MAN page from RedHat Other awesfx-0.4.2-3.i386.rpm

sfxload

Section: User Commands (1)
Updated: September 1, 1997
Index

NAME

sfxload - load a SoundFont file on the AWE32 sound driver

SYNOPSIS

sfxload [-options] fontfile

DESCRIPTION

sfxloadis a utility program to transfer the sound wave andinstruments data in a SoundFont file to the AWE32 sound driver.This program is necessary for playing MIDI samplesvia sequencer programs supporting AWE driver.

Basically, sfxload behaves as two ways.% sfxload fontfile
% sfxload -b1 fontfile

The first usage is to read SF2 (or SBK) file and transfer to the awedriver. In this case, the samples which were loaded on the driver arereplaced with the new one.In the second case, sfxload reads the file and appends it to thepre-loaded samples on the driver with specified bank number. The oldsamples remain in the driver. The additional samples can be clearedvia-xoption (see below).

The sound files are searched through the path list. The path list isdefined as built-in. If the environment variableSFBANKDIRor thecommand line option-Pis given, it replaces the default search list.The file extension .sf2, and .sbk can be abbreviated.

OPTIONS

-x, --remove[=bool]: Remove the optional samples previouly loaded via -b option.Otherwise, all new samples are simply appended.If this option is specified alone without soundfont filearguments, sfxload does onlay remove samples.Either of "on", "off", "yes", "no", "true", or "false" can bespecified as an optional argument.
-b, --bank=number: Append the sound samples on the specified bank.Without this option, all samples in the driver are reset, andnew samples are loaded.This option is necessary to load user bank, usually in bank one.For example,% sfxload synthgm.sbk
% sfxload -b1 surprise.sf2
-l, --lock[=bool]: Lock the font. The locked font is no longer removed viaremove option (-x) even if it's loaded together with -b option.
-A, --sense=sensitivity: Set sample attenuation sensitivity.This option controls the sensitivity of initial attenuation parameterof each instrument defined in SoundFont file.In the program, each parameter is calculated from the value dividedby this number for the original value.The number 1.0 means that the original initial attenuation parameterswould be used.Generally, smaller number makes drum sounds louder.(I think -A 2 would be similar to Windows sounds.)The default value is 10. Note that this option changes also the default attenuation automatically (see below).
-a, --atten=attenuation: Set the default attenuation level.This option controls the minimum attenuation of the sample.The parameter is given in raw digit number for AWE driver,that is, in 8/3 dB unit.Since --sense option changes the default attenuation automatically,specify this option later from --sense option.The default value is 32.
-d, --decay=scale: Set the scale of envelope decay time. Default value is 50.0.Sounds decay fast when larger number is set.The ver.0.3 sfxload uses 54.8. If you want to keep the samesound, use this number instead.
-M, --memory[=bool]: Display the left memory size in DRAM on the AWE32 card.
-c, --chorus=percent: Specify the effects of chorus.The value is in percent, from 0 to 100. The default is unspecified.This value may be overwritten by MIDI control messages.
-r, --reverb=percent: Specify the effects of reverb.The value is in percent, from 0 to 100. The default is unspecified.This value may be overwritten by MIDI control messages.
-B, --addblank[=bool]: Add 48 size of blank loop on each sample data. Usually, thisoption is not necessary. Most of soundfont files are designed well for enough blank loops for each sample.
-L, --extract=source[:map]: Extract and load only the specified preset(s).This option is usually employed by drvmidi.The preset is given as same as in virtual bank file.
-v, --verbose[=level]: Increase or set the verbosity level.
-V, --volume=percent: Specify the total volume of sounds, provided in percent.The default volume is 70%.
-P, --path=path1:path2:pathN: Specify the search path list.The sound files are searched frompath1, path2,and so on.This overrides both the system path and environment variableSFBANKDIR.

VIRTUAL BANK FILE

The virtual bank file is a list of presets treated as one soundfontfile. The syntax of virtual bank is as follows:       # comments

       source:map[:soundfont [preset-name]

       source:map[:soundfont [preset-name]

       ...

The first and second items are the source and mapped presets,respectively. The former is the existing preset in the soundfont,and the latter is the actual preset loaded on the sound driver.The preset is described by the following three values, preset/bank/keynote
If bank and keynote are omitted, bank 0 and keynote -1 (meaning tosearch all keys) are applied.

The third item is the name of soundfont file. The file is searchedfrom the prescribed search-path. The remaining arguments areignored in sfxload.

If the soundfont name is omitted, sfxload loads it as presetmapping. It just behaves like a symbolic link of file opposing tocopying of the file. Any sample data is not referred at this time,but searched first when the note is played.

A couple of special commands can be used together with the virtualpresets above.defaultcommand is used to specify the defaultsoundfont file. Any other presets which are not defined in thevirtual preset lists are loaded from this default font. Forexample, in the following virtual bank, 2mbgmgs.sf2 is used exceptfor standard drumsets which employs drum.sf2: 0/128:0/128:drum.sf2

default 2mbgmgs.sf2

Another special command isincludecommand. This simply includesanother virtual bank file under the current position. For example,       default standard.sf2

       0/128:0/128:drum.sf2

       include xgsfx.bnk

SYSTEM RESROUCE FILE

The default option arguments can be stored in the system resource file.There are two files loaded as default.$HOME/.sfxloadrc
/etc/sfxloadrc

The syntax is as follows:fontname -options..The first argument is soundfont file name for each option.The remaining arguments are identical with command line options.The font namedefaultis used for default options for all soundfonts. The default options are overridden by specific options orcommand line options.

For example, to set attenuation scale 10.0 except synthgm font, youneed to make a resource file ~/.sfxloadrc like that:default --scale=10.0

synthgm --scale=2.0 --atten=10

ENVIRONMENT

SFBANKDIR: Search path for sound files. The current directory is always searchedat first.

COPYRIGHT

Copyright (C) 1996,1997 Takashi Iwai.The AWE32 driver and utilties are free software; you can redistribute themand/or modify them under the terms of the GNU General PublicLicense as published by the Free Software Foundation; eitherversion 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

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