[LAU] Fluidsynth versus Qsynth, .sf2 versus .gig

[Viktor Mastoridis]

I keep on getting Xruns when trying to work with soundfonts on rosegarden or
muse, especially if I combine several sf2 banks with several audio tracks
(on Ardour, prior to use plugins). So far, I was running them through
Qsynth, but I read on the net that the combination of Qsynth,
Rosegarden/Muse and Ardour is regarded as not so stable?

Thus, if you don't mind sharing your experience, I will be thankful.

What is the best way that you use Soundfont banks in Linux?

By 'best', I mean the most stable way, without X-runs and listing/access to
all the banks and instruments in a soundfont.

Is running fluidsynth from a command line a better alternative then qsynth
and why?
(fluidsynth command line: how does one create a midi input and audio output
port for each sf2 bank?)


Can you please tell me your experience in buying professional .gig or .sf2
sounds?
Strings, pianos, accordeons especially.
Sites, prices, quality?

What is better for profesional results: .sf2 or .gig?

thanks in advance
Viktor

[Lorenzo]

Hi Viktor,

I have recently used rosgarden+fluydsynth (dssi directly from Rosegarden
and Qsynth) both 'plugged' into Ardour. Because I didn't need it,
latency was medium (i.e. not 'beeding edge' low like in live context)
but not sure exactly of the precise jack configuration (I'm on another
machine right now).

In one case I wanted to record a guitar as well, but instead of
recording directly into ardour I exported the midi/soundfont track from
ardour and used a digital recorder for the guitar (only 2 tracks).. I
guess it seems a fairly peculiar approach but in my case is was the best
to achieve decent recording environment also because my digital recorder
is not very good as sound card.

Anyway I am still experimenting as to which is the best setup for using
soundfonts.

Kind regards,
Lorenzo.
//

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
I keep on getting Xruns when trying to work with soundfonts on
rosegarden or muse, especially if I combine several sf2 banks with
several audio tracks (on Ardour, prior to use plugins). So far, I was
running them through Qsynth, but I read on the net that the
combination of Qsynth, Rosegarden/Muse and Ardour is regarded as not
so stable?
Thus, if you don't mind sharing your experience, I will be thankful.
What is the best way that you use Soundfont banks in Linux?
By 'best', I mean the most stable way, without X-runs and
listing/access to all the banks and instruments in a soundfont.
Is running fluidsynth from a command line a better alternative then
qsynth and why?
(fluidsynth command line: how does one create a midi input and audio
output port for each sf2 bank?)
Can you please tell me your experience in buying professional .gig or
.sf2 sounds?
Strings, pianos, accordeons especially.
Sites, prices, quality?
What is better for profesional results: .sf2 or .gig?
thanks in advance
Viktor
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[Rui Nuno Capela]

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
I keep on getting Xruns when trying to work with soundfonts on rosegarden
or muse, especially if I combine several sf2 banks with several audio
tracks (on Ardour, prior to use plugins). So far, I was running them
through Qsynth, but I read on the net that the combination of Qsynth,
Rosegarden/Muse and Ardour is regarded as not so stable?

what is non-stable about it?

qsynth _is_ fluidsynth with a gui. it has no difference regarding audio
(jack) real-time performance whatsoever. both applications do use the
very same synth engine (libfluidsynth). however you can have more than
one synth engine with qsynth, a trick only possible with several
instances of fluidsynth (cli).

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
Thus, if you don't mind sharing your experience, I will be thankful.
What is the best way that you use Soundfont banks in Linux?

afaics, there's fluidsynth/qsynth and timidity++. you choose which is
best ;)

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
By 'best', I mean the most stable way, without X-runs and listing/access
to all the banks and instruments in a soundfont.

i guess either fluidsynth or qsynth fits the bill ;)

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
Is running fluidsynth from a command line a better alternative then
qsynth and why? (fluidsynth command line: how does one create a midi input
and audio output port for each sf2 bank?)

as said, you can run several fluidsynth instances each with its own
soundfont loaded. you must take care of distinct fluidsynth alsa/jack
client names though, there's command line options for just that. again,
with qsynth you achieve the same with easier gui setup.

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
Can you please tell me your experience in buying professional .gig or
.sf2 sounds? Strings, pianos, accordeons especially.
Sites, prices, quality?
What is better for profesional results: .sf2 or .gig?

linuxsampler is best and _the_ one for .gig's, which depending on the
sample library and vendor, it's technically superior and several notches
above soundfont specification, be it in terms of multi-sample layering,
dimension and articulation. also, linuxsampler's resource management is
state-of-the-art, letting you play way bigger (and definitively
professional) sample libraries than fluidsynth/qsynth, which in fact
needs to load and lock all soundfonts _completely_ in ram, so you know
the drill ;)

cheers

[Fred]

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
I keep on getting Xruns when trying to work with soundfonts on
rosegarden or muse, especially if I combine several sf2 banks with
several audio tracks (on Ardour, prior to use plugins). So far, I was
running them through Qsynth, but I read on the net that the
combination of Qsynth, Rosegarden/Muse and Ardour is regarded as not
so stable?
Thus, if you don't mind sharing your experience, I will be thankful.
What is the best way that you use Soundfont banks in Linux?
By 'best', I mean the most stable way, without X-runs and
listing/access to all the banks and instruments in a soundfont.

Hi Viktor,

Do you try to run Fluidsynth directly from Rosegarden ? (you can find it
in "synth plugin" on the left pannel)
You can have several runs of it, one for each MIDI track, each one can
load his sound as you like.
On my old P4 + 1GbRAM can run 10 tracks with no problem (don't have test
more cause don't need yet)

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
Is running fluidsynth from a command line a better alternative then
qsynth and why?
(fluidsynth command line: how does one create a midi input and audio
output port for each sf2 bank?)

