Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: More sound font help. (Read 5001 times) previous topic - next topic

More sound font help.

Sound fonts (and MIDI in general) are driving me insane.  I have a Sound Blaster card; I have Creative Live! software, and I have sound fonts.

Would someone be willing to give me a step-by-step on how to import sound fonts?  Or to point me to a comprehensive book or website on the subject?  I've looked everywhere, but can't find anything that explains it completely.  I just get bits and pieces from various boards and websites, and some of them contradict each other.  I'm beginning to think no one actually knows how to do this and it's all a big hoax.

Also, is it possible to get Noteworthy Composer to play back nicer sound fonts, or do I have to export to MIDI and have another program - such as Sonar - do that?

Thanks for any help.

Re: More sound font help.

Reply #3 –
For everything Live related go here http://listen.to/sblive

On the left side of the page under "Information" click on "MIDI and Music".
Then "Soundfonts How To..."
Follow the links at the bottom of each page.

Check out the WHOLE site though - lots of good stuff there.

The is also a soundfont tutorial at http://www.synthfont.com

Re: More sound font help.

Reply #4 –
No, you don't have to use Sonar or anything like that.  You can patch sound fonts into your NWC composition and play them back using NWC.  It's a bit of a steep learning curve at the beginning, but well worth it.  Unfortunately, Creative are not very helpful to serious musicians - but there are plenty of sound font users willing to help on the internet.  Please indicate which sound card you have.  If you have the SBLive! Value or 1024 Player, I would be happy to try and talk you through specific routines - and I will let you have my e-mail address.  But if you have the SBLive! 5.1 or Audigy card, perhaps somebody who has one of these would be of more help to you.

Re: More sound font help.

Reply #5 –
I have a Creative Sound Blaster PCI512.  I really appreciate everyone's help.

Re: More sound font help.

Reply #6 –
Hi Michael - sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but your particular sound card does not support sound fonts - which explains why you have been experiencing difficulty!  If you want to use sound fonts, you need a SBLive! or a SB Audigy soundcard  but NOT the external Audigy 2NX.  You can probably get a second hand SBLive quite cheaply from EBay.

Re: More sound font help.

Reply #7 –
Damn.  I used to have one, but it had too many conflicts with my motherboard.  Or something like that.  My computer building friend puts my systems together for me.  I is ignerant.

Maybe I'll see if I can work the bugs out and put the Live card back in.

Thanks for you help!

Re: More sound font help.

Reply #8 –
If your friend was able to install your PCI sound card and get all the drivers in the right places with no exclamation marks or question marks in Start/Settings/Control Panel/System, he should be able to do the same with a SBLive!
Firstly un-install all the Creative/Soundblaster drivers, remove the PCI card and put the Live in the same slot.  It’s best to disable (via BIOS) the on-board sound chip if you have one (though some Compaq computers won’t let you – but even then you can still get a SBLive to work – I just did!).
In theory, installing the drivers is simply a matter of inserting the SBLive! CD and following instructions.  In practice, I usually have to do a bit of ‘coaxing’ and numerous re-boots in order to get a satisfactory installation.
I would recommend always doing a 'custom' installation.  In particular, DO NOT install the Creative ‘Launcher’ which is a major annoyance – far worse than MSOffice’s paperclip 'assistant'.
When you have (more or less) installed the drivers from the Soundblaster CD, 'update' them by running the W9xdrv.exe file that you can download from Creative’s website.  On some occasions I have found that it was not until I had run the W9xdrv.exe file that I was able to get a complete installation.
PS: All the above assumes you are running a SBLive! Value or Player 1024 under Windows 98.  I’m dreading the day when the march of technology forces me to 'downgrade' to Windows XP… Good luck!

Re: More sound font help.

Reply #9 –
I'm using Windows XP.  Have been for quite some time now.  I'll have to try and figure out this sound font garbage when I have more time; I've got to get back to finishing editing the movie that I'm trying to compose the music that I'll eventually need soundfonts for.  I think that's my best run on sentence yet.

Thanks again.