1sfxload(1) General Commands Manual sfxload(1)
2
6 sfxload, asfxload - load a SoundFont file on the Emux WaveTable
7
10 sfxload [-options] fontfile
11 asfxload [-options] fontfile
13
16 sfxload and asfxload are utility program sto transfer the sound wave
17 and instruments data in a SoundFont file to the AWE32 sound driver, or
18 to the Emux WaveTable of ALSA sbawe and emu10k1 drivers. This program
19 is necessary for playing MIDI samples via sequencer programs supporting
20 AWE driver. There is no big difference between sfxload and asfxload
21 except for that asfxload is for ALSA and sfxload is for OSS,
22 respecitvely. The options to specify devices are different between them
23 (see below).
24 Basically, sfxload behaves as two ways.
26 % sfxload fontfile
27 % sfxload -b1 fontfile
28 The first usage is to read SF2 (or SBK) file and transfer to the awe
30 driver. In this case, the samples which were loaded on the driver are
31 replaced with the new one. In the second case, sfxload reads the file
32 and appends it to the pre-loaded samples on the driver with specified
33 bank number. The old samples remain in the driver. The additional
34 samples can be cleared via -x option (see below).
35 The sound files are searched through the path list. The path list is
37 defined as built-in. If the environment variable SFBANKDIR or the com‐
38 mand line option -P is given, it replaces the default search list. The
39 file extension .sf2, and .sbk can be abbreviated.
40
43 -F, --device=file (sfxload only)
44 Specify the device file to be used. Default value is
45 /dev/sequencer.
46 -D, --index=number (sfxload only)
48 Specify the device index of AWE driver. Negative number (e.g.
49 -1) means to probe the first AWE device automatically. For
50 selecting the other AWE cards, a positive index number must be
51 given here. Default value is -1.
52 -D, --hwdep=name (asfxload only)
54 Specify the hwdep name to be used. As default, asfxload seeks
55 until any Emux compatible hwdep device is found.
56 -i, --clear[=bool]
58 Remove all samples before loading the fonts. This is an
59 explicit directive (see -b option). If this option is specified
60 alone without soundfont file arguments, sfxload does onlay
61 remove samples. Either of on, off, yes, no, true, or false can
62 be specified as an optional argument.
63 -x, --remove[=bool]
65 Remove the optional samples previouly loaded via -b option.
66 Otherwise, all new samples are simply appended.
67 -N, --increment[=bool]
69 Do not clear samples even with the absence of -b option. How‐
70 ever, this option is not exclusive with -x option. If both
71 options are specified, and the memory full error is encountered
72 during loading fonts, sfxload will try to remove samples and
73 load the fonts again.
74 -b, --bank=number
76 Append the sound samples on the specified bank. Without this
77 option, all present samples in the driver are removed before
78 loading the new fonts unless -N option is specified. Usually,
79 this option is necessary to load user bank, typically in bank
80 one. For example,
81 % sfxload synthgm.sbk
82 % sfxload -b1 surprise.sf2
83 -l, --lock[=bool]
85 Lock the font. The locked font is no longer removed via remove
86 option (-x) even if it's loaded together with -b option.
87 -C, --compat[=bool]
89 Use the old (v0.4.2) parameter calculations.
90 -A, --sense=sensitivity
92 (Only valid on compatible mode)
93 Set sample attenuation sensitivity. This option controls the
94 sensitivity of initial attenuation parameter of each instrument
95 defined in SoundFont file. In the program, each parameter is
96 calculated from the value divided by this number for the origi‐
97 nal value. The number 1.0 means that the original initial
98 attenuation parameters would be used. Generally, smaller number
99 makes drum sounds louder. (I think "-A 2" would be similar to
100 Windows sounds.) The default value is 10. Note that this
101 option changes also the default attenuation automatically (see
102 below).
103 -a, --atten=attenuation
105 (Only valid on compatible mode)
106 Set the default attenuation level. This option controls the
107 minimum attenuation of the sample. The parameter is given in
108 raw digit number for AWE driver, that is, in 8/3 dB unit. Since
109 --sense option changes the default attenuation automatically,
110 specify this option later from --sense option. The default
111 value is 32.
