Session drummer, High Hat issue

Never been a fan of having to edit sfz files just to load my own samples but fortunately Sonar comes with a decent amount of sfz files and there are plenty of others available for those who have no desire to look at code.  On the bright side, if it is just a matter of swapping samples, altering the code is not very hard.  I would backup any sfz file I edited.

No need for apology.  That is what this forum is for.  Don't think of sfz as a sound file in the same sense as you would a fla, wav, ogg, mp3, etc.  The sfz files in session drummer actually use the flac files you are trying to access. Flac files are high quality audio files that use a lossless compression method.  Sfz files within SD3 contain info tat points to the actual sound file sources, among other things. You cannot make a flac a multi-sample. There are few widely available, non-proprietary file formats that allow for multi-samples.  If you open up one of the sfz files using notepad it will give you a better idea what the sfz file is.  Here , for instance is what the sfz file for the high hats for the 808 kit:
 
// TR-808 Hi-Hats 1

// Closed Hi-Hat
<group> key=42 loop_mode=one_shot

<region> group=1 off_by=1 lovel=0 hivel=127 sample=RhythmMachines TR-808 Hats\ClosedHH.wav

// Closed & Open
<group> key=44 loop_mode=one_shot

<region> group=1 off_by=1 lovel=0 hivel=127 sample=RhythmMachines TR-808 Hats\BothHH_0.wav

// Open Hi-Hat
<group> key=46 loop_mode=one_shot

<region> group=1 off_by=1 lovel=0 hivel=127 sample=RhythmMachines TR-808 Hats\OpenHH_0.wav

// Closed Hi-Hat
<group> key=22 loop_mode=one_shot

<region> group=1 off_by=1 lovel=0 hivel=127 sample=RhythmMachines TR-808 Hats\ClosedHH.wav

// Open Hi-Hat
<group> key=26 loop_mode=one_shot

<region> group=1 off_by=1 lovel=0 hivel=127 sample=RhythmMachines TR-808 Hats\OpenHH_0.wav
 
 
 
This one is relatively straight forward. It defines all the files and their location this multi-sample consists of , the volume range, loop mode as well note range for each sample.  Although the sfz file is loaded on to only one slot in SD3, instructions map the respective sounds to the proper places on a keyboard.  The files you are attempting to open would be the files referenced within the sfz file instead of the sfz file itself.  A flac or wav will work in SD3 but it will only contain the one sound.

+100 for Jamstix, I've had it for a while but am just beginning to realize what a spectacular piece of software it is (once you get past the slightly dated looking interface and the not-so-good manual). The best thing about it is that you can usually get a fantastic piece of drumming just by setting it going with minimal interference, but you can involve yourself in the beat composition at every level of the process. There are endless numbers of style "widgets" which let you tweak every aspect of the performance on a bar by bar basis, plus you can force the playing of individual hits (e.g. if you want to make sure there's a snare hit on a certain beat of a certain bar), or you can specify "groove weights," or where to play fills (and exactly how to play them), or you can involve yourself right to the point where you're giving Jamstix a MIDI groove that you've programmed yourself and telling it to improvise on and embellish it in the style of any one of 20+ included virtual drummers. The possibilities are endless and run all the way from just loading it up and pressing play, all the way up to manipulating every aspect of the groove yourself. It's an incredible piece of kit once you knuckle down and learn how to use it (which admittedly I shied away from for ages). 

dubdisciple
i will have to give jamstix a try since what sharke said about it embellishing on rhythms i made sounds intruiging.

The manual is a little confusing, but all you have to do is import a MIDI pattern that you made as a style and apply it to a song part. You have complete control over how it's embellished. The possibilities are almost infinite.