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User manual 2
|- Soundfont editor 6
| |- Tree 7
| |- Toolbar 12
| |- Editing pages 16
| | |- General information 17
| | |- Sample editor 19
| | |- Instrument editor 23
| | |- Preset editor 31
| |- Configuration summaries 33
| |- Tools 36
| | |- Global tools 40
| | |- Sample tools 42
| | |- Instrument tools 48
| | |- Preset tools 58
|- Soundfont browser 60
|- Settings 64
|- Menu 69
|- Annexes 72
| |- The different soundfont formats 73
| |- Command line 76

Tutorials 79
|- Create a soundfont from scratch 81
|- How to prepare a sample 85
|- Using custom releases in an instrument 90

Technical documentation 93
|- Building Polyphone for Mac OS X 95
|- Building Polyphone for Fedora 98
|- Building Polyphone for Ubuntu 101
|- Using Qt Creator to build Polyphone 103
|- Translate Polyphone 108

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User manual

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Welcome to the User Manual of Polyphone! You will learn here how to use every feature of the
software. If you need more help, or if the reading of these pages puts you off, you may find
, with tutorials (special thanks to Polyphone users for their
useful videos). Extra information can also be found in the annexes .

Home screen
assistance in the forum , or on YouTube

The first screen of Polyphone is basically made of 3 parts:

a left part , containing a file history and shortcuts;

a right part , dedicated to the soundfont repository;
a top area , containing tabs and a menu.

Home screen of Polyphone

Left part

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Opening a soundfont

Three ways for opening a soundfont:

a click on Open soundfont opens a file browser, the allowed file to select having the
extension sf2, sf3, sfArk or sfz (the different formats are described here );
a click on New soundfont opens an empty soundfont, everything is to be done from scratch;
a double-click on a soundfont from the history re-open it.

When a soundfont is open, a new tab appears with a soundfont editor inside.

Shortcuts

Three buttons are located at the bottom of the left part:

.
.
Settings: open the settings of the software in a new tab.

Right part

Online repository

A click on the button Online repository opens a tab with the soundfont browser .

Daily soundfonts

Every day, 5 random soundfonts are displayed here. This is made for inciting people discovering new
soundfonts. Double-clicking on one of them opens a new tab with the corresponding soundfont
Documentation:
description . open a web browser for reading the Polyphone documentation

Forum: open a web browser with the URL of the Polyphone forum

Search

It is possible to write a keyword here for searching specific soundfonts and the results will be
displayed in the soundfont browser .

Top area

Tabs

The tabs provide a quick access between:

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the home screen (first tab — always open),

the editor of an open soundfont,
the software settings ,
the soundfont browser ,
a soundfont description from the repository.

Menu

The menu, located in the top right corner, contains general functions and is described here .

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Soundfont editor

When a soundfont is created or when an existing one is opened, a new tab containing a soundfont
editor appears.

Soundfont editor

A soundfont editor is made of:

a tree on the left, representing the architecture of the soundfont;

a toolbar on the top (in blue in the picture);
a main area that can either contain an editing page or a configuration summary , depending
on what is selected in the tree .

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Tree

The tree is the first element in the editor you should focus on. It represents the architecture of the
open soundfont and pilots the right part of the software when you select one or more elements.

The tree is always displayed with the same structure , provides a contextual menu and has drag &
drop , copy / paste and search features.

Structure
The structure of the tree is made of 4 headers and sub-content for the headers Samples,
Instruments and Presets.

Tree: structure

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Header “General”

A click on the header General opens the editor of the general information .

Section “Samples”

This section lists all samples contained in the soundfont, which are the raw material upon which all
instruments are built. Selecting one or more samples leads to the sample editor . A click on the
header Samples displays the configuration summary of all samples.

Section “Instruments”

This section lists all instruments contained in the soundfont, an instrument being an intermediate
element made of samples and used by presets. Instruments contain links to samples called
“divisions”, displayed as a list below each instrument. Selecting an instrument or one of its divisions
leads to the instrument editor . A click on the header Instruments displays the configuration
summary of all instruments.

Section “Presets”

This section lists all presets contained in the soundfont, a preset being a final elements made of
instruments and that are accessible outside the soundfont. Presets contain links to instruments
called “divisions”, displayed as a list below each preset. Selecting a preset or one of its divisions
shows the preset editor . A click on the header Presets displays the configuration summary of all
presets.

Contextual menu
A right click on an element shows a menu comprising the following actions:

Bind to…
Bind the selected sample(s) to an instrument, or the selected instrument(s) to a preset.
Replace by…
Replace a sample by another sample in an instrument, or replace an instrument by another
instrument in a preset. The configuration of the divisions is kept.
Copy
Copy the selected element(s), also accessible with Ctrl+C.
Paste
Paste the previously copied element(s), also accessible with Ctrl+V.
Duplicate
Duplicate the selected element(s) that can be samples, instruments, presets or divisions.
Also accessible with Ctrl+D.
Delete
Delete the selected element(s), also accessible with Del.
Rename or bulk rename

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Rename the selected element(s), also accessible with F2. When several elements are
selected, different options are provided:

overwrite existing name with key name as suffix (for samples only),
overwrite existing name with numerical ascending suffix,
replace characters,
insert text at a specific position,
delete character range.

Tree: context menu

Drag & drop

The operation “drag & drop” in the tree enables quick associations or copies. Before a drag & drop
you need to select elements. This can be a single element or a multiple selection made possible with
the buttons Ctrl and Shift.

Then, the result of a drag & drop depends on the kind of elements that are dragged and the kind of
element that is targeted.

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Sample → instrument
Association of the sample to the instrument, creation of an instrument division.
Sample → header Instruments
Creation of an instrument that contains all samples dragged or creation of one instrument
per sample dragged.
Instrument → preset
Association of the instrument to the preset, creation of a preset division.
Instrument → instrument
Copy of all divisions of the source instrument into the destination instrument (it can be the
same instrument).
Instrument division → instrument or instrument division
Copy of the division of the source instrument into the destination instrument (it can be the
same instrument).
Instrument → header Presets
Creation of a preset that contains all instruments dragged or creation of one preset per
instrument dragged.
Preset → preset
Copy of all divisions of the source preset into the destination preset (it can be the same
preset).
Preset division → preset or preset division
Copy of the division of the source preset into the destination preset (it can be the same
preset).

Copy / paste
Everything that is possible with a drag & drop as seen previously is also possible with a copy / paste,
accessible through the contextual menu or with the shortcuts Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V.

Copy / Paste is also allowed within different soundfonts. It is possible to copy one element in a first
soundfont, and paste it in a second soundfont. A multiple selection is allowed.

Sample(s) selected
Copy of the samples.
Instrument(s) selected
Copy of the instruments including all samples linked.
Preset(s) selected
Copy of the presets including all instruments and samples linked.

During a copy of elements between different soundfonts, if an element having the same name
already exists several options are provided:

ignore the operation, in which case the copy is canceled for the element having the same
name;
replace the existing element, in which case the existing element is overwritten by the copied
element;
duplicate the element, in which case the element is copied next to the existing element with
a different name.

Search
To facilitate the search for items in the tree, a search bar is available to filter.

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Tree: search bar

When a string is inserted into the search bar, the elements containing it are shown. Moreover:

if the string is included in the name of sample, the instruments using the sample and the
presets using these instruments are displayed;
if the string is included in the name of an instrument, the samples used by the instrument
and the presets using the instrument are displayed;
if the string is included in the name of a preset, the instruments used by the preset and the
samples used by these instruments are displayed.

A click on the cross to the right of the editable field cancels the filter.

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Toolbar

The toolbar, located on the top of the editor, contains icons for:

common editing functions ,

switching the view in editors,
displaying the recorder ,
displaying the virtual keyboard .

Toolbar

Editing functions
The elements in the left part of the toolbar are for common editing functions:

New sample
Add new samples to the soundfont. A dialog will be displayed for selecting audio files (.wav
and .flac files can be imported).
New instrument
Create a new instrument .
New preset
Create a new preset .
Tools
Clicking on this button will show a menu containing all available tools for the selected
element(s) in the tree .
Undo
Undo the last modification.
Redo
Redo the last undone modification.
Save file
Save the soundfont.

Switch view
In the right part of the toolbar, some icons may appear depending on which editor is displayed:

switching between the table view , the range editor and the envelope editor is
possible when editing an instrument,
switching between the table view and the range editor is possible when editing a
preset,

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nothing displayed otherwise.

Recorder

When clicking on the icon , a window opens showing the recorder that can record the output of
Polyphone.

Recorder

The left button can have two possible states:

Record
Start a new record if the acquisition is off. It is possible here to specify the name of the file
that will contain the recorded audio signal.
Stop
Stop the current acquisition.

The right button can also have two possible states (only accessible if the acquisition is on):

Pause
Pause the current acquisition.
Resume
Resume the current acquisition.

Virtual keyboard

When clicking on the icon , a window opens showing the virtual keyboard that has been made for
testing samples, instruments and presets. This window triggers MIDI signals:

note on / note off / aftertouch with the piano keyboard,

other MIDI signals if the MIDI controller part is expanded.

Virtual keyboard

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Piano keyboard

The piano keyboard triggers signals that contains key and velocity numbers. It can be controlled in
three ways:

with the mouse

The desired key may be clicked by the mouse. The velocity is defined according to the
vertical position of the click. After a click, following moves within the same key will trigger
aftertouch signals.
using the computer keyboard
The keys used are defined in the settings .
using an external MIDI keyboard
The MIDI input is defined in the settings . If the piano keyboard is visible, it will show what
you are playing.

