Soundfonts

• May 6, 2020 - 05:59

Im looking for the most realistic soundfonts for orchestra, i have used many others but crescendos do NOT work
Actually i cant afford for Logic pro and also i´m using windows

I want to edit my scores y msuescore and then use another software to masterize it, but if i can find a REAL good soundfont that works that would be nice

also if anyone can help me with softwares cause im really good editing scores but i know nothing about programs and such

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• May 7, 2020 - 17:39

Cannot help with softwares... but I have to say you'll never find the perfect soundfonts. I have discovered VSCO community edition vanilla has sfz files of all basic instruments, except saxophones if you consider it basic.The folder is 3,5GB, but the piccolo should be fixed to be 1 octave above because with the sfz files of piccolo they just play in the wrong range... I also want to report that crescendo and such do not work for me either and I also want to know how to "fix" that and if it can be fixed.

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• May 9, 2020 - 00:00

Over-all the best orchestral fonts are the ones made for MuseScore. MuesScore_General_HQ sf3. It sounds to me like it is based on many of the other sfz fonts out there. I don't use crescendo text because it is not very precise. I use hairpins instead with dynamic markings.
It is lacking a few instruments.
The problem with sfz fonts like VSCO is that they take for ever to load and as noted don't always work. I am starting to find a way around that. The default font has no solo horn. I've taken the solo horn from Virtual Playing Orchestra Loaded it into Polyphone and saved it as sf2. Not sure about single note dynamics yet. but the one orchestra piece I need solo horn in works so far with hairpins.
No notation software at any price is going to be as good as a DAW.

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• May 9, 2020 - 16:35

That's one of the fascinating aspects of this whole thing. We each have our own idea of what sounds good.

So I did some experiments with some different fonts as far as opening MuseScore goes.

  1. default fonts. 4 to 6 seconds.
  2. VSCO only. 14 seconds. Good enough. Missing many instruments. But even within MuseScore you can mix instruments from different fonts. Or Use Polyphone to sfz files to sf2(3). Easier than you imagine. As I understand it, sfz is more for more sophisticated players than MuseScore. I'm not sure there has been lose of fidelity changing sfz to sf2. Every one hears different.
  3. Virtual Playing Orchestra only. 1 minute 14 seconds. This is the font I was referring to previously.

VSCO can be changed to sf3. You can do it yourself.

I have no idea how to load just the instruments I want for a specific time.
My laptop is a bit older. W10, i5 cpu, 8GB ram, very fast SSD. Boots to the desktop in less than 20 seconds.

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• May 9, 2020 - 19:05

Test it for yourself.
Search for "Polyphone" on the internet. Set up a test destination folder before hand. When you open Polyphone, you may see, on the left side, that it has already found your fonts. I didn't use these listings. Rather I selected the Open Soundfonts button in the top center. Then maneuver to the font folder you want to work with. In My case, I went to the VSCO folder. Open VSCO and you will see the sub-folders and the long list of sfz files. For testing, select the three bassoon sfz files. select "Open". In the next screen the three files are listed in separate tabs across the top. Select the three lines (menu) at the top right. Select "Export soundfonts". Set the "Destination" folder and "Format" of your choice. Select "Export". The three files are saved as one font that will work in MuseScore. Name the new font something you will remember like Bobs Bassoon. load the font in MuseScore the usual way. create a score with a few notes in bass clef. In the mixer, load Bobs Bassoon and listen to it work. This is really easier than it sounds.
In this way you can pick and chose between various fonts and eventually have one font you like.
Personally, even being a trumpet player myself, I have never used a mute sound in a composition. Way too many other musical things to do. But that's me.

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• May 9, 2020 - 20:39

I don't want to combine files! For example in VSCO you'll see a file for staccato, a file for accent and a file "sustain". I think they must be separate all the time... I was just wondering if something will change if I do them sf3 files... Also you have mentioned the fact you are a trumpet player before but you don't seem to remember.

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