1sfz2pat(1) General Commands Manual sfz2pat(1)
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6 sz2pat - convert sample files into extended GUS patches
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9 sfz2pat filename.sfz
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12 This documents both the conversion program sfz2pat and the sfz loader
13 of the gt midi player.
14 The name of one or more .wav files containing samples and various
16 parameters describing the desired patch structure and how to play the
17 patch are given in a text file with the extension .sfz. Run the
18 sfz2pat utility on filename.sfz, and, if all goes well, the result will
19 be a GUS patch file named filename.pat.
20 The same .sfz file can be loaded and played directly by gt. Just put
22 the name of the file into timidity.cfg or a file it sources, as you
23 would the name of a GUS .pat file. Some features of sfz patches can
24 only be used when the patch is loaded directly, because they don't fit
25 into the GUS format.
26 The format of .sfz files is described in http://www.rgcaudio.com/sfz‐
28 format.htm. See also http://www.drealm.org.uk/sfz/plj-sfz.html a more
29 lucid, less authoritative, account (from PL Jones). An .sfz patch file
30 is a text file describing a single instrument, as implemented here.
31 (Though a whole set of drums can be characterized in a single .sfz file
32 for RGC Audio's player program, this implementation requires a separate
33 patch file for each drum.)
34 Typically, an instrument will have a number of different samples, and
36 which sample sounds when a note on that instrument is played will
37 depend on various circumstances -- the pitch of the note, how loud it
38 is, and so on. A sample thought of in relation to whether it sounds
39 when a note is played is referred to as a layer in the RGC documenta‐
40 tion, but I usually call it a sample. Each individual sample (layer)
41 of an instrument is described in a region of the .sfz patch file (see
42 the <region> opcode below).
43 Only a very tiny, little, miniscule part of SFZ is currently inter‐
45 preted. SFZ opcodes in the .sfz file that are not yet implemented are
46 ignored. Those that are interpreted may or may not work exactly as
47 specified in the RGC Audio documentation (or as described here).
48 The .pat files that are created are GUS extended patch files, so they
50 can have velocity layers and can be in stereo. If the source .wav file
51 is in stereo, the extended GUS patch derived from it will also be in
52 stereo. In addition to .wav files, you can also use .aiff and .ogg
53 files for samples. 24-bit .wav files are ok, but for GUS patches, they
54 are down-converted to 16 bits, so the extra resolution is lost. When
55 loading patches directly, all 24 bits are used.
56
58 Here are the opcodes currently intepreted.
59 <group>
61 Beginning of global opcodes that apply thoughout following
62 regions, until the next <group> or end of file.
63 <region>
65 Beginning of local opcodes that apply only until the next
66 <region>, or <group> or end of file.
67 sample=filename
69 Gives path of a file containing sample data.
70 key=k Note to play. k is a number 0-127 or an IPN note name (letter A-
72 G, optional # or b, then octave from -1 to 9), and likewise
73 below for all values referred to as k.
74 hikey=k
76 Highest key of range. Default is 60.
77 lokey=k
79 Lowest key of range. Default is 60.
80 pitch_keycenter=k
82 Middle key of range. Default is 60.
83 hivel=v
85 Highest velocity of range. v is a number 0-127. Default is 127.
86 lovel=v
88 Highest velocity of range. v is a number 0-127. Default is 0.
89 offset=n
91 Where patch starts in sample file, in samples from the beginning
92 of the file. Default is 0.
93 end=n Where patch ends in sample file, in samples. Default is the end
95 of the file.
96 loop_start=n
98 Where the loop start point of patch is in sample file, in sam‐
99 ples. Default is the offset of the sample.
100 loop_end=n
102 Where the loop end point of patch is in sample file, in samples.
103 Default is the end of the sample.
104 loop_mode=loop_sustain
106 Makes the sample loop while note is held. Default is no loop.
107 volume=f
109 How loud to play the sample, in decibels. Default is 0 decibel
110 change to what is found in the sample file.
111 amp_random=f
113 The sample is amplified by a randomly selected amount from 0 to
114 f, given in decibels. (This has no effect when creating .pat
115 files.)
116 ampeg_release=f
118 Release time for the volume envelope, in seconds.
119 group=n
121 Defines the group the sample belongs to.
122 off_by=n
124 The sample will stop playing when a note from group n is
125 started.
126 trigger=first
128 The sample will be played only if no other note in the same
129 group (and on the same channel) is playing. (This has no effect
130 when creating .pat files.)
131 trigger=legato
133 The sample will be played only if another note in the same group
134 (and on the same channel) is playing. (This has no effect when
135 creating .pat files.)
136 hirand=f
138 The sample plays only when a randomly selected number between 0
139 and 1 is less than f. (This has no effect when creating .pat
140 files.)
141 lorand=f
143 The sample plays only when a randomly selected number between 0
144 and 1 is greater or equal to f. (This has no effect when creat‐
145 ing .pat files.)
146 sw_hikey=k
148 Highest key in switch range.
149 sw_lokey=k
151 Lowest key in switch range.
152 sw_down=k
154 The sample will play only if note k is playing (on the same
155 channel), provided it falls within the switch range. (This has
156 no effect when creating .pat files.)
157 sw_up=k
159 The sample will not play if note k is playing (on the same chan‐
160 nel), provided it falls within the switch range. (This has no
161 effect when creating .pat files.)
162
164 Probably, there are lots of bugs. This is an experiment.
165
167 Greg Lee <greg@ling.lll.hawaii.edu>
168 11 Oct 2004 sfz2pat(1)