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  • Thread starter Thread starter A1MixMan
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Hey, A1mixMan! Good stuff! I downloaded your WMA file and enjoyed it. I don't quite understand how soundfonts are made and the full extent aas to what you can do with them, how you use them? Do you need a MIDI keyboard to get the most from them? Can you give a step by step explanation as to how you did this one? It would be very useful to me to know. :D
 
Soundfonts

A soundfont is really simple.
It has three layers.
1) Sample Pool:
Here you add all of the samples (.wav files) that make up the soundfont at its most basic level.
2) Instrument Pool:
Here you add together samples from the sample pool to make "instruments"
3) Preset Pool:
Here you add together instruments from the instrument pool to make "presets"

Presets allow you to layer different sounds together.
My Heaven soundfont layered a piano, strings, and male ahhs together, which you can hear in my example.
It is just a midi file played back with my Heaven.sf2

What I did to create Heaven.sf2 is:
I imported a "piano" soundfont, as an instrument, into my soundfont editor. Veinna 2.3 from creative labs.
The samples for the piano automatically imported in the sample pool by default.

I then imported a "male ahhs" soundfont as another instrument.
Then I imported a "strings" soundfont the same way.

Now I have three "instruments" (and all of their related samples)
loaded into Veinna.
I now place all three instruments into a preset which I call "Heaven"
Save from here as heaven.sf2 and the soundfont is ready to load into Sonar to play.

When you play your midi keyboard you will hear the piano play and as you hold the key down you will also hear the strings and male ahhs in the same key come in.

In my "song" what I did was to load a midi file of a classical song into Sonar. Then I "loaded" heaven.sf2 into Sonar to play back the midi file. I also copied the midi file to another track and moved it back a hair to give it a echo effect. Every piano note you here is really doubled. If you listen you can hear this. This song was a solo piano piece, by whom I do not know, Bach maybe.

You can do lots of other things: split the keyboard between 2 or more sounds (like a drum kit), have some sounds over lap each other, make different sounds trigger at different times, i.e. press the key hear one sound, hold the key and another sound comes in, you can add limited effects, and modify generators, and midi parameters, on each of the layers, sample, instrument, and preset. You can use other soundfont parts (samples, instruments, presets) to build your own soundfonts.
Mix and match with your own .wav files and make some really cool soundfonts.

And some other things I sure. It is very flexible. I suggest you get Veinna 2.3 and read though the entire help file. It really is very simple.
Here is the midi file I used
If this is not clear please ask again.

A1MixMan
 

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Superb posting, A1 MixMan, many thanks. Hmm.... looks interesting...I can see the possibilties, I was certainly impressed with what you did with the download, Heaven. One question though, where did you get the sounds from that you loaded into Vienna? (I've got that program with my soundcard). The male ahhhs and strings?

Thanx again
 
Soundfont Links

Not sure where I got those soundfonts, I have so many.
You can get alot of free soundfonts on the net.
Here is a list of my soundfont links from my favorites folder in IE.

Good luck and thanks,
A1MixMan
 

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Many thanks A1Mixman. I have downloaded your favourites and will definitely investigate further. That's the great thing about this forum, something new to learn and broaden your horizons all the time.

Again, thanx for your time and effort. It is appreciated.
 
A1Mix, That is a most interesting post. Very interesting.
Thanks for sharing.
 
Your Welcome

You guys are welcome.

Keep making music!
A1MixMan
 
I have seen the light! A1 Mix Man, I owe you big time. I have just made my first sound font thanks to you. This is the "donkeys bollocks" and the "dogs dick" combined (for you USA guys, both these terms are British phrases used to describe something really neat, cool and good stuff. - not to be used around in-laws and people of a nervous disposition!).

So, having done that, I can now see that I need a Midi keyboard to extract best use for my new found music. I guess any key board will do If I all I want to do is use soundfonts in my PC, do I need all the gizmos on an expensive k/b? What are the key criteria?

One other issue, so I can load up my instrument bank in Vienna but when I record in Cakewalk, how do I make use of those s/fonts? Is there a Midi instrument bank check box in a drop down menu somewhere (sorry, but Midi is something new for me, apart from downloading Midi files off the net)

And thanxs again for the s/font sites, I have visited a few and can't wait to use them.
 
Glad you are so excited!

First off, what cakewalk software are you using?
You can use any keyboard with midi in/out ports on the the back.
This will be your keyboard controller or midi controller.
I use a Roland D-20 Multi Timbral Linear Synthesizer Multi Track Sequencer! Check .jpg below.
I has alot of fancy features THAT I NEVER USE!
All I use it for is a midi controller. I have it connected to my computer with midi cables. When I press a key it sends a "note-on" midi message to cakewalk which then plays the soundfont, or DXi synth, or whatever sound I have it set up to play. When I release a key it sends a "note-off" midi message to cakewalk and the note stops playing. (This is where latency comes into play. If you have alot of latency, when you press a key it takes more than a few miliseconds for you to hear the sound and this causes a delay. Which makes it very hard to play music live.)