Markers and colors

When an instrument or a preset is selected, the area not covered by the divisions is
grayed. It is thus possible to visualize the full range of an instrument or a preset.
When a division of an instrument or a preset is selected, its range is displayed the same way
than above. Moreover, its root key is identified by an orange marker.
When a key is selected on the keyboard, it appears in blue (or the selection color selected in
the software settings ). Moreover, the range of its corresponding division appears in light
blue. This applies only at the instrument level.
Middle C (key 60) is identified by a black marker.

Useful shortcuts

Ctrl+K
This shortcut can put at any time the focus on the virtual keyboard. This allows, while editing
in a table for instance, to use the computer to play instead of edit a cell. A glow effect on the
virtual keyboard confirms that the focus is on it.
Ctrl+1, Ctrl+2, … Ctrl+8
These shortcuts change the octaves played with the computer keyboard. After the use of
Ctrl+1, the lowest octave can be played. The highest octave is reached using Ctrl+8.
→/←
The right or left arrow will play the pitch just next or below the last key that has been played,
with the same velocity. The association of the key Shift skips keys.
↑/↓
The up or down arrow will play the same pitch than the last key played, but with a stronger
or weaker velocity. The association of the key Shift skips velocities.

MIDI controllers

When clicking on the bottom right arrow, the MIDI controller area can be displayed or hidden. If you
are playing with modulators, it is advised that you use these features to test your soundfont.

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Virtual keyboard with MIDI controllers

This area is made of different buttons:

Pitch wheel
The pitch wheel increases or decreases the pitch. It goes back automatically to the original
position 0.
Sensitivity
The sensitivity defines the modification range in semi-tones of the pitch wheel. By default
this is 2 (one full tone).
Pressure
The pressure is the amount of pressure on the keyboard. It can be compared to the
aftertouch but while the aftertouch is key-specific, the pressure is a global signal for all keys.
Knobs
3 knobs are here so that MIDI controller values can be changed. For each knob you can
specify a controller number and then its value.
On / off led
This led is to set a MIDI controller value to 0 or 127 (useful for the sustain pedal for instance).
It is like a knob but with only two possible values.

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Editing pages

When a soundfont is opened, the tree is filled with the content of the soundfont. The editors will
appear to the right of the tree when elements are selected:

selecting the header General will show the editor of the general information ,
selecting one or more samples will show the sample editor ,
selecting instruments or instrument divisions will show the instrument editor ,
selecting presets or preset divisions will show the preset editor .

Editing pages

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General information

The page for editing the general information is displayed when the header General is selected in the
tree . This page is made of three kinds of elements:

editable fields ,
general information that are not editable,
statistics about the soundfont.

Global information page

Editable fields
The editing page of the general information provides fields for changing the following attributes:

Title
This is the internal name of the soundfont, which does not necessarily have to do with the file
name.
Author
Relates to the author name of the soundfont.
Date
Creation date of the file.

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Product
Product for which is designed the soundfont.
Copyright
Mention to fill if the file is subject to copyright.
Comments
Information not included in any of the previous categories.
Kind of samples
Indicates whether the samples are stored with a 16-bit or 24-bit resolution. Please note that
24-bit samples may not be supported in some synthesizers.

General information
The editing page of the general information comprises the following non-editable information:

Soundfont version
Version of the sf2 format used by the file.
ROM name and version
Name and version of a sample ROM if used.
Sound engine
Name of a sound engine.
Editing software
Editing software used for the soundfont creation.
File name
Address and name of the file.
File size
Size of the soundfont after it is saved.

Statistics
A count is made on:

the number of samples and unused samples,

the number of instruments and unused instruments,
the number of presets ,
the number of parameters and modulators edited for the instruments,
the number of parameters and modulators edited for the presets.

Unused samples and instruments can be easily removed with the tool “ Remove unused elements ”.

Note: The number of 65536 parameters in the instruments and the presets should not be exceeded.
Some synthesizers may not be adapted to read them all.

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Sample editor

When clicking on one or more sample(s) in the tree , the editing page of the samples appears.

This page is divided into several parts:

a graph representing the sample,

an information area,
an analyze of frequencies ,
an equalizer ,
a sample player .

Sample page

The graph

Zoom & drag

The graph allows the visualization of the sound wave. It is possible to zoom vertically or horizontally
by holding a right mouse click and dragging:

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dragging right expands the horizontal axis,

dragging left contracts the horizontal axis,
dragging up expands the vertical axis,
dragging down contracts the vertical axis.

Holding the left mouse button allows a horizontal move of the graph, if the horizontal axis has been
expanded.

Loop and playing positions

A green vertical bar indicates the start position of the loop (changeable by left click), a red bar
indicates the position of the end of the loop (changeable by right click). A dotted line representing a
wave portion is associated with each vertical bar, useful for visualizing the superimposition of the
beginning and the end of the loop.

During playback, a white vertical bar runs across the graph and indicates the playback position in
real time.

Cutting the sample

When holding the Alt keyboard button, it is possible to define an area to cut:

a left mouse button press defines the start of the area,

the corresponding left mouse button release defines the end of the area.

Once an area is defined, a dialog appears to ask for a confirmation before cutting the sample.

Cutting sample

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Colors of the graph

Graph colors are editable in the software preferences .

Section “Information”
The section “Information” allows the editing of the following information:

start and end of the loop,

root key of the sample and its correction to be applied for the sound to be tuned in the equal
temperament,
sound sample rate (a change will cause re-sampling),
sound type (not linked: mono, otherwise left, right or linked),
the linked sample if the sample is stereo.

In addition, the sample size in samples (number of values) and seconds is shown.

A button edits the start and end of the loop so that the loop is the entire sample. Another button
edits the root key and the correction so that they match with the evaluation of the frequency .

Any change on a stereo sample may be applied on the linked sample if the option Stereo editing is
ticked in the preferences . Via a multiple selection in the tree , several samples may be edited
simultaneously.

Frequency analysis
The frequency analysis includes a Fourier transform (graph showing the intensity of frequencies
contained in the signal). On the right is shown the list of dominant peaks with the following
information:

ratio between the peak intensity and the intensity of the maximum peak,
frequency,
closest corresponding key,
correction (distance to the closest corresponding key).

From these data an estimate of the pitch of the sound is made. This estimate can be used for tuning.

An export of the graph into a png image is possible by using the contextual menu of the graph (right
click). A tool is also available to export peak information of all samples.

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Fourier graph

Equalizer
The equalizer makes it possible to increase or decrease some frequencies, from -15 to 15 dB. It is
possible to listen to the effect with the option preview enabled and then definitely apply the effect
by pressing the Apply button. Pressing reset resets all the buttons to 0 dB (but does not remove the
effect on the sound: for that use the undo button in the toolbar ).

Any change on a stereo sample may be automatically applied on the linked sample if the option is
checked in the preferences .

Player
The player plays the sound. During playback, a white cursor runs across the graph to indicate the
playback position. Playback options are:

Loop
Plays the sound loop if the beginning and end of the loop are completed.
Stereo
Plays the sample in stereo, with its linked sample. If looping is also required, the two
respective loops are used (they can be different).
Sine
A sine calibration signal is added to the sound, allowing a sample tuning to the nearest pitch
hundredth. At first the root key must be filled. At this level, beats can be heard if the
frequency of the sine differs slightly from the fundamental frequency of the sound. It remains
to finely adjust the correction to make the beats as slow as possible, so that the sample is
tuned at best. See the tutorial “ How to prepare a sample ” for more information.

If a playback is in progress when switching from one sample to another through the tree , it
automatically restarts. Also, pressing the key space enables or disables playback if you are
navigating in the tree.

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Instrument editor

When clicking on one or more instrument(s) in the tree , the editing page of instruments appears.

This page comprises several parts:

the table ,
the range editor when the button Edit ranges from the toolbar is clicked,
the envelope editor when the button Edit envelope from the toolbar is clicked,
the modulator section .

Instrument page

If only one instrument is selected, the page allows the editing of the global parameters of the
instrument and the parameters of all its divisions.

In the case where several instruments are selected, the global parameters of each of these
instruments can be edited.

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Instrument page with multiple instruments selected

Table

Presentation

The table allows a global view and the editing of an instrument configuration. A change of a
parameter in the Global division applies to all divisions, except for divisions whose same parameter
is already specified (local override).

The editable parameters are:

Key range
Key range for which the sample will be heard.
Velocity range
Velocity range for which the sample will be heard. It is possible to set different sounds for the
same note, with different velocity ranges, to distinguish different nuances of a piano key for
example.
Attenuation (dB)
Attenuation in decibel applied to the sample.
Note: the sf2 format doesn't allow this value to be negative, no amplification is thus possible.
Pan
Balance applied to the sound, to hear it to the left or to the right in stereo.
Loop playback
indicates a sound reproduced with no loop, indicates a sound which loops
continuously, indicates a sound which loops for the duration of key depression and

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then proceeds to play the remainder of the sample.

Note: The sf2 format had no plans for a special playback mode which triggers a sample when
a key is released. One way to achieve this behavior is to double each sample with a sample
containing a short silent loop followed by the sound to emit on the release. The added
sample will be read with the playback parameter “loop on with end”.
Root key
Allows you to change the normal root key of a sample to a different note from that usually
used.
Tuning
Change the tuning in semitones and cents of semitones. Changing “scale” plays on the
difference between two consecutive notes.
Filter
Apply a low-pass filter, by specifying the cutoff frequency and the resonance.
Volume envelope
Change the volume envelope, and possibly how it changes with the note.
Modulation
Set a modulation (envelope, delay, frequency, changes with the note) and its effect on the
tone, filter and volume.
Vibrato
Set a vibrato (delay, frequency) and its effect on the tone.
Exclusive class
This parameter can define one or more exclusive classes, by assigning to a set of divisions
within a class the same parameter value other than 0. When an exclusive class is defined,
any note triggered from one of the divisions of the exclusive class ends all the other sounds
of the same class. The scope of an exclusive class is the preset in which the class is defined
(a sound triggered in an instrument will end a sound of another instrument if the two
instruments are in the same preset). This effect can be used for percussion instruments like a
cymbal. Basically playing one note automatically terminates another in the same group.
Chorus and reverb
Indicates the intensity of chorus and reverb effects. The effects are configurable in the
software settings .
Fixed key and velocity
Force the value of the key and of the velocity on the full extent of the division.
Offsets
Changes the positions of the start and end of a sound during playback, as well as the start
and end of the loop. The unit of an offset is samples (number of values).

Editing facilities in the table

To facilitate and speed up editing in the table, the following features have been implemented:

the mouse wheel may be used to change a value (the cell has to be in edit mode first),
an external keyboard can be used to set the rootkey, key range and velocity range (the cell
has to be in edit mode first),
a multiple selection, followed by the editing of the last cell, will edit all cells simultaneously,
the keys Del and Backspace clear the content of all selected cells,
stereo divisions may be edited simultaneously if the option is enabled in the software
preferences ,
key names may be numeric or as a text (having C3, C4 or C5 as middle C), depending on the
option chosen in the preferences ,
copy / paste / cut of a set of cells (not necessarily adjacent) may be done via Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V /
Ctrl+X.

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Do not forget the tools available! In particular the tool allowing a key-based configuration .

Possibility to mute divisions

For testing purposes, it is possible to mute a division or mute all divisions but one in the tables. The
options are accessible with a right click on the header of a division.

Mute divisions in a table

Range editor
The range editor allows you to quickly and graphically dispose samples according to their key and
velocity ranges. This graph further highlights configuration problems, such as zones free of samples
or unwanted superpositions.

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Range editor

Each sample is represented by a semitransparent rectangle, so that the superposition of several

elements is identifiable.

Rectangle selection

A simple left click on a rectangle will select it and removes all other selections. If several rectangles
are superimposed, consecutive clicks change the selection under the mouse cursor.

A multiple selection is possible:

by maintaining button Ctrl and then clicking on the different rectangles to select one by one,
by using button Shift: all rectangles between the first rectangle being clicked and the next
one will be selected.

Updating the rectangles

After having selected one or more rectangle(s), it is possible with the left button to:

change the size, when you grab one of the edges of a rectangle;
change the position, by pointing to the center of a rectangle.

If several rectangles are selected, all changes are made synchronously.

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Drag & zoom

Maintaining the right click allows you to change the zoom around the selected point.

Maintaining the left click allows you to move the graphic if the initial point is not on a rectangle.

Envelope editor
The envelope editor provides a graphical overview of the 8 parameters defining the volume envelope
and the 8 parameters defining the modulation envelope. This is thus a tool for better understanding
the impact of each of these parameters.

Envelope editor

The buttons above the graph select alternatively the volume envelope (displayed in green) or the
modulation envelope (displayed in red) for the editing. During the editing of the modulation
envelope, the volume envelope is displayed with a thin line.

The left part of the graph represents the evolution of the envelope when a key is triggered. 7 out of
the 8 parameters are involved in this representation:

Delay
Duration during which the envelope remains at 0 just after a key is triggered. In the majority
of cases we want to hear audio immediately after pressing the keys and then this parameter
is left at zero. However delay comes in handy for example when we want to create richer

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pad sounds constructed with several layers. Suppose we want to introduce a second sound
layer 0.5 seconds after the key is pressed, then we can set it by entering "0.5" in this
-section. A delay does not hold the playback of the sound - it mutes the audio. If we have set
the delay to 0.5 seconds, we will start hearing audio after 0.5 seconds of the sample that has
already been played.
Attack
Duration after delay during which the envelope grows from 0 to the maximum value. For
example a bowed string sound like a violin has an attack which is quite long, while a plucked
string sound such as a guitar is very short. Even when we want to use an attack as short as
possible, an advise is to at least enter a value of 0.001 otherwise a "click" might be heard
after pressing a key.
Hold
Duration after attack during which the envelope keeps its maximum value.
Decay
Duration after hold during which the envelope progressively goes from the maximum value
to the value specified by sustain. When the sustain value is set to its maximum or is not
set, the volume during the decay will stay at its maximum no matter which value is
specified.
Sustain
Value after decay sustained as long as the triggered key is not released. Just as
attenuation the sustain value refers to the amount of decibel-reduction. In the case where
we want to reduce the volume by its half after the decay-time, a parameter of 6 in the
sustain-section must be set. Number "144" can be specified if we want to completely mute
the sound.
Key → Hold
Change of the hold duration depending on the key (see below).
Key → Decay
Change of the decay duration depending on the key (see below).

A positive value in Key → XXX gradually decreases the duration of XXX toward the trebles, whereas
a negative value does the opposite. For instance:

value 100 halve the duration of XXX per octave above middle C (60) and double the duration
of XXX per octave below middle C,
value -100 double the duration of XXX per octave above middle C (60) and halve the duration
of XXX per octave above middle C.

These parameters can be useful when designing a guitar or a piano with the sustain-pedal on: the
lower the tone the longer it lasts until we hear no sound at all.

The right part represents the evolution of the envelope when a key is released. Only the release
duration is involved in this representation. The envelope gradually returns to 0 during this duration.
Sounds of violins or synth-pads have a relatively long release time, while that of other sounds such
as organs are very short. In practice for short release times we still have to set its duration to at least
0.2 seconds, because a release time which is too short doesn't sound pleasant or natural (however it
also depends what we have in mind about the construction of the instrument we want to create).

When only one division of an instrument is selected in the tree, the corresponding sound sample is
displayed on the background. It is thus possible to better visualize the evolution of the envelope
relative to the sample being played.

Modulators

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The lower section of the editing page of instruments is intended for the creation of modulators,
globally for an instrument or for a particular division. When you play an instrument, a modulator
listens to one or two MIDI signal(s) and modify one of the parameters in the table according to the
mathematical rule configured. The output of a modulator can also be used as input to another
modulator (this function appeared in version 2.04 of the sf2 format and may not be supported by
some synthesizers).

Modulator editor

Buttons on the left are made for:

expanding / collapsing the modulator area,

adding / removing a modulator,
copying / pasting / duplicating one or more modulators.

When a modulator is added, the border of the corresponding cell in the table is thicker (see the
tuning in the Global column above).

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Preset editor

When clicking on one or more preset(s) in the tree , the editing page of presets appears. A preset is
a combination of one or more instruments and is the element visible from outside a soundfont .

Similarly to the instrument editor , several parts are present:

the table,
the range editor when the button Edit ranges of the toolbar is clicked,
the modulator section.

Preset page

If only one preset is selected, the page allows the editing of the global parameters of the preset and
the parameters of all its divisions. In the case where several presets are selected, the global
parameters of each of these presets can be edited.

Differences with the instruments

The parameters edited here are said relative unlike parameters of an instrument which, except in
special cases, are said absolute. Values of a preset parameters are added or multiplied to the

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instrument parameters that compose it. Some parameters are not editable at the preset level:

loop playback,
root key,
exclusive class,
fixed key,
fixed velocity,
the four offsets.

A preset is identified by a preset number and bank number, this combination being unique and
adjustable below the table. Each bank comprises 127 presets.

The last bank (128) is usually used for percussion kits.

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Configuration summaries

The configuration summaries provide an overview of all elements contained in a soundfont. They are
accessible via the headers Samples, Instruments and Presets in the tree , and allow the
visualization of their corresponding elements.

Information gathered in these pages can be used to support inspections within large soundfonts.

Samples
When clicking on the Samples header of a soundfont in the tree , the sample configuration
summary appears.

Sample configuration summary

For each sample, this page allows for example to perform the following checks:

Is it used?
Is its total duration (and possibly its loop duration) long enough?

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Has the tuning been done?

Is it properly linked in stereo?
Is the sampling rate high enough for a good audio quality?

Instruments
When clicking on the Instruments header of a soundfont in the tree , the instrument configuration
summary appears.

Instrument configuration summary

For each instrument, this page allows for example to perform the following checks:

Is it used?
Are the numbers of linked samples, parameters and modulators consistent?
Are the key and velocity ranges correct?
Have the samples been properly attenuated?
Is the loop playback on?
Have the chorus and reverb settings not been forgotten?

Presets

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When clicking on the Presets header of a soundfont in the tree , the preset configuration summary
appears.

Preset configuration summary

For each preset, this page allows for example to perform the following checks:

Have the bank and preset numbers been properly filled?

Are the numbers of linked instruments, parameters and modulators consistent?
Are the key and velocity ranges correct?
Have the instruments been accurately attenuated?
Have the chorus and reverb settings (as offset) not been forgotten?

