Using SoundFonts with MIDI drum tracks

  • Thread starter Thread starter Phyl
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Phyl

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While surfing this site I found a great thread that discussed using sound fonts to enhance the sound of MIDI drum tracks. The only requirement is that your sound card accept MIDI input and be able to use sound fonts.

Background - I'm using SONAR 2.0 running on a 1.8 Mhz Pentium IIII computer and have an Aardvark Q10 connected. I composed a MIDI drum track using the Session Drummer that comes with SONAR and managed to get the sound chip on my mother board to play the drum sounds. Eventually I guess I'll have to run a connector from my computer's line out jack to an input of the Aardvark in order to record the drum sounds to an audio track.

Now to my problem/question. Following the instructions in the thread I mentioned above, I'm trying to use the sound fonts instead of whatever stock synthesis routines the mother board sound chip has, but no luck. When I pull down the Options menu in SONAR the sound fonts option isn't highlighted leading me to believe SONAR has already figured out that my sound chip doesn't support sound fonts.

Is this a good assumption or am I completely off base about how this whole MIDI/sound font thing operates?

Bottom line, I'm trying to produce some great sounding drum tracks and would like information on how most people approach the task.

Thanks,

Phil
 
You have to have hardware that supports SoundFonts in order to use them, that's right.
 
As far as I know Sound Fonts are a product of Creative Technology and not only do you need their hardware but also their software. They are trying to make Sound Fonts an industry standard. I can use them with Soundblaster Live but before you go and purchase their soundboards you should read up on the issues they have with recording only 16 bit vs 24 bit.
 
NYMorningstar said:
As far as I know Sound Fonts are a product of Creative Technology and not only do you need their hardware but also their software. They are trying to make Sound Fonts an industry standard. I can use them with Soundblaster Live but before you go and purchase their soundboards you should read up on the issues they have with recording only 16 bit vs 24 bit.
Click to expand...

When you've got SB Live, how do you apply the new soundfonts for use?
 
SB Live comes with a users guide with all the info you need to use Sound fonts and it's all copyrighted. Basically, SoundFont banks(midi banks) are saved as SoundFont files on your hard disks and loaded into your audio card for playback. You can edit the sounds to your liking with an editor and playback with the midi.
 
There are several software synths/samplers that will play Sound Fonts, notably the LiveSynth... so you don't need a Sound Blaster...
 
Actually you can edit them, it's just that it would be a pain because you couldn't tweak and play back from the existing editing apps, you would have to save the SF file and test it in LiveSynth...
 
AlChuck said:
Actually you can edit them, it's just that it would be a pain because you couldn't tweak and play back from the existing editing apps, you would have to save the SF file and test it in LiveSynth...
Click to expand...

What editing apps would you be able to edit sound fonts with?
 
The only one I know the name of is Vienna Studio but I know there are a few more out there...
 
AlChuck said:
The only one I know the name of is Vienna Studio but I know there are a few more out there...
Click to expand...

I guess you have me confused now AlChuck. Vienna Studio is a product of and copyrighted by Creative Technology Ltd for the soundblaster boards. Is there a way to edit sound fonts without having a SB compatible card available yet?
 
Wel, I was aware that they bundled it with the cards... I suppose it's possible they crippled it so that it will not install and/or work on a PC without a Sound Blaster...
 
---Vienna didn't ship with my (retail) card from about 1.5 yrs ago, but it was downloadable form Creative's site. Dunno how's to use it though, and I haven't tried installing it on a Creative soundcard-less PC.
---My retail install CD also didn't include the Creative Wave Editor, and I can't find it to download anywhere online (-sniff-). If you know where to get it, lemme know.....
---To use soundfonts, you need an Emu card or a DXi synth. Cakewalk products support soundfonts, but don't play soundfonts themselves.
---Creative cards have a separate soundfont manager/player program included in their own control utilities, so you can play soundfonts even without another program to support them. You don't use it for Home Studio 2002 (what I got) though, you leave the default general MIDI/soundfont bank in the Creative manager and then set the extra soundfonts you want in HS2002. The HS2002 soundfonts are saved with the project, and get re-loaded automatically.
---A huge collection of free soundfonts:
http://www.thesoundsite.net/
 
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