Help with MIDI instrumetns/notation software

Holonet · Nov 22, 2005, 12:34 PM

I'll try to keep this concise... I've been laboriously trying to figure out how to basically improve the quality of my MIDI instruments. I have a SoundBlaster Live! card, and with Vienna, I've sort of figured out how to make an sf2 file and replace the MIDI defaults with that (although even though I select "sustaining loop" in sound forge and save the wav file it doesn't seem to stick, and I don't hear the reverb I try to put on in Vienna when I play the sounds on my keyboard, but moving on...).

Anyway, I see virtual orchestra products and "standalone instruments," "VST instruments," etc...and realize these are not just for SoundBlasters and such... What I'm wondering is if these can be made into an sf2 file or soundbank just as wav files can...such that they could be the instruments used when playing a MIDI file. My end goal is to use notation software, like Musicator or Finale...and have it use such instruments to reproduce what I write in there with something not so crap as the typical MIDI instruments. And if so, just what process do I go through in order to do this?

Anyone who has a precise grasp of this and not my very cloudy perspective would be greatly appreciated...

**dj_stick** · Nov 22, 2005, 03:21 PM

i have no idea how to do that with creative drivers, but using kX you can swap out sf2 banks quite easily

and there is a thread here with links to some pretty decent soundfont bank sites

Holonet · Nov 22, 2005, 04:02 PM

Thanks for the reply... Hmm, well I hope you'll forgive my ignorance if I ask just what kX is? lol......scratch that duh...I see there are links in your post, I'll get glasses... and swap what out of sf2 banks... If putting those virtual orchestras, vsts, etc... isn't possible, then what am I swapping? Sorry, I have just been so confused, I've lost track of the stuff I do know about hehe

. Anyway, if what I'm trying to do can't be done, I just have one question for whoever... If you can't compose with those things like EQWL Symphonic Orchestra and similar programs, then what the devil are those programs for?!...I mean they're described as top quality samples/sounds... Or are they really just huge collections of wav files?....I paid less for my car than some of the prices I see, so there's gotta be more to it...

**dj_stick** · Nov 22, 2005, 06:08 PM

what i am talking about is a custom driver package for creative cards, designed for musicians

there are multitudes of soundfont banks out there that you can import into kX

VSTi and virtual samplers however cannot be used as soundfonts

EDIT: those expensive sample collections you mentioend are a collection of several high quality wave files per note - probably a bit over the top for hobbyist use, more for the real professional

Nov 22, 2005, 12:34 PM	#1
Holonet DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 3 Rep Power: 0	Help with MIDI instrumetns/notation software I'll try to keep this concise... I've been laboriously trying to figure out how to basically improve the quality of my MIDI instruments. I have a SoundBlaster Live! card, and with Vienna, I've sort of figured out how to make an sf2 file and replace the MIDI defaults with that (although even though I select "sustaining loop" in sound forge and save the wav file it doesn't seem to stick, and I don't hear the reverb I try to put on in Vienna when I play the sounds on my keyboard, but moving on...). Anyway, I see virtual orchestra products and "standalone instruments," "VST instruments," etc...and realize these are not just for SoundBlasters and such... What I'm wondering is if these can be made into an sf2 file or soundbank just as wav files can...such that they could be the instruments used when playing a MIDI file. My end goal is to use notation software, like Musicator or Finale...and have it use such instruments to reproduce what I write in there with something not so crap as the typical MIDI instruments. And if so, just what process do I go through in order to do this? Anyone who has a precise grasp of this and not my very cloudy perspective would be greatly appreciated...

Nov 22, 2005, 04:02 PM	#3
Holonet DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 3 Rep Power: 0	Thanks for the reply... Hmm, well I hope you'll forgive my ignorance if I ask just what kX is? lol......scratch that duh...I see there are links in your post, I'll get glasses... and swap what out of sf2 banks... If putting those virtual orchestras, vsts, etc... isn't possible, then what am I swapping? Sorry, I have just been so confused, I've lost track of the stuff I do know about hehe . Anyway, if what I'm trying to do can't be done, I just have one question for whoever... If you can't compose with those things like EQWL Symphonic Orchestra and similar programs, then what the devil are those programs for?!...I mean they're described as top quality samples/sounds... Or are they really just huge collections of wav files?....I paid less for my car than some of the prices I see, so there's gotta be more to it...