How to "browse" sf2 files quickly and easily?

Link to good samples/soundfonts at http://wiki.linuxaudio.org/wiki/free_audio_data

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windowsrefund
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How to "browse" sf2 files quickly and easily?

Post by windowsrefund »

Hello,

I downloaded and extracted > 3.5G of sf2 files onto my disk. In the event anyone reading is curious, I'm talking about these:

https://www.newgrounds.com/bbs/topic/1200140/1

OK so, now that I've got all these, I want to "browse" them easily. So far, that has not been possible since I need to use a fluidsynth plugin (a-fluid, calf-fluidsynth) to load each individual file and then trigger it via midi either via my DAW or just by routing my external keyboard's MIDI via Carla-patchbay or something. In other words, it's a very, very tedious process.

So I'm wondering if anyone knows of better tools and/or methods? Ideally, I'd love to be able to work using one or both of these scenarios:

1. Create a MIDI track in my DAW, write a small loop and hear different instruments as I change the sf2 in real time

2. Connect an external keyboard and trigger the instrument via MIDI so I can "browse" as I change instruments

One possible approach might be to use something like Polyphone to convert related sf2 files into a sfz. Perhaps that would allow me to simply load the resulting sfz into a fluidsynth and then be able to change instruments in real time?

Very much looking forward to hearing what you folks do...
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Re: How to "browse" sf2 files quickly and easily?

Post by noedig »

This is exactly why I initially started creating my app a few years ago (though by now it does a bit more).

http://www.noedig.co.za/konfyt/

It scans a folder that you specify, adds all the sf2 files and their programs to a library, which you can then browse or search.
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Re: How to "browse" sf2 files quickly and easily?

Post by windowsrefund »

OMG, I'm so all over this as soon as I get back to my DAW tonight! Thank you! :)
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Re: How to "browse" sf2 files quickly and easily?

Post by tavasti »

noedig wrote:This is exactly why I initially started creating my app a few years ago (though by now it does a bit more).

http://www.noedig.co.za/konfyt/

It scans a folder that you specify, adds all the sf2 files and their programs to a library, which you can then browse or search.
This looks great, for same problem!

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Re: How to "browse" sf2 files quickly and easily?

Post by tavasti »

windowsrefund wrote: I downloaded and extracted > 3.5G of sf2 files onto my disk. In the event anyone reading is curious, I'm talking about these:

https://www.newgrounds.com/bbs/topic/1200140/1
BTW, any idea, do they provide something more/better than Virtually Playing Orchestra?

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Re: How to "browse" sf2 files quickly and easily?

Post by Michael Willis »

tavasti wrote:BTW, any idea, do they provide something more/better than Virtually Playing Orchestra?
It depends on what you're going for; Virtual Playing Orchestra was created with different goal than the collection on Newgrounds.

For one thing, the collection on Newgrounds is SF2, while VPO is entirely SFZ format. SFZ supports some more advanced features like round robin and release samples. Also SFZ is a plain text format, so you can edit it yourself if you are inclined to learn the opcodes. On the other hand, SF2 tends to be easier to use.

VPO is a curated collection of individual orchestral sections and solos. The collection on Newgrounds is more of a "kitchen sink" approach, with the creator throwing in everything that sounded good. So for example, it has multiple solo violins, multiple disparate string sections, and so forth. As far as I'm aware, there was no effort to make them sound like they go together, so it is up to you to audition all of these choices in order to create your own cohesive sound.
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Re: How to "browse" sf2 files quickly and easily?

Post by alex stone »

noedig wrote:This is exactly why I initially started creating my app a few years ago (though by now it does a bit more).

http://www.noedig.co.za/konfyt/

It scans a folder that you specify, adds all the sf2 files and their programs to a library, which you can then browse or search.

Thanks for this. Works fine.

Alex.
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Re: How to "browse" sf2 files quickly and easily?

Post by tavasti »

noedig wrote:This is exactly why I initially started creating my app a few years ago (though by now it does a bit more).

http://www.noedig.co.za/konfyt/

It scans a folder that you specify, adds all the sf2 files and their programs to a library, which you can then browse or search.
Great app. Unfortunately, for me it gets jammed pretty often. When changing soundfont or it's patch in preview mode, pretty often whole software stucks. After it nothing works, only way is to close it. I assume it is somehow related to UI handling. Did not run it in debugger yet.
windowsrefund wrote:Hello,

I downloaded and extracted > 3.5G of sf2 files onto my disk. In the event anyone reading is curious, I'm talking about these:

https://www.newgrounds.com/bbs/topic/1200140/1
Thanks for this, spent maybe one hour, and great soundfonts found!

