Real solo Cello soundfont ?

• Apr 3, 2017 - 17:41

Hi,

I've tried a lot of cellos soundfonts over there but none of them convinced me.
I hear that they are all sounding more or less as a trump.
I wonder if it could be a sound card issue. (I am currently using Musescore 2 with a *light* PC)

if it could not be related to the sound card, do you know any specialized soundfont about cellos that is sounding at least a little bit like a real cello ? I mean,I found any piano is sounding as something approaching a piano, but impossible to get something useful about cellos.

If you have one, I'd like to here what can be done with it (mp3), if it is possible.... to be sure it's not my fault.

I found that the best one for me (by far) is still "Fluid R3 GM".

Thanks for any help.

-L

Comments

• Apr 3, 2017 - 18:33

Pretty much all soundfonts use real recordings of real musicians playing real instruments. So any single note should sound reasonably convincing. The problem is, real music isn't just a succession of individual notes played in isolation. What happens as notes changes (eg, notes played within a single bow motion versus on a bow change), also the different variations in how notes can possibly be played in terms of things like speed of attach, amount of vibrato, etc - all of these things will conspire against any attempt to make a realistic sound by gluing together recordings of individual notes. Piano is easier than other instruments because in fact there is much less dependency on these subtleties in the sound of the instrument.

Which is to say, you can find soundfonts that you might like slightly better here or there, but don't expect true realism, because the whole concept of how MIDI soundfonts work just isn't going to get you there.

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• Apr 3, 2017 - 20:41

Thank you Marc for your reply.

I learned many things with your comment and I thank you for that too.
Sure I understand what your telling about, so I stop here the quest for a cello sound sounding cello.

My goal is to produce some playback for the cello score. It could have been useful to get a good cello sound, but what I really need is just accuracy even if it hurts my ears ;)

Bye.

-L

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• Jun 6, 2024 - 19:06

Any updates in 2024? I'm looking for the same! I would be happy if I can find a cello that plays slurs on a single bow stroke. I tried some of them and they sound a bit "waw waw" when playing slurred notes.

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