OPL synth > General MIDI?

[SuperSomariDX]

Though I like both, it really depends on the game. Some games sound better with OPL, while others sound better with GenMIDI. Though I do like to sometimes play with an OPL soundfont and run some random midi files through them for fun. Most of the time the results sound pretty good, while others sound so tinny and "clunky" that it would never work out legitimately unless there's some magical miracle that can save it.

[Hellser]

For those curious, here's links to the latest Patch93 SC-55, an edit with the default reverb lowered, and a preview of the former.

It does a good enough job, imo. The reverb on some of the percussion can be a part of the imbalance, which is why I edited a version without it. The other/older SC-55 soundfonts sound way worse.

I'll give the Reverb Edit a try.

Edit: It sounds good. The only issue I have with it, is it has trouble playing 2002ado's E1M9 song. There's suppose to be a clap, but Patch93's SC-55 doesn't seem to have that sample.. Outside of that, it's good. I'll wait for the day for when that's fixed.

25mb SC-55 Redition of 2002ado E1M9
Patch93 Redition of 2002ado E1M9

[ibm5155]

Actually I prefer to play on an old machine, I kinda like both opl3 and wavetable, the good about the opl3 is that EVERY opl3 chip sounded almost equal (there was the bad ones but still almost the same), and that's not the case of wavetable...
Well, my config is a Maxi Sound Game Theater 64, it's an isa sound card, and has both opl3 and wavetable, the opl3 is not actually opl3, it's ESFM if I remember, but at the end it sounds the same, but with more channels than opl3, and about the 4mb wavetable, it's like the generic soundfont from microsoft but better, it fits with every midi music, plus has better guittar/basss/drums and vocal, and that is basically doom rofl...

For new stuff, I used many sound fonts, the ones I use for now is the crysis soundfont (op 1gb soundfont, it tooks 3 seconds to play a midi with timidity ingame rofl) and another one that was 80 or 70mb, but both has their good and bad instruments

[JPL]

I love the way OPL music sounds and always opt for it in Zdoom, except in cases where it's trying to mimic real non-synth instruments in which case it usually sounds terrible. Some legendary game scores like Stephane Picq's original Dune were tailored specifically for OPL, hard to beat those. Wavetable MIDI so frequently falls into the "uncanny valley" between synth and live instruments, especially stringed instruments. By default it's cheesy, artificial and generic to my ears.
Also nobody is suggesting this but I would be really really sad if OPL emulation were removed from Zoom
</opinion>

[esselfortium]

Doom's music wasn't written with OPL sounds in mind, and the GENMIDI lump defining its OPL instruments is pretty weak. Drums are the biggest problem: upfront, driving rhythms are made to sound like wet noodles slapping on cardboard boxes.

I'm not going to speak for other composers, but at the very least, my MIDIs sound pretty terrible and not-as-intended with OPL. Roland SoundCanvas-based instrument sets like the standard Windows MIDI synth sound best.

[Viscra Maelstrom]

OPL sounds like something you'd have to specifically design your music around to sound good with, just like you'd have to do the same with the Roland Sound Canvas. usually i get better results with the latter, even though the Microsoft Synth sounds like a piece of ass. OPL's just a bit "out there" in comparison. i never really heard any "uncanny valley" with the Sound Canvas, though i guess i really don't remember any PC games that are that old.

[Graf Zahl]

OPL sounds like something you'd have to specifically design your music around to sound good with,

Definitely.
One game I suspect having done this is Descent. Although its tracks sound acceptable with wavetable synthesis I always have the feeling they were never made for a richer selection of instruments.

[Viscra Maelstrom]

OPL sounds like something you'd have to specifically design your music around to sound good with,

Definitely.
One game I suspect having done this is Descent. Although its tracks sound acceptable with wavetable synthesis I always have the feeling they were never made for a richer selection of instruments.

yeah, that sounds about right to me. sounds like something you'd hear straight out of a Genesis game to me, while the wavetable definitely makes it sound like something's not right. i kind of want to play the game now just for the music, but i've heard the difficulty can be rather jarring, at least on the higher settings.

[wildweasel]

i kind of want to play the game now just for the music, but i've heard the difficulty can be rather jarring, at least on the higher settings.

Yeah, the thing to keep in mind about Descent's difficulty settings is that they (seemingly) don't adjust the enemy or item placement at all, so much as the damage and aggressiveness of the robots' attacks. On anything above Rookie, they will move quickly and attack immediately and frequently. It gets ridiculous in later levels where the Hulks begin firing homing missiles, especially on Insane where they are almost not even limited in how fast they can fire them. And then the Drillers with their vulcan cannons...you thought Doom 2's chaingunners were bad? Heheheh...

[Blzut3]

I've always thought Descent's OPL was downright awful. Every time I hear recordings of it sounds like the tempo is fluctuating (I don't know if it is or not, but something doesn't sound right) and it seems like some of the tracks are missing (which could be my hearing impairment if they're just played softer than on wavetable). Of course I've played that game so much that the Creative 8MBGMGS sound font is burned into my memory.

[leileilol]

OPL3's slowdown also had affected input too. ROTT used to have OPL3 (seriously) and took it out because it interfered with gameplay