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Re: How to "browse" sf2 files quickly and easily?

Post by noedig »

tavasti wrote:Great app. Unfortunately, for me it gets jammed pretty often. When changing soundfont or it's patch in preview mode, pretty often whole software stucks. After it nothing works, only way is to close it. I assume it is somehow related to UI handling. Did not run it in debugger yet.
Does this happen randomly for any soundfont, or only for some?
The GUI is unresponsive while a soundfont is loaded and for large soundfonts, like Musyng Kite, it could take a while to load depending on the speed of your PC.
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Re: How to "browse" sf2 files quickly and easily?

Post by tavasti »

noedig wrote:
tavasti wrote:Great app. Unfortunately, for me it gets jammed pretty often. When changing soundfont or it's patch in preview mode, pretty often whole software stucks. After it nothing works, only way is to close it. I assume it is somehow related to UI handling. Did not run it in debugger yet.
Does this happen randomly for any soundfont, or only for some?
The GUI is unresponsive while a soundfont is loaded and for large soundfonts, like Musyng Kite, it could take a while to load depending on the speed of your PC.
Randomly on any. I have feeling that mostly this is triggered when selecting soundfont with mouse, and for clicking two soundfonts fast in the row (clicking of by one by mistake, and then clicking one that you want). Konfyt enters busyloop. Would it be possible that there is something wrong on handling UI events? Something like if there are two events in queue, something is messed? Or there is signal waiting for new events, but event was handled on previous run. Just guessing, haven't coded for qt, so don't know on what abstraction level application code is.

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Re: How to "browse" sf2 files quickly and easily?

Post by tavasti »

tavasti wrote:
noedig wrote:
tavasti wrote:Great app. Unfortunately, for me it gets jammed pretty often. When changing soundfont or it's patch in preview mode, pretty often whole software stucks. After it nothing works, only way is to close it. I assume it is somehow related to UI handling. Did not run it in debugger yet.
Does this happen randomly for any soundfont, or only for some?
The GUI is unresponsive while a soundfont is loaded and for large soundfonts, like Musyng Kite, it could take a while to load depending on the speed of your PC.
Randomly on any. I have feeling that mostly this is triggered when selecting soundfont with mouse, and for clicking two soundfonts fast in the row (clicking of by one by mistake, and then clicking one that you want). Konfyt enters busyloop. Would it be possible that there is something wrong on handling UI events? Something like if there are two events in queue, something is messed? Or there is signal waiting for new events, but event was handled on previous run. Just guessing, haven't coded for qt, so don't know on what abstraction level application code is.
Should I make bug report on github about this, or do we discuss it here?

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Re: How to "browse" sf2 files quickly and easily?

Post by noedig »

tavasti wrote:Should I make bug report on github about this, or do we discuss it here?
Don't mind discussing it here, but it's probably a bit off topic. Can you please make a bug report and include your OS and Fluidsynth version.
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Re: How to "browse" sf2 files quickly and easily?

Post by noedig »

Another app for loading soundfonts that was recently announced:
https://github.com/diovudau/Fluajho
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Re: How to "browse" sf2 files quickly and easily?

Post by tavasti »

noedig wrote:
tavasti wrote:Should I make bug report on github about this, or do we discuss it here?
Don't mind discussing it here, but it's probably a bit off topic. Can you please make a bug report and include your OS and Fluidsynth version.
Ok, let's continue there: https://github.com/noedigcode/konfyt/issues/1

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Re: How to "browse" sf2 files quickly and easily?

Post by tavasti »

tavasti wrote:
noedig wrote:
tavasti wrote:Should I make bug report on github about this, or do we discuss it here?
Don't mind discussing it here, but it's probably a bit off topic. Can you please make a bug report and include your OS and Fluidsynth version.
Ok, let's continue there: https://github.com/noedigcode/konfyt/issues/1
Thanks for noedig, bug is now fixed! And there is great soundfonts in that collection which was mentioned in beginning.

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