Re: [fluid-dev] SoundFont Preset generator interpretation

[Garth Hjelte]

At 09:09 PM 6/21/2020, you wrote:

>>In the SoundFont spec, it seems - and at times explicitly states - that the 
>>Preset values are ADDED to the Instrument Values, and are interpreted as 
>>Units specified in the spec. From page 45 (2.01 sepc).

>I could confirm that fluidsynth does what SF 2.01 page 45 states using unit 
>specified in the spec (8.1.3 page 37, 38). Generator values at preset level 
>are added to instrument generator values. This is true for all generators 
>(except for the invalid generators at preset level you read p 45).

Thank you.

>Unfortunately, I could not confirm what both Vienna and Viena editors are 
>doing. I hope that any other user(s) will help. Did you tried Polyphone 
>reading and displaying what was edited in Vien(n)a ?

I'll check over this week. I should say before I check that Vienna and Viena 
and Polyphone BETTER abide by the spec. However, again the mystery, is that not 
only does Viena violate it, but Vienna violates it as well. This is a real 
problem because Creative/Emu as authors of Vienna themselves violated their own 
spec, and that is also probably why Viena does it the way they do. (And 
interestingly Viena EXACTLY copies the violation.)

I predict Polyphone copied the Vienna/Viena lead. So this could be de facto 
spec violation, where you can be as right as you want but still lose the war.

I've attempted to contact Viena's author to get an explanation.

This is an important issue as tons of SoundFonts have these generators at the 
Preset Level and not at the Instrument Level. The programmers obviously didn't 
not want to edit every Instrument Zone, whether it is Global or not. They just 
took the easy way out. 

Garth Hjelte
Sampler User