soundfonts in cakewalk

L

lemonsucker

New member
i know that this topic may have already been covered, but i searched and couldn't solve my problem anyway...

here's the trouble: i have downloaded some .sf2 files and i really love them. i have played them in the creative keyboard thing and they work.
i want to use them in pro audio 9.

i select track properties, and set: source= none
port= soundfont device
channel= 1
bank select...= normal
bank= none (there's none avalaible)
patch= none (i still see GM patches here..)

it plays back the ordinary sounds and i can't find the patches anywhere.... what should i do to use them?
 
Before you can use a sound font within cakewalk it has to first be loaded into your sound card's memory.
The easiest way to do this within cakewalk is go to the options menu and click on "sound font." You will be given the option to attach a sound font.
I don't have cakewalk in front of me right now because I'm at work, but if I remember correctly you should be able to browse to the location on your hard drive where your sound fonts reside. Attach whatever sound font suits your fancy and you will be ready to go.
Pick your midi port and channel as usual. The sound font you chose should appear in bank 1 and the accompanying patches should show up as well. I hope this helps!
 
To load the soundfont in cakewalk click... Options|Soundfonts, select an empty bank (should be highlighted already) and click attach. Browse to your sound font and click open. It will load the font and show it in the bank window. Click close.

Now go to your track properties. Pick soundfont for Port, pick a channel, for the bank select you will need to change that to Controller 0, then the soundfont will show in the bank dropdown list, then it's instruments will show in the patch area dropdown box.

Note that if you are using a percussion font that the channel will be 10. That is reserved for percussive instruments.

Have fun.
 
This last point is only true if the Sound Font has been set up as General MIDI soundset... most probably are, it's the sensible thing to do, but it is possible you will encounter some percussion sound fonts that are done differently without abiding by the General MIDI standard.
 
True, AlChuck, I was speaking in the 'standard' MIDI scenario. Some soundfont creators don't put them into the proper set in the font... Most are set that way however, and since these were previewed I figured they were following the standard. Point taken however. Thanks.
 
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