The pysf utility is a way to create and edit SoundFont 2 files at the command line. It does this using XML configuration files and basic audio files (strict sub-set of .wav and .aif).
Each SoundFont2 file has one or more presets, each preset containing one or more preset zones, each preset zone mapping to an instrument, each instrument containing one or more instrument zones, each instrument zone mapping to a wavetable.
The pysf utility is released into the public domain.
My email address is bencollver at gmail.com
Usage: pysf.py [conversion] [infile] [outfile]
conversion := --sf2xml | --xml2sf
conversion := --aif2xml | --xml2aif
conversion := --wav2xml | --xml2wav
pysf.py --sf2xml old.sf2 conf.xmlCreate conf.xml based on old.sf2. Will also create conf%d.wav for included audio samples
pysf.py --xml2sf conf.xml new.sf2Create new.sf2 based on conf.xml
xmllint --noout --schema pysf.xsd conf.xmlValidate conf.xml using xmllint utility from libxml.
| tag | description |
|---|---|
| ISNG | mandatory, optimal target sound engine |
| INAM | mandatory, name of sound bank |
| ICRD | file creation date |
| IPRD | target product |
| ISFT | software used to create/modify the file |
| IFIL | contains major and minor version of spec. |
| major | Major version of soundfont specfication used. |
| minor | Minor version of soundfont specfication used. |
| instruments | mandatory, instrument list |
| instrument | mandatory, instrument section |
| presets | mandatory, preset list |
| preset | mandatory, preset section |
| wavetables | mandatory, wavetable list |
| wavetable | mandatory, wavetable section |
| zones | mandatory, zone list for instrument or preset section |
| zone | mandatory, zone section |
| id | mandatory, id for instrument or wavetable, referenced by other sections |
| name | mandatory, descriptive name for instrument, preset, or wavetable |
| keyRange | range of MIDI notes for zone |
| velRange | range of MIDI velocities for zone |
| overridingRootKey | base MIDI note for zone |
| wavetableId | wavetable used by instrument zone |
| instrumentId | instrument used by preset zone |
| delayVolEnv | time in seconds for delay section of volume envelope |
| attackVolEnv | time in seconds for attack section of volume envelope |
| holdVolEnv | time in seconds for hold section of volume envelope |
| decayVolEnv | time in seconds for decay section of volume envelope |
| releaseVolEnv | time in seconds for release section of volume envelope |
| sustainVolEnv | volume decrease in centibels for decay section |
| keynumToVolEnvHold | degree, in timecents per KeyNumber units, to which the hold time is decreased. The value of KeyNumber units is found by the difference between the MIDI note number and 60. |
| exclusiveClass | new notes will silence currently playing notes if the instruments are in the same exclusiveClass |
| gens | generic generator operator list in zone |
| gen | generic generator operator |
| comment | comment describing generator, not used by pysf |
| hexAmount | hexadecimal unsigned word argument |
| oper | decimal generator operator number |
| file | mandatory, name of aif or wav file used by wavetable |
| loop | loop begin and end point for wavetable |
| pitch | MIDI note that the wavetable was recorded at |
| pitchcorr | pitch correction in cents for wavetable |
| channel | select channel for instrument and/or from stereo audio file |
| link | link to other wavetable in a stereo instrument |
To use 24-bit sample width wavetables, you must set ifil to major 2, minor 4. If you use 24-bit wavetables, then all wavetables used must be 24-bit. You can use audacity to convert between 24-bit and other sample widths.
Theoretically, old software should be able to play 24-bit soundfonts at lower quality by simply ignoring the sm24 chunk. However, some programs will refuse to use 24-bit soundfonts. Timidity and fluidsynth do not support 24-bit soundfonts, and apparently neither does quicktime. Therefore, this feature is not well tested in pysf.
To use a stereo .wav file for a mono wavetable, use the channel tag to select a channel. If the wavetable is linked, then the channel tag also determines whether the wavetable is the left or the right channel in a stereo instrument. A stereo instrument requires two linked wavetables. Use link tags to link wavetables. Example:
<wavetable> <channel>right</channel> <id>1</id> <file>stereo.wav</file> <link>2</link> </wavetable> <wavetable> <channel>left</channel> <id>2</id> <file>stereo.wav</file> <link>1</link> </wavetable>
A stereo instrument also requires a zone for each channel. Example:
<instrument>
<zones>
<zone>
<keyRange><begin>12</begin><end>127</end></keyRange>
<wavetableId>1</wavetableId>
</zone>
<zone>
<keyRange><begin>12</begin><end>127</end></keyRange>
<wavetableId>2</wavetableId>
</zone>
</zones>
</instrument>