http://nando.oui.com.br/pages/soundfonts.

html

SoundFonts
Back in 1998 or so, the popular Sound Blaster series of audio cards received an
upgrade (the Sound Blaster Live http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live! ) that turned it into a sampler
a musical instrument that basically plays pre-recorded notes, often sounding
more realistic than the synthesizers that were popular then. The format used for
instrument samples is
calledSoundFont (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SoundFont )and the file extension
is .SF2.
In the following years the SoundFont format became tremendously popular.
Maybe I am wrong, but I feel the SoundFont community is dying slowly. I myself
have switched to free software and Linux (and I know some open source
software can use SoundFonts to a certain extent), but I still keep my old
SoundFonts here so people can download them.
I wish a strong community would form to create and share open samples (in
various formats), using liberal Creative Commons licenses, but as of 2012 I
dont think it has happened yet.
Searching for free, high quality sounds on the net remains a frustrating
experience.
All SoundFont loaders allow you to load layers of SoundFonts. Therefore, it is a
good idea to load a nice small all-purpose GM bank and then better specific
instruments on top of it. With this purpose in mind, the following patches are
already assigned to the corresponding program numbers in the General
Midi convention.
Filenames begin with the patch number. Easy!

Florestans Free Orchestral SoundFonts

Florestan Basic GM GS (3.3 MB) is your average generalpurpose General Midibank with 128 different sounds, sampled from a
Roland Sound Canvas module.
000 Florestan Piano (7.8 MB) is a bright piano, but much better piano
sounds now exist out there.
5 small SoundFonts contains:
o 014 Florestan Tubular Bells (577.3 kB) Realistic tubular bells.
Adds a surreal tubular bells glide on bank 1, patch 14.
o 022 Florestan Harmonica (28.2 kB)
o 045 Florestan Pizzicato (87.7 kB) Even now, probably the only
free pizzicato soundfont that sounds realistic in the whole range,
with good resonant basses.
o 056 Florestan Trumpet Metallic (732.3 kB) Not very realistic.
o 076 Florestan Contrabassoon (12.7 kB)
040 Florestan String Quartet (3.2 MB) contains solo violin, viola, cello
and double-bass (patches 40 to 43). They are realistic for their small size.
048 Florestan Strings (1.1 MB) is a mediocre-sounding string ensemble.
052 Florestan Ahh Choir (785.5 kB) is a very realistic and useful mixed
choir.
060 Florestan French Horns (4.1 MB) contains the heroic sound of
multiple french horns at the unison. How many french horns? Who

knows? Maybe 4... The samples come from a previous version of Fluid, a
GM bank created by Frank Wen.
068 Florestan Woodwinds (1.6 MB) contains flute, oboe, english horn,
clarinet and bassoon. They are realistic considering their small size. The
oboe comes from Fluid, a GM bank created by Frank Wen.
070 Bassoon Ethan Nando (4.8 MB) is a professional basson with keyswitching and a crisp attack of only 0.006 seconds sampled by Ethan
Winer. Without touching the samples, I have added a mono version to
preserve polyphony. The original author even liked the idea. The mono
version is at program 70. The stereo version is at bank 1, program 70.
Enjoy the downloads! If any files are down, please let me know.

Other SoundFont websites

You can send me links to your best SoundFont sites (if still any...).
Hammersound is the largest and oldest SoundFont repository out there.
JEUX is a fantastic pipe organ soundfont.

Audio links
Reverberation effect: theory and practice
Audio melody articles

Sound Blaster Live!

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sound Blaster Live! is a sound card from Creative Technology. It is a PCI add-on board
for PCs.
Contents
[hide]

1 Overview

2 Design Shortcomings

3 Models
o

3.1 Sound Blaster Live! and Live! Value

3.2 Sound Blaster Live! Platinum

3.3 Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 and Sound Blaster Live! Platinum 5.1

3.4 Sound Blaster Live! Dell OEM

3.5 Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 Digital (Dell OEM, SB0220)

3.6 Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit

3.7 EMU APS (Audio Production Studio)

4 See also

5 External links

Overview[edit]

EMU10K1 Digital Signal Processor

EMU10K1-NDF digital sound processor

Sound Blaster Live!