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Tools

Once you understand how soundfonts work (through the different editors ), tools are probably what
you should care of. They are all designed to fasten / automate the editing and to avoid common
errors or imprecision that a human usually does.

Tools are all available in a menu that is displayed when clicking on the toolbox icon in the toolbar .
The content of this menu depends on the selection in the tree : first on the kind of selection (as
described below) but also on the number of selected elements. A few tools cannot process multiple
elements so they will be hidden with a multiple selection.

Global tools
When the header General is selected in the tree , the tool menu is filled with global tools .

Tool menu showing global tools

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Sample tools
When one or more samples are selected in the tree , the tool menu is filled with sample tools .

Tool menu showing sample tools

Instrument tools
When one or more instruments (including the divisions) are selected in the tree , the tool menu is
filled with instrument tools .

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Tool menu showing instrument tools

Preset tools
When one or more presets (including the divisions) are selected in the tree , the tool menu is filled
with preset tools .

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Tool menu showing preset tools

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Global tools

When the header General is selected in the tree , the tool menu provides tools sorted in 3
categories:

clean up ,
modulators ,
utility .

Clean up

Remove unused elements

All samples and instruments being used by no instruments or presets are automatically deleted.

Modulators

Remove all modulators

All modulators present in all instruments and presets will be removed.

Utility

Export preset list

With this tool, the list of all presets will be written in a text. This text can be formatted to be
integrated in a CSV file or in HTML to be integrated in a website.

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Preset list

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Sample tools

When one or more samples are selected in the tree , the tool menu contains several tools sorted in
4 categories:

analyze ,
files ,
sample processing ,
stereo samples .

Using the tools simultaneously on several samples is possible (with a multi selection).

Analyze

Show peak frequencies

This tool gathers the information on the peak frequencies of all selected samples, and the results can
be exported in a .csv file. The peak frequencies are visible in the editing page of samples .

Show peak frequencies

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Files

Wav export

After having selected a destination directory, all selected samples will be exported as .wav files.

Sample processing

Auto loop

The software seeks a stable area of the sample and then artificially creates a loop. A sound segment
is copied with a cross-fade, so that the transition at the join location is as smooth as possible.

To assign loop points automatically:

1. click in the tree on the sample to be looped,

2. in the editing page of samples :
position the start and end of the loop in the graphic (WAV display area) around a
stable area, or
let the tool determine automatically a stable area by defining 0 as loop start and loop
end,
3. in the Tools menu select Auto loop,
4. press the Play button with the loop option checked,
5. if the loop points found are not suitable you can undo the operation, try repositioning them
manually around a stable area and then use the Auto loop function again.

The tool needs to find a stable area of more than 0.25 seconds. If it fails, a warning message appears
indicating that no loop can be found.

Warning: This tool modifies the original sample. Modifications can be undone via the “ undo ”
function, but if the file is saved and Polyphone is closed there is no way to step back.

Note: By default, the looping is disabled in an instrument. To hear it, you must select in the
Loop playback parameter row of either the Global or individual notes columns in the table .
turns it On, turns it Off. turns the looping On and the sample will play to the end after
a key is released.

Change volume

You can change the sample volume in three different ways:

in adding a certain amount of dB (positive or negative amount),

in multiplying the signal by a number,
in normalizing the signal so that the maximum of this signal represents some percentage of
the maximum intensity.

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Change volume tool

External command

This tool allows you to use an external command or program to edit a sample. You don't need to
export and re-import a sample into Polyphone anymore, everything is done automatically:

1. download an editing software for .wav files such as Audacity or Sweep (Linux),
2. use the tool External command for one or more samples,
3. fill the command line in the right field to call the external software (you may need to read the
documentation of this software),
4. edit the sample(s) with the external tool,
5. save the modified version of the wav file(s) with the external tool and close it,
6. the sample(s) will be automatically loaded into the soundfont.

External command tool

Note: during the process, Polyphone exports a .wav file and will reimport this same file after the
external command has been run. If the external command creates other files or saves the result as
another file, those files will be ignored and Polyphone will reimport the file initially exported that will

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probably be not modified.

Filter frequencies

When you use this tool, a window will be displayed showing the frequencies contained in the
sample(s) you selected. You can then use the mouse to draw a red area. Everything that is in this
area will be removed: this means that you can manually decrease of remove some frequencies.

Filter frequency tool

Note: This filter is not common since it cuts frequencies in a hard way. This tool can be useful to
design a brick-wall filter but in most cases you will probably want to use the equalizer .

Remove blank at start

Any blank area before the sample begins is eliminated. This reduces the time before the sound is
heard.

Remove blank at start

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Note: this tool may be applied automatically each time a sample is imported, the option being in the
software settings .

Transpose

The tool asks for a shift in semitones and then re-samples the sound to change the pitch.

Transpose tool

Trim to end of loop

If a loop is defined for the selected sample, the software will cut the sound after the end of the loop
(leaving a small margin at the end).

Trim to loop

Note: this tool may be applied automatically each time a sample is imported, according to the
software settings .

Stereo samples

Balance adjustment

If the sample is linked to another one (stereo), the software can equalize the mean intensity of the
two samples to adjust the balance. This will then be easier to accurately pan a sample in an

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instrument .

Link all stereo samples

Among the selected samples, samples whose names only differ by the last letter (L / R) are
automatically linked. For example, if in a soundfont two samples are called bassoon45L and
bassoon45R, bassoon45L will be recognized as the left part of bassoon45R and bassoon45R will be
recognized as the right part of bassoon45L.

With this information the right panning will be used when these samples are added in an instrument.
You can also enjoy the simultaneous editing of left and right parts in the instrument table if the
stereo editing is activated in the settings .

Warning: This tool can break existing links if the names don't match the rule above.

Unlink all stereo samples

All selected samples that are linked (stereo) are unlinked.

Thus, all samples will be processed as mono sounds and they will all have the same panning if they
are added in an instrument. The stereo editing, if activated in the settings , will not be applicable
anymore.

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Instrument tools

When an instrument or one of its divisions is selected in the tree , the tool menu contains several
tools sorted in 4 categories:

analyze ,
fast editing ,
modulators ,
transformation .

Using the tools simultaneously on several instruments is possible (with a multi selection), except for
creating chords, mixtures and for displaying parameters.

Analyze

Display parameters

This tool displays the evolution of a parameter according to the key. A logarithmic scale is available
(take care of values equal to or less than 0!).

Display parameter tool

Fast editing

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Change attenuations

The tool computes the minimum and the maximum attenuations in all selected instruments, and
gives you the possibility to add an offset to all attenuation values without exceeding the limits.

For example, if the lowest attenuation of the divisions within the selected instruments is 16 dB and if
the desired minimal attenuation is 5 dB (to increase the general volume), the attenuation of all
divisions of all instruments can be decreased by 11 dB.

Change attenuation tool

Detune

This feature slightly detunes the instrument notes, so as to create an undulating effect in conjunction
with a tuned instrument. The intensity of the effect is expressed in number of beats per second and
is adjustable:

number of beats per second at key 60, which is "C" in the middle of the keyboard;
evolution of the number of beats according to the note, dividing or multiplying the number of
beats by a constant factor from one octave to another (value "1" means that the number of
beats will be constant all over the keyboard).

Detuning tool

Here is an example of an instrument that is tuned

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And this instrument has been combined with itself in a version that is detuned

The corresponding .sf2 file can be downloaded here

Key-based configuration

This tool allows the editing of a parameter for all divisions of an instrument simultaneously.

Key-based configuration tool

The graph represents the modification intensity, the first value on the left corresponding to the
change applied to the division comprising the key 0, and the last value on the right corresponding to
the change applied to the division comprising the key 127. By changing the pattern, it is possible to
edit the curve:

manually using the mouse,

by using a linear law,
by using an exponential law,

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by using a random generation.

In the case where a linear or exponential law is used, a left click in the graph defines the beginning
of the linear or exponential area, a right click defines the end.

The parameter to be modified is chosen in Parameter, and the modification type is chosen in
Modification:

Addition
The modifier is added to the value of the selected parameter.
Multiplication
The modifier is multiplied with the value of the selected parameter.
Replacement
The modifier replaces the value of the selected parameter.

It is possible to apply the changes only on divisions whose velocity range is comprised in a specific
range, useful for example in the case where a piano has several velocity layers.

Natural release

This tool creates a release for each division of the instrument. Release times are computed taking
into account the first two parameters and a pitch modification may be added by using the third one.

Natural release tool

Sample auto-positioning

The software determines the key ranges of all divisions of an instrument, in order to optimize their
use all over the keyboard.

Sound spatialization

This feature spatializes sounds according to their pitch, which can be useful for a piano for example
(bass and treble left to right).

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Sound spatialization tool

The bars in the graph represent each a string or pipe, having a length in relation to the pitch. The
shortest bar corresponds to the highest note and the longest bar corresponds to the lowest note.

Each note is positioned in the space, the far left corresponding to a sound coming from the left and
the extreme right corresponding to a sound coming from the right. Several patterns can be selected:

Ascending
Trebles are in the left side, basses are in the right side.
Descending
Basses are in the left side, trebles are in the right side.
Hollow
Basses are at both extremities, trebles are centered.
Spike
Trebles are at both extremities, basses are centered.
Random
Trebles and basses are positioned randomly.

Other options are available:

number of pattern repetitions (Divisions number),

intensity of the effect (Spreading),
filling of a division (Filling),
offset left — right if the spreading is not 100% (Offset),
Inversions.

