This might seem dumb.. I love the sounds that the MuLab already has. But what about all the usual MIDI sounds? You know, like Acoustic guitar, Grand Piano, banjo, sax, etc?

I am still researching on the net, trying to learn. I see places that sell CD's full of sounds, but they are all "loops" and tracks. Not the samples.

DUH.. I know I am a rookie. But I would appreciate it if someone would try to speed things up for me.

There is so MUCH to learn it is daunting. I use a YouRock guitar for midi controller, and MuLabs is by far the easiest. No latency. Got it hooked up to the latest Reaper, but there is latency big time even with Asio4all.

I use a Athlon Dual core.. XP home, and Realtek HD onboard audio. (cheapy setup) with MuLabs there is zero latency, at least that I can discern.

Yep I got it to make a noise for me.. eh Now what?

General Midi sounds as used in many midi files .mid can be a source of inspiration
So if you load a midi file in Mulab ..the sounds are wrong assigned, because there are no General midi sounds in Mulab default.

Mulab has some internal soundpacks, but none of them is a general Midi soundpack
External Vsti with a general Midi soundbank are difficult to find ( bandstand form Native instuments, but is not for sale anymore? )
So i am also interested if there some VSti to find with General Midi sounds?

Perhaps it is possible to collect from a exististing Vsti a General Midi soundset?
Ideal should be if can get internal Mulab replacement sounds for a General Midi soundset and when you load a midi file are sounds are correct assigned.

OK, i make a start:

Here is a first compilation from the factory lib and a few of my own patches, setup in the GM way. GM program numbers is added for each patch. These are 33 GM patches and 2 drum sets.
Although i kept the original patch names, they are often edited (less effects, envelopes, etc). The drums sets i made long time ago and will show some missing samples, but you should find equivalent samples in the factory drums folder. As this is a first draft, i didn't bother to update.

Is this usefull? I can set them up to react to CC volume and pan. Midi files often use CC expression for overall volume control (mixing). This would be a bit tricky (interacts with CC volume) but doable.

A lot of the missing patches require samples.
Does anyone have access to free samples that can be used? Anyone has made patches that would fit in and is willing to share?
Anyone care to join to fill the set?

Note: Mulab can not do patch changes via program change. Please note as well that program change numbers in Mulab start from 0 not 1. So program 19 is patch 20 (church organ).

Download: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/62409608/GM%20Set%20%281st%20draft% 29.zip
Just copy the folder into the MULAB/User/Mux/Instruments folder.

The "simple" way to GM, of course, is a GM SoundFont loaded into a SoundFont-capable synth (of which there are many, including free ones). Of course, if the MIDI file is multi-channel and splits across multiple tracks, you need a multi-timbral SoundFont synth and target all the tracks to that synth.

I'd say the easiest thing to do at this point is download a soundfont VST and get yourself some General Midi soundfonts (there are free options for both). They'll cover the entire GM set of instruments. The GM fonts I've used are definitely quantity over quality, but you'll get MIDI file playback with the instruments you expect.

If convincing, thoroughly recorded samples are important to you though, you're going to have to shell out in most cases. There are some good free options for some instruments (piano and drums come to mind).

SFZ soundfont plugin: http://www.cakewalk.com/Download/sfz.aspx

GM font 1: http://www.geocities.jp/shansoundfont/
GM font 2 (some instruments better, some worse than the one above): http://soundfonts.homemusician.net/collections_soundfonts/fl uid_release_3.html

//edit: uh, +1 to Mr Jones would have done :)

Unless Cakewalk have finally updated their SFZ with the multi-core patch, you'll want to go here: http://web.archive.org/web/20070715220351/http://www.rgcaudi o.com/downloads/freeware/ and grab the 15-Aug-2006 zip file, too.

It seems that ther is a lot of work to do before you get a GM soundpack..

Thanks Andreas, Folks this is a great sounding pack! I like it, just as it is. Nice job.. nice job! It was just what I was looking for. Just copied it into MuLab's mux folder along with the other MUX files. Thank you lots!!

I just stumbled over this GM sample set

Still in the office, but i will try it later.
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=351893&postday s=0&postorder=asc&start=15