Sound Blaster Live! Value / Compaq / Intel / IBM / NEC

Sound Blaster Live! (August 1998) saw the introduction of the EMU10K1 processor, a 2.44
million transistor audio DSP, rated at 1000MIPS. The EMU10K1 featured hardware
acceleration for DirectSound and EAX 1.0 and 2.0 (environmental audio extensions), a
high-quality 64-voice MIDI sample-based synthesizer, and an integrated FX8010 DSP chip
for real-time digital audio effects.
A major design change from its predecessor (the EMU8000) was that the EMU10K1 used
system memory, accessed over the PCI bus, for the wavetable samples, rather than using
expensive on-board memory. This was possible at this point because systems were being
equipped with far more RAM than previously, and PCI offered far faster and more efficient
data transfer than the old ISA bus.
The integrated FX8010 was a 32-bit programmable processor with 1 kilobyte of instruction
memory. It provided real-time postprocessing effects (such as reverb, flanging, or chorus).
DSP effects in the older SB/AWE family were restricted to MIDI synth, but in the SB/Live
family, the EMU10K1's integrated FX8010 operated on any source. This capability let
users select a pre-defined listening environment from a control-panel application (concert
hall, theater, headphones, etc.) It also provided hardware-acceleration for EAX, Creative's
environmental audio technology. The Effect algorithms were created by a development
system that integrated into Microsoft Developer Studio. The effects were written in a
language similar to C, and compiled into native FX8010 object code by its compiler, fxasm.
The Sound Blaster Live! featured higher audio quality than previous Sound Blasters, as it
processed the sound digitally at every stage, and because of its greater chip integration
that reduced the analog signal losses of older, larger cards. Unfortunately, digital

processing brought some limitations. The DSP had an internal fixed sample rate of 48 kHz,
a standard AC'97 clock, meaning that the EMU10K1 always captured external audiosources at the 48 kHz, then performed a sample-rate conversion on the 48 kHz waveform
to the output the requested target rate (such as 44.1 kHz or 32 kHz). This rate-conversion
step introduced intermodulation distortion into the downsampled output. The SB/Live had
great difficulty with resampling audio-CD source material (44.1 kHz) without introducing
audible distortion. Creative addressed this concern by recommending audio-recording be
performed exclusively at 48 kHz, and use third-party software to handle the desired
sample-rate conversion, to avoid using the EMU10K1's sample-rate conversion.
Sound Blaster Live! supported multi-speaker output, initially up to a 4-speaker setup. The
software referred to this as a "4.1" setup, meaning 4 satellites and a subwoofer. While this
is the case, the subwoofer is not on a separate output as it is with 5.1 and higher audio.
Instead, a low-pass filter (crossover) within the speaker system removes high and
midrange frequencies from the sound card's output for the subwoofer. Games see a "4.1"
speaker system as quadraphonic because DirectSound itself offers no subwoofer output in
this configuration. [1] This is not limited to Creative sound cards; Aureal, Ensoniq, Philips,
and other manufacturers have made cards that use four-speaker output in the same
fashion. Later versions of the Live!, usually called Live! 5.1, offered 5.1-channel support
which adds acenter-channel speaker and LFE subwoofer output, most useful for movie
watching where Dolby Digital 5.1 is decoded.
The Live! implemented DOS legacy support via Ensoniq's AudioPCI DOS TSR program.
Creative acquired Ensoniq in 1998 and, as part of the deal, made use of this highlycompatible ISA sound card emulator with their newer cards. In fact, the Live! uses ".ecw"
(Ensoniq Concert Wavetable) files for the wavetable emulation in DOS. The program
enables support for many standards, such as Sound Blaster 16, General
MIDI, AdLib (OPL3), among others.
Sound Blaster Live! was the first sound card from Creative with the "What U Hear"
recording input channel. This was supported in the Windows drivers, so no additional
software was needed to utilize it. The analog stereo audio signal that came out of the main
Line Out was directed into this input. That way, one could mix all available inputs and the
MIDI synth into one stereo signal. When using "What U Hear" with 5.1 sound, the sound
would be downmixed to stereo first. The Creative Recorder utility included with the sound
card was specifically designed to take advantage of the "What U Hear" feature, making it a
simple matter to capture streaming sound from any source, even from programs that
deliberately avoid providing a means for saving the digital sounds, thus freeing non-

technical users from the complexities of "patching" between inputs and outputs of various
software modules.

Design Shortcomings[edit]
[citation needed]

The original SB Live! had a very low noise floor for its time; however, a critical design flaw
limited its application in quadraphonic audio. The two S/P-DIF channels that each provided
a stereo pair differed in their Digital to Analog reconstruction. Since the AC'97 chip
provided an internal 48 kHz DAC, Creative chose not to implement two identical DAC
pipelines, and the front-speaker audio pair was subjected to a different reconstruction and
amplification regime to that of the rear channel (as evidenced by differently valued pull-up
resistors and filter-capacitors in the area forward of the AC'97 chip, in the specifications of
the AC'97 itself, and in the use of different amplifier Op-Amps).
The rear channel was serviced by a separate, but arguably better Philips UDA1334 DAC,
yet the Op-Amp used to boost the signal to output levels had a noticeably different
frequency response envelope that was not normalized to the front channel, leaving a "thin
and quiet" rear channel. To make matters worse, the rear channel Op-Amp was of the
inverting variety without being treated as such, leaving the rear speakers out of phase with
the front, requiring switchover. These problems were not encountered by those using the
Gold editions' daughterboard 4-speaker digital-output, but the tendency of the AC'97 chip
to fail when used as an input source to medium-impedance musical instruments removed
the use of the front channels altogether, although the chip could be sourced from cheaper
AC'97 compatible products and soldered into place. Nevertheless, simply redirecting front
signal to rear output of SB Live! was for a long time a favorite trick for computer audio
enthusiasts who want better sound for minimum of money.
Despite these problems, the original SB Live! can still be used well as a S/P-DIF
input/output and MIDI input/output device for network-connected digital audio workstation
environments.

