Sound Fonts - Revision history

Riban at 12:34, 7 April 2026

2026-04-07T12:34:26Z

Jlearman: documented zynthian-data as well as zynthian-my-data

2026-03-29T17:18:12Z

documented zynthian-data as well as zynthian-my-data

Hannesmenzel: Added section for project refactoring the soundfont library

2026-02-25T16:03:53Z

Added section for project refactoring the soundfont library

Jofemodo at 10:30, 24 October 2022

2022-10-24T10:30:10Z

Jofemodo: /* FAQ */

2020-04-11T23:40:16Z

FAQ

Krakou at 14:58, 13 January 2020

2020-01-13T14:58:06Z

Gmeader at 16:33, 17 September 2019

2019-09-17T16:33:29Z

Jofemodo: /* Soundfont Collection Links */

2019-03-05T15:36:47Z

Soundfont Collection Links

Jofemodo: /* Links to soundfonts */

2019-03-05T15:24:28Z

Links to soundfonts

Jofemodo: /* Links to soundfonts */

2019-03-05T15:11:47Z

Links to soundfonts

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 * LinuxSampler => SFZ & GIG soundfont formats
-* Sfizz => SFZ & GIG soundfont formats
+* Sfizz => SFZ soundfont formats
 * FluidSynth >= SF2 & SF3 soundfont format

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 You can use SFZ and GIG fonts with the '''LinuxSampler''' & '''Sfizz''' engines, which reads the samples directly from the SD card, preloading only a small part of the file using an advanced caching system. That way you can use a soundfont bigger than the available amount of RAM. For loading SF2 & SF3 sounfont files you should use the FluidSynth engine.
-Soundfont files are typically stored in this directory on your Zynthian:
+Pre-loaded soundfont files are stored in this directory on your Zynthian:
   /zynthian/zynthian-my-data/soundfonts
-You have a subfolder for each soundfont type. Like this:
+In either case, there is a subfolder for each soundfont type:
-* /zynthian/zynthian-my-data/soundfonts/sf2
+* sf2
-* /zynthian/zynthian-my-data/soundfonts/sfz
+* sfz
-* /zynthian/zynthian-my-data/soundfonts/gig
+* gig
-And inside the ''sfz'' & ''gig'' subfolders there are "bank" subfolders, like this:
+And inside the ''sfz'' & ''gig'' subfolders there may be "bank" subfolders, like this:
-* /zynthian/zynthian-my-data/soundfonts/sfz/bass
+* Bass
-* /zynthian/zynthian-my-data/soundfonts/sfz/keys
+* Brass
-* /zynthian/zynthian-my-data/soundfonts/sfz/pads
+* Drums
-* /zynthian/zynthian-my-data/soundfonts/sfz/strings
+* Pianos
-Note that inside ''sf2'' subfolder there is no banks because every "sf2" file is considered a bank on its own.
+Note that inside ''sf2'' subfolder there are no bank folders because every "sf2" file is considered a bank on its own.  This "banks" layer of organization is optional.
 ===Soundfont Editors===

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:03, 25 February 2026
Line 85:		Line 85:
	*** EMAX II Library (SF2) (Dec. 12, 2016) -> SHAKUHACHI Used in Enigma's "Sadeness"		*** EMAX II Library (SF2) (Dec. 12, 2016) -> SHAKUHACHI Used in Enigma's "Sadeness"
	*** AKAI MPC Volume I (Dec. 12, 2016)		*** AKAI MPC Volume I (Dec. 12, 2016)
		+
		+	=Refactoring Zynthians factory soundfont library=
		+
		+	There is an attempt to refactor Zynthians factory soundfont library ([https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/factory-soundfonts-library/12854 Discussion on discourse]). You can read a summary [[Refactoring Zynthians factory soundfont library\|on this wiki page]].

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Zynthian currently includes 2 sampler engines:
+Zynthian supports soundfonts in various file formats: SF2, SF3, SFZ & GIG
-* LinuxSampler => SFZ and GIG soundfont formats
+There are 3 sampler engines:
-Synth engines in Zynthian support Soundfonts in various file formats.
+* LinuxSampler => SFZ & GIG soundfont formats
-Zynthian includes the Salamander Piano soundfont in SFZ format. You can use SFZ and GIG fonts with the LinuxSampler engine, which reads the samples directly from the SD card, preloading only a small part of the file using an advanced caching system. That way you can use a soundfont bigger than the available amount of RAM.
+You can use SFZ and GIG fonts with the '''LinuxSampler''' & '''Sfizz''' engines, which reads the samples directly from the SD card, preloading only a small part of the file using an advanced caching system. That way you can use a soundfont bigger than the available amount of RAM. For loading SF2 & SF3 sounfont files you should use the FluidSynth engine.
 Soundfont files are typically stored in this directory on your Zynthian:
-  /zynthian/zynthian-my-data
+  /zynthian/zynthian-my-data/soundfonts
-You need to place GIG files into a subfolder in the Soundfont directory
+You have a subfolder for each soundfont type. Like this:
- /zynthian/zynthian-my-data/soundfonts/gig
 ===Soundfont Editors===

