64-bit Alternative to Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth MIDI Generator?

For some reason, I was never able to route LoopBe properly. I am also on x64 and I got midiYOKE to work. There's  2 files to download: the regular installer and one that says manual installer. The trick I discovered is to first install it manually (right click on the .inf and click install) and then run the other installer. For some reason, every now and then this seems to be reset and you loose the inputs and outputs. You just have to repeat the same installation procedure

I'm pretty much in the same predicament, I'm using Windows 7 with a really lousy on-board sound chip that I've had nothing but problems with from day one. Between its inability to pump out surround sound to my speakers despite having all the necessary connections and the really horrible MIDI quality, I'm at my wits end. The MS Synth is pitiful and my old MIDI's sound NOTHING like they did on my old Win98 PC that had a really cheap but effective Sound Blaster. I'm tempted to plug in my old SB PCI card, but I'm fairly positive my 64-bit system would throw quite a fit.

You're correct that no one seems to want to develop anything for 64-bit, but you may be wrong about 64-bit being in the minority. I've read from a few sources that 64-bit OS usage is in the 40-50% range and rising, so I'm perplexed at why there's so little support. It seems even Microsoft isn't too concerned about the woes of 64-bit users from everything I've gathered from reading these forums. It wouldn't be such a big deal if one could simply install the same programs and hardware that worked just fine once before, instead Windows throws a fit about incompatibility. I'm no hardcore programmer, but I think Microsoft could have done better. Instead us 64-bit users are left out in the cold as if we're running something obsolete and unworthy of support...I guess that's what it's like to be ahead of your time, I suppose.

I know I've added nothing but my 2 cents, but I am looking for a better synth myself and hope someone has some good news soon. My usage of MIDI is for amateur game development, and considering I'm not the only one out there stuck with bad MIDI sound, I may very well drop MIDI support in favor of something that gives me more control over the music sounding the same across multiple systems even at the cost of larger file sizes.

If I come across a solution, I'll update you guys.

The MS Synth is pitiful

The sotware MIDI synth that comes with MS Windows was never meant to be a professional audio solution. Many professional musicians immediately turn these kinds of synths off as soon as they install Cubase/Cakewalk/Pro Logic Pro Tools etc... becuase they have too high of a latency.

my old MIDI's sound NOTHING like they did on my old Win98 PC that had a really cheap but effective Sound Blaster.

If you are taking about a cheap inexpensive ISA or PCI Sound Blaster AWE 32, you are talking about a top of the line sound card. Becuase Creative took that EMU made card and packaged it as a gamer's card, most people never realized that it would blow the living daylights out of many professional Roland, Yammaha, Alesis etc... Synths. If I remember correctly, the card supported a full 32 notes of poliphony all of which could be played back with near CD quality samples. If an AWE32 made its way into the hands of a really skilled user with an appropriate soundfount, it could be used to play back MIDI files that sounded CD quality but used waaaay less storage space. Since then EMU and Creative have made various advancements in audio technology such as the really awesome SBLive series with killer on board DSP effects, but none are as remarkable to me as the very first implementation of the EMU/Creative AWE32 which brought CD quality sample playback to the masses. If you still want this high quality audio, you can still do so. You can simply get a Creative Labs card that supports Sound Fonts and then you can bypass, the MIDI Synth that comes with Windows 7 64 Bit. Most of the old SBLive PCI cards that I can remember come with onboard synths and can handle sound fonts, but appearently Creative has choosen to remove this synth from some of the new cards. I think one of their newer cards that still supports Sound Fonts is the Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer

I'm tempted to plug in my old SB PCI card, but I'm fairly positive my 64-bit system would throw quite a fit.

You can try it; unfortunately, you might have trouble loading sound founds because there may not be a SoundFont Bank manager for your card that will run in Windows 7. Creative does appear to make a SoundFont Bank manager for Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer that works in 64 Bit Windows 7, but it may not work on the old SB Live PCI cards. Most of those cards do have some hardware sounds onboard though, so youmay still might get pretty good results even if you can't load an 8 Meg (One of the Bigger Sound Fonts) General MIDI Sound Font.

You're correct that no one seems to want to develop anything for 64-bit

My Creative EMU 1212M works fine in Windows 7 64 Bit, but I haven't installed Cubase or Emulator X2 yet. I doubt I will have a problem... On the other hand, I have a very old (but very good) used printer, and there are no 64 Bit drivers for the printer. I had to download XP Compatability mode for Windows 7 and get it running to get my printer working. So I will either have to buy a new printer or setup a network printer in my XP Virtual Machine that accespts connection from my Windows 7 real machine....

I am looking for a better synth myself

I you can aford it. Creative Labs/EMU makes the ulitmate Bomb!!! It's called Emulator X3 and you can now supposedly get it from Musician's Friend for only $200????

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/E-Mu-Emulator-X3-Streaming-Sampling-Synthesizer?sku=482672

I am a little suspicious of this being only $200 and Emulator X2 absolutely kicks (I shouldn't say that word here)!!!! For more information on Emulator X3 you can goto:

http://www.emu.com/products/product.asp?category=501&subcategory=168&product=17681

My usage of MIDI is for amateur game development

Once you write the SoundTrack in your gave with Cakewalk or Cubase, you should probably downmix it to an MP3 or OGG stream. When you play it back, you will then know that your users are hearding a really good replica of what you want them to hear.

, and considering I'm not the only one out there stuck with bad MIDI sound,

Some pros are still using things like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/E-mu-Proteus-2000-Rack-Module-Emu-Sound-Synth-/260634227543?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Keyboards_MIDI&hash=item3caf02b357

 The only problem is these modules are specifically taylored for Pro Musicians thatdon't want to sound like everyone else. So you will have a hard time getting a General MIDI card for these awesome EMU/Creative monstors. Also, these rack modules were designed to accept cards made by EMU so you probably won't be able to load your own sounds. EMU has abondoned the maufacture of these in favor of the Emulator X software solution which does (if I remeber correctly) come with a General MIDI Sound Font (or Emulator X bank).

I may very well drop MIDI support in favor of something that gives me more control over the music sounding the same across multiple systems even at the cost of larger file sizes.

Use MIDI to compose, but use MP3 or OGG to push to your end users.