Models[edit]

Sound Blaster Live! and Live! Value[edit]

Sound Blaster Live! Value.

The Live! and Live! Value are the original releases of the Live! family.
The Live! Value (also known as Live! 1024) is identical to the full Live! with the exception
that it has color-coded plastic connectors instead of gold and does not include the
extended digital I/O card. The original Sound Blaster Live! had a proprietary 9-pin mini-DIN
connector for digital output that Creative referred to as the "Mini Din." This connector
allowed the use of a microphone and digital speakers at the same time. This cannot be
done with the value and base models of all subsequent Creative sound cards, as they
share a single port for S/PDIF digital in/output and microphone connectivity. The Mini-DIN
connection was not included in any subsequent Sound Blaster product, however owners of
speaker systems that use this as the only digital input may buy an adapter from Creative.
The card is not supported by Windows Vista unless running in the 5.1 surround sound
setting.[citation needed].
An outside party has released free drivers for the sound card here: http://kxproject.com/
For details on the original Live! including the Gold edition, marketing strategy, and design
faults, see Sound Blaster Live! (Original)

Creative Sound Blaster Live! 1024 soundcard upper view (chips)

Creative Sound Blaster Live! 1024 soundcard side view (connectors)

Creative Sound Blaster Live! 1024 soundcard back view (soldering)

Creative Sound Blaster Live! 1024 soundcard 3D view with chips

Driver CD of Sound Blaster Live! 1024 sound card

Sound Blaster Live! Platinum[edit]

Released 1999 [2] Includes Live! Drive IR

Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 and Sound Blaster Live! Platinum 5.1 [edit]
Released 2000. [3] Live! with added outputs for a center channel speaker
and LFE subwoofer channel.

Sound Blaster Live! Dell OEM[edit]

Sound Blaster Live! Dell OEM

This card, marketed as a Sound Blaster Live!, did not have the full capabilities of the retail
versions of Live! It used a different audio chip, not EMU10K1 but EMU10K1X, that is
noticeably smaller with fewer pins. The chip does not accelerate DirectSound in hardware,
nor EAX. The sale of this board by Dell created some controversy because it was not
obviously marketed as an inferior or cheaper product. The card can be identified by its part
number (SB0200/0203). [4]

Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 Digital (Dell OEM, SB0220) [edit]

This was a later, improved model. The EMU10K1 chip was restored, as was hardware
EAX/DirectSound/DirectSound3D acceleration. Currently there are Windows drivers
available for download from Creative's website (filename LiveDrvUni-Pack_ENG_.exe). It
was recommended that recording should be done at 48kHz sampling rate, as there was an
issue with hardware down-sampling.

Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit[edit]

The Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit (SB0410) was not actually a member of the Sound Blaster
Live! family, because it lacked the EMU10k1/10k2 processor. It was a stripped down
version of the Audigy Value, with an SNR of 100 dB, software based EAX, no advanced
resolution DVD-Audio Playback, and no Dolby Digital 5.1 or Dolby Digital EX 6.1 playback.
A proof of this is that on Linux operating systems, when using the ALSA sound system, the
module that is used for the Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit is snd-ca0106, while the module that
is used by the Sound Blaster Live! is snd-emu10k1.

EMU APS (Audio Production Studio)[edit]

This was a professional version made by E-mu which was owned by Creative and had
developed the EMU10K1 chip featured on Creative's Live! products. Its professional
features included effects with higher quality, front-mounted drive bay panel with
headphone output, dual mic/line inputs with physical level control knobs, digital coax in/out
on both PCI card and drive bay, mixer with dB precision, phantom power for microphones
(12V), ASIO, mixer presets, internal mixer rerouting, 64 MIDI channels, 32MB system RAM
usage for SF2 (Gigabyte expandable in WinXP) and future expandability through an extra
multi-out card. It also featured line in and line out; all analogue inputs and outputs were
balanced "/6.3mm TRS jacks. [5] [6]

See also[edit]

