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Topic: Want good classical guitar sound... (Read 10587 times) previous topic - next topic

Want good classical guitar sound...

Hello,

I'm a newbie when it comes to computer music software.  I recently purchased noteworthy composer and am using it to play the teacher parts of my classical guitar metod book.  However, the classical guitar sound that my computer makes is not very good.  I have been looking into software synthesizers (like edirol's SuperQuartet HQ).  Is this the way to go?

Any advice would be most appreciated.  Thanks!

-Ben

Re: Want good classical guitar sound...

Reply #1
If you have a fairly new, fast computer, a software synth is a good option.  Since Yamaha has discontinued its S-YXG 50 (sniff!) Softsynth, Edirol is the most reasonably priced alternative.  Or you could get around computer speed issues if your computer has a USB port and get a Yamaha PSR-293 keyboard which has a USB port so doesn't need an additional $50 MIDI interface and has a great-sounding XG sound set.


Re: Want good classical guitar sound...

Reply #3
Barry, how in the world do you get to a page that YamahaUK says is not available because it is being updated or is forbidden to access on my server?  :)  You da man!  Yamaha discontinued the S-YXG 50 March 2004 and I got it only a few days before they removed access from the web site.  I think you have a copy (cached?) of the trial version.  It was fully functional for 30 days and then a key disk (zip file) needed to be purchased to keep it functioning.  You can no longer even find the page from which to purchase the key disk on any Yamaha site.  My guess is that CPU speeds advanced enough to make the great sound of the S-YXG50 cut too much into sales of Yamaha's own hardware motherboards, $500+ versus $45 for the softsynth.  Yamaha support never answered my e-mail asking why, oh why, did they discontinue it. Gee, I wonder why?  :)  $$$$$$$$

Re: Want good classical guitar sound...

Reply #4
As for the driver being busy for a softsynth, Windows can only grant MIDI access to one application at a time.  So if you have, say, NWC and a sequencer open, the first application opened grabs the softsynth or other MIDI sound module.  Download MIDI-OX and MIDI-YOKE from midiox.com or Hubi's Loopback.  They are software MIDI patchbays that will allow several MIDI applications to share your MIDI sound module simultaneously.

Re: Want good classical guitar sound...

Reply #5
Thanks - I might try MIDI Yoke.
I didn't have any applications open when I tried to access SYXG50 from my favourite notator and it still told me it was busy even with the player removed !!
The latency of the soft synth makes it useless as an MIDI device for keyboard input though.

Re: Want good classical guitar sound...

Reply #6
Just for your interest, the link Barry provided works fine here in UK.
It's a .zip file, 8.4 Mb

Re: Want good classical guitar sound...

Reply #7
Barry's link works fine om my computer too.  But in the US I can't find the S-YXG50 page anymore on YamahaUK's site nor anyway to purchase the key disk.  Not my personal worry, since I made sure to get it before the announced discontinue date.  On my computer, which has an Intel Celeron 2Ghz processor with 376MB RAM there seems to be no latency at all with the softsynth.  However, springing for the Yamaha PSR-293 also gives you a nifty way to input notes into NWC!

Re: Want good classical guitar sound...

Reply #8
Milton,

How are the guitar sounds on the PSR 293?  Are they at all realistic?  Do they sound much better than what a typical sound card will produce?

Thanks.

Re: Want good classical guitar sound...

Reply #9
Yamaha simply has the most realistic instrument sounds for the money, period.  The PSR293 has a high-quality XG sound set and will sound very close to the real thing when playing a well-done MIDI file, that is, one with effects such as reverb, pan, expression, staggered string attacks in a strum, etc. done in a way characteristic of the particular instrument.  You can't go wrong with Yamaha, you'd have to spend at least half again the money to get as good a sound even with Roland, Korg, etc.

Re: Want good classical guitar sound...

Reply #10
This version of SYXG gives no problems with XP on my system.
The file is much larger than the one on the link posted earlier - I think this is the one specifically for XP.
It can address the Yamaha driver from your favourite notator.

Read the file above the Setup before installing.

http://www.users.on.net/psgw/software/S-YXG50.zip

Re: Want good classical guitar sound...

Reply #11
Yeah!! You rule! This is the ONLY version that works on Windows XP. I have been working my ass off, trying to find it. Finally.. Thanks!!

Re: Want good classical guitar sound...

Reply #12
thx thx thx from Germany.
I've been searsching this file two monts and more.
thx thx thx

Re: Want good classical guitar sound...

Reply #13
YESSSSS!!! Perfect, thank you!:-)))
Kei from Czech Republic

Re: Want good classical guitar sound...

Reply #14
When I try to download that file above it asks for username and password! Can someone help?


Re: Want good classical guitar sound...

Reply #16
I think that file above is for Win 9x and NT4 versions...

Re: Want good classical guitar sound...

Reply #17
Quote "I think that file above is for Win 9x and NT4 versions..."

Sorry, i didn't see the original file.

The original file was offered as a download on the site of Paul Williamson who lives in Australia.

His home page is http://www.users.on.net/~psgw/

He offers a significant number of downloads on the site. However this particular download for the Yamaha Softsynth has been restricted. I suspect he has download limits and has been hit by indiscriminate downloading.
(No doubt partly caused by the popularity of the NWC forum !)

The significant point here is that he has not removed the download from the site,  but restricted it.
So, as i suggested in a previous post, why not email him and ask him nicely ?

Re: Want good classical guitar sound...

Reply #18
Hi Frank,

Thanks for the info. Hoping that you guys still see this thread. Unable to download the file at Paul's site due to the USERNAME and PASSWORD requirement. Sent Paul an e-mail and waiting for a reply. Tried to download the file via the link to mobokive.dyndns.org that you have provided above. All attempts were also unsuccessful, this time getting the message "...site unavailable or cannot be found..."

Your help is appreciated.


Re: Want good classical guitar sound...

Reply #20
Thanks, Frank, for the swift reply. I actually got the file last night through the kindness of Paul, who promptly responded to my e-mail. There's another satisfied user here...