SFZ SoundFont player - I have rude things to say about this software!

Is it me or is the sfz SoundFont Player that comes with Sonar X1C totally sucks? (not sure of the actual version number, it appears hidden)...
 
i.e.
 
Can't open SF2 fonts.
Banks don't seem to load?
Only fonts I can get working are example fonts supplied.
 
http://www.cakewalk.com/DevXchange/article.aspx?aid=108
 
Uninstall? Upgrade?
Thanks
 
Alex

Bud - thankyou....!

OK so I downloaded sfz+, and what a rubbish experience!
a) Bundled softsynth with Sonar X1C not working.

b) Update not bundled with X1C

c) Info not exactly prominent about it's replacement.... until Bub came on the scene (thankyou!).

d) Download only available through a cart system for £0.00 (confusing)

e) Opening up a soundfont does not auto detect the correct mode. If you give the wrong mode it sometimes crashes. Yup as Bub says we get "Insufficient Memory" if we do the wrong thing (bug).

e) Installing sfz+101.exe and sfz+DXi101.exe does not prompt to install to the correct folder. (maybe that's by design).

MY PROBLEM RIGHT NOW

f) I've got an extra Synth entry rgc:audio sfx+ which when I attempt to insert states "Failed to insert soft synth". (The other SFx plus DXi (sfz+)) synth works. Not sure how to reinstall, or whether I should just delete it.

Thanks...

Alex,

I'm not really sure what you expect.  Soundfonts and soundfont players are pretty old tech.  Some samplers still play them, but from your other post in SONAR I don't know of any program that "makes" them anymore.  Prehaps you should dig up an old creative card and their soundfont program.

I haven't had any problems with SFZ +, esp. considering it is a free program and close to 10 years old.  I'm surprised it continues to work at all.  René did a good job.

Glyn,

I'm still on 32 bit and haven't opened a Sound Font in a while.  I did have some good stuff there, but mostly it has been superceeded.  I guess I should check - I had one collection with a bunch of machine sounds where I could "play" a a washingmachine (that was what I called it anyone).  I'll look into the next chance I get.

Thanks for the info.

@

Thanks... noted. My view is there's a lot of free SF2 downloads out there which we can take all advantage of. However I entirely see the perspective and view of people here. I think if software is not working well enough, and you are not putting your resources into it (other things to do), then don't distribute it with Packages like Sonar X1... This only brings the brand name down, and don't even try to market it as a separate entity. Rather throw it up there for free somewhere (like codeplex) and make it open source. Hopefully somebody else will bring it up to scratch.

Thanks for all the advice - I will be following it.

AT that's a good point, in that case if Cake just put 5 days of development time to tweek this (at the absolute max) they could iron out existing issues once and for all (to make everybody happy):

a) Auto recognise sound fonts when opening files.
b) Supply better error messages if (a) fails.
c) When changing sound fonts with the drop down at the top right hand corner, actually show the name of the file in the dropdown. Currently all values show "---" and it is a guessing game.
d) Better install routine.

Then they are done.