The graph is updated every time a setting changes for a better visualization. On mouse over, the
correspondence note number / panning is displayed.

Transpose

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The transposition tool allows the transposition of an entire instrument. The sounds of the instrument
are thus the same, but at a different position over the keyboard.

As input, a shift in terms of semitones is required. For the pitch to be higher, the shift must be
positive. Conversely, for the pitch to be lower the shift must be negative. The operations performed
by the tool, for each division of the instrument, are then as follows:

the root key is adjusted,

modification of the fine tuning if the transposition is performed by a number of semitones
including decimals,
shift of the key range according to the number of semitones if adapt key range is checked.

Transposition tool

Modulators

Override a default modulator

Default modulators are automatically assigned to every instrument. This tool can create modulators
that will override or disable them.

Overriding tool

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Remove modulators

All modulators of all selected instruments will be removed.

Note: Default modulators will still apply. The only way to disable a default modulator is to override it
with the tool “ Override a default modulator ”.

Transformation

Create chords

Based on an instrument, this tool allows you to create all possible chords. This could be interesting
for example for the creation of a choir or pads.

Tool for creating chords

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And after

An example .sf2 file, based on a flute, can be downloaded here

Division duplication

This action has for effect the duplication of all divisions of an instrument. For example, if a sample
linked to an instrument has a key range of 36-38, the software duplicates this division so as to have
this linked sample for the key ranges 36-36, 37-37 and 38-38. It makes then possible to thoroughly
edit each sample parameter for each different note, instead of editing whole divisions with the same
parameters.

It is also possible to duplicate the divisions according to velocity ranges.

Division duplication tool

Mixture creation

Specific to the organ, this tool allows the creation of a mixture from an existing instrument. An
interface appears for specifying the different mixture divisions, and for each the list of the ranks.
Types of possible ranks are very diverse, ranging from the octave to the 27th harmonic.

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Mixture creation tool

To work, this tool relies on all samples associated to the selected instrument, the range defined for
each sample and the corresponding attenuation. Samples have to be tuned regardless the definition
of the instrument (via the sample editor ), and the root key specified must not take into account
membership in a stop (no transposition if the sound is a principal 4' for example).

An option allows the automatic loop of created samples, another sets the creation interval of
samples. Finally, it is possible to choose the type of the created sounds: mono or stereo.

Here is an example, before

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An example .sf2 file, based on an organ stop, can be downloaded here

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Preset tools

When a preset or one of its division is selected in the tree , the tool menu contains several tools
sorted in 4 categories:

analyze ,
fast editing ,
modulators ,
transformation .

Using the tools simultaneously on several presets is possible (with a multi selection), except for the
visualizer. All tools are also available for the instruments .

Analyze

Display parameters

Same tool than “ Display parameters ” for instruments.

Fast editing

Change attenuations

Same tool than “ Change attenuations ” for instruments.

Key-based configuration

Same tool than “ Key-based configuration ” for instruments.

Sound spatialization

Same tool than “ Sound spatialization ” for instruments.

Modulators

Remove modulators

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Same tool than “ Remove modulators ” for instruments.

Transformation

Division duplication

Same tool than “ Division duplication ” for instruments.

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Soundfont browser

The soundfont browser is a link between Polyphone and the soundfont repository of the Polyphone
website. It allows you, directly in Polyphone, to download, test and possibly re-use soundfonts.

Browsing soundfonts
To open the soundfont browser, click on Online repository or write a keyword on the home screen .
Once the soundfont browser is open in a new tab, it is possible to search, sort and filter the results.

Browsing soundfonts

Searching a soundfont

For searching a soundfont, write one or more keywords in the top bar and then press Enter. It is
possible to write Author:someone to search soundfonts of a specific author.

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Sorting the results

Next to the search bar, a drop-down menu provides 4 ways to sort soundfont results:

Date
Newest soundfonts are first.
Downloads
More downloaded soundfonts are first.
Rating score
Highest rated soundfonts are first.
Title (A→Z)
Soundfonts results are sorted according to the alphabetical order.

Filtering the results

Results can be filtered in different ways:

Category
Kind of instrument.
License
It's possible to list soundfonts having a license allowing a commercial and / or a sharing after
the soundfont is edited.
Sample source
Origin of the samples.
Timbre
Description of the timbre.
Articulation
Description of the articulation.
Genre
Genre targeted by the soundfont.
MIDI standard
Listing only soundfonts compliant with a standard is possible.
Tags
Show soundfonts having a specific tag.

Soundfont description
Opening a soundfont description can be made with a double-click on a cell in the Daily soundfonts
of the home screen or in the soundfont browser . A Premium account is required for soundfonts that
are not in the Daily soundfonts. Connecting Polyphone to your account is possible in the settings
of the software.

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Description page of a soundfont

The description of a soundfont is made of:

a header, in which you can find the title, the number of comments, the number of
downloads and the rating,
a left part, comprising the author name, a date, the license type (please take care of this),
the category and other attributes that characterize the soundfont,
a central part, displaying a textual description, the list of files to download and possible
comments.

Download
For downloading a file, click on the icon download next to its file name in the section Downloads.
You will see the download progress in a menu next to the main menu , at the top right corner of the
software. Once a file is downloaded and if the file is a soundfont, it is possible to open it in a
soundfont editor by clicking on the icon open.

It is possible from the menu to clear the completed downloads. If everything is cleared, the download
menu disappears.

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Dowloading soundfonts

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Settings

The software preferences are accessible either from the home screen or from the menu . They are
divided into five sections:

General
Interface
Sound
Virtual keyboard
Online repository

General
The General section allows the modification of the following parameters:

Audio backend
Specifies the audio backend used to play samples. JACK and ASIO drivers (the latter for
Windows only) may be chosen.
Buffer size
Specifies the buffer size used for JACK and ASIO drivers. A small buffer results in a small
latency, but the sound may become scratchy.
MIDI input
Specifies the MIDI input controlling the virtual keyboard.

Moreover, it is possible to check the following options:

Sample import: trim to loop

When importing a sample, data located after the end of loop are automatically removed
(same effect as the tool “ Trim to end of loop ”).
Sample import: remove blank at start
When importing a sample, any blank area located before the beginning of the attack is
automatically removed (same effect as the tool “ Remove blank at start ”).
Stereo editing: change linked sample
When editing one side of a stereo sample, the other side is automatically edited the same.
The same applies when editing a stereo instrument division: the division corresponding to the
other channel (with the same note and velocity ranges) is edited the same.

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Settings, general

Interface
This section shows options related to the interface of the software:

Language
The language may be changed here (a restart of the software is required).
Key names
Keys may be named depending on their number (according to MIDI specification), or
depending on the name of middle C (C3, C4 or C5). Key names may comprise sharps or flats.
Sort divisions
The division order within an instrument or a preset can be changed here.
Decorations
Background decorations in some lists can be deactivated for readability.
Color theme
Different predefined color themes are available for customizing the appearance of Polyphone.
A manual selection of colors is also possible.

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Settings, interface

Sound
The Sound section makes it possible to modify the chorus and reverb of the synth, along with its
global volume. The global volume may be changed with the volume MIDI controller if an external
keyboard is connected.

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Settings, sound

Virtual keyboard
The keys of the computer keyboard used to control the virtual keyboard are defined in the Virtual
keyboard section. The pitch may be increased or decreased octave by octave.

Settings, keyboard

Online repository

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Identifiers can be entered here to link Polyphone with an account, a Premium account unlocking the
.

The download directory used by the soundfont browser can be changed here.

Settings, repository

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Menu

The menu, located at the top right corner of the software, contains several items allowing you to
access different features.

Menu

Opening a soundfont editor

New
Create a new .sf2 file from scratch. Also accessible with the shortcut Ctrl+N.

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Open…
Open an .sf2 , .sf3 , .sfz or .sfArk file. Also accessible with the shortcut Ctrl+O.

Saving a soundfont

Save
Save the current file. Also accessible with the shortcut Ctrl+S.
Save as…
Save the current file in another file. Also accessible with the shortcut Ctrl+Shift+S.
Export soundfonts…
Merge and export one or several presets from the open soundfonts in the .sf2 , .sf3 or .sfz
format. Also accessible with the shortcut Ctrl+E.

Export window

View options

Full screen
Toggle the full screen mode. Also accessible with the shortcut F11.

Shortcuts

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Settings
Open the software settings .
Online manual
Show this user manual in a web browser. Also accessible with the shortcut F1.
About Polyphone…
Show the software version and the list of people who contributed to the project.

Closing

Close file
Close the current file. Also accessible with the shortcut Ctrl+W.
Quit
Quit the software. Also accessible with the shortcut Ctrl+Q.

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Annexes

Here is the list of pages giving extra information:

The different soundfont formats

Command line

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The different soundfont formats

Polyphone supports several soundfont formats:

sf2 ,
sf3 ,
sfz ,
sfArk .

Sf2 soundfonts
Sf2 soundfonts are the main files edited by Polyphone. Each sf2 file comprises one or more musical
virtual instruments, made of audio samples and a lot of parameters. Parameters define how the
samples should be played throughout the keyboard, possibly modulated by predefined signals (
modulators ). Sf2 files are built according to a 3-level structure:

samples , coming from a trumpet or a piano for instance,

instruments , made of samples,
presets , made of instruments.

Further to the definition and setting of these elements, a sf2 file contains also general information
(the author, copyright or edit time for instance).

, driven by MIDI signals. It is also

, WildMIDI or QuickTime and listen
. Hardware such as samplers, soundcards or even synthesizers may also
support the .sf2 format.

. The sf2 specifications

for version 2.01 and there for version 2.04.

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Sf3 soundfonts
, is similar in all respects to the sf2 format except that the
are stored in the OGG format (like the MP3 format but open source) instead of being stored as raw
data. The consequence is that the sf3 format is about 10 times lighter than the sf2 format for a
comparable quality.

A soundfont exported in this format is not intended to be edited later because successive
compressions would result in a lower sound quality. This format should be seen as a final product
and is very
The sf3 interesting
format, for all
developed byend users of soundfonts in that:
MuseScore

downloads are made easier on internet,

space is saved in computers,
the combination MIDI + sf3 provides a lightweight and powerful solution to play soundtracks
(video games, mobile applications, …).

format which answers the same issues, the sf3 format is entirely open-source.
The source code is available, thus ensuring its sustainability (let's avoid the mistakes done with sfArk
or sfPack!).

Sfz soundfonts
The sfz format has the same goal than the sf2 format: create a musical instrument by disposing and
configuring samples over the keyboard. The main difference is that while the sf2 format is only 1 file
that contains everything, the sfz format is a text file delivered with a set of .wav samples. Since it
was meant to be editable by a human, the main advantage was to edit the file without the need of a
complex editor. But an editor is still highly recommended for big instruments, the quantity of
parameters can indeed be quickly discouraging. The sfz format is also not defined as strictly as the
sf2 format: differences may appear in the way to edit and in the way to play an sfz instrument. But
at the same time, the capabilities of the sfz instruments have been increased compared to the sf2
standard.

Limitations on the sfz import

Unlike the sf2pack
Only opcodes having a counterpart in tables are imported.
The envelope applied to pitch and filter being the same in sf2 files (Mod env), importing
different envelopes for the pitch and filter is not possible (fileg_* and pitcheg_* opcodes).
The LFO applied to volume and filter being the same in sf2 files (Mod LFO), importing
different LFOs for the volume and filter is not possible (amplfo_* and fillfo_* opcodes).
The only filter that can be imported is the second order low pass filter (fil_type=lpf_2p).
To be imported correctly, group and off_by opcodes must contain the same value within the
same group.

Warning: width and position opcodes may not be interpreted correctly.

Limitations on the sfz export

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Modulators are currently not exported.

The sfz format (version 1) allowing only one pitch modulation, the two parameters Vib LFO
→ pitch (c) and Mod LFO → pitch (c) cannot be exported simultaneously.
A loop 0-1 can be exported but is ignored by most of the sfz players.
24-bit samples may not be supported in some synthesizers, please refer to their specification
manual.

In general

The matching of sound levels (in dB), during the sfz / sf2 conversion process, has been tested with
Sforzando software. There may however remain some differences.

Moreover, the way parameters change according to the key (via key → Vol env hold / decay and
key → Mod env hold / decay) have no exact match. The sf2 format uses an exponential law to
define the decay and hold durations according to the key, while the sfz format uses a linear law.

SfArk archives
SfArk archives, like the sf3 format, is a compressed format. This means that the quality of the sounds
is a bit lowered (but often imperceptible). This format tends to be obsolete, that's why Polyphone
only allows importing sfArk archives (not the export).

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Command line

Polyphone can be run with a command line to convert soundfonts in the format sf2 , sf3 or sfz .

Supported file formats for the conversion are sf2 , sf3 , sfz and sfArk .

Conversion to sf2

Command line

polyphone -1 -i <file/to/convert> -d <output/directory> -o <output_file_name>

Note: with Windows you need to write the full path of Polyphone instead of just polyphone, which is
for example C:/Program files/Polyphone/polyphone.exe.

Arguments

-1
Mode “1” is “convert to sf2”.
-d
Output directory in which the input file will be converted. This argument is optional, by
default this is the same directory than the input file.
-o
Output name of the converted file without the extension (the extension “.sf2” will be
automatically added). This argument is optional, by default this is the same name than the
input file.

Example

polyphone -1 -i /path/to/file.sfArk

Conversion to sf3

Command line

polyphone -2 -i <file/to/convert> -d <output/directory> -o <output_file_name> -c <con

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figuration>

Note: with Windows you need to write the full path of Polyphone instead of just polyphone, which is
for example C:/Program files/Polyphone/polyphone.exe.

Arguments

-2
Mode “2” is “convert to sf3”.
-d
Output directory in which the input file will be converted. This argument is optional, by
default this is the same directory than the input file.
-o
Output name of the converted file without the extension (the extension “.sf3” will be
automatically added). This argument is optional, by default this is the same name than the
input file.
-c
Conversion configuration. It is possible to specify the compression quality: “0” is low, “1” is
medium, “2” is high. This argument is optional, by default this is “1” (medium quality).

Example

polyphone -2 -i /path/to/file.sf2 -c 2

Conversion to sfz

Command line

polyphone -3 -i <file/to/convert> -d <output/directory> -o <output_file_name> -c <con

figuration>

Note: with Windows you need to write the full path of Polyphone instead of just polyphone, which is
for example C:/Program files/Polyphone/polyphone.exe.

Arguments

-3
Mode “3” is “convert to sfz”.
-d

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Output directory in which the input file will be converted. This argument is optional, by
default this is the same directory than the input file.
-o
Output name of the converted file without the extension (the extension “.sfz” will be
automatically added). This argument is optional, by default this is the same name than the
input file.
-c
Conversion configuration made of 3 characters. The first character is “1” if each preset must
be prefixed by its preset number, “0” otherwise. The second character is “1” if a directory
per bank must be created, “0” otherwise. The third character is “1” if the General MIDI
classification must be used to sort presets, “0” otherwise. This argument is optional, by
default this is “000”.

Example

polyphone -3 -i /path/to/file.sf3 -c 011

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Tutorials

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Create a soundfont from scratch

Learn the basics to create a new soundfont.

How to prepare a sample

An instrument built in a soundfont is made of samples, coming for example from the recordings of a
real instrument. This tutorial describes how to add and prepare a sample in a soundfont.

Custom releases

The purpose of this tutorial is to create expressive instruments using looped samples whose releases
have been recorded. You will learn how to fully use the capabilities of such a sample, by using the
attack and sustain of the sample but also its release.

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Create a soundfont from scratch

To create a soundfont , click on Create a soundfont in the home screen . Soundfonts are made
from a 3-level structure, so the creation of a new soundfont involves three fundamental steps:

the sample preparation ,

the instrument creation , comprising samples,
the preset creation , comprising instruments.

Sample preparation

Sample loading

The sample preparation begins by loading .wav files. To do this first select the Samples category in
the tree and select Import samples from the toolbar . Samples may be obtained:

through Internet,
by recording a real musical instrument,
by synthesis using a specialized software.

Sample looping

Next, a loop may be required in the sample, if you would like it to sound longer than its normal
length. An example of this would be if you only have a 1 second flute sample, but would like it to
sound indefinitely. This can be done by manually or automatically assigning loop points (start + end)
within the sample boundaries, so that the loop area can be repeated and thus make the sample play
longer. While you can assign loop points manually, using the “ Auto loop “ function to assign them
automatically usually produces better results and is a lot faster.

To assign loop points manually:

1. click in the tree on the sample to be looped,

2. in the sample editor , arbitrarily position the start and end of the loop in the graphic (WAV
display area) unless a loop is already defined. Use left-click for start and right-click for end.
The right loop point should be entered first (since the right point is by default at the position
0 and that it's not possible to assign a left point after the right point).
3. press the Play button after having selected the loop function,
4. adjust the start and / or end of the loop, while the sample is playing, until the transition
between the two positions is as smooth as possible.

Note: to hear looping in an instrument, you must select in the Loop playback parameter
row of either the Global or individual notes columns in the Parameters Table . turns it On,
or a blank turns it Off.

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Loop illustration

Sample tuning

Finally, a tuning has to be done. To do this, a calibration tool (sine) is available in the editing page
of samples . For each sample the method is as follows:

1. begin the playback (press the play button), if possible with loop function selected,
2. select the sine function,
3. adjust the volume slider to hear the two sounds as clearly as possible,
4. change the Root key until the two sounds most closely match,
5. adjust the Correction (cents) to tune the sample to the Rootkey. To do this, pay attention
to any beats that occur and make sure they are as slow as possible.

The frequency analysis can be a good indicator to start tuning.

To go further

Several tools are available to edit samples like:

removing blank at start,

equalizing the sound,
transposing ,
normalizing the volume,
adjusting the balance for stereo samples.

Instrument creation
For this step, it is assumed that one or more samples are available for the creation of an instrument.

Creating an instrument and adding samples

First, click on New instrument in the toolbar . A name must now be entered.

Then add samples to the instrument using a “ drag & drop ”. In the tree you will notice that divisions
appear in the instrument.

Note: When divisions are created the samples are not copied but linked. There are no constraints on
the number of divisions.

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Distribution of divisions

When samples are added to instruments, they appear as divisions (columns) in the instrument
editor table . Each division must then be positioned on the keyboard by changing the Key range in
the table. Generally, it is a good practice to have the range of a division include the root key of its
represented sample. The entire surface of the keyboard must be covered (eg, key 36 to key 96 for a
classic synthesizer keyboard).