SoundFont
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article appears to be written like an advertisement. Please help improve it by

rewriting promotional content from aneutral point of view and removing any
inappropriate external links. (November 2013)
SoundFont is a brand name that collectively refers to a file format and associated technology
designed to bridge the gap between recorded and synthesized audio, especially for the
purposes of computer music composition. SoundFont technology is an implementation
of sample-based synthesis, first used on the Sound Blaster AWE32 sound card for itsGeneral
MIDI support, and is still supported on current Sound Blaster products. See also Gravis
Ultrasound.
Contents
[hide]

1 Specification

2 History

3 Functionality

4 SoundFont creation software (.sf2 format)

5 See also

6 References

7 Resources SoundFonts

Specification[edit]
The newest version of the SoundFont file format is 2.04 (often incorrectly called 2.4). It is
based on the RIFF format. A detailed description can be found in the specification, which is as
of now only available as a copy on various company sites, e.g.
at http://www.synthfont.com/sfspec24.pdf (PDF; 518 kB; the document incorrectly claims to be
for version 2.01 in the page footer).

History[edit]
The original SoundFont file format was developed in the early 1990s by E-mu
Systems and Creative Labs. A specification for this version was never released to the public.
The first and only major device to utilize this version was Creative's Sound Blaster AWE32 in
1994. Files in this format conventionally have the file extension of .SBK.
SoundFont 2.0 was developed in 1996. This file format generalized the data representation
using perceptually additive real world units, redefined some of the instrument layering features
within the format, added true stereo sample support and removed some obscure features of
the first version whose behavior was difficult to specify. This version was fully disclosed as a
public specification, with the goal of making the SoundFont format an industry standard. All

SoundFont 1.0 compatible devices were updated to support the SoundFont 2.0 format shortly
after it was released to the public, and consequently the 1.0 version became obsolete. Files in
this and all other 2.x formats (see below) conventionally have the file extension of SF2.
Version 2.01 (often incorrectly called 2.1) of the SoundFont file format was introduced in 1998
with an E-mu sound card product called the Audio Production Studio. The 2.01 version added
features allowing sound designers to configure the way MIDI controllers influence synthesizer
parameters. The 2.01 format is bidirectionally compatible with 2.0, which means that
synthesizers capable of rendering 2.01 format will also by definition render 2.0 format, and
synthesizers that are only capable of rendering 2.0 format will also read and render 2.01
format, but just not apply the new features.
SoundFont 2.04 (there never was a 2.02 or a 2.03 version) was introduced in 2005 with
the Sound Blaster X-Fi. The 2.04 format added support for 24-bit samples. The 2.04 format is
bidirectionally compatible with the 2.01 format, so synthesizers that are only capable of
rendering 2.0 or 2.01 format would automatically render instruments using 24-bit samples at
16-bit precision.
SoundFont is a registered trademark of E-mu Systems, Inc., and the exclusive license for reformatting and managing historical SoundFont content has been acquired by Digital Sound
Factory.[1]

Functionality[edit]
Sample-playback-based MIDI synthesizers use wavetables to define the base samples that are
used to render their MIDI files. MIDI files in themselves don't contain any sounds, rather they
contain only instructions to render them, and consequently rely on the wavetables to render
such sounds correctly. SoundFont-compatible synthesizers allow users to use SoundFont
banks to augment these wavetables with custom samples to render their music.
A SoundFont bank contains base samples in PCM format (similar to WAV files) that are
mapped to sections on a musical keyboard. A SoundFont bank also contains other music
synthesis parameters such as loops, vibrato effect, and velocity sensitive volume changing.
Example of what can be
achieved with SoundFonts
available in the public
domain

MENU
0:00

1-minute song, MIDI played

through SoundFonts

Problems playing this file? See media help.

SoundFont banks can conform to standard sound sets such as General MIDI, or use other
wholly custom sound-set definitions.

SoundFont creation software (.sf2 format)[edit]

Several .sf2 editors are available:

Vienna from Creative Labs, requiring a particular sound card (such as Sound Blaster),

Viena[2] (with a single "n"), created in 2002,

Swami[3] is a collection of free software for editing and managing musical instruments
for MIDI music composition, used mainly under Linux,

Polyphone,[4] free editor for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux created in 2013.

See also[edit]

DLS format

General MIDI (GM)

FluidSynth

WildMIDI

Roland GS (GS)

References[edit]
1.

Jump up^ "Digital Sound Factory releases SoundFont libraries". rekkerd. 2007.
Retrieved 2007-08-30.

2.

Jump up^ Viena, free sf2 editor.

3.

Jump up^ Swami, free soundfonts editor for Linux.

4.

Jump up^ Polyphone, free sf2 editor for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.

Resources SoundFonts[edit]

SoundFont 2.04 specification

Digital Sound Factory Free Demo and SoundFont Libraries available for download.

sf2midi.com Many demo libraries soundfonts