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 '''How much time does it take for a preset of instrument to load?''' (for fast changes in live perfomance)
-This depends on the engine, the preset (how many plugins) and the data itself: If you have a huge SF2 the loading of the fluidsynth takes only a few seconds (perhaps 1 to 3 seconds) and loading of a big SF2 takes about 30 seconds. If you use MOD-UI as engine and your pedalboard has 20 plugins this will also take some time to load - especially if you use the plugins bigger SF2 soundfonts. you will have to test this by yourself. Keep in mind: normally Zynthian loads everything from an SD card - this is not as fast as HDD/SSD. Fast live-switching (inside a song) is AFAIK not really working, but you can organize your sounds for being in "standby" and switching between them.
+This depends on the engine, the preset (how many plugins) and the data itself: If you have a huge SF2 the loading of the fluidsynth takes only a few seconds (perhaps 1 to 3 seconds) and loading of a big SF2 takes about 30 seconds. If you use MOD-UI as engine and your pedalboard has 20 plugins this will also take some time to load - especially if you use the plugins bigger SF2 soundfonts. you will have to test this by yourself. Keep in mind: normally Zynthian loads everything from an SD card - this is not as fast as HDD/SSD. Fast live-switching (inside a song) is solved by having your sounds in "standby" and switching between them using MIDI program change + ZS3 subsnapshots.
 If you use the original samples from the Korg 01/WR or equivalent (same size aprox.), you can have a lot of instruments loaded in the Zynthian's memory. Zynthian has 1 GB memory, which is a lot more than Korg 01/WR. Also, SSD access is faster than 90's ROMs chips.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Currently 2 sampler engines are included in Zynthian:
+Zynthian currently includes 2 sampler engines:
 * LinuxSampler => SFZ and GIG soundfont formats
 * FluidSynth >= SF2 soundfont format
@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 Synth engines in Zynthian support Soundfonts in various file formats.
-Zynthian includes the Salamander Piano soundfont in SFZ format. It's >1 GB! You can use SFZ and GIG font with the LinuxSampler engine, that reads the samples directly from the SD card, preloading only a small part of the file and using an advanced caching system. In that way you can use a soundfont bigger than the available amount of RAM.
+Zynthian includes the Salamander Piano soundfont in SFZ format. You can use SFZ and GIG fonts with the LinuxSampler engine, which reads the samples directly from the SD card, preloading only a small part of the file using an advanced caching system. That way you can use a soundfont bigger than the available amount of RAM.
 Soundfont files are typically stored in this directory on your Zynthian:
   /zynthian/zynthian-my-data
-One needs to place GIG files into a subfolder in the
+You need to place GIG files into a subfolder in the Soundfont directory
   /zynthian/zynthian-my-data/soundfonts/gig
@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 A soundfont editor for quickly designing musical instruments. More than a simple editor, Polyphone has been designed to efficiently deal with big sets of instruments involving a large amount of data. Supports sf2, sf3, sfz or sfArk (all versions). Oh, and it is free! http://polyphone-soundfonts.com/en/
-Also Viena soundfont editor http://www.synthfont.com/VienaSetup.exe1 from the SynthFont site http://www.synthfont.com
+Also Viena soundfont editor from the SynthFont site http://www.synthfont.com
 ===FAQ===
 '''How much time does it take for a preset of instrument to load?''' (for fast changes in live perfomance)
-This depends on the engine, the preset (how many plugins) and the data itself: If you have a huge SF2 the loading of the fluidsynth takes only a few seconds (perhaps 1-3s?) and loading of a big SF2 takes about 30 seconds? If you use MOD-UI as engine and your pedalboard has 20 plugins this will also take some time to load - especially if you use inside the plugins bigger SF2 soundfonts... you will have to test this by yourself - sorry. Have in mind: normally Zynthian loads all from SD card - this is not as fast as HDD/SSD! Fast live-switching (inside a song) is AFAIK not really working, but you can organize your sounds for being in "standby" and switching between them.
+This depends on the engine, the preset (how many plugins) and the data itself: If you have a huge SF2 the loading of the fluidsynth takes only a few seconds (perhaps 1 to 3 seconds) and loading of a big SF2 takes about 30 seconds. If you use MOD-UI as engine and your pedalboard has 20 plugins this will also take some time to load - especially if you use the plugins bigger SF2 soundfonts. you will have to test this by yourself. Keep in mind: normally Zynthian loads everything from an SD card - this is not as fast as HDD/SSD. Fast live-switching (inside a song) is AFAIK not really working, but you can organize your sounds for being in "standby" and switching between them.
-If you use the original samples from the Korg 01/WR or equivalent (same size aprox.), you can have a lot of instruments loaded in the Zynthian's memory. Zynthian has 1 GB memory, what is a lot more than Korg 01/WR. Also, SSD access is faster than 90's ROMs chips.
+If you use the original samples from the Korg 01/WR or equivalent (same size aprox.), you can have a lot of instruments loaded in the Zynthian's memory. Zynthian has 1 GB memory, which is a lot more than Korg 01/WR. Also, SSD access is faster than 90's ROMs chips.
-I recommend you to take a look to LinuxSampler MIDI maps, althought it's not currently implemented in Zynthian, you could make a customized Zynthian version that loads a LinuxSampler MIDI map in startup, so you will have all the mapped instruments ready to use.
+I recommend you to take a look to LinuxSampler MIDI maps, although it's not currently implemented in Zynthian, you could make a customized Zynthian version that loads a LinuxSampler MIDI map in startup, so you will have all the mapped instruments ready to use.
-Anyway, small SFZs loads really fast, so you could try with the normal setup (no MIDI maps) first.
+At the end of the day, small SFZs load really fast, so you could try with the normal setup (no MIDI maps) first.
-'''Regarding compression,''' SFZ don't use compression. It uses standard wav files for samples. The SFZ file itself is an XML description of how to use the wav files. AFAIK SF2 and GIG doesn't compress sound. It pack the samples inside, with the meta-info about how to use the samples.
+'''Regarding compression,''' SFZ don't use compression. It uses standard wav files for samples. The SFZ file itself is an XML description of how to use the wav files. SF2 and GIG doesn't compress sound. It packs the samples inside, with the meta-info about how to use the samples.
 =Soundfont Collection Links=