The tool “ Sample auto-positioning ” automatically distributes the samples over the keyboard.

Setting the divisions

To enable the loop playing mode in an instrument containing looped samples, select in the
Loop playback parameter row of either the Global or individual notes columns in the parameter
table.

turns it On,
or a blank turns it Off.
turns the looping On and the rest of the sample is read after the key is released.

The global division, as its name suggests, allows you to enter a parameter for the entire instrument.
A global parameter applies only to the divisions whose same parameter is not specified. This means
that the parameters of the standard divisions take precedence over the settings of the global
division.

In the context of this simple tutorial, no other parameters have to be edited for the instrument to
work. It should be already possible to play with the virtual keyboard .

However, to improve the instrument it is advisable to enter a value in the Vol env release (s) row,
which prevents the sound from stopping abruptly, as soon as a key is released. The other
parameters are described in the description of tables .

Preset creation
For this step, it is assumed that one or more instruments are available for the creation of a preset.

What is a preset?

A preset is the equivalent of a sound patch name found in hardware synths. It is visible from outside
a soundfont and is identified by a bank number and a preset number. A soundfont can have one or
many presets. Each preset contains one or more instruments, just as instruments contain one or
more samples.

Creating a preset and adding instruments

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First, click on New preset in the toolbar . A name must now be entered.

Then add instruments to the preset using a “ drag & drop ”. In the tree you will notice that one or
more divisions appear in the preset. Often there may only be one, as in the case of a preset
containing a single intrument.

It is possible to create as many or more presets as instruments, and each preset can contain one or
more instruments.

Setting up a preset

Changing the preset parameters may not be required since:

when creating a preset, the bank number and the preset number are automatically assigned,
when adding an instrument to a preset the key range is automatically calculated according to
the instrument.

For the scope of this tutorial, the creation of a soundfont is finished!

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How to prepare a sample

An instrument built in a soundfont is made of samples, coming for example from the recordings of a
real instrument. This tutorial describes how to add and prepare a sample in a soundfont.

Import
You must first have samples on your computer. A lot of free samples can be found on internet, being
either recorded from real instruments (from a flute, guitar, cello, …) or created with different kinds of
audio synthesis.

For this tutorial this flute sample is provided: flute.wav

Once you have it, create a new soundfont with Polyphone (Menu ‣ New) and import the sample
(Add a sample).

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Import sample

Loop

Introduction

A loop is an area within a sample that can be repeated to extend the duration of the sample. Let's
say a sample lasts only 0.5 second, with a nice loop the sound can be extended up to 10 seconds or
more. This is useful only for samples of non-percussive instruments such as flutes, trumpets, organs,
violins. To the opposite, drums require no loops. This might also be the case for a piano or a guitar,
depending on how these sounds are synthesized.

Thus, this section is necessary if and only if you feel the need of extending the original length of a
sample. If not, go directly to the next section “Tuning”.

Configuring a loop

In the tree, click on the sample you want to loop and focus on the loop parameters.

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Loop sample: loop parameters

If you are lucky, these values were packaged in the .wav sample and these fields are already filled. If
not, or if it's been badly configured (this can happen…), arbitrarily click left and right on the graphic
(WAV display area) to define the beginning and the end of the loop. This is generally done on the
steady phase of the sound, not within the attack or the release. Then, zoom around the beginning of
the loop and try to superimpose the green (or red) and blue curves.

Loop sample: wave alignment

Listening to the result

When the loop is configured, press play on the player with the loop enabled to check the result.

Loop sample: check the result

If you don't hear the transition once the end of the loop is read, this means that the loop is good.
Otherwise, keep the player on and slightly move the end and / or the beginning of the loop until you
find points with a transition as smooth as possible. Try the next records to see the difference
between a bad and a good loop:

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Note: A tool exists to “cheat” if you cannot find a loop easily: the auto-loop tool. It will automatically
create a loop by cutting the sample and superimposing two sections, so that the end of the section
will exactly match its beginning. See the related documentation for more information.

Tuning
All samples have to be tuned if you don't want an out-of-tune instrument. By indicating in the
soundfont the exact pitch of all imported samples, the soundfont will be able to adapt them to keys.
Some samples may already have these information, in which case you shouldn't have to change the
values in Root Key and Correction (cents). But as a precaution it is always good to check.

Tune sample: pitch information

Enable the loop if the sample has one and press play on the player. Then add the calibration sine
and adjust its volume so that you can hear both sounds as clearly as possible.

Tune sample: play sample along with calibration signal

Start the tuning by changing the root key until the two sounds most closely match. Continue by
adjusting the correction. For this step, pay attention to any beats that occur and make sure they are
as slow as possible. Here are examples containing the sound of a flute and a calibration sine:

(the root key doesn't match)

(the correction is not correct and you can hear beats)

(both values are good)

Note: The frequency analysis can be a good indicator to start tuning. But keep in mind that no
algorithm is perfect for this task and only your ears will find the right tune.

very bad tune

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bad tune
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Tune sample: frequency analysis

To go further
Several tools are available in the menu Tools. You can edit samples by:

removing blank at start,

equalizing the sound,
transposing ,
normalizing the volume,
adjusting the balance for stereo samples.

Note on the stereo samples

Stereo samples are made of two mono samples. The link is stored in the information of a sample.

Stereo sample

Managing two mono samples may add difficulty to loop them because a loop can sound fine for one
side and not for the other. In that case, don't hesitate to cheat by configuring two different loops on
the right and left side. The quality of the sound will not be impaired.

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Using custom releases in an instrument

The purpose of this tutorial is to create expressive instruments using looped samples whose releases
have been recorded. You will learn how to fully use the capabilities of such a sample, by using the
attack and sustain of the sample but also its release.

Traditional release vs custom release

When you trigger a note you will hear first the beginning of the sample (the attack) and then, as long
as you don't release the key, the loop within the sample will be played again and again (the
sustained phase). When you release the key, the loop will still be used and the sound will
progressively be attenuated until you cannot hear it anymore. This is the traditional way to do a
release with soundfonts: easy to set but ignoring transient harmonics that could occur during the
real release of an acoustic instrument. This type of release can be viewed as a simple extension of
the sustained phase.

A more realistic release would be to use the real release provided by the recorded sample. The
attack and sustained phase will be done the same way but when the key is released the sustained
phase will suddenly drop, leaving room for the recorded release that will begin to sound. A custom
release is used instead of extending the sound of the sustained phase, adding details to the sound.

Creating such an instrument is made by splitting the problem in two:

first defining the attack and sustained phase,

then triggering the release.

The example that will be taken here is the sound of a trumpet in an organ, for its high harmonic
content and audible progression.

Sample preparation
Two cases may appear: you have a file comprising the full sample from the attack to the release, or
you have an additional file containing only the release that has been already extracted.

Full sample with release

Load the sample twice in Polyphone and then, in the second instance of the sample, remove
everything in the sample except the release. The removal can be done by using the key Alt and then
defining an area on the sample graph . To find the point where the release begins, play the sample
several times and try to define the point where you think no more power was inducing the sound.
This last part will be the release. Then follow the instructions below.

Separate sample and release

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, sample 2 .

Samples for the example: sample 1

If you have 2 samples, the first one containing the beginning and the sustained phase of the sound
and the second one containing the release, you only need to make sure that the release begins with
a very short blank (a couple of points) being close to 0. A short inaudible loop will thus be made with
this portion.

Tune and loop the first sample as explained in the tutorial “ how to prepare a sample ”.

Loop the second sample on a very short part at the beginning, for example from the point 1 to the
point 2 or 3. Specify the same root key and correction than the first sample.

First instrument: attack and sustained phase

Create a first instrument with the samples comprising the attack and the sustained phase of the
sound. Configure the global division this way:

choose the loop option in loop playback (2nd choice),

specify 0.01s in the volume envelop release (very short release).

Now you have an instrument comprising no releases.

Second instrument: release

Create a second instrument for the release comprising the release samples with a very short blank
loop at the beginning. Configure it this way:

choose the option loop + release in loop playback (3rd choice),

select a high number such as 100 seconds in the Vol env release (s) parameter so that the
release is not attenuated,
determine approximately the duration of the attack in the first sample and use this value in
the volume envelop attack.

Now you have an instrument remaining silent as long as you don't release a key, and then you can
hear the release phase. You could also notice that a very fast shot on a key will trigger the release in
an attenuated way. This is barely noticeable here with the example since the attack of a trumpet is
very fast. The duration of the attack has been slightly augmented in the example.

Merging both instruments

Create a preset using these two instruments. The first instrument is heard when a key is triggered
and the second instrument is triggered when the key is released. You can then listen to the result
and try to make a smoother transition between the sustained phase and the release:

by attenuating the first or second instrument,

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by increasing the release duration of the first instrument.

The result with the example files is here

You can listen here the differences between:

a classical release

and a custom release

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Technical
documentation

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 2022-03-05

if they
want to help in the project.

Some instructions
All sources can be found
of the software below.by
are hosted If something
GitHub andisdevelopers
not up to date,
can godon't
herehesitate to
.

report it in the forum

Building Polyphone for Mac OS X

Instructions to build Polyphone for Mac OS X.

Building Polyphone for Fedora

Instructions to build Polyphone on Fedora.

Building Polyphone for Ubuntu

Instructions to build Polyphone with Ubuntu.

Using Qt Creator to build Polyphone

Instructions to build Polyphone with Qt Creator.

