Using non-standard soundfonts in MuseScore4

• Jun 25, 2022 - 19:06

I have a soundfont that comes with a variety of acoustic pianos. I load an old score from MS3 into MS4, and after applying the soundfont, expect it to stay mostly the same. I play it, and it's the wrong piano (the piano sound I was after was the less rich-sounding one on the SGM soundfont; I believe it's piano 3) and I want to know if there is a way to change what particular sound out of a soundfont is played.

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• Jun 26, 2022 - 16:46

Soundfonts in MU4 are applied direct from the dropdown in the mixer - no more need to first load then in the synthesizer window (or for a synthesizer window at all for that matter). However, currently, there is no way to select from multiple sounds within the soundfont. It works if the soudnfont is GM and you are using standard GM instruments, or if the soundfont has only a single sound. There are plans to improve that, but it's not clear it will happen for 4.0 or 4.1 or whatever.

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• Jun 27, 2022 - 01:11

I’m definitely concerned about this too. But, changing instrument is still supported of course. So I suspect the real world effect won’t be quite as bad as it might appear, if this doesn’t make it in. But I guess the alpha and beta release will help establish this one way or another.

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• Jun 27, 2022 - 22:26

Ok, this works already as you described it, Marc.
What I find very strange though: MuseScore advertises that in version 4 the sound engine is very extended. And then I can't even select a sound from a sound file, even if it's not MIDI standard? That's very weak, I'd rather stay with MS3.6.2.

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• Jun 27, 2022 - 23:01

As I said, nothing is set in stone. Just because the ability to select sounds isn't implemented yet doesn't mean it won't happen. Could happen for beta, could happen for 4.0, could be 4.0.1, could be 4.1, that all remains to be seen.

The sound engine is quite a but more sophisticated overall, though, from what I understand. The ability to use VST instruments and the new "Muse Symphony Orchestra" (or whatever the final name is) sample library is supposedly going to be mind-blowing. The idea, I think, is that once we experience the level of awesomeness possible with those, we'll stop caring about "soundfonts" at all - that's older and very limited technology in comparison. I'm trying to keep an open mind; I've still never heard so much as a demo of the sample library, and VST isn't implemented on Linux yet.

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• Dec 29, 2022 - 18:54

I have downloaded 4.0.0 (because Flatpak update seems to have required it,) and then I deleted it ans switched back to 3.6.2 appimage.

I am going to elaborate on the problems I have encountered with 4.0.0, in hopes that any developers will consider addressing them. when I do, I will post a link to a very nice organ piece I produced with 3.6.2, making use of (1) patches from Stefan's Cathedral Organ soundfont,) (2) the ability to change patches anywhere in the score by re-stating the instrument name as an "instrument change,) and (3) the excellent reverb in the 3.6.2 engine (I believe Fluidsynth?)

For my work, version 4.0.0 is useless. And when I went around looking for 3.6.2, it seemed as if musescore.org was "pushing" 4.0.0, because when I went to "older versions", I was still being given a download of 4.0.0.

I hope that things will improve, because right now, I am very disappointed.

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• Dec 29, 2022 - 19:07

MuseScore 4 supports these things, but differently, and unfortunately,. not yet on Linux. To select sounds within soundfonts, or to apply effects, you'd use VST - currently only available on Windows and macOS. But hopefully that will be addressed soon, as obviously, these are known limitations no one wants to live with longer than necessary. Probably also there will be non-VST methods of selecting sounds within soundfonts, and also non-VST effects. These too are known issues. So for now, by all means, feel free to continue using MuseScore for the playback. You might still wish to use MsueScore when it's time to print or export to PDF, to take advantage of the vastly improved engraving.

BTW, you can still access individual sounds in MuseScore 4 if you use a third party utility to split your soundfont up into multiple soundfonts. But, you'd need to apply reverb in post processing.

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• Dec 30, 2022 - 00:18

I had to edit the above a couple times because I was making link errors.

The best example of why I won't consider Musescore 4 is Buxtehude BWV 149, plrelude and fugue in G Minor, which has several stop changes.

I had to search and search through messages and documents to figure out how to switch stops, and now I can't do that in Musescore 4.

I will reconsider it if, and when, this is addressed, on Linux.

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