SF2 Support Idea.. Maybe we don't need native support...?

edited October 2011 in Support
I was really hoping to see SF2 support in the update, but its not there. Still looks awesome, though.

But now I'm thinking that there is probably a really easy-to-implement alternative to native SF2 support...

how about a pc/mac program that simply batch-converts sf2 patches to bm2 keyboard patches??

I mean, an SF2 is really just a collection of wavs, sample-mapping info, and general sampler/synth settings (cuttoff/res/lfo/etc....), and BM2 already allows for custom patches to implement all of those variables...

Its not even something intua would need to do necessarily... I'm assuming that even a novice programmer could probably cook something up that could do this (assuming the bm2 keyboard patch standard is open....).

Unfortunately, I have no ability in this area whatsoever... Thoughts? Would that be possible? Anyone up to the challenge? Intua?

Comments

  • edited 3:58PM
    In fact... this link seems potentially relevant as a start point:

    <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://code.google.com/p/pysf/">http://code.google.com/p/pysf/</a><!-- m -->

    "Public domain utility that will convert a soundfont file to an XML configuration file and a collection of .wav files. It also converts in the other direction, making it a good low level soundfont editor. This can be used to transmit a change to a soundfont file without transmitting the entire soundfont."
  • edited 3:58PM
    Would prefer a native instrument with SF2 support.... but, your idea is a good second choice. If the "bs-161" (A SF2 synth on the iPad) had copy/paste it would really help as well....
  • edited 3:58PM
    There are many differences with both formats... Sf2 allows for multilayered velocities - multisample (per note and per layer). Bm2 does not.... Instruments get more realistic when they can access more sounds per layer and per velocity... For example, a snare doesn't sound the same when hit softly or with full force... It rings and distorts more with different velocity hits... The same applies to other instruments... Acoustic or synthetic... The beauty of industry standard sample libraries are that they allow the user to create complex sounds out of every nuance from their performance... Also, multi layers can morph to other sample sets when controlled with midi Cc messages... For example, the mod wheel, or a knob, etc.

    Bs-16i is nice... But for some reason it does not play correctly all sf2 synths.... I've contacted the developer to give him a few pointers... He has told me that he plans to upgrade the app but that he will take over a year because he is only one person working on it.

    I still think Intua should consider .exs sample library format... Sf2 is obsolete, and i see no point in working with an old format that is bound to die off anyway... Exs is apple's format... I know it's licenceable for sure, I have a sound library business and work with it a lot, as with native instrument's kontakt, reason's nnxt format and digidesign's structure format... Though the only one that allows to be ported to other samplers is apple's exs ... And it is the most advanced imho.
  • edited 3:58PM
    IDEA...

    Sf2 is an old old old thing...let it die like cassettes and cds

    In your computer daw...that i am assuming most of you have...using acid pro, logic, pro tools, reason...live whatever

    Go to the step sequencer... Step in a 1 bar C1, then a 1 bar C2, and on till you have about 5-6 c key samples
    Add those samples to the editor for the bm2 keyboard sampler and tweak it in...which by the way will season it more to your tastes making a generic patch more yours...<!-- s:) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" /><!-- s:) -->!

    Its fairly quick
    Its mostly easy
    And now it will not be about bulk, but rather, sounds you want...
    As you will see that because it involves work you will be more selective to the sounds you use.
    Have a great sampling day!
  • edited 3:58PM
    IDEA...

    Sf2 is an old old old thing...let it die like cassettes and cds

    In your computer daw...that i am assuming most of you have...using acid pro, logic, pro tools, reason...live whatever

    Go to the step sequencer... Step in a 1 bar C1, then a 1 bar C2, and on till you have about 5-6 c key samples
    Add those samples to the editor for the bm2 keyboard sampler and tweak it in...which by the way will season it more to your tastes making a generic patch more yours...<!-- s:) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" /><!-- s:) -->!

    Its fairly quick
    Its mostly easy
    And now it will not be about bulk, but rather, sounds you want...
    As you will see that because it involves work you will be more selective to the sounds you use.
    Have a great sampling day!

    Alternative idea:

    Let the PC die, like other ideas from the 80's

    I, for one, do not want to sit at a PC to make patches for my iPad. That is the main reason I don't use FL Mobile. If I sitting at the PC for a few hours creating patches to use in a piece, why not just stay there and do the entire thing? The point for mobile music making is, for it to be mobile. I do make patches in various iOS synths, and bring them over into BM2 via copy/paste. Anyway, if you like making patches on a PC and then transferring them to your iOS "mobile" device, then I recommend FL Mobile..... it is the only way to get your own patch into it....

    My interest in SF2 is simply that I have a rather large collection of them, and it would be cool to have easy access to them on my iPad. For example, I have the entire Emu collection..... literally thousands of very tweak able patches in every genre. The Apple sample format would be cool as well, as there are some great sample sets available.....

    BM2 is very usable in this area the way it is, because of its very open copy/paste format. I have even sampled the "Eden" synth in NS to use in BM2 <!-- s:) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" /><!-- s:) --> It's just that it would be even better with it's own synth, and some other sample options.....
  • edited 3:58PM
    I agree, better to let sf2 format become history... But i don't agree that you can achieve pro patches with the current version of bm2 synth... Nor that it is a fast process... It's still in it's infancy compared to pro formats
  • edited 3:58PM
    I don't use sf2, but I did hack together a rudimentary .xi to .bmk2 convertor this afternoon, it doesn't do envelopes or filters or lfos or anything fancy, just note maps, tuning, fine tune, velocity and pan. Spits out mono wav files and the bmk2 XML.

    I'm currently uploading my ancient sample collection to my phone. I'm soon to be stoked with thousands of crappy lofi sounds from the 90s. It'll be great to play with those stupid sounds I spent forever tuning again... If this works I'll probably say goodbye to nano studio for a long time.

    While I was poking around in the bmk2 XML, I noticed velocity mapping in there. Not sure if it hooked up to anything, but the KeygroupHighVelocity and KeygroupLowVelocity sure look like velocity ranges, similar to how the KeygroupHighKey and KeygroupLowKey define the note mapping. I haven't tried messing with it though.

    If someone wanted to make an sf2 to bmk2 convertor, it probably wouldn't be that hard. Writing the bmk2 XML is really easy. Smart devs use straightforward formats. <!-- s:) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" /><!-- s:) -->
  • I don't use sf2, but I did hack together a rudimentary .xi to .bmk2 convertor this afternoon, it doesn't do envelopes or filters or lfos or anything fancy, just note maps, tuning, fine tune, velocity and pan. Spits out mono wav files and the bmk2 XML.

    I'm currently uploading my ancient sample collection to my phone. I'm soon to be stoked with thousands of crappy lofi sounds from the 90s. It'll be great to play with those stupid sounds I spent forever tuning again... If this works I'll probably say goodbye to nano studio for a long time.

    While I was poking around in the bmk2 XML, I noticed velocity mapping in there. Not sure if it hooked up to anything, but the KeygroupHighVelocity and KeygroupLowVelocity sure look like velocity ranges, similar to how the KeygroupHighKey and KeygroupLowKey define the note mapping. I haven't tried messing with it though.

    If someone wanted to make an sf2 to bmk2 convertor, it probably wouldn't be that hard. Writing the bmk2 XML is really easy. Smart devs use straightforward formats. <!-- s:) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" /><!-- s:) -->

    I would kill if someone would develop some ugly little script to do this with sf2s.
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