@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 =Soundfont Collection Links=
 * Collection of soundfonts for Zynthian https://mega.nz/#F!xCggCSpY!syE7iSgevf2PnLjXXSQxiw
 * Lots of links http://www.synthfont.com/links_to_soundfonts.html

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 Regarding compression, SFZ don't use compression. It uses standard wav files for samples. The SFZ file itself is an XML description of how to use the wav files. AFAIK SF2 and GIG doesn't compress sound. It pack the samples inside, with the meta-info about how to use the samples.
-=Links to soundfonts=
+=Soundfont Collection Links=
 * Collection of soundfonts for Zynthian https://mega.nz/#F!xCggCSpY!syE7iSgevf2PnLjXXSQxiw
@@ Line 52: / Line 52: @@
 * Michael Picher Collection https://www.michaelpichermusic.com/virtual-instruments
 * Patch Arena http://patcharena.com/downloads/index.php?subcat=168
 * These years I've researched few iconic sample libraries from vintage samplers like Fairlight CMI, Kurzweil, Casio FZ, Ensoniq Mirage, Roland. All straight from disk, converted to Commodore Amiga suitable format (8bit). Note: They're older than 25 years, but some of these samples still can be copyrighted. You might not use these for commercial purposes, intended for studying, teaching, research and historic interest (FAIR USE). https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxJms1Iu8GIicktfWHh2U2s2V2s74
 **CONTENTS:

@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 * Collection of soundfonts for Zynthian https://mega.nz/#F!xCggCSpY!syE7iSgevf2PnLjXXSQxiw
 * Lots of links http://www.synthfont.com/links_to_soundfonts.html
 * Massive musical sounds archive https://musical-artifacts.com
 * Harpsichord http://sonimusicae.free.fr/blanchet1-en.html
 * Mellotron https://www.dropbox.com/s/tcxegv7mh0y4y4a/Mellotron.rar?dl=0
 * Mellotron http://download.linuxsampler.org/instruments/vintage/TaijiguyGigaTron.tar.bz2
 * Steinway piano https://sites.google.com/site/soundfonts4u/
 * http://klemxxiii.free.fr/
 * https://nobudgetorchestra.net/download/
@@ Line 52: / Line 46: @@
 * http://x42-plugins.com/x42/x42-avldrums
 * https://archive.org/details/Soundfonts
 * Dyno piano https://mega.nz/#!n0AWVJ6D
 * Electric guitar https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0BynobAjwxQZXaGZfMTQzWWhVbG8
 * http://www.synthfont.com
 * Orchestral http://www.mediafire.com/download/yjh86m63ulqnqqx/Grand+Orchestra+v1%28Beta%29.rar
+* Michael Picher Collection https://www.michaelpichermusic.com/virtual-instruments
 * These years I've researched few iconic sample libraries from vintage samplers like Fairlight CMI, Kurzweil, Casio FZ, Ensoniq Mirage, Roland. All straight from disk, converted to Commodore Amiga suitable format (8bit). Note: They're older than 25 years, but some of these samples still can be copyrighted. You might not use these for commercial purposes, intended for studying, teaching, research and historic interest (FAIR USE). https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxJms1Iu8GIicktfWHh2U2s2V2s74
 **CONTENTS: