What is a soundfont?

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Hi!

I'm new to producing electronic music so this is probably a beginner's question.

What is a soundfont?

I don't get the difference between a soundfont and a VST.

I have imported a composition into LMMS and now I want to colour and layer it up, however I can't hear anything because it says I'm missing a soundfont,

You guys are great I like LMMS 8-)

~Lien
Lien wrote:
Thu Mar 04, 2021 10:25 am

What is a soundfont?
I don't get the difference between a soundfont and a VST.
Soundfonts are collections of samples, embedded in a template. You can find editors that can build soundfonts from your own wave-samples, they are however somewhat complicated, and not intuitive.
VSTs are computer programs, that uses the sound-card in your PC to generate sine-wave-spectrums, that then can be modulated with filters and waveshaping maths, so a complex wave-spectrum is the result.
VSTs can literally produce any sound, and are generally much more versatile, than soundfonts. Soundfonts can only reproduce what has been embedded in them. For that reason you cant use envelopes with soundfonts..
I have imported a composition into LMMS and now I want to colour and layer it up, however I can't hear anything because it says I'm missing a soundfont,
That is a complete different issue.
In LMMS it is expected that you install at least one soundfont. That would then be your default-sounfont, and you must link to that in your Settings!
It is also used when you import MIDI-file-information, because MIDI expect soundfont usage, through the PCs soundfont-library (a standard-part of your sound-card)
Read more about soundfonts here and follow the link in resourced to a general-user-soundfont:
In LMMS it is expected that you install at least one soundfont. That would then be your default-sounfont, and you must link to that in your Settings!
It is also used when you import MIDI-file-information, because MIDI expect soundfont usage, through the PCs soundfont-library (a standard-part of your sound-card)

I've downloaded a soundfont but I can't select it. When I'm in "settings ---> default soundfont" and I'm looking up the folder where I've installed it, it says it is empty.
Lien wrote:
Fri Mar 05, 2021 9:39 am
In LMMS it is expected that you install at least one soundfont. That would then be your default-sounfont, and you must link to that in your Settings!
It is also used when you import MIDI-file-information, because MIDI expect soundfont usage, through the PCs soundfont-library (a standard-part of your sound-card)

I've downloaded a soundfont but I can't select it. When I'm in "settings ---> default soundfont" and I'm looking up the folder where I've installed it, it says it is empty.
Cant 'see it' from the browser in Settings?
Have you placed the soundfont in program-files
That is a protected-zone, and 'some' windows-setups wont let you use that.
Copy your soundfont to your <username>|..| LMMS library. Just make a folder there, and drop the soundfont in. The one Gps linked to is excellent, after that browse to it from setting and select it. Test it by importing a MIDI-file
You should have a complete import, and the midi-type instruments should be used in the project

also read https://lmms.io/wiki/index.php?title=SF2_Player
THANKS :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :!:

I had it all installed in my documents folder on the desktop, now everything is well organized.