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sfizz part 2 group and off_by🔗

kinwie edited this page on 12 Nov 2020 · 12 revisions

sfizz improved behavior - part 2🔗

sfizz is a new free sfz player in a very active development stage. At this moment of writing, it is in beta version 0.5.1. More information here : https://sfz.tools/sfizz/

No self-choking with same group and off_by🔗

There are two different implementations on the "_exclusive group/choke group behaviors which use group and off_by opcodes for muting function, e.g. hihats and cymbals choke, etc, which mostly played as one_shot

  • In original rgc sfz design (and also Cakewalk players), using same number for group and off_by won't make the region (same key) self-choking (muted by itself), which means the region/key is polyphonic, but it will get choked by different keys of the same group. This behavior is good and quick for setting choke groups between different keys only. But it has one issue since it can't choke on the same key, e.g, on a common hihats programming (for eDrums) using CC4 Foot Controller to switch between articulations that put all on one key. A simple example : Closed hihats that put on locc4=0 hicc4=63 can't choke the Open hihats that put on locc4=64 hicc4=127, which both on key 42.

  • ARIA/sforzando has more strictly behavior. When the group and off_by has the same number, the region/key will self-choking, which means it became monophonic. Though it's logically correct, it could make a simple choke setting became more complex when polyphonic is wanted. But it also solved that "Same key with CC" programming issue.

Then sfizz combines the best of both and result in much more flexible behavior.

  • Using same number for group and off_by in sfizz won't make the key self-choking, so it's polyphonic. This also solved the "monophonic" sound issue cause by auto-converted sfz instruments, which it usually exported with the same numbers, e.g. sfz that are converted from sf2.
  • For CC programming to use with eDrums, mostly for controlling hihats articulations also working great with sfizz. Assign each articulation to each group number and then assign different numbers for the off_by. This can be a bit more complex when more articulations are used, e.g. if you have like, 5 to 8 hihats openness degree (Tight, Closed, Quarter, Half, 3/4 open, Full open, etc.). Maybe some other article to go more in-depth for this kind of settings.

To quick and simple identifying this behavior, try this example below (using crash samples for more easier to notice) :

<region>
sample=crash.wav
loop_mode=one_shot
key=60
group=1
off_by=1

Test that example in sforzando, play key 60 fast and you will hear the crash sounded cut-off monophonic. Try the same action in sfizz and you will hear the crash is ringing loosely as it's supposed to.

So, to get that same "monophonic" cut-off sound in sfizz, just simply use polyphony=1 :

<region>
sample=crash.wav
loop_mode=one_shot
key=60
group=1
polyphony=1

Then a simple example for that "Hihats CC4 programming" can be like this (using different numbers) :

<global>
key=42

<group> loop_mode=one_shot
<region> locc4=000 hicc4=025 group=1 off_by=6 sample=HH_open.wav
<region> locc4=026 hicc4=050 group=2 off_by=7 sample=HH_3_4.wav
<region> locc4=051 hicc4=076 group=3 off_by=8 sample=HH_half.wav
<region> locc4=077 hicc4=101 group=4 off_by=9 sample=HH_1_4.wav
<region> locc4=102 hicc4=127 group=5 sample=HH_closed.wav

<group> end=-1 sample=*silence
<region> locc4=026 hicc4=127 group=6
<region> locc4=051 hicc4=127 group=7
<region> locc4=077 hicc4=127 group=8
<region> locc4=102 hicc4=127 group=9