Replace VST audio engine option with a custom SoundFont/SFZ file - #28
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Good free VST2 instrument plugins have become hard to find now that Steinberg pulled the VST2 SDK, so the Audio Engine dialog's VST2 option is no longer a practical way to get better piano/guitar/cello sounds. Instead, the Audio Engine dialog now lets the user point playback at a custom SoundFont (.sf2) or SFZ (.sfz) instrument file. Both formats load through the same BASSMIDI engine already used for the bundled GeneralUser GS SoundFont (BASS_MIDI_FontInit natively supports SFZ, not just SF2), so multi-timbral melody/chord playback, GM instrument selection, and MIDI export all keep working unchanged -- just with a higher-quality sample library. There are much better free SFZ/SF2 libraries available (e.g. dedicated piano, guitar, and orchestral string libraries) than any generic General MIDI soundfont. - AppTheme gains a persisted CustomSoundFontPath setting, following the same pattern as the VST plugin path settings. - AppBootstrapper.CreateMidiOutput() uses it when set and the file exists, falling back to the bundled SoundFont (and, if that also fails, the system MIDI device) otherwise. - AudioEngineDialog no longer offers the VST2 radio option; it just has a single instrument-file field with a matching SF2/SFZ file browser. - BASSVST support (BassVstSynthesizer, the VstMelodyPluginPath/ VstChordPluginPath settings) is left in place in the backend -- not removed, just no longer exposed in the dialog -- so it can be revived later without re-plumbing it, and a plugin path saved by an older build's settings.json is still honored. Verified via the same sandbox pipeline as prior BASS-touching changes this session: dotnet build and dotnet format --verify-no-changes both pass, and the full existing regression suite (23 tests across Harness.cs and MainFormHarness.cs, covering MainForm, DI wiring, and non-UI services) passes unmodified under Mono + Xvfb against the rebuilt assembly, confirming no regressions to tab/session/playback- coordinator behavior. Actually loading a real SFZ/SF2 file through BASSMIDI isn't exercised here (no audio hardware in this sandbox), same caveat as all prior BASS-touching work this session. Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01Pguj4XSScE141p1ScWoqEr
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Summary
Good free VST2 instrument plugins have become hard to find now that Steinberg pulled the VST2
SDK, so the Audio Engine dialog's VST2 option is no longer a practical way to get better
piano/guitar/cello sounds.
Instead, the Audio Engine dialog now lets the user point playback at a custom SoundFont (
.sf2)or SFZ (
.sfz) instrument file. Both formats load through the same BASSMIDI engine already usedfor the bundled GeneralUser GS SoundFont (
BASS_MIDI_FontInitnatively supports SFZ, not justSF2), so multi-timbral melody/chord playback, GM instrument selection, and MIDI export all keep
working unchanged — just with a higher-quality sample library. There are much better free SFZ/SF2
libraries available (e.g. dedicated piano, guitar, and orchestral string libraries) than any
generic General MIDI soundfont.
What changed
AppTheme: gains a persistedCustomSoundFontPathsetting, following the same pattern asthe VST plugin path settings.
AppBootstrapper.CreateMidiOutput(): uses the custom SoundFont/SFZ path when it's set andthe file exists, falling back to the bundled SoundFont (and, if that also fails, the system
MIDI device) otherwise.
AudioEngineDialog: no longer offers the VST2 radio option; it just has a singleinstrument-file field with a matching SF2/SFZ file browser.
BassVstSynthesizerand theVstMelodyPluginPath/VstChordPluginPathsettings are left inplace in the backend — not removed, just no longer exposed in the dialog — so VST support can be
revived later without re-plumbing it, and a plugin path saved by an older build's
settings.jsonis still honored.
README.md: updated the feature bullet accordingly.Test plan
Verified via the same sandbox pipeline as prior BASS-touching changes this session:
dotnet buildsucceeds against the real project/package graph.dotnet format --verify-no-changespasses.Harness.csandMainFormHarness.cs,covering
MainForm, DI wiring, and non-UI services) passes unmodified under Mono + Xvfb againstthe rebuilt assembly, confirming no regressions to tab/session/playback-coordinator behavior.
Not verified in this sandbox (same caveat as all prior BASS-touching work this session):
actually loading a real SFZ/SF2 file through BASSMIDI requires real audio hardware.
🤖 Generated with Claude Code
https://claude.ai/code/session_01Pguj4XSScE141p1ScWoqEr
Generated by Claude Code