SFontEditor - edit soundfonts !!

SFontEditor is useful if you want to convert midi files to WAV.
   And -especially- if you have a Creative Soundblaster Live/Audigy/X-Fi card.

If you don't want to mess around with tweaking sounds,
   just download the "soundfont" DeviceType using MidiConfig'er and forget about
   all this stuff I'm gonna talk about...;)


SFontEditor's goals in life are to...
   rip .SF2 files into .WAV and .pset files for use with PianoCheater,
   edit a .pset file, and
   convert .MID to .WAV

PianoCheater is set up to "be one" with the Creative Live/Audigy/X-Fi cards.
   The "soundfont" device type has a few more smarts than your average synth.
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Soundfont ??
   Soundfonts are .SF2 files with a collection of sounds - I know, dumb name.
      (a font is a set of cohesive letter images,
       a soundfont a set of cohesive sounds)

   You'll find some good .SF2 files on
      hammersound.com and
      sf2midi.com
      Or just google SF2 or soundfont or whatever.

   An .SF2 file contains sound "preset" specs (envelope/LFO/reverb specs, etc)
   and a set of samples.

   .SF2 files were originally for Creative Soundblaster Live and Audigy cards.
   Now software synths (and my Mid2Wav part of SFontEditor) use them too.

   Creative cards are GREAT for a piano player:
    - NO latency at all
    - use a STANDARD sound format widely available on the web
    - can use ANY .WAV file as an instrument
    - I like it and it's CHEAP so you have =NO= excuse not to get one.

   BE CAREFUL:
      SFontEditor's preset editing hasn't been extensively tested, yet.
         Make sure that you save the .pset with a NEW filename
         so you don't mess up the existing preset.
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Ripping .SF2 files for PianoCheater to use:

   PianoCheater doesn't use .SF2 files directly.
   They're too clunky.
      Inevitably, there will be a new sound you want to add.
      Or one you want to get rid of.

   So the first thing you do is rip all your .SF2 files apart.
      Into .WAV files and .pset files.
      The .pset files reference the .WAV files.

      This way, you can kill off every preset you hate and the associated .WAVs
         get killed automatically.
      You can create your own presets without having to
         mess with the existing presets.

   After starting SFontEditor,
      click the "Rip SF2 Files for PianoCheater" toolbar button.
      It'll ask you for the directory where you keep your .SF2 files.
      Then you'll see them in a list.

   Click one of the .SF2 files to see it's guts listed.
      You'll see a list of presets and it's WAV file sizes, etc.

   Scan the patches and see if they're numbered according to
      general midi conventions.

   Also, look for drum presets that AREN'T marked as drum presets.
      These will annoy you.
      I'm trying to come with a way to auto-fix these...
      But they're due to careless .SF2 file creators...:/
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   RIPpp!!!

   if the programs match GM and you want to use them to play GM songs,
      click the GMDefault toolbar button.
      UtopiaLive2 or FantaGM are good candidates for this.
      Only one SF2's presets can be the default.

   if the programs match GM, and you just want to have em available
      (available, but not used as the default sounds for most songs)
      click the GMExtra toolbar button.

   otherwise just
      click the Custom toolbar button.
      (for all the junky poorly organized .SF2 files on the web:)

   This will rip the presets into their own files (.pset and .wav)
      Gory details:
         GMDefault
            Only 1 (or a few overlapping) SF2s can be used as the default.
            (existing .pset files of the same names will be overwritten)

            non-drum (melodic) presets will be stored as
               SFont\{gmgroup}\{gmsound}.pset files.
            drum presets will be stored as
               SFont\Drum\{drumgroup}\{drumnote}.pset

         GMExtra
            non-drum (melodic) presets will be stored as
               SFont\{gmgroup}\{gmsound}_{SF2Prefix}.pset files.
            drum presets will be stored as
               SFont\Drum\{drumgroup}\{drumnote}\{drumnote}_{SF2Prefix}.pset


         Custom
            non-drum (melodic) presets will be stored as
               SFont\_\{SF2Prefix}\{SF2Sound}.pset files.
            drum presets will be stored as
               SFont\Drum\_\{drumgroup}\{drumnote}\{drumnote}_{SF2Prefix}.pset

   Now ALL of your presets are in their OWN files.
      Not glommed together in a SF2.

   Of course, you've ARCHIVED the original .SF2 files, right!
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   I'm currently working on a button that'll take a dir of plain .WAV files and
      create SFont preset files for them automatically.
   Should be ready sooooome day :)
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   Next up, gluing em back together...