Handling soundfonts

[Sam_Zen]

While searching for some chinese instruments, I found a set of related soundfonts (*.sf2) in my archives.
Since I don't use MIDI, I'm not familiar with how to cope with soundfonts.

Is it possible with OMPT to derive the samples and convert them to WAV-files ?
I loaded one with 'Add soundbank...', and sometimes managed to make some sound with R-click on the file in the sub 'Melodic' with 'Play instrument', but not all the time something was heard.

[Snu]

mpt has very limited soundfont support, it only properly loads single layered instruments (soundfonts can have multiple velocity layers, among other things).  if you want to use a soundfont, id suggest using 'sfz' vsti which loads them and plays like a standard vsti.
if you want to extract certain sounds from the font, or if you want to remove all but one layer so mpt can load it properly, there is an old program called 'vienna' which is a freeware soundfont editor made by creative, quite a nice one really.
i remember finding some free command line program that could extract all wav files from a soundfont (as well as other data): sf2comp

if you have trouble finding those last two progs, i can upload them, but a quick google search should do it.

[pelya]

When you trying to listen to instrument from Directory/Soundfont browsing tab you can play only note C-5, and sometimes you hear nothing at all (especially true for Drum instruments) - you should copy instrument to some temporary IT/XM file everytime just to listen.
Viena (soundfont editing), VSTSynthFont (soundfont playing VSTi) ,   SFZ (better soundfont playing VSTi)
Oh, Snu posted an answer while I was typing mine :shock: , so I removed all   redundant info .

[LPChip]

Indeed. Also: Awave (although its shareware) can convert SF2 to ITI or WAV.

I managed to extract a few .ITI files from a big SF2 bank using the shareware version.

[Snu]

Indeed. Also: Awave (although its shareware) can convert SF2 to ITI or WAV.

I managed to extract a few .ITI files from a big SF2 bank using the shareware version.

yah, i was trying to avoid shareware :p
but... i have yet to see a decent sf2 to .iti converter thats freeware.

[Sam_Zen]

Thanks.
I should have known about Vienna, and found it back in my ole archive.
I don't mind a command line program, but sf2comp apparently needs a special dll, coming with Vienna, so..

Normally I avoid shareware too, but this time I choose to try Awave first.
It has a 30 day limit, but that's no problem if, as in this case, it concerns only a dozen single fonts, not a big bank.
And if I ever would need it later, I may install it again.

you should copy instrument to some temporary IT/XM file everytime just to listen.

Sorry, I don't understand.
I can open a blank XM file, having the sf2 in the tree, and then .. What's the procedure ?
If the copied sf2 sound will become a module instrument, I suppose I can edit some note in a pattern and play it.
If so, then it's another way to export it as a wav file.

[Sam_Zen]

Report in the meantime :
I managed to derive all wav files out of the chinese soundfonts with Awave.
But it's quite a tedious job, because one has to close and open Awave after every single save.
Plus some nagging every 10 saved files.
By the way, the resulting samples can be found here

[Snu]

Thanks.
I should have known about Vienna, and found it back in my ole archive.
I don't mind a command line program, but sf2comp apparently needs a special dll, coming with Vienna, so..

Normally I avoid shareware too, but this time I choose to try Awave first.
It has a 30 day limit, but that's no problem if, as in this case, it concerns only a dozen single fonts, not a big bank.
And if I ever would need it later, I may install it again.

oh yah, forgot about that dll, the readme says you should be able to get it from the sf2comp website tho, or hammersound. regardless, using it would be a lot easier than awave it seems, since you can dump all wav files in one command.

[pelya]

you should copy instrument to some temporary IT/XM file everytime just to listen.

Sorry, I don't understand.
I can open a blank XM file, having the sf2 in the tree, and then .. What's the procedure ?

I mean, you selected some instrument in SF2 file in treeview ,and you may tap some notes on your keyboard to play it - however only note C-5 will be played regardless of key you pressed. When you select MOD/IT file in "Instrument Library" in treeview and play some instrument from it with keyboard, the correct note is heard.