Provided by: awesfx_0.5.2-1_amd64 bug

NAME

       sfxload, asfxload - load a SoundFont file on the Emux WaveTable

SYNOPSIS

       sfxload [-options] fontfile

       asfxload [-options] fontfile

DESCRIPTION

       sfxload  and asfxload are utility program sto transfer the sound wave and instruments data
       in a SoundFont file to the AWE32 sound driver, or to the Emux WaveTable of ALSA sbawe  and
       emu10k1  drivers.   This  program  is  necessary  for  playing  MIDI samples via sequencer
       programs supporting AWE driver.  There is no big difference between sfxload  and  asfxload
       except  for that asfxload is for ALSA and sfxload is for OSS, respectively. The options to
       specify devices are different between them (see below).

       Basically, sfxload behaves as two ways.
                 % sfxload fontfile
                 % sfxload -b1 fontfile

       The first usage is to read SF2 (or SBK) file and transfer to  the  awe  driver.   In  this
       case,  the  samples which were loaded on the driver are replaced with the new one.  In the
       second case, sfxload reads the file and appends it to the pre-loaded samples on the driver
       with specified bank number.  The old samples remain in the driver.  The additional samples
       can be cleared via -x option (see below).

       The sound files are searched through the path list.  The path list is defined as built-in.
       If  the environment variable SFBANKDIR or the command line option -P is given, it replaces
       the default search list.  The file extension .sf2, and .sbk can be abbreviated.

OPTIONS

       -F, --device=file (sfxload only)
              Specify the device file to be used.  Default value is /dev/sequencer.

       -D, --index=number (sfxload only)
              Specify the device index of AWE driver.  Negative number (e.g. -1) means  to  probe
              the  first AWE device automatically.  For selecting the other AWE cards, a positive
              index number must be given here.  Default value is -1.

       -D, --hwdep=name (asfxload only)
              Specify the hwdep name to be used.  As  default,  asfxload  seeks  until  any  Emux
              compatible hwdep device is found.

       -i, --clear[=bool]
              Remove all samples before loading the fonts.  This is an explicit directive (see -b
              option).  If this option is  specified  alone  without  soundfont  file  arguments,
              sfxload  does onlay remove samples.  Either of on, off, yes, no, true, or false can
              be specified as an optional argument.

       -x, --remove[=bool]
              Remove the optional samples previously loaded via -b option.   Otherwise,  all  new
              samples are simply appended.

       -N, --increment[=bool]
              Do  not  clear samples even with the absence of -b option.  However, this option is
              not exclusive with -x option. If both options are specified, and  the  memory  full
              error  is  encountered during loading fonts, sfxload will try to remove samples and
              load the fonts again.

       -b, --bank=number
              Append the sound samples on the specified bank.  Without this option,  all  present
              samples  in the driver are removed before loading the new fonts unless -N option is
              specified. Usually, this option is necessary to load user bank, typically  in  bank
              one.  For example,
                        % sfxload synthgm.sbk
                        % sfxload -b1 surprise.sf2

       -l, --lock[=bool]
              Lock the font.  The locked font is no longer removed via remove option (-x) even if
              it's loaded together with -b option.

       -C, --compat[=bool]
              Use the old (v0.4.2) parameter calculations.

       -A, --sense=sensitivity
              (Only valid on compatible mode)
              Set sample attenuation  sensitivity.   This  option  controls  the  sensitivity  of
              initial attenuation parameter of each instrument defined in SoundFont file.  In the
              program, each parameter is calculated from the value divided by this number for the
              original  value.   The  number  1.0  means  that  the  original initial attenuation
              parameters would be used.  Generally, smaller number makes drum sounds louder.   (I
              think  "-A  2" would be similar to Windows sounds.)  The default value is 10.  Note
              that this option changes also the default attenuation automatically (see below).

       -a, --atten=attenuation
              (Only valid on compatible mode)
              Set the default attenuation level.  This option controls the minimum attenuation of
              the sample.  The parameter is given in raw digit number for AWE driver, that is, in
              8/3 dB unit.  Since --sense option changes the default  attenuation  automatically,
              specify this option later from --sense option.  The default value is 32.

