Congratulations on your decision to use the download-able sampled sounds found on this SoundFont(R) Library CD-ROM.
We've included 30 SoundFont banks in both SoundFont 1.0 and 2.0 file formats on Volume 1 of The SoundFont Library. All of these banks will load into a standard 512kilobyte (or 4megabit) AWE32 sound card. Many of these banks are actually collections of instruments, so when you count up the shear number of available instrument sounds and variations provided by the objects included, you'll quickly see why this SoundFont Library CD-ROM was the right choice for your audio and multimedia projects.
To make it easier to use SoundFonts in your productions we've done the difficult work for you. That is, the sampling and tailoring of those samples, which involve recording individual notes of the instrument in question, and then looping and otherwise editing the samples to make them musically useful. Finally, we've arranged these samples into useful objects allowing for online selection of many great instrument variations.
This readme will fill you in on the finer points of the disk you have purchased.
* Individual Readme Files *
Included with each SoundFont bank is a readme.txt file bearing the same name, except for the suffix '.txt'. As an example the SoundFont bank fuzzgtrl.sbk (or .sf2) is accompanied by the readme file fuzzgtrl.txt.
In the readme You'll find a list of instruments included in the SoundFont banks. The instruments are made up of sampled sounds, sometimes 1, but usually many samples are used to build a convincing representation of the instrument in question.
Finally, there is a list of Objects found in the SoundFont banks. These Objects (or presets) are made up of one or more instruments and include articulation parameters such as filter settings, enveloping, and LFO modulators.
* SoundFont 1.0 & 2.0 *
There are two complete sets of SoundFont banks on this CD-ROM. They are located in the directories marked sfont1 and sfont2. The numbers (1 & 2) refer to the SoundFont file format used when creating each of the sets of banks. They differ as follows:
SoundFont 1: Version 1.0 is the original proprietary file format used by Creative Labs AWE32 drivers and Vienna sound editor program.
SoundFont 2: Version 2.0 is the publicly released file format which is used by the latest Creative Labs AWE32 drivers as well as the new E-mu Systems, "Preditor" SoundFont Designer program.
SoundFont 1.0 format is not compatible with SoundFont 2.0 format, meaning the 1.0 drivers and tools may not work properly with 2.0 banks and vice versa. For this reason we have provided banks in both formats.
* Software Drivers *
If you are using the Creative Labs AWE32 sound card you will require the following files that have the same or newer dates installed on your system:
For SoundFont 1.0
SBAWE32.DRV 9/15/94 Version 1.24
AWEMAN.DLL 8/16/94 Version 1.10
AWEGUI.DLL 8/26/94.
For SoundFont 2.0
SBAWE32.DRV Version 4.01 (beta)
AWEMAN.DLL Version 1.40.02
The drivers listed above are current at the time of release of this CD-ROM. Earlier versions may not provide the best quality sound from your new SoundFont Bank. If you don't have these files and would like to obtain a copy they are available as a file called AWEUP.EXE in the following locations:
BBS - (405) 742-6660
Compuserve - type GO BLASTER - see Library 8
Creative FTP - FTP.CREAF.COM
If you are using a sound card other than the Creative Labs AWE32, and you are having problems loading or playing SoundFont banks please refer to your user's manual for information reguarding software drivers available from the manufacturer of that card.
* SoundFont Listing *
The following are the banks included on this CD-ROM. They are listed by catagory for your convenience. The actual file names on the CD-ROM will be a contraction of the names found in this list, which are shown after the name of the SoundFont. Also, listed are the number of Instruments and Objects included.
- Keyboards & Tuned Percussion -
B3 Slow Rotor Organ b3slow_ instruments=12/objects=25B3 Fast Rotor Organ b3fast_ instruments=12/objects=25Electric Piano elpiano instruments=6/objects=30
Bright Grand Piano brgrand instruments=1/objects=13
CP-70 Elec. Grand Piano cp70pno instruments=1/objects=8
