of the sound cards from here http://www.google.com/search?q=laptop+midi+sound+card&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1, one of them should do the trick, just need to pick out out based on what you can spend for it. Looks like a good MIDI-capable sound card is about $150

 

[leesky56]

so if i were to purchase Avid 9900-52538-00 External Sound Box - USB - External, i only need to hook it into my laptop and it will playback the midis with higher quality sounds?

 

[hang-the-9]

so if i were to purchase Avid 9900-52538-00 External Sound Box - USB - External, i only need to hook it into my laptop and it will playback the midis with higher quality sounds?

I do not think that will work, that is only a connection device, it does not look to be an actual sound card.

You'd need something like this http://www.buy.com/prod/startech-com-7-1-usb-audio-adapter-external-sound-card-external/211875924.html, although I would not really recomend that one unless you can try it and return it if it's no good. This is a bit cheap for quality external audio.

this should have better quality http://www.buy.com/prod/creative-x-fi-70sb109500000-external-sound-box-usb-external/217451056.html

You may need both, the sound card to process the data, and the interface to connect it and get the input levels sorted out.