So I'm in a rut - I managed to accidentally leave my laptop at a place. A freind picked it up but I won't be getting it back until next weekend, so instead of my usual use of Sibelius, I'll have to use MuseScore for the week.
 
However the overarching MUCH BIGGER rut I'm in is that all of the soundfonts I've tried for MuseScore sound somewhere between average and horrible in comparison to, say TTS-1 or the standard GM sounds in Sibelius (and even NOT in comparison - just in general). I mean, come on - there's no excuse for having a trombone go a quarter-step flat on it's pitch in a MIDI track, or having a saxophone with wailing German schlager-style vibrato. It's not doin' it for me.
 
Anyone got any recommendations?

Well, I managed to get a MUCH better sound - however it required some curation, checking out different sounds and doing things like, for example, using a trumpet or tuba patch instead of trombone which still fits the bill nicely.
 
I managed to install a good variety of the popular ones and I'm and least sure that the wide variety will give me enough options to get a decent sound.

While not a soundfont Wusikstation has a nice GM set.
I'm not sure how it holds up for orchestral work but for pop/rock seems adequate. 
Nowadays it goes for pretty cheap. Except for a couple of patches checking out GM stuff it pretty much all I use it for currently.
 
I stopped using soundfonts a long time ago so don't have any recommendations but if you find something that works you might want to actually say what it is and help other who do.
 

Typical SONAR forum BS. I just posted a long list of links to soundfonts...and the forum ate it.
 
I don't miss SONAR. I will miss the peeps on this forum.
 

TheSteven
While not a soundfont Wusikstation has a nice GM set.
I'm not sure how it holds up for orchestral work but for pop/rock seems adequate. 
Nowadays it goes for pretty cheap. Except for a couple of patches checking out GM stuff it pretty much all I use it for currently.
 
I stopped using soundfonts a long time ago so don't have any recommendations but if you find something that works you might want to actually say what it is and help other who do.

My main use is something adequate for pop. I'll take a look at the one you mentioned. Like I said above, I'm doing this for a notation software, so as much as I would like to be able to use the cool softsynths with excellent sounds, this software doesn't happen to have any functionality for that as far as I know - and I'm sure I *should* be able to get the sound I want at the very least using good soundfonts.
 
Thanks for the reply! :)
 
 

TheMaartian
Typical SONAR forum BS. I just posted a long list of links to soundfonts...and the forum ate it.
 
I don't miss SONAR. I will miss the peeps on this forum.

Hey, thanks for letting me know it's posted. I'll take a look at the post. Thing is, I HAD done a fair amount of research into soundfonts prior, and I'm really looking for a decent-sounding all-in-on General MIDI soundfont (assuming your list goes over a bunch of individual instruments and isn't just full GM SF's).
None of the ones I've come across are any good to my ears, especially not when compared to most modern soundcard-GM or the other stuff I mentioned.
But I'll check out the post and maybe just pick and choose individual sounds instead of trying to find something comprehensive - or maybe I'll just try and make my own if I really can't get the sound I need.
 
In any case, we can put this case to rest for now.

Let's see if one link passes the spam monster...
 
CoolSoft's VirtualMIDISynth is an excellent replacement for MS's default. Been using it for years. The links to different soundfonts is about half way down the page.
 
http://coolsoft.altervista.org/en/virtualmidisynth

Here's a couple of GM soundfonts I have found.  I think the first sounds OK for GM, at least it doesn't hurt my ears.  However it is still GM, for what it's worth.  I think it sounds better than the default FluidR3Mono_GM.sf3 in MuseScore.
 
FluidR3 GM2-2.SF2
https://drive.google.com/...lLV2RoajBYLXM5SWs/view
 
http://omegagmgs2.com/

Worse case is that you could always download the functional 30-day demo of Overture 5.  https://sonicscores.com/
 
Well certainly not for the GM sounds, LOL, but you can load your own VST instruments.  Exports MIDI and MusicXML, so you could always use it for a week and export your work.