2013/06/10 23:14:41
Paul P
As I relive Cakewalk synth history I come across a lot of dead links, but most of the important stuff I've been able to recover from places like the Project5 website and dead places like rgcstuff.com by using the Wayback Machine.

I haven't been able to locate a copy of the "sfz v2 test suite 1" as mentioned in the Dimension Pro - sfz v2 test suite 1 thread from back in November 2005 which points to http://www.rgcstuff.com/External/sfzFormatTestSuite_v2_001.rar.

I do have the "sfz basic tests.rar" from Cakewalk's sfz Samples.

I have a feeling this test suite would be a valuable addition to my growing database of sfz related stuff so if anyone still has the rar file lying around I'd like to hear from you.

Thanks.
2013/06/13 15:44:56
chad
Hi Paul,
 
I still have that folder.  Grab it here:
 
sfzFormatTestSuite_001
 
Cheers!
Chad
 
 
2013/06/13 23:24:22
Paul P
chad
I still have that folder.  Grab it here:

 
Wow, thanks Chad.
 
I'm ingesting all I can find on the sfz format and this (now that I've quickly looked through it) looks very useful.
 
With René gone and Cakewalk's sfz-based synths going for firesale prices, does sfz have a history from here on ?  There's certainly enough already to keep me busy for years, but I wonder about the future.  It's always nice to see good products continue to evolve, but does Cakewalk intend to continue to develop sfz-based synths or just maintain the existing ones ?
2013/06/14 10:02:24
chad
Hey Paul,
 
Awesome enjoy, and feel free to post sfz related questions if you get into programming your own sfz instruments. 
 
My guess is that Cakewalk still has many exciting virtual instrument projects to come in the future.  They just recently updated z3ta+ 2, then updated it to OS X.
 
Best Regards,
Chad
 
2013/06/14 21:34:43
b rock
I still have that folder.

For all of those terabytes that you have stacked up, you have the best file organization skill-set of anyone I know.  It took me this long to find the archived subfolder.  On a drive under a stack of hardware manuals.
... does sfz have a history from here on ?

My opinion?  The future is here.  And I'm surprised that Chad didn't "plogue" this angle.   He's being modest again.  I'll be the first to admit that I haven't taken this as far as I should have yet.  Be forewarned that there are FEW new proprietary <opcode>s to be concerned with.  But it's so *deep*.
 
If you just won PowerBall, this might be the future.  That's not to say that Cakewalk won't come to their senses about one of the most powerful & complete open formats ever created.  Witness the untimely death and subsequent resurrection of z3ta+ (thanks for the Massive scare, NI!).  Hell, you may even see a rebirth of the alleged sfz-based 'supersynth'.  Allegedly.  Hmm.  Has it been five years since the NDA yet?  The alleged NDA?
 
I guess that my point is ... All it's going to take is one new nuance and a few unimplemented opcodes to get this ball rolling again.  Oversimplified, to be sure.  But Rene had the foresight to create the framework for the next few versions of a synth in code, and then switch those features off.  Truly an amazing guy.
2013/06/14 23:17:00
Paul P
Thanks for this additional sfz-related site.  I hope Plogue and Cakewalk, and others, are talking to each other since the last thing we'd want is for sfz files to be incompatible (though I guess they already are).

I participated for several years in CSA, ANSI and ISO standardization committees for electronic (office) document interchange and I really appreciate companies getting together to hammer out a common interchange format that all can benefit from.  Unfortunately, even if a standard is worked out, companies can continue to go their separate ways and the standard becomes useless.  This is why we're all currently stuck with either Adobe or Microsoft documents, some companies (the big ones, naturally) couldn't grasp that everyone would be better off working together instead of fighting each other, and those two won out.

Just like for documents, the sfz specification defines an architecture that you have to limit yourself to if you want true interchange.  You can compete on UI, ease of use and similar things, but you can't touch the architecture without violating the standard.  Looks like Plogue wasn't able to resist the temptation, and Cakewalk, with its monopoly, has certainly done what it wanted all along.  If a company wants to add functionality, it has to get the approval of the other companies, but it's not easy for companies to accept this.

I don't see Cakewalk pushing sfz forward.  It's nice to see Plogue doing so, but if they're the only ones, what's the point ?  The lack of an official, current and multi-party specification does not inspire confidence.

Since sfz does define an architecture, is would be nice (for those who like this level of detail) to have a nice UI/editor that gives access to every item of the specification.  Having designed WYSIWYG structured document editors back when we were all copying Xerox, I really feel the urge to tackle sfz, if only I had the time.


2013/06/17 11:11:31
myconsumerclub
I have read that synthmaster will play sfz format has anyone tried it with sfz files yet?
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