112 -d, --decay=scale
114 (Only valid on compatible mode)
115 Set the scale of envelope decay time. Default value is 50.0.
116 Sounds decay fast when larger number is set. The ver.0.3
117 sfxload uses 54.8. If you want to keep the same sound, use this
118 number instead.
119 -M, --memory[=bool]
121 Display the left memory size in DRAM on the AWE32 card.
122 -c, --chorus=percent
124 Specify the effects of chorus. The value is in percent, from 0
125 to 100. The default is unspecified. This value may be over‐
126 written by MIDI control messages.
127 -r, --reverb=percent
129 Specify the effects of reverb. The value is in percent, from 0
130 to 100. The default is unspecified. This value may be over‐
131 written by MIDI control messages.
132 -B, --addblank[=bool]
134 Add 48 size of blank loop on each sample data. Usually, this
135 option is not necessary. Most of soundfont files are designed
136 well for enough blank loops for each sample.
137 -L, --extract=source[:map]
139 Extract and load only the specified preset(s). This option is
140 usually employed by drvmidi. The preset is given as same as in
141 virtual bank file.
142 -v, --verbose[=level]
144 Increase or set the verbosity level.
145 -q, --quiet
147 Don't show error messages, equivalen with --verbose=0.
148 -V, --volume=percent
150 Specify the total volume of sounds, provided in percent. The
151 default volume is 70%.
152 -P, --path=path1:path2:pathN
154 Specify the search path list. The sound files are searched from
155 path1, path2, and so on. This overrides both the system path
156 and environment variable SFBANKDIR.
157
160 The virtual bank file is a list of presets treated as one soundfont
161 file. The syntax of virtual bank is as follows:
162 # comments
163 source:map[:soundfont [preset-name]
164 source:map[:soundfont [preset-name]
165 ...
166 The first and second items are the source and mapped presets, respec‐
168 tively. The former is the existing preset in the soundfont, and the
169 latter is the actual preset loaded on the sound driver. The preset is
170 described by the following three values,
171 preset/bank/keynote
172 If bank and keynote are omitted, bank 0 and keynote -1 (meaning to
173 search all keys) are applied.
174 The third item is the name of soundfont file. The file is searched
176 from the prescribed search-path. The remaining arguments are ignored
177 in sfxload.
178 If the soundfont name is omitted, sfxload loads it as preset mapping.
180 It just behaves like a symbolic link of file opposing to copying of the
181 file. Any sample data is not referred at this time, but searched first
182 when the note is played.
183 A couple of special commands can be used together with the virtual pre‐
185 sets above. default command is used to specify the default soundfont
186 file. Any other presets which are not defined in the virtual preset
187 lists are loaded from this default font. For example, in the following
188 virtual bank, 2mbgmgs.sf2 is used except for standard drumsets which
189 employs drum.sf2:
190 0/128:0/128:drum.sf2
191 default 2mbgmgs.sf2
192 Another special command is include command. This simply includes
194 another virtual bank file under the current position. For example,
195 default standard.sf2
196 0/128:0/128:drum.sf2
197 include xgsfx.bnk
198
201 The default option arguments can be stored in the system resource file.
202 There are two files loaded as default.
203 $HOME/.sfxloadrc
204 /etc/sfxloadrc
205 The syntax is as follows:
207 fontname -options..
208 The first argument is soundfont file name for each option. The remain‐
209 ing arguments are identical with command line options. The font name
210 default is used for default options for all sound fonts. The default
211 options are overridden by specific options or command line options.
212 For example, to set default chorus level 20 except for synthgm font,
214 you can write a resource file ~/.sfxloadrc like that:
215 default --chorus=20
216 synthgm --chorus=0
217
221 SFBANKDIR
222 Search path for sound files. The current directory is always
223 searched at first.
224
227 drvmidi(1)
228
231 Copyright (C) 1996-2003 Takashi Iwai.
232 The AWE32 driver and utilties are free software; you can redistribute
234 them and/or modify them under the terms of the GNU General Public
235 License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
236 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
237 January 22, 2003 sfxload(1)