[linux-audio-user] Recommendatio wanted

[Chris Cannam]

On Monday 01 Dec 2003 10:45 am, Joerg Anders wrote:
> Do you really get different results
> with FluidR3 soundfont and FluidSynth ?

Well, one problem is that I don't think you've ever actually said 
which patch you're using, except that it's "strings".  The result I 
get varies wildly depending on which patch I use.  With the Fluid3 
soundfont, I get:

Violin (41), viola (42), cello (43): level tones, entered smoothly, 
building up rather than attacking.  A bit unexpressive but nice 
enough.

Tremolo Strings (45): a very glitchy sound with a smooth envelope.  
Sounds nasty, surely something wrong with the font or synth here but 
it's not the same effect as you're describing.

String Ensemble 1 (49): pretty much the same as you.  I'm guessing 
this is what you're using.

String Ensemble 2 (50): a nice smooth string wash, no attack.

Synth Strings 1 (51): a smooth sound with some pretty bizarre tuning.

Synth Strings 2 (52): similar but more so (reminds me of that 
out-of-tune synth in Joy Division's The Eternal).

So you see, I've generally assumed that most of these fonts were just 
designed to have the string ensemble 1 sound a bit more vigorous for 
faster passages and the string ensemble 2 be the friendly wash.  That 
is actually quite a useful distinction.  It hadn't occurred to me 
that other synths would play it differently.

Given that this isn't exhibited with all string patches, it really 
might be worth taking a bit more time to check that the hardware 
synth is actually the correct one.  Just because you like it better 
doesn't necessarily mean it is (although it seems probable).  I 
certainly agree with you that the difference is rather strange.


Chris