       -d, --decay=scale
              (Only valid on compatible mode)
              Set  the  scale  of envelope decay time.  Default value is 50.0.  Sounds decay fast
              when larger number is set.  The ver.0.3 sfxload uses 54.8.  If you want to keep the
              same sound, use this number instead.

       -M, --memory[=bool]
              Display the left memory size in DRAM on the AWE32 card.

       -c, --chorus=percent
              Specify  the  effects  of  chorus.   The  value  is in percent, from 0 to 100.  The
              default is unspecified.  This value may be overwritten by MIDI control messages.

       -r, --reverb=percent
              Specify the effects of reverb.  The value is  in  percent,  from  0  to  100.   The
              default is unspecified.  This value may be overwritten by MIDI control messages.

       -B, --addblank[=bool]
              Add  48  size  of  blank  loop  on  each  sample data.  Usually, this option is not
              necessary.  Most of soundfont files are designed well for enough  blank  loops  for
              each sample.

       -L, --extract=source[:map]
              Extract  and load only the specified preset(s).  This option is usually employed by
              drvmidi.  The preset is given as same as in virtual bank file.

       -v, --verbose[=level]
              Increase or set the verbosity level.

       -q, --quiet
              Don't show error messages, equivalent with --verbose=0.

       -V, --volume=percent
              Specify the total volume of sounds, provided in percent.   The  default  volume  is
              70%.

       -P, --path=path1:path2:pathN
              Specify  the search path list.  The sound files are searched from path1, path2, and
              so on.  This overrides both the system path and environment variable SFBANKDIR.

VIRTUAL BANK FILE

       The virtual bank file is a list of presets treated as one soundfont file.  The  syntax  of
       virtual bank is as follows:
                      # comments
                      source:map[:soundfont [preset-name]
                      source:map[:soundfont [preset-name]
                      ...

       The first and second items are the source and mapped presets, respectively.  The former is
       the existing preset in the soundfont, and the latter is the actual preset  loaded  on  the
       sound driver.  The preset is described by the following three values,
                      preset/bank/keynote
       If  bank  and  keynote are omitted, bank 0 and keynote -1 (meaning to search all keys) are
       applied.

       The third item is the name of soundfont file.  The file is searched  from  the  prescribed
       search-path.  The remaining arguments are ignored in sfxload.

       If  the  soundfont  name  is omitted, sfxload loads it as preset mapping.  It just behaves
       like a symbolic link of file opposing to copying of the file.   Any  sample  data  is  not
       referred at this time, but searched first when the note is played.

       A couple of special commands can be used together with the virtual presets above.  default
       command is used to specify the default soundfont file.  Any other presets  which  are  not
       defined  in  the  virtual preset lists are loaded from this default font.  For example, in
       the following virtual bank, 2mbgmgs.sf2 is used except for standard drumsets which employs
       drum.sf2:
                      0/128:0/128:drum.sf2
                      default 2mbgmgs.sf2

       Another  special  command  is  include command.  This simply includes another virtual bank
       file under the current position. For example,
                      default standard.sf2
                      0/128:0/128:drum.sf2
                      include xgsfx.bnk

SYSTEM RESROUCE FILE

       The default option arguments can be stored in the system resource  file.   There  are  two
       files loaded as default.
                 $HOME/.sfxloadrc
                 /etc/sfxloadrc

       The syntax is as follows:
                 fontname -options..
       The  first  argument  is soundfont file name for each option.  The remaining arguments are
       identical with command line options.  The font name default is used  for  default  options
       for  all  sound  fonts.  The default options are overridden by specific options or command
       line options.

       For example, to set default chorus level 20 except for  synthgm  font,  you  can  write  a
       resource file ~/.sfxloadrc like that:
                 default   --chorus=20
                 synthgm --chorus=0

ENVIRONMENT

       SFBANKDIR
              Search path for sound files.  The current directory is always searched at first.

SEE ALSO

       drvmidi(1)

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright (C) 1996-2003 Takashi Iwai.

       The  AWE32 driver and utilities are free software; you can redistribute them and/or modify
       them under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the  Free  Software
       Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

                                         January 22, 2003                              sfxload(1)