X-Fi Midi performance vs Yamaha DB50XG?

[kooky_guy]

Hi,

For years now I've been using a Yamaha DB50XG Midi daughterboard for my Midi sound generation (as I'm quite into my music). Originally it was hosted on a SB32, but when that kicked the bucket, about the only available sound card that could take a daughterboard was the Videologic SonicFury, which has been fine, but things have moved on a bit now and I really want to upgrade to an X-Fi but I'm concerned that I will lose the ability to use my Yamaha daughterboard.

I have two questions really.

1) Is the quality of the midi generated sound on the X-Fi comparable to the Yamaha? I suspect not.
2) Is it possible to run two sound cards in the same system? I was wondering if I could retain the Videologic just to host the daughterboard for midi only and put a nice new X-Fi in for gaming? I can see this would cause problems with speaker connections though.

Any advice gladly received.

Regards

Guy

 

[Cuchulain]

Hi,

For years now I've been using a Yamaha DB50XG Midi daughterboard for my Midi sound generation (as I'm quite into my music). Originally it was hosted on a SB32, but when that kicked the bucket, about the only available sound card that could take a daughterboard was the Videologic SonicFury, which has been fine, but things have moved on a bit now and I really want to upgrade to an X-Fi but I'm concerned that I will lose the ability to use my Yamaha daughterboard.

I have two questions really.

1) Is the quality of the midi generated sound on the X-Fi comparable to the Yamaha? I suspect not.
2) Is it possible to run two sound cards in the same system? I was wondering if I could retain the Videologic just to host the daughterboard for midi only and put a nice new X-Fi in for gaming? I can see this would cause problems with speaker connections though.

Any advice gladly received.

Regards

Guy

Yes you can run two cards in your system, I've done it several times. Before you start gaming though make sure you set the output to the right one via the control panel.

 

[FatRakoon]

Yeah, I too found the very same thing.

The XFI, like All creative cards hasabsolutely dire pi55poor Midi capabilities, yet they have half a dozen utter sh1te Midi outputs that are all GM capable, but not XG, so are fairly useless for most users other than for basic playback.

( End of Hating Creative for their lack of knowing anythign about Music )

Anyway, there has been another alternative for you to consider... The Yamaha SYXG 50, which is pretty much a software synth version of the DB50XG really.

The quality of the output is actually very good indeed, and would not be too far off the DB50XG

However, I will add, that although I use this myself, I have never managed to play a single Midi file at all recently without it losing almost half its notes on my main PCs, they are dual core, so I have a sneaky that it simply does not like dual core perhaps? -its just fine on my single core AMDs, but none of the dual core ones?

Not tried it on my Pentium 3.6 but then thats only any use for a chair ( Thats exactly what it is being used for funnily enough - the pile of kurap that it is )

Anyway, for a software version of the DB50XG that works well instead of the XFI junk, try the S-YXG50 out.

Other than that, if the TBSC is ok for you, stick with it...