Interface:

• Changed keyboard shortcut: Shift+Ctrl+H is now "Show keyboard shortcuts" while Ctrl+H is still "Set default SoundFont file".

Features:

• You can now change SoundFonts while playing (and not only Presets).
• The Live MIDI Input playback mode has been enhanced: you can now assign VST Instruments and Effects and change SoundFonts and Presets, while active. Additionally the settings are retained while switching Input ON/OFF. You can furthermore save a special arrangement which can be used for this mode only, as it does not require a MIDI file. See main menu “File” item “Save Arrangement for MIDI Input mode...”.
• The SoundFont Presets dialog has a new option “Lock when playing live from MIDI input”. Check this to prevent MIDI program events from changing the Preset in Live MIDI Input playback mode.
• The VST instruments dropdown menu (“VSTI” button in tracks header) has a new item: “Remove instrument from track” to quickly remove the VST instrument assigned to the track and restore the SoundFont previously used.
• In the VST editor window, the button “Lock” has a dropdown item: “Lock to MIDI channel 0”. Use this if the VST instrument accepts MIDI channel 0 data only (like Clavia Lab).
• In the VST editor window, there is a new button “Reset”, most useful for VST instruments. Use it to switch off the instrument of it continues to play notes even after the tune has ended.
• SynthFont now keeps in memory VST Instruments and Effects when another Arrangement is loaded - if they are used in the other Arrangement - to speed up the loading of these.
• Previously notes were ended abruptly when the note release envelope reached a lower limit. In most cases this was acceptable, but not if the number of notes playing was small. SynthFont now adds a short damping tail to the end to make it smoother.
• When playing to external MIDI devices through MIDI ports, SynthFont sends MIDI reset commands before, and after, playing.
• When using SFZ files, SynthFont can now automatically extract the required WAV files from OGG files (provided that the OggVorbis libraries OGG.DLL and VorbisFile.DLL are present). You can delete the OGG files when extracted.

Bug fixes:

• Since version 1.600, changing the language using the Language menu item in the main toolbar did not change the language permanently.
• SFZ file support was still lacking.
• SynthFont Version "1" does not support multiple time signatures. From now on the last time signature defined before any notes will be used instead of the very last one defined in the file (which may be in the last bar...).
• Plus a number of other minor flaws.

SynthFont is a free/donationware tool for playing/rendering MIDI files using SoundFonts and other similar sound sources (WAV, DLS, GIGA and also VST Instruments).

Visit: Kenneth Rundt