The SFZ 2.0 Thread

Alright, it's time. With the release of the sfz 2.0 format opcode listing from the Cakewalk Synthesizers (from presets to power user) book, I request that we start tearing into this format from the ground up. The book goes into detail about what the opcodes can do, but I am often left scratching my head as to how to actually use them. An example; I would like to create a Flexible Envelope Generator to control one of the sixty or so destinations. I think a few example files of this nature would be of great help to me and others. I have learned to modify sfz's and create some basic one's but I would like to start doing some further out there designs.
I think some of us are ready to start getting further into these synths now that they have been out for a while. I have learned a great deal over the past twelve months or so and I would like to take my programming skills up a notch or two over the next six to nine months.
If anybody has any killer sfz's that they could share, this could be a cool place to share them.

I request that we start tearing into this format from the ground up

I felt exactly this way when Dimension Original Flavour was first released. At that stage, I was deep into the sfz v1.0 spec and was hungry for every morsel that might reveal more about how sfz grew in the transition from the freeware sfz player to Dimension.

However, a tidal wave of information was not forthcoming… no matter how much noise I made. Instead, there was a trickle of bits and pieces, some full and half explanations from René, and, as Tom mentioned, the first Test Suite that revealed quite a bit.

Since then, the spec has grown enormously, as can been seen in Simon's book. However, be warned that many of the newer additions only exist in “future” instruments (if you can read between the lines there…) so you may be up for some heart ache if you go plugging in some of the more advanced opcodes into RP 1.1 or DP 1.2, et al.

I wish I could offer more than that but the problem is that there just hasn't been the ground swell support for the format in the way some of us would have hoped for. I mean, I thought we'd pack out a venue like this with sonic adventurers ready to push the whole concept to the limit. Instead what we have is a family of highly regarded instruments with beautiful interfaces and a user base that is aware of this sfz thingie underneath it all but no real desire to have a poke around and write a few opcodes.

The situation may change but it's real chicken and egg stuff for CW: if only a few curious souls are bothering with the format, why invest time expanding and documenting the damn thing? It baffles me since there are way geekier audio toys out there that have cult followings…

Anyway, no point dwelling on what might of been: fire away with any sfz questions you have! (Oh, you already have: Envelope Generator controls… I'll be back soon…
)

Open Labs

René mentioned that… then a major cosmic crossover (from the guy that made this). Check it:

Thanks, I work for a company called open labs doing drivers and such.
So yeah, I have no time for it at the moment.
Hopefully something more someday.

EnergyXt is good

joel

Dale Brimblecombe wrote:
>
> G’day Joel,
>
> I’m writing to say thanks for making and providing xTal – that little
> VST fitted the job perfectly today as I DJed for our school athletics
> sports.
>
> I teach music at a secondary school in Australia and got the job of
> providing a PA for the announcers and also tunes to fill in the gaps.
> I set up a patch in EnergyXT with xTal for playback, Kjaerhus GAG for
> mic ducking, Electri-Q for EQing the MP3s and a Novation ReMOTE SL 25
> providing hands on control for the whole thing. xTal was the vital
> component since no other media player allowed interaction with my
> VST-based patch. Traktion looks impressive but xTal won the day with
> its ability to insert into a VST chain.
>
> Anyway, I assume that development has been slow of late but I just
> wanted to thank you for such a neat tool. Cross-fading, controlling
> level and freaking out patches in real-time was much fun and the VST
> environment meant that ducking of the announcers voices was done
> automatically. It’d be great if you return to xTal someday but I was
> very impressed with the level of performance despite the infancy of
> the software.
>
> Regards,
>
> Dale Brimblecombe
>
> Melbourne, Australia

…and Kontakt is giving it the nod too.

Well that's pretty cool.
I really do hope that SFZ continues to grow. It's just so powerful. I really want to do more experimenting with it.

Yeah dude, that's what I want to hear! I have been trying to talk to friends about it and have very limited success. All I need is someone who I can bounce ideas off of to get the creative side of me going. I wish there was a spot where we could upload users SFZ text files so other's could use and study them.

Fruity Loops 7 now exports their drum machine output in SFZ. At least that is what help sez. Í was just looking at the latest program and saw that note. Not sure what exactly that means, tho.

We have posted SFZ files (W/O sample locations) Here in the instrument forum.

Do a search for <region> And these should come up.

If you have a direct request post it up and I bet someone will have an idea.