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Topic: Can not hear selectet SoundFont-bank. What is wrong? (Read 2906 times) previous topic - next topic

Can not hear selectet SoundFont-bank. What is wrong?

1) Operating system is XP Pro.
2) SoundCard is SB Live! 5.1.
3) Have downloaded "Joshua_Melodic_Trumpet.SF2" from HammerSound.
4) Device chosen i Control Panel for playing Midi: "SB Live! Synth A [B800]".
5) In "Creative AudioHQ / SoundFont" selected FolderTab "Options".
6) SoundFont Device is "SB Live! Synth A [B800]".
7) In AudioHQ/SoundFont selected FolderTab "Configure Bank".
8) In "Select Bank" I have chosen "057 - [*Emty]" and loaded "Joshua_Melodic_Trumpet.SF2" which then appears as [Melodic Trumpet] in "Bank Stack".
9) At the buttom of the window: 4.16 MB Allocated.
10) I closed AudioHQ/SoundFont.
11) Gone to NoteWorthy. "Tools / Option / Deviced used by play back" is "SB Live! Synth A [B800]".
12) "Properties for staff / Midi / Channel" is "1".
13) "Properties for staff / Instrument / Patch List Type" is "Numeric, 1 Based".
14) "Properties for staff / Instrument / Patch Name" is "57".
15) Whether "Select a patch bank" is checked or not it has no influence on point 16!
16) I don't hear anything.
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My speakers are on(!) and there is nothing wrong if I play the staff after selecting e.g. "Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth" in "Tools / Options / Midi".
It looks like it is exactly by the book - or?
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Kind regards
Steffen

Re: Can not hear selectet SoundFont-bank. What is wrong?

Reply #1 –
In NWC, goto Staff Properties (F2), Instrument tab, and do the following:

  • Select any Patch Name (other than <None>). For example, select 1.

  • Enable "Select a patch bank"

  • In the Controller 0 field, enter 57 (this is the patch bank that you said you configured in SoundFont - AudioHQ).

    Note: Make sure that Controller 32 is set at 0.

    Note 2: You can change your Controller 0 settings to select any of the 127 patch banks you configure in SoundFont - AudioHQ.

  • Press OK.
You should now hear your bank 57 sound font in NWC.

Re: Can not hear selectet SoundFont-bank. What is wrong?

Reply #2 –
Steffen
You are all OK down to point 14.
If you follow Noteworthy’s instructions you will be able to access the SoundFont that you have loaded in Bank 57 of your soundcard.
But next you need to come back to point 14 and specify the patch name or patch number that corresponds to your particular instrument.
I have just downloaded Joshua’s Melodic Trumpet to check it out, and under Numeric - 1 based, it is actually Patch number 1 - so if you do as Noteworthy say, you should hear it.
HTH

(You could use Vienna to replace the ordinary trumpet in your default GM/GS soundfont with Joshua's trumpet.)

Re: Can not hear selectet SoundFont-bank. What is wrong?

Reply #3 –
Thank you very much for the help!
Checking [Select a patch bank] seem to be without importance!
Only if I choose [Patch name] <None> or 1 I can hear Joshua's "Melodic" Trumpet.
How can I know it is [Patch name] <None> or 1 which are the right ones and e.g. not "Patch name" 5 and 6?
Regards
Steffen

Re: Can not hear selectet SoundFont-bank. What is wrong?

Reply #4 –
1.  Checking “Select a patch bank” will become important if you make a .NWC file or a .mid file that uses instruments from more than one soundfont or patch bank, or if you play a succession of songs that use instruments from different soundbanks.  You have to tell the software (and also some hardware midi file players) which soundbank to look in for the instruments that you have specified in your song, otherwise it will look by default in Bank zero (GM/GS soundfont), or it may look in the last soundbank that you did specify OR (with Noteworthy) it will look in the soundbank that you specified in Staff Properties – so when you insert a Patch Change, you need to check “Select a patch bank” and specify which patch bank!
I hope this is fairly clear ;-).
2.  With soundfonts that contain only one instrument (such as Joshua’s trumpet), there isn’t really a problem.  Almost certainly the instrument will be at patch number 1.  But I have encountered soundfonts e.g. “choir ahs” where the “ahs” were actually at patch number 52 (or 53) – i.e. the same place as they are found in a GM soundfont.
With soundfonts that contain a large number of “instruments” (such as the JEUX pipe organ soundfont), you need to know what each instrument’s patch number is, in order that you can patch the correct instrument into your NWC composition at the appropriate place.  If the soundfont author does not supply a patch list, you need to open the soundfont and study its structure using Creative’s Vienna Soundfont Studio (or similar software), and make a list of the instruments against their patch number.  Then you can use Noteworthy’s numeric based patch list.
However, if you are going to be using such a soundfont regularly, it makes life a whole lot easier if you edit Noteworthy’s NTWPATCH.INI file, and incorporate the instrument list into that.  If you do this, the instruments become visible in the Patch List Type and Patch Name windows under Instrument tab.  Be sure to save a copy of the original NTWPATCH.INI (e.g. as NTWPATCH.OLD) before editing it, in case you mess up!!

Re: Can not hear selectet SoundFont-bank. What is wrong?

Reply #5 –
Thank you for informative and kind help. The program "Vienna 2.3" seems to take a long time to learn. All I want is to make use of a Midi player device who is "closest to" common classical concert instruments. Yet I think it is "Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth" though it is poor. In my ears "SB Live! SW Synth" is even a little bit worser - in any case if you only concern yourself with classical music.
Kind Regards
Steffen