Soundfont Issue
I have been working with some really cool soundfonts for a few weeks now, however I am experiencing an issue with them. When I add a note to a timpini, for example, it gives me a trumpet sound, and whenever I add a note to another instrument, it sounds like another instrument. Is there a way to solve this problem? Is it the soundfonts' fault or my fault? Here is an example of a soundfont I have been using that is an example of the issue I'm dealing with: https://www.4shared.com/get/t0wqcR_Vea/Symphonic_Sounds.html
Comments
If the soundfont file you are using is not an Standard General MIDI soundfont file, you have to know which internal patch number is used to the instrument sound you want to use.
Example: The Standard General MIDI patch number to the trumpet sound is 56. BUT... There are a lot of soundfont files that don't follow that rule. So... You could have a soundfont file which has the trumpet sound in the patch number 24 (which is a Guitar sound in the Standard General MIDI list).
Unfortunately... This a a reality.
ALSO... Be so careful about a very important point: The final sound you get is about the one you can read INSIDE the instrument box in the MuseScore Mixer channel you are using.
In other words: You could have an staff dedicated to the Timpani, but... If inside the Instrument box of that channel, in the MuseScore Mixer, says: "Trumpet"... Well, you finally will get the Trumpet sound instead the Timpani sound.
In reply to If the soundfont file you… by jotape1960
Is there a way to change the instruments' patch number so they both can sound exactly the same?
In reply to Is there a way to change the… by noah_schettler
Use the mixer to change the sound
In reply to Is there a way to change the… by noah_schettler
Not from MuseScore itself.
You can change the patch numbers of any sound inside a soundfont file using a soundfont file editor, like "POLYPHONE".
But... It is a very hard and long way to learn how to do it.
In reply to Not from MuseScore itself… by jotape1960
Well, in the Mixer you can change those too, not the ones in the soundfont, but the ones to use by MuseScore
In reply to Not from MuseScore itself… by jotape1960
There has to be an easier way then, I have no clue why a person would make a soundfont for musescore and make the soundfont totally incorrect and out of place. It makes no sense! I'll try and play around with the mixer and see if it works.
In reply to There has to be an easier… by noah_schettler
MuseScore uses the General MIDI standard but that standard doesn't include all the instruments used on in orchestra. And the ones that are included are in a kind of random-seeming order. That's not the fault or MuseScore or of the person designing the soundont, it's just the way it is with General MIDI - it wasn't designed for orchestra music, really. So anyone creating a soundfont for orchestral music specifically needs to deviate form the standard in order to have anything usable. They'll need to add the missing instrument, add additional sounds for the instruments that are included (eg, muted brass other than trumpets, more types of cymbal sounds), etc. And if they want these sounds to be found in the Mixer, it will actually help to reannrage the existing sounds to be useful as well.
Anyone doing this specifically for MuseScore probably would also include a template that has this all set up for you so you don't need to mess with selecting things manually. And if I'm not mistaken, the soundfont you are talking about comes with a couple of them. Use that and things will be set up, and then if you want to customize from there you can, and you'll be happy they didn't stick to the General MIDI ordering.
In reply to MuseScore uses the General… by Marc Sabatella
Ok, I solved the problem. I went into mixer and I had to change the "sound" for each of the instruments. Thank you for your help! The song I will be making will be the best!