Quick Reference
How to do X in sfizz SFZ?
This section describes basic use of some SFZ features, illustrated with examples. Some of these features may be not very widely implemented in SFZ players, or specific to sfizz.
Oscillators
Basic oscillator
The most basic form of oscillator is obtained by using one of the predefined waveforms.
The name *saw provides the sawtooth oscillator.
<region>
sample=*saw
Detuned oscillator
This creates a pair of sawtooth waves. The second sawtooth is detuned by 50 cents, making the pair create together the impression of a fuller sound.
<region>
sample=*saw
<region>
sample=*saw
pitch=50
Wavetable oscillator
This creates an oscillator with a custom waveform, which is loaded from an audio file. This file contains exactly one period of signal, and its sample rate is disregarded.
One way to create wavetables is to use the WCreate utility.
- Documentation, and Windows software: futur3soundz
- macOS and Linux software: WaveTableTools
The example refers to a wave composed of the 6 first harmonics:
WCreate 1024 "x<6" sine_hrm_06.wav
The oscillator opcode indicates that we are dealing with a file which is a
wavetable.
Starting with sfizz 0.5.0, oscillator is optional: an audio file with less
than 3000 frames is considered to be a wavetable.
<region>
sample=sine_hrm_06.wav
oscillator=on
Unison oscillator
This creates an array of oscillators which are spread out in gain and frequency relative to the fundamental, and arranged in opposite fashion in left and right channels to create a stereo effect.
The unison mode is enabled when oscillator_multi is 3 or more, and
oscillator_mode is default or 0.
The example creates an array of 5 sawtooth waves, spread using a detuning interval set to 50 cents. (a "supersaw")
<region>
sample=*saw
oscillator=on
oscillator_multi=5
oscillator_detune=50
Ring modulation oscillator (experimental)
When the opcodes are set to oscillator_mode=0 and oscillator_multi=2,
this configures a pair of oscillators for ring modulation.
The modulator, whose frequency is determined by oscillator_detune in cents,
modulates the amplitude of the carrier oscillator, with a depth determined by
oscillator_mod_depth expressed as a percentage.
<control>
set_hdcc21=0.5
<region>
sample=*saw
oscillator=on
oscillator_mode=0
oscillator_multi=2
oscillator_detune=25
oscillator_mod_depth=100
oscillator_mod_depth_oncc21=100
FM oscillator (experimental)
A 2-operator FM arrangement can be constructed by setting oscillator_mode=2.
The frequency of the modulator is determined by oscillator_detune in cents,
and the FM index by oscillator_mod_depth. The depth is expressed as a
percentage, which means that the value 100 represents the FM index 1.0.
<control>
set_cc21=100
<global>
volume=-3.0
<region>
sample=*sine
oscillator=on
oscillator_mode=2
oscillator_detune=5
oscillator_mod_depth=100
oscillator_mod_depth_oncc21=1000