Sound Fonts and Ableton...???

C

Chew_Bear

New member
I just recently came across soundfonts. And honestly...I am all confused and don't know where to start...

So...Basically soundfonts are a file type that contain samples and their respective settings, parameters and organization as outlined by a sampler instrument/plugin...right...???

Therefore...

1. How do I know if its a format I would need and likely use...???

2. How do I create my own soundfonts from my own samples...??? Do I have to buy/acquire another software program in order to make soundfonts...???

3. How do I use soundfonts in Ableton...??? Where can I buy/download soundfonts for Ableton...???

4. Since all the sampler settings and parameters are already embedded in the file, therefore...Do soundfonts speed up your workflow and make sampler patching an easier task...???

5. Which VST/3rd party sampler instruments out there currently support soundfonts...??? Besides software samplers...Do hardware samplers support soundfonts also...???

Help...?!?!
 
1. Well...it's just another format. Back when people still talked about "broadband internet" and actually meant something like ISDN, they were a handy method of getting sample banks, as most of them were relatively small files. It's not a characteristic feature of a SoundFont that it has to be small, but that was probably the main reason. I guess they're still somewhat popular - because there's a lot of freeware out there - but as a format, it doesn't really have any special advantages. Except for that everything-in-one-file thing.

2. You probably need a 3rd party program, yes. Don't know what still works nowadays, as I haven't really touched sf's in about a decade. Then again, if you just save a patch from your soft-sampler of choice, it's not going to be much different loading it up that it would be doing the same with a SoundFont.

3. The Sampler (as most software samplers) can import at least .sf2 files. They're pretty limited, and only really contain basic keymapping and some other rudimentary features. The more advanced .sfz format doesn't work straight up (afaik), but there's a free SoundFont player called Sforzando that does. Probably better anyway if you're gonna be using these a lot, but haven't tried it myself.

4. As said, different SoundFont formats store a different bunch of parameters. Definitely not all, as that would always be sampler-specific. A bunch of common parameters would be a more accurate description. Does it speed things up? Well, if loading a patch equals clicking it's name in a sampler's library, I don't think it matters much whether or not it loads a single SoundFont or a bunch of separate sound files.

5. As also said, the .sf2 format is pretty ubiquitous. So basically most software samplers do at least that. I'm pretty sure Kontakt and its ilk also import/play .sfz. And yeah, some hardware samplers read it too. Can't remember which.

But of course the easiest way to answer all these questions is to simply download some SoundFonts & maybe Sforzando and try things out.
 
you can use sfz+ to play soundfonts in ableton & highlife vst to convert them. click my homepage below for links from my 'free stuff' page
 
rayzer said:
you can use sfz+ to play soundfonts in ableton & highlife vst to convert them. click my homepage below for links from my 'free stuff' page
Click to expand...

I don't think either of these are available anymore though - and sfz+ only played .sf2's, despite the name. Highlife was free for a time, but it became Bliss, and went back to paid product status. Which is why I suggested Sforzando :)
 
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