Change MIDI device

[☆ParalHAXX™☆]

Hi, i wanna know if there is a way to change the MIDI device for the game, because i cannot find any .ini or .cfg for that, i even go check in the windows registry, but didnt find anything about the game (weird Oo).

I plan to use a VST software to play musics via VSTMIDIDRIVER, it work really well with old games (like DOOM etc) using MIDI files and musics under Windows, but it seems FFVIII is stuck on the Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth and i cannot find any option or a way to modify that, so if someone have any clue i'm really interested, thank you ^^

[Dark Jaguar]

I can't help you with special software MIDI renderers. My own solution involves using a modern sound card with an accurate MIDI table built in. Windows 7 makes things very difficult in this regard, as they stripped out a control panel for switching MIDI devices. Some games may let you select a MIDI device, but the best solution is to set the default in the OS for games that don't offer any such option. Fortunately, you should be able to use what I did. There is a third party control panel applet you can use called Putzlowitschs Vista-MIDIMapper . You can download it here: http://sierrahelp.com/Utilities/SoundUtilities/PutzlowitschsVistaMIDI_Mapper.html

Yes, it is marked for Vista, but works correctly even in Windows 7. I can't vouch for 8 though.

With my actual sound device, the MIDI in FF7 (before the patch) and in FF8 sound mostly identical to the original Playstation release (this isn't a surprise, as the Playstation implemented a mostly identical version of MIDI for it's sound device, with a few custom changes, which will stand out a bit if you've played the original). It was certainly FAR superior to the "sound blaster 16" quality MIDI most people were getting from the software based MIDI engine built into Windows.

[☆ParalHAXX™☆]

Hello Dark Jaguar, thanks for your answer.

In the case of the default device in the OS, VSTMIDIDRIVER already provide me the choice to decide wich device i can use by default (that's why it work like a charm with DOOM, or any player for example), but it seems FFVIII doesn't want to use it, and use the basic Microsoft GS Wavetable instead, like if it's forced by the game to work like that, even if the default device inside Windows is VSTMIDIDRIVER.

But it seems it's not the case for you with Vista-MIDI Mapper, so i'll try to remove and install the game again, to check if it's because the game was already installed before i make any change in my default device under Windows, and if it still don't work i'll try VistaMIDI_Mapper and see what i can do with it ^^

Thanks again for your help ^^

[☆ParalHAXX™☆]

Ok, i tried reinstalling the game, same.
I tried Vista MIDI MAPPER, but it don't work with Windows 7 64bits.
And i finally tried VISTA Fix, set the default MIDI device on the another one, but the GS Wavetable is still used by the game.

So i definitely think the game "force" the use of the GS Wavetable, even if it's changed under Windows :/
If only I could know if i can change something inside a file of the game or in it's Windows registry (which i can't find)...

[Xilo The Odd]

i hope you guys find a way to get this to work. it seems like square coulda put teh option to select your midi device in though. but compared to the other threads (like roses and Wine) this one is more on track of what should be happening.