[linux-audio-user] Midi Cards

[John Check]

On Thursday 03 March 2005 01:46 am, Mark Constable wrote:
> John Check wrote:
> >>>I believe the emu10k1's hardware synth is limited to 128MB.  It would be
> >>>very useful if someone could trim that 141MB down to 128.
>
> # asfxload fluid.sf2
> sfxload: no memory left
>
> But it mostly seems to work but I've never bothered to
> hunt down which instruments are not loaded.
>
> >>I'd really like to rearrange that soundfont and get rid of
> >>(to me) some crap... and perhaps try to improve some of the
> >>sounds with better samples... but every time I have tried
> >>to use smurf over the years it just dies on me.
> >
> > Smurf is working here. Let's see if we can get a consensus on "crap",
> > or a least see which way the wind is blowing.
>
> Start at 128 and work back up is what I would suggest.
> The only ones I could imagine ever using, perhaps, are
>
> .Reverse Cymbal
> .Synth Drum
> .Kalimba
> .FX 4 (atmosphere)
>
> but only if they were worthwhile decent samples to start
> with and that is unlikely.
>
> 097  FX 1 (rain)               105   Sitar
> 098  FX 2 (soundtrack)         106   Banjo
> 099  FX 3 (crystal)            107   Shamisen
> 100  FX 4 (atmosphere)         108   Koto
> 101  FX 5 (brightness)         109   Kalimba
> 102  FX 6 (goblins)            110   Bagpipe
> 103  FX 7 (echoes)             111   Fiddle
> 104  FX 8 (sci-fi)             112   Shanai
>
>    PERCUSSIVE                     SOUND EFFECTS
> 113  Tinkle Bell               121   Guitar Fret Noise
> 114  Agogo                     122   Breath Noise
> 115  Steel Drums               123   Seashore
> 116  Woodblock                 124   Bird Tweet
> 117  Taiko Drum                125   Telephone Ring
> 118  Melodic Tom               126   Helicopter
> 119  Synth Drum                127   Applause
> 120  Reverse Cymbal            128   Gunshot

So these are "crap" or not? Easiest solution is just whack it into to parts
"melodic" and "other", but trimming 19MB worth of samples may be really easy.

>
> Another issue is the licensing of the samples and the

That's _the_ issue as far as doing anything redistributable..

According to the comment field:
DO NOT REDISTRIBUTE ANY OF THESE SAMPLES. 

I don't see an email address but I'll see if I can get a hold of the author 
for clarification. There's no telling where he got 'em, it may be CYA.
The copyright holder for the soundfont appears to be an individual, which
raises some questions as far as having the resources WRT acquiring the raw 
samples in the first place.

Making patch sets and variations from different sources is expected. Exactly 
what would constitute fair use of the raw samples would depend on sample 
length.. Loops of  a few cycles aren't likely to be issues. Full bar rhythm 
loops OTOH.... 

> soundfont as a whole but just getting a <128Mb file would
> be a great start.

Ignoring bit/sample rates, bigger soundfont size doesn't count for much. It 
takes less time/skill to produce.


>
 >>Are there any other tools, especially CLI ones, that could
> >>pull apart a sf2 soundfont and put it back together ?
>
> Anyone ?
>
> --markc