Using soundfont players with Tracktion

[koolkeys]

I have the boxed version, and the Soundfont-1(runs from the BS-1 engine) is fantastic. I've ditched SFZ now. There are a couple of reasons. The Soundfont-1 is multitimbral, SFZ is not. SF-1 has envelope controls and modulation controls, SFZ doesn't. SF-1 is cross platform, SFZ is not. For me, these options alone are great. Now, the BS-1, if I'm not mistaken, is $30 for the license, or something like that. And that's the one that is included with T2, although the interface is ALOT nicer, and matches the Mackie plugs from the demo. They've done the same thing with Cheeze Machine, and called it Mackie Pad, with the new Mackie interface.

Anyway, the only thing I like now about SFZ is the DFD streaming, so I'll keep it around. Plus the SFZ format. However, I've been messing with Kontakt 2, and with a hefty discount from the Orchestral Rompler I've got, it looks like my future sampler.

Sorry to keep getting off topic.

Koolkeys

[rockstar_not]

SF-1 has envelope controls and modulation controls, SFZ doesn't.

Koolkeys,

This is what I am slightly afraid of with BS-1. For example, what does a nice grand piano sf like the 'splendid' sf sound like in BS-1? Do you have to go in and mess around with amplitude envelopes to get it to sound natural?

I'm an old-school Creative SBLive card user, and I've got a ton of sf that sound pretty decent with that card's hardware synth, and with sfz, but sound pretty crummy with just about any other sf player vsti because so many of those assume that all that is desired from the sf is the base waveform.

In fact I wrote one developer about this issue, and he sent me my own version of his plug, that disabled the amplitude envelope controls and used the default envelope information that is coded into the sf itself. He made me promise not to tell anyone about it so that he wouldn't get a load of requests to tweak his freebie plug, but that my request was a simple few lines of code to change.

-Scott

[P.T.]

sfz also has envelope controls, but they aren't on the gui. You have to access them with cc messages. Still, they are there and they don't mess up the sound.

I think the players default to whatever settings the soundfont has built in to it.

[ceenda]

I used to use sfz for everything, but I'm thinking about registering BS-16 (or BS-1). I kinda prefer it to sfz, in a way. I like the way that it's envelope controls aren't completely limited to what the soundfont demands (like in sfz), so you can have a long attack or long release on a sound, even if the original soundfont doesn't allow it. I know in that sense that sfz is doing things 'right', but sometimes that can be annoying.

[DHR53]

Check out the Gort's SFs... they are fabulous for free! at Hammersound!!

[koolkeys]

I am aware that SFZ has envelope controls and such, and can be accessed by an additional plug also, but it's definately easier. Soundfont-1 kind of matches up to SFZ+, if you'd like a comparison.

To me, the sound wasn't bad at all with SF-1. And I've not had a problem with envelope settings.

Oh, and I have to apolagize, as I made a mistake as I got different versions confused. The Soundfont-1 is NOT multi-timbral. I kept seeing the wrong number in my head and remembering using the demo of the Bismark version. I just got confused. Sorry bout that.

Koolkeys

[BenoA]

A friend pointed me to http://www.skale.org/ to play soundfonts. Anyone tried it???

I'm new to tracktion, so i haven't tried it yet myself but i will for sure in the coming days. Thanks to all of you for the great infos in this thread.

BenoA