A (somewhat flawed) analogy is that MIDI is like sheet music to an instrument. The MIDI file contains the information for how certain instruments should be played (along with other optional features like volume, pan, reverb, etc.), but it is not involved in actually generating the sounds. Sound generation is left up to a device called the MIDI sequencer, which can either be an independent device that relays commands to other devices, an all-in-one sound module (like the SC-88Pro), or a virtual MIDI device. The main benefit is that it reduced the data consumed and transmitted by MIDI-compatible devices (important in the 80s), while also allowing one MIDI track to be played across any device which supported the MIDI standard, allowing for complex digital audio orchestration. The main caveat is that the MIDI instructions can result in considerably different sounds across different sound-generating devices, as this was never standardized. So if one makes a MIDI song that heavily the exploits the particularities of one sound module, like ZUN did with the SC-88Pro, it is simply going to sound worse on other MIDI-compatible devices. Almost any Windows computer will try to play the Touhou MIDI tracks with a a built-in synthesizer called the "Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth." Which sucks.
@@Nikku4211 Going by what I've heard with SC-55 / SC-88Pro comparisons of the same midi track, along with some listening with the (imperfect) Roland Sound Canvas emulation plugin for DAWs: Noticeably different side-by-side if it was composed on the SC-88Pro, but unless the MIDI is making heavy use of the SC-88Pro's additional sounds or features it isn't going to sound particularly "off." While you'll get different sounds on the SC-55 if they're not available, standards like GM and Roland's GS should allow the SC-55 to choose a replacement sound that's similar enough to avoid the composition becoming dissonant.
I used to play the demo of this game, where MIDI was all I could listen to. My computer made the MIDIs sound ugly, but this sounds awesome! I'd honestly love to listen to this version in-game.
@@thymicere3911 Uh... yes I did? All the demos are available on ZUN's website. I was strictly against piracy and didn't have the money to import, so those were all I played.
@@anthonyfantano7762 >I was strictly against piracy Welcome to Touhou, my fella. Piracy is the only way to play some games(i.e. the first gen and pc98 era) properly here, unless you have shittons of money to buy physical copies from Japan. Edit. Well that didn't age well
It's crazy to me how different the MIDI version of this sounds from the wav/mp3 version. Hearing the remix BEMANI uses in their games threw me off because I was so used to the wav version.
Motivational and pumps me up as usual especially at 0:33 but i like the wav version better despite the fact that the wav version sounds a little/somewhat flawed too
I am interested, wonder how it would sound like under something like a game blaster card, adlib or gravis ultra sound which most people have at the time.
@@RomantiqueTpI am awared and to be fair, by this time western games also shifted to cd audio as well. I grown up a pc sound blaster card however, it played .mid file like some cheap kid's keyboard that I kinda miss how bad it is.
