TOPIC: How to create a drumkit sf2

I am pretty new to this but had good luck creating a pitched instrument sound font. I want to create a drumkit soundfont but it does not seem to work for all the samples I am using.. I am using the key numbers of GM percussion for my samples. The keyboard just plays back clicks or a loud noise, yet some notes seem to work. help would be appreciated. Attached is a pic of instrument - the italic line "sample root key" is also something I cannot find info on.

in your drum Instrument set Tuning (Scale) to zero.
i dont know the architecture of your soundfont, but it you are a clever or lucky soundfonteneer, then you can set this value for all your samples in the Global column.
regards bottrop

I set the global scale tuning to zero but no joy. what is happening is that all the sound fonts play together on any one key so it is like one big noise. I also tried setting each samples scale tuning to zero but that did not work either. I also wonder why some sample root keys say "1" or "2" and others say "60"? I appreciate your help.

of course, like in any soundfont, you must set a Key Range for every sample (top of the list) an .sf2 cannot smell on which key you want to hear which sound.
dont forget to start every soundfont with 1 or 2 milliseconds Volume env Attack and 1 second Volume env Release.

Dear Eric Rollnick,

Welcome to the soundfont community!

I see that you are having problems with notes that always play regardless of what key you press. From the screenshots you have shown me, you have assigned some key ranges. However, since there are still notes that always play, you have not assigned all of the key ranges.

To solve the problem, find samples with a blank key range, and assign the key range correctly. Once you have done this, you can test each note to make sure that the problem is solved.

Useful tips when making a drum kit SF2:

• Refer to the General MIDI drum kit map, which you are doing right now.
• Use a release time of 100 seconds, otherwise the notes will cut off when you release the key. If you use a release time of 1 second as Bottrop suggested, the notes may fade out on keyoff with longer samples, like cymbals.
• Set the "exclusive class" parameter for all hi hat sounds to "1" for a more natural hi hat sound (The closed hi hat will stop the open hi hat sound).
• Bottrop has suggested you set the scale tuning to zero. In most cases however, you don't have samples of six different sizes of toms, as required in General MIDI. Feel free to use the tuning settings, as these will still work if the scale tuning is set to zero.
• If the "Sample Root Key" (in italic) matches the root key parameter you have added, you do not need the root key parameter. This saves you an instrument parameter, which is useful, as you are limited to 65536 (internal soundfont structure addresses instrument parameters as 16-bit). I have run out of instrument parameters before.

The "sample root key" (in italic) is the root key that is stored with the sample.
To change it, you need to go to the "samples" section, select a sample (for example "sidestick_M1L" you have highlighted), and go to the tuning section below the waveform.
Now change it to whatever you need (which in this case, will be the General MIDI drum kit map).
When you go back to the instrument, you will notice that the italic value has changed.

I'm sorry if this is a bit much, but I hope this helped you.

sylvia

Thanks for the help. you stated: "go to the tuning section below the waveform.
Now change it to whatever you need (which in this case, will be the General MIDI drum kit map)" Is that where it now says
1 (C#)? An d do I just type in General midi drum kit map? I assume I should do this for every note..
"find samples with a blank key range," where do I find these? This is my first attempt at sound font creation so i do appreciate your understanding.