SFZ is a

plain text In computing, plain text is a loose term for data (e.g. file contents) that represent only characters of readable material but not its graphical representation nor other objects (floating-point numbers, images, etc.). It may also include a limit ...

file format that stores instrument data for

software synthesizers A software synthesizer or softsynth is a computer program that generates digital audio, usually for music. Computer software that can create sounds or music is not new, but advances in processing speed now allow softsynths to accomplish the sa ...

. The SFZ format was developed by René Ceballos (founder of rgc:audio software) and continues to be used by companies such as

Cakewalk The cakewalk was a dance developed from the "prize walks" (dance contests with a cake awarded as the prize) held in the mid-19th century, generally at get-togethers on Black slave plantations before and after emancipation in the Southern Uni ...

, Plogue and Garritan. SFZ is a royalty-free format and can be used by software developers for both free and commercial purposes. The SFZ Format is widely accepted as an open standard to define the behavior of a musical instrument from a bare set of sound recordings. Similar file formats are the open Decent Sampler format.dspreset and the proprietary format of

Native Instruments Native Instruments is a German company that develops, manufactures, and supplies music software and hardware for music production, sound design, performance, and DJing. The company's corporate headquarters and main development facilities are lo ...

Kontakt .nki, .nkm. A simple example of an SFZ file:


lovel=0
hivel=127

 trigger=attack  pitch_keycenter=60 lokey=30 hikey=61 sample=SubDir/01C4.wav
 trigger=attack  pitch_keycenter=62 lokey=62 hikey=63 sample=SubDir/02D4.wav
 trigger=attack  pitch_keycenter=64 lokey=64 hikey=64 sample=SubDir/03E4.wav
 trigger=attack  pitch_keycenter=65 lokey=65 hikey=66 sample=SubDir/04F4.wav
 trigger=attack  pitch_keycenter=67 lokey=67 hikey=68 sample=SubDir/05G4.wav
 trigger=attack  pitch_keycenter=69 lokey=69 hikey=70 sample=SubDir/06A4.wav
 trigger=attack  pitch_keycenter=71 lokey=71 hikey=71 sample=SubDir/07B4.wav
 trigger=attack  pitch_keycenter=72 lokey=72 hikey=73 sample=SubDir/08C5.wav
 trigger=attack  pitch_keycenter=74 lokey=74 hikey=75 sample=SubDir/09D5.wav
 trigger=attack  pitch_keycenter=76 lokey=76 hikey=108 sample=SubDir/10E5.wav

The SFZ format isn't maintained by a single company or group, and supported features can vary between individual synthesizers. The official page at the Cakewalk web-site is no longer available, however descriptions of the SFZ opcodes can be found on various websites. Applications exist that provide a point-and-click

GUI The GUI ( "UI" by itself is still usually pronounced . or ), graphical user interface, is a form of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices through graphical icons and audio indicator such as primary notation, inste ...

for creating SFZ files, as an alternative to editing the text directly.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Sfzformat

Ariaengine

SFZ opcodes list at LinuxSampler.org
Computer file formats