I'm sorry for this question but i'm new in the forum. What is the difference between VST and Soundfonts?

A Virtual Studio Technology (VST) is a software interface that integrates software audio synthesizer and effect plugins with audio editors and recording systems. VST and similar technologies use digital signal processing to simulate traditional recording studio hardware in software. Virtual Studio Technology (VST) is a software interface that integrates software audio synthesizer and effect plugins with audio editors and recording systems. VST and similar technologies use digital signal processing to simulate traditional recording studio hardware in software.

Whereas a VST is generally an effect (think reverb, sound compression, echo, pitch tuning, equalizing, sound shaping, etc), there is also a Virtual Studio Technology Instrument (VSTi) which uses digital signal processing to simulate a traditional hardware sound source (such as what you get from a dedicated sound module or arranger keyboard). The VSTi then would have a library of sound files that it can play back.

A soundfont is a relatively old technology now that were originally used to play sounds on a Creative Soundblaster sound card. Soundfonts can be played from within numerous VSTi's. Soundfonts are the just another library of sound files that you can play back that adhere to the soundfont file format specification.

So a Soundfont VST(i) would be the player and the soundfont would be the sounds that are played.

The Sofrzando VSTi that ships with BIAB 2017 is capable of playing soundfont files, however, I've found that it doesn't handle long sustains very well. So you my want to look a something like Kenneth Rundt's Synthfont VSTi to playback soundfonts. You can download a lot of soundfonts from the web; however, they are getting more difficult to find these days. I've got about 20GB of soundfonts on my hard drive that I've obtained over the past 20 years or so. Some are good, most are really bad.

Hope that helps.

I stopped using sound fonts a long time ago because the sample libraries were just sooooo much better.

I use VST's exclusively now and mostly with samples.

Hi guitarhacker,

I do not know how to use the sample libraries. Where can I find some help to start using and try them with BIAB?

can I use them with sforzando?
what extension have the samples libraries? wav?

sorry I'm newbie :-)

Yes you can use them with Sforzando VSTi, just google free SFZ.
They are usually wav.
SF2 is the old SoundFont format, the GM ones have a library of instruments within them.
The single instrument SF2 format can't have articulations in the instrument like a keyswitch for slide, vibrato, bend, HO, PO etc, but the SFZ can.

There are lots of single SFZ instruments here UserTracks (and other add-ons)
as well as ones with a large instrument library like Virtual Playing Orchestra & No Budget Band - Guitar - Bass - Organ - Synth - Orchestral

You can get Native Instruments Kontakt vsti/standalone they have sales around Black Friday, that comes with an instrument library and you can also buy 3rd party instruments for it.
Here's one company with good value instruments for Kontakt http://www.indiginus.com/

Thanks you Pipeliine!!

How I could to give a wav file to Sforzando? Open? Drag and Drop?

I have another question If I want to have a symphonic orchestra track I have to use a multitimbral VST or there is a single sample file already ready with the orchestra ensemble?. I realize that perhaps some of my questions can also make laugh or smile but I never did a sound endinering course and so many of these things I'm just discovering them right now.

You can use VSTSynthFont (1.096 / 2.096) - VST instrument
http://www.synthfont.com/Downloads.html
with any GM SF2 soundfont.

Here's a few:
http://www.synthfont.com/soundfonts.html
https://musescore.com/groups/young-composers-group/discuss/166635
https://musescore.org/en/node/163526
http://www.newgrounds.com/bbs/topic/1200140
https://musescore.org/en/node/94941

https://www.google.it/search?source=hp&q=i+migliori+GM+orchestral+soundfont

You can use http://coolsoft.altervista.org/en/virtualmidisynth as a midi output device and load an GM SF2 into it.


You drag the SFZ into Sforzando, it will use the wav files in the folder.

I stopped using SFZ when I stopped using fonts.

When you buy the sample libraries, you very often get the player. For example, Native Instruments is a superb place to get good quality sample libraries. They also sell the VST player and I think they may even have some free stuff on their site that you can download and use for free. Kontakt is one of the best VST's on the market. Lots of really fine samples from NI and a ton of third party stuff too.

People often look for fonts because they are cheap or free. I did. But the more you work with midi you will find that you often get what you pay for. The stuff like Kontakt (NI) isn't cheap but it's professional quality. The Kontakt player and it's associated sample libraries are considered professional quality for use in film and TV music production.

If you only have the money to buy one VST player..... Kontakt is my recommendation. You can often watch the recording website forums in their software sections. Folks are all the time telling about special deals, reduced prices, and freebies that only last for a few days. Grab those no-brainer deals. I got GPO, Miroslav, and EW for free or really cheap by doing that. Keep your eyes open and your credit card ready.


FREE STUFF ON NATIVE INSTRUMENTS SITE: https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/free/

Enjoy!!!!

I agree with Herb. If you get one pro VSTi it should be Kontakt although I know others may suggest another VST.

I would get the free Kontakt Player now and if you like it you could wait for a sale. You can get Kontakt for about half price during sales. Note that all of the Kontakt Player's sounds will play in the full Kontakt so you will lose nothing if you upgrade.

Also, like Herb I've have picked other VSTis during sales. My motto is never to buy any music software unless it is on sale with the only exception being PGMusic software.

One caveat...if you get the free Kontakt Player and then download some free sound libraries, read the fine print carefully, as a number of libraries actually require the full Kontakt product and won't run in the free player.

John, a very good point that I forgot to mention. This is also true for purchased Kontakt sounds.

Thanx for bringing it up.

Indeed... it's free and so are the sound libraries but yes, they do limit the sounds you can play. However, there are often a sufficient number that work to do quite a bit of playing around and writing.

I've said it before about the free demo's for melodyne and Ozone as well as NI.... be prepared to buy the full version since in most cases, you will love it and want the full working versions of those things.

The more I read, the more confused I get with soundfont, vst, players, plugins, I can't seem to put it all together in my head.
I have a library of MIDI files that I used to play on the Roland SD-35 hardware floppy disk midi player. I just want to be able to play those MIDI files from a laptop on the gig and not have them sound like crud.. What do I need?

line of least resistance - you need to install the TTS1. open the midi files in RealBand and then render them as mp3s. then transfer them to an ipod touch with a playlist for each song so that the ipod does not play all the mp3s sequentially.

the sound quality depends on the synth you are using - the TTS1 uses roland sounds so as mp3s they should sound similar to what your hardware player did.

second line of least resistance install the TTS1 and play your midis in RealBand.

but i'd sooner trust an ipod than a laptop playing live and you can buy a backup ipod on ebay for a few pounds/dollars