Oh Boy - Whole new questions about MuseScore 4 - specifically - applying sooundfont instruments
So sorry for starting a whole new line of questions about using MuseScore 4, but I am trying to learn it, so ...
I have a variety of custom 3rd party soundfonts installed. Most are soundfont collections, with 20 to 30 instruments in them. I am trying to get MuseScore 4 to use one of the custom instruments in one of those soundfonts. Specifically, Soundfont "Musescore-custom. sf2", contains an instrument named "Violin (all around)". That is the one I want to use whenever I choose a solo violin in my score.
Here is a screenshot of MuseScore 3's old synthesizer menu. Notice that here, I have loaded MuseScore-custom.sf2" as one of my soundfonts. It tells the program to look inside this soundfont collection for instruments to use.
Then, when I want to use one of the many instruments inside MuseScore-custom.sf2, I open the Mixer menu, and from the big list that appears in the Sound menus, I can choose my preferred instrument Violin (all around). Here is a screenshot:
Great. Now, to MuseScore 4. There is no "Synthesizer" menu to specify what custom soundfonts I want to use. Rather, it appears they all show up in the Mixer menu when it is opened. So, I select "MuseScore-Custom as my soundfont, and ... nothing. There is no place to select the "Violin (All Around)" from within the contained instruments. I named the 2nd stave "Violin Solo" and entered some notes in it, but they would not sound. I also named the Violin part, "Violin (all around) but again, no sound appeared when I tried playing some violin notes. here is a screenshot:
How do I assign Stave 2 to the custom soundfont sound, "Violin (all around) inside MuseScore-Custom.sf2?
HELP!
Comments
I had the same issue.
I made a custom instrument list as well in hopes of fixing this but it seems like musescore 4 won't load my custom instrument list.
My workaround (although not applicable to your use-case) was to make custom Drumset styles (.drm files) for all my marching percussion instruments.
What I would recommend for you:
Use a third-party VST called Sforzando to load up your custom soundfonts. This is guaranteed to work:)
The ability to select a patch from within a soundfont will be restored in a future update.
For non-linux users, the workaround as mentioned is to resort to the free Sforzando or Sfizz VSTs and load the soundbank via them.
In reply to The ability to select a… by jeetee
Thanks for the post. I look forward to the fix, given that I use custom soundfonts almost exclusively. Sadly, I have no idea how to convert an sf2 file of 20 instruments into sfz VST's, and "load the soundbank with them". How do I do that? Thanks in advance
Frank
In reply to Thanks for the post. I look… by fsgregs
You don't convert anything.
Sforzando (or Sfizz) is a VST3 plugin you download and install from their creators. In the MuseScore mixer you then choose as a "sound" for your instrument that VST3 plugin. It'll open up a window in which you can then open the soundfont file you have and select the sound you wish to hear.
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccV8kR8hKzU for a video where someone set this up for the MDL Soundfonts with Sforzando. But the same technique applies for loading sf2 files as well.
In reply to You don't convert anything… by jeetee
Jeetee: I apologize for being dense, but I checked out the MDL video you referenced on Youtube and was quite lost, quickly. Changing audio, creating folders and files, etc. is beyond me. Would there be any way someone could simply list the exact steps someone would have to take in MuseScore 4 to load a particular soundfont instrument into the mixer from a combined sf2 file so that it plays what we need it to play?
Also, this strikes me as a major bug. Not being able to use 3rd party soundfonts in MuseScore 4 is a MAJOR bummer. Do you know when they intend to fix this?
In reply to Jeetee: I apologize for… by fsgregs
I expect the functionality to select from within a soundfont in one of the first feature releases (4.1 or 4.2) as it also affects the usage of the MS Basic font.
As for steps:
0. (only once) Download and Install Sforzando from their website.
1. In the mixer, for you instrument, click on the Sound dropdown menu and select "VST3 > Plogue Art et Technologie, Inc > Sforzando", as a result, the Sforzando window will open up
2. In the top-left of the Sforzando window, click just to the right of "Instrument:"
3. (first time using a certain soundfont only) click on Import and choose your sf2; A folder for the import/conversion resulting files will be asked; choose one to your liking (for me its a new folder inside the MS4\Soundfonts folder).
4. Click on that same area in the Sforzando window again and choose "Converted > sf2 > [name of soundfont] > [name of sound]"
5. Close the Sforzando window.
In reply to I expect the functionality… by jeetee
Jeetee: Yes, it worked. I now have all my custom soundfonts available to use. Your steps were perfect. Thanks a bunch. Given the new MuseScore sounds that come with version 4, I may or may not need all of my chosen soundfonts. Some of their new ones in MS4 are quite good. Time will tell. Anyway, thanks again. (smile)
In reply to Jeetee: Yes, it worked. I… by fsgregs
The Muse Sounds are 10,000 times better than any soundfont that has ever existed. For instruments not included yet in Muse Sounds, you can use a variety of techniques to access sounds in third party soundfonts as described, but you can also use VST instruments directly, which are also likely to be at least 100 times better than any soundfont.