Need a better soundfont plug/softsynth

I have to agree with AT (in the other thread) that soundfonts are rather "old tech" and it may not be realistic to expect a soundfont player/builder that is up to the standards of CW's other soft synths...
 
Certainly there are decent samplers/synths like Kontakt and Halion that import SF2, but other than situations like this, it's just not a format I see devs really doing much with nowadays.
 
That said, you might give the demo for Samplelord a try.  One caveat:  it's still 32 bit.  The devs are supposedly working on the 64 bit version, but it's anyone's guess if that will ever materialize.
 
Another way to go would be to look for one of the older soundfont players; there were a couple that were quite good (assuming they are still available).  Of course, they'll be stuck at 32 bit, but if you're okay with that...
 
 

Cakewalk removed support for Creative hardware in X1.

SF2 unfortunately is dead and dying. The best you can hope for is to get SFZ+ running stable enough for a few minutes to be able to freeze your track quick enough before it crashes.

As others have said, check out the plethora of great virtual instruments out there if you want more sounds. Or, of course, use what's in SONAR and have a look at the many expansion packs for DimensionPro, Rapture, Session Drummer 3, etc.

Soundfonts were a way to play instruments from within the DAW before soft synths were the norm and as of high quality that they are today. These days, there is little need for soundfonts as you can get pretty much any and every sound you want in a soft synth, and at much higher quality than you could with soundfonts. 

With that background, I highly doubt we'll be updating our existing or adding a new soundfont player to SONAR, and hopefully it now makes sense why. 

SP

Fog


you can always convert soundfonts to SFZ and use them in Dim Pro with e.g Extreme sample converter . I still use a midi XG unit , and it's amazing what they fit into such small memory.. but sound fonts / sf2's are easily converted.. not 100% sure , but maybe kontakt also imports em.

That's actually a great idea. There are a number of sample converters out there, and being able to open those soundfonts and manipulate them in DimensionPro, Kontakt, or whatever, would be pretty powerful, I think.


SP

Interesting thread- SoundFonts were cool, but as Seth head, they're very last century. Why sweat over SoundFonts when much better instruments/sounds can be found elsewhere, like in Dimension? SFZ and SFZ+ still have their place, but they were meant as SF Players--not "SoundFont builders" as you said CakeAlex. And to answer your question--umm, no, I don't think too many people would go to those plug-ins and leave Sonar in disgust. Users of the old school SoundBlaster cards have long since gotten hip to how technology has moved past all that. --Some confusion on this thread about the difference between SF2 and SFZ, but that's OK. Randy B.

Actually, SF2's sound just as good as a lot of samples today. Especially the free ones made by the guys who were really in to doing it.

There's been a couple of posts from folks who still use Creative hardware that were disappointed support was removed in X1. My comment about it was actually in response to another thread this thread started from and I responded to the wrong one. Doh! :)