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Not necessarily. While most SoundFonts are a step up from the basic DLS that's included with Windows, in form of the Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth, aka cousin to the Roland VSC synth, I've not heard too many SoundFonts that can top either one of my Korg hardware synths.



I disagree. To get better results right now, without $100's invested, the SF format is a viable option, especially with the SB card.

Yes, it is old technology, but I feel the Roland sounds have always been pretty unrealistic, and that the Yamaha XG format sounded much better. I would place some of the SF files I have heard over the Roland, ad right up there with the Yamaha Softsynth.

This would get the OP up & running with better sounds, without any investment by grabbing them from Allanah's great site (Thanks Allanah if you read this!).

And it goes without saying that any "newer"hardware sampler will sound better than an old SF, but the Original questions was "would like to know more about how it could help in my songwriting demos." That is what I tried to answer.;)

Of course this is all IMHO, YMMV, yada yada...



JCS,
You took my post completely out of meaning.

I am not, and will not quarrel, that some sound fonts can do everything that you said they can do. However, the vast majority of the soundfonts that I've listened to, or purchased from Sonivox or others, do not stand up to my hardware synths.

BUT, they can do everything that you said they could do, and they are a cost effective way to move beyond the most basic sounds. Plus, with some collections that are very specific in nature to one type of instrument, guitar for example, I can get and use samples that are not available from my keyboard.

Finally, I said this:
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However, SoundFonts are just like any other sample, depending on how good they were recorded, and what you do with them, they may make a difference, or they may make your whole song sound a whole lot worse.



A good soundfont, created by someone like Sonivox, or someone with lots of experience doing sample libraries, may sound very good. It may be just the sound that you are looking for, and it may do everything that you said it would. On the other hand, someone with NO experience, taking samples from various keyboards, as is the case many time, may do a poor job of creating the soundfont, and hence, it would do more damage to your song.

It all depends on the SoundFont.

Gary

I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!