No you do not need a fancy keyboard at all.
The key criteria are:
1) Midi in, out, and thru ports.
2) 61 keys, at least.
3) Velocity and Aftertouch sensitivity (types of midi messages sent to your cakewalk program to control those aspects.)
4) A pitch bend lever is nice, but not required.

Most (if not all) of the fancy features found on todays new synths and keyboards can be found in software. So you can use these features inside of Cakewalk Sonar.
Not to say its always better, but its alot cheaper!

As to how to use them, in Sonar select Options>Soundfonts>Attach and browse to the soundfont you want. Its very similar if not the same in CWPA 9.0
This loads the soundfont into Sonar.

From here open up the track properties on a midi track and select the input port (midi onmi), output port (your soundcard), midi channel (1), bank # (soundfont bank), and patch # (soundfont preset or instrument).
You should now be able to play your keyboard and hear the soundfont.
If you don't have a keyboard yet, you can load a midi file first and then set up your soundfont to play back the midi file.
This is cool to hear different songs played back with instruments that would never have thought of playing that song with.

Anyway this post is getting HUGE!
Good Luck and Keep Making Music!
A1MixMan
 

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Excited ain't the word!! (sad but true!)

Wow, what a class post.

"Note to Dragon, check this guys postings and promote him immediately if not sooner."

Many thanx for for your message, more of a shock is that I understand all of it. I've already reviewed a few keyboards on the internet and can't wait to give it a try. My budget may mean a wait for a month or so but a loan of a Midi k/b is a possibility in between times.

I use Home Studio 2002 and have S/B Live! platinum 5.1 coming on Tuesday this week, upgrading from AWE 64 Gold.

Todays task is to see if I can use the soundfonts in HS2002 without a keyboard. Between you and Brzillian you have given me enough advice for a few hours of learning and set-up. I'll let you know how I get on. No doubt it will prompt a few posts as I struggle to understand it all.

Here I go!
 
Paul,
Keybords, I have a roland PC-70 which is basicaly a midi controller keybord its got whatever you need and some. (Pitch wheel, modulation, data entry, octive -/+, touch sensitive)
You can get this or similar for around 100 quid, I may be in the middle east but I still get the britsh mags (Computer Music & Future Music) Anywaze check out these sites for info and prices.

www.digitalvillage.co.uk
www.turnkey.uk.com
www.gak.co.uk

Check out the Evolution range and Roland. Try to go for USB as well, (you dont have to plug it into the wall) I am assuming you have USB on your PC. No USB ? Ah..... now you are entering the wierd and wonderful world of upgrading. You see, it dont matter what you've got, you always want more (whether you need it or not) I have a monster PC and more recording software than I care to mention, but I still drool when confronted with a new piece of kit. You say your going for the Platinum 5.1 Live ? If so get the one with the Live drive front panel (What, no spare drive bays? Oops back to upgrading) But it is a great card from a bang per buck point of veiw. But wait, what can we see over there....its the all new, all wonderful, dogs bollocks and all "AUDIGY Platinum" Oh yes....it shall be mine!!!!! Must have Audigy.....Must have Audigy.......
You see Paul, it never ends. Having said that, this whole homerecording thing is about as much fun as you can have with your pants on and I wish you well in your endeavors to be creative.
 
What a great thread this has been

Thanks for your latest post Alan. I am seriously considering the Roland Midi controler, it was also recommended by Turnkey (you are from the UK and read SOS magazine so you know who they are). Anyway, biggest problem is for me now is to get my new Live! card working (see my other thread) . I did consider the Audigy but it was a bit too new for me. And yes, I did get the front loader panel. No more scrabbling round the back of my PC with a torch stuck in my teeth.

Lets keep on making the music

Paul
 
boy that sounds funny

I understand what you mean when you say torch stuck in your teeth, but I bet an awful lot of the 'less enlightened' members who are americans think you were trying to burn your eyebrows off with an open flame while making connections to your soundcard. Aren't languages a kick in the pants ? Sorry, It just made me giggle at the visual picture in my head, Silver
 
My brother lives in the US and is married to an American lady and I travel a lot to the States, so I know what you mean. You can't ask your secretary in the US for "a rubber" like we do in the UK! Well, you can, but........!

For our American friends, you know we say torch, you say flashlight. When we ask for a rubber, you say eraser.

But the idea of getting around the back of a PC with a flaming torch is a funny one. Especially clamped in your mouth!

Paul
 
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