Don't know ! But think that Fluid is just a GUI for Q (not sure of that)

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
Can you please tell me your experience in buying professional .gig or
.sf2 sounds?
Strings, pianos, accordeons especially.
Sites, prices, quality?

I don't use yet... Maybe a good idea ? If you do so, could you please
let me know ?

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
What is better for profesional results: .sf2 or .gig?

Well, do you think a bank including 127 differents sounds and a complete
drumset in less 100M can compete
with another one including only 1 instrument in more 1G ?? ;o))

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
thanks in advance
Viktor

Greets,
Fred

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
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[Viktor Mastoridis]

Thanks for this, guys.

You are right, .gig is superior to sf2.

But how/where should one record/edit gig-drums?

Hydrogen doesn't import gig's.
Rosegarden and Qtractor don't have dedicated drum editors (although
rosegarden has its inner LinuxSampler plugin which is good for melodic
instruments only)

The only midi sequencer that has a drum editor and can work with giga-files
as far as I know is Muse. But I can't figure out how to create a separate
channel for each of the instruments, with the option to control the
vol/pan/fx.

Any ideas here?

vm

Post by Lorenzo

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
I keep on getting Xruns when trying to work with soundfonts on
rosegarden or muse, especially if I combine several sf2 banks with
several audio tracks (on Ardour, prior to use plugins). So far, I was
running them through Qsynth, but I read on the net that the
combination of Qsynth, Rosegarden/Muse and Ardour is regarded as not
so stable?
Thus, if you don't mind sharing your experience, I will be thankful.
What is the best way that you use Soundfont banks in Linux?
By 'best', I mean the most stable way, without X-runs and
listing/access to all the banks and instruments in a soundfont.

Hi Viktor,
Do you try to run Fluidsynth directly from Rosegarden ? (you can find it
in "synth plugin" on the left pannel)
You can have several runs of it, one for each MIDI track, each one can
load his sound as you like.
On my old P4 + 1GbRAM can run 10 tracks with no problem (don't have test
more cause don't need yet)

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
Is running fluidsynth from a command line a better alternative then
qsynth and why?
(fluidsynth command line: how does one create a midi input and audio
output port for each sf2 bank?)

Don't know ! But think that Fluid is just a GUI for Q (not sure of that)

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
Can you please tell me your experience in buying professional .gig or
.sf2 sounds?
Strings, pianos, accordeons especially.
Sites, prices, quality?

I don't use yet... Maybe a good idea ? If you do so, could you please
let me know ?

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
What is better for profesional results: .sf2 or .gig?

Well, do you think a bank including 127 differents sounds and a complete
drumset in less 100M can compete
with another one including only 1 instrument in more 1G ?? ;o))

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
thanks in advance
Viktor

Greets,
Fred

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
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[Fred]

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
Thanks for this, guys.
You are right, .gig is superior to sf2.
But how/where should one record/edit gig-drums?
Hydrogen doesn't import gig's.
Rosegarden and Qtractor don't have dedicated drum editors (although
rosegarden has its inner LinuxSampler plugin which is good for melodic
instruments only)

Rosegarden HAVE a drum editor ! click on a track and "D"

What is the drums.gig you use ??

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
The only midi sequencer that has a drum editor and can work with
giga-files as far as I know is Muse. But I can't figure out how to
create a separate channel for each of the instruments, with the option
to control the vol/pan/fx.
Any ideas here?

Tapeutape, driven by Rosegarden. Outs of Tapeutape recorded in Ardour.
HTH, Fred.

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
vm

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
I keep on getting Xruns when trying to work with soundfonts on
rosegarden or muse, especially if I combine several sf2 banks with
several audio tracks (on Ardour, prior to use plugins). So far,

I was

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
running them through Qsynth, but I read on the net that the
combination of Qsynth, Rosegarden/Muse and Ardour is regarded as not
so stable?
Thus, if you don't mind sharing your experience, I will be thankful.
What is the best way that you use Soundfont banks in Linux?
By 'best', I mean the most stable way, without X-runs and
listing/access to all the banks and instruments in a soundfont.

Hi Viktor,
Do you try to run Fluidsynth directly from Rosegarden ? (you can find it
in "synth plugin" on the left pannel)
You can have several runs of it, one for each MIDI track, each one can
load his sound as you like.
On my old P4 + 1GbRAM can run 10 tracks with no problem (don't have test
more cause don't need yet)

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
Is running fluidsynth from a command line a better alternative then
qsynth and why?
(fluidsynth command line: how does one create a midi input and audio
output port for each sf2 bank?)

Don't know ! But think that Fluid is just a GUI for Q (not sure of that)

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
Can you please tell me your experience in buying professional

.gig or

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
.sf2 sounds?
Strings, pianos, accordeons especially.
Sites, prices, quality?

I don't use yet... Maybe a good idea ? If you do so, could you please
let me know ?

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
What is better for profesional results: .sf2 or .gig?

Well, do you think a bank including 127 differents sounds and a complete
drumset in less 100M can compete
with another one including only 1 instrument in more 1G ?? ;o))

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
thanks in advance
Viktor

Greets,
Fred
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
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[M Watts]

...

Post by Fred

Post by Viktor Mastoridis
Any ideas here?

Tapeutape, driven by Rosegarden. Outs of Tapeutape recorded in Ardour.

Available from http://www.tardigrade-inc.com/index.php/En/Tapeutape