Translate Polyphone

For all people willing to see Polyphone in their own language.

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Building Polyphone for Mac OS X

Use these instructions if you cannot install Polyphone on your Mac OS X with the available installers
”.

in the section “Download

Prerequisite
The following applications are required:

Xcode (available in the Apple Store),

.

or on GitHub , along with the necessary

.

Qt Creator with its framework

You also need the sources of Polyphone, available

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 2022-03-05

For correctly opening a project with Qt Creator, it must first be given the permission to read all files
from your computer (in "Security and privacy" => "Full disk access" => add "Qt creator.app" which
is in its installation directory).

If some of the previously provided libraries are not up to date or not compatible with the version of
Mac, like PortAudio for example, it will be necessary to look for their sources on the internet and to
recompile them by enabling a static linking:

configure --enable-static --disable-shared --prefix=...

make
make install

Then copy all .h (headers) and .a (static libraries).

Build
Unzip the libraries and place the directory lib_mac just next to the directory sources.

Open the file polyphone.pro with Qt Creator. Build the project, a bundle polyphone.app should
appear in the directory lib_mac.

If the SDK path cannot be resolved, try modifying the file polyphone.pro to include these variables
(adjust the Mac OSX version of first):

QMAKE_MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET = 10.11
QMAKE_MAC_SDK = macosx10.11

Complete the bundle

Run the following command to include libraries and frameworks inside the bundle (adjust the path
first!):

/Path/To/Qt/5.2.0/clang_64/bin/macdeployqt /Path/To/lib_mac/polyphone.app

Copy the framework Jackmp from lib_mac and paste it to

lib_mac/polyphone.app/Contents/Frameworks. You may need to right click and select View
content to go inside the bundle instead of executing it.

Finally, run the following command in a single line (adjust the last path first!):

install_name_tool -change /System/Library/Frameworks/Jackmp.framework/Versions/A/Jack

mp @executable_path/../Frameworks/Jackmp.framework/Versions/A/Jackmp /Path/To/lib_mac
/polyphone.app/Contents/MacOS/Polyphone

You can then execute the program or compress it as a .zip file to share it.

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Troubleshooting
if you need more information or for getting some help.

See this topic

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Building Polyphone for Fedora

Use these instructions if you cannot install Polyphone on your Fedora distribution with the available
” (verified: Aug 27, 2020 on Fedora 32, 64bit).

installers in the section “Download

Prerequisite

Qt installation

After a base installation of Fedora, install the following packages (including a compiler) as pre-
requisites for Qt development:

sudo dnf update

sudo dnf install @development-tools

Then you can either install the default Qt framework with the following command:

sudo dnf install qt-creator qt5-qtsvg-devel qt5-qttools-devel

Polyphone dependencies

Install the following dependencies (if you have Synaptic installed you could alternatively use it for
installation):

sudo dnf install alsa-lib-devel jack-audio-connection-kit-devel portaudio-devel zlib-

devel libogg-devel flac-devel libvorbis-devel glib2-devel openssl-devel rtmidi-
devel stk-devel qcustomplot-qt5-devel

Build

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Sources

or from Github .

First, get Polyphone sources from here

If you want to continue the build with Qt Creator, follow now this tutorial: build with Qt Creator .
Otherwise, continue the reading of this document.

polyphone.pro modifications

Open the file polyphone.pro and change -lqcustomplot into -lqcustomplot-qt5 (add "-qt5") in
the following block:

# Location of QCustomplot
contains(DEFINES, USE_LOCAL_QCUSTOMPLOT) {
INCLUDEPATH += lib/_option_qcustomplot
HEADERS += lib/_option_qcustomplot/qcustomplot.h
SOURCES += lib/_option_qcustomplot/qcustomplot.cpp
} else {
LIBS += -lqcustomplot
}

This is required otherwise Polyphone will crash with a segmentation fault during startup.

Alternatively, you can uncomment (remove the leading "#") the following line so that you use an
embedded copy of the qcustomplot library:

DEFINES += USE_LOCAL_QCUSTOMPLOT

Getting the executable

Go into source directory (where the file polyphone.pro is located), open a terminal and build
Polyphone with this command:

qmake-qt5 && make

If everything goes well you will have the compiled file polyphone in the build-XXX subdirectory
next to sources.

Troubleshooting

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will give you some help if needed.

This forum category

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Building Polyphone for Ubuntu

Use these instructions if you cannot install Polyphone on your Linux distribution with the available
”. This method has been tested with Ubuntu 16.04 (Xenial).

installers in the section “Download

Prerequisite
The following libraries are required:

qt (qt5-default + libqt5svg5-dev)
alsa (libasound2-dev)
jack (libjack-jackd2-dev)
portaudio (portaudio19-dev)
rtmidi (librtmidi-dev)
stk (libstk0-dev)
qcustomplot (libqcustomplot-dev)
vorbis (libvorbis-dev)
ogg (libogg-dev)
flac (libflac-dev)
ssl (libssl-dev)

Use for example synaptic to install them.

or on GitHub .

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Build
In the root directory of the project, open a terminal and build Polyphone by running the following
command:

qmake polyphone.pro PREFIX=/usr && make

An executable file polyphone in the directory RELEASE should then appear if everything went right.

In the case where libraries such as RtMidi, Stk, QCustomPlot are missing or are not in a
compatible version in your distribution, you can edit the .pro file to use local copies of them. To do
this, uncomment the corresponding lines. For instance

#DEFINES += USE_LOCAL_RTMIDI

will become

DEFINES += USE_LOCAL_RTMIDI

(with no leading “#”).

Note: if you are using Qt Creator, the project may be opened via its .pro file present in the root
directory.

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Using Qt Creator to build Polyphone

Use these instructions to know how to build Polyphone with Qt Creator. It is assumed you already
have on your computer Qt Creator installed with the Qt framework, a compiler and the necessary
dependencies to build Polyphone (see related pages for this).

Prerequisite
The following elements are required:

a C++ compiler (VC++, Clang, GCC, …),

Qt Creator with its framework,
Polyphone dependencies.

The instructions for installing them are dependent on the OS you are using, see the related
documentation pages for this.

Build Polyphone

Copy the sources

or from Github .

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Open and configure the project

First, open the file polyphone.pro and edit it to possibly use the distributed versions for rtmidi, stk
and qcustomplot if your OS doesn't provide them. Uncomment the following lines by removing the
leading ‘#’:

DEFINES += USE_LOCAL_RTMIDI
DEFINES += USE_LOCAL_STK
DEFINES += USE_LOCAL_QCUSTOMPLOT

You can skip these modifications if you want to use libraries already installed in your computer
(make sure you have them!).

Start Qt Creator and open the file polyphone.pro.

Open Qt Creator

Then configure the project.

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Configure project

Run qmake and build the project

Go in the menu Build and choose the item Run qmake.

Run qmake

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qmake run is finished when the proceeding bar on the bottom right corner has reached the 100%
green.

qmake finished

In the section Project in the left column, then in the section Build&Run, select the build
configuration (Release is preferred).

Finally, click on the action Build project Polyphone in the menu Build.

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Build project

During project build you should see warnings but no errors.

Now you should have the executable polyphone either in the RELEASE or DEBUG subfolder of the
source code, depending on your choice in QtCreator build configuration.

Troubleshooting
if you need more information or for getting some help.

See this topic

for this article.

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Translate Polyphone

Polyphone has been designed to support translations in order to increase the accessibility. Everyone
can help in this process.

Prerequisite

Translation file

Download the translation package corresponding to the language you want to translate from this
. If the language is not in the list yet, use the contact form to ask for it (you just need to
specify the new language you want). You will quickly be provided with a new translation package.

Qt Linguist

The only software you need to translate is Qt Linguist: a tool for generating translation files. This
for Windows users or in repositories for Linux users (via Synaptic, Yum,
…).

Opening the translation file

Unzip the translation package you just downloaded. You will find a .ts file polyphone_XX.ts, XX
being related to your language. With Qt Linguist, open polyphone_XX.ts and you will be able to
start the translation.

Translating
page

Each item in each context needs to be translated. All you have to do is to review each element one
by one and fill your translation. Three cases may appear depending on your confidence level.

If you don't know how to translate don't hesitate to skip the element. This is not an issue:
other people can complete it.
You think you have the right translation but you are unsure: write your proposition and then
use Ctrl+J. The item will not be validated but the translation will nevertheless be used in the
translated interface. It just tells other people improving the translation that you were unsure.
You have the right translation: write it and use Ctrl+Enter. This item will be validated.

). Please
take care of:

the punctuation,
software can be found here

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 2022-03-05

the first and final spaces,

the character case (lowercase / uppercase),
singular and plural forms.

A final advice: take your time! And don't forget to save your work with Ctrl+S.

Testing your work

At anytime you can check your work. In Qt Linguist go to File ‣ Release As… and create a .qm file
corresponding to the translation you are providing. Follow the instructions in the translation package
to install it (readme.txt file), then open Polyphone. Go to the configurations, select your translation
and restart Polyphone. You will now be able to review your translation.

Note: the operation Release As… may translate only text comprising no accent. If this bug
happens, open a terminal and use the following command: lrelease polyphone_XX.ts (adapt it to
your current file).

Submitting the translation

Once you are done (or bothered!), send the .ts file (not .qm!) you were editing to contact@polyphone-
will be updated.

soundfonts.com. The translation package of this page

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