Default Modulators

[spessasus]

Is your feature request related to a problem?

Currently, soundfont does not allow us to add default modulators. The only way to do so, is by adding them to every instrument which is absolutely terrible.

Describe the solution you'd like

I've described it here. I originally created an issue on Polyphone with this idea, but I expanded it onto a markdown file.

Describe alternatives you've considered

None, really.
This seems to be the perfect solution because:

1. Doesn't violate the SF2 spec (foreign INFO chunks shall be ignored)
2. Players that won't recognize it probably don't support modulators anyway
3. Default modulators, yay! For example changing the volume curve to match GS one!
4. Code from the IMOD and PMOD parsers can be reused
5. Should be easy to implement (at least for fluidsynth, just using the api for manipulating default modulators internally)

I'll also write to Ian from BASSMIDI and I've already suggested the idea to Davy at Polyphone.

What do you think? Let me know!

[derselbst]

I understand that having a DMOD chunk would allow Soundfont editors to get rid of displaying duplicated modulators everywhere, and instead more clearly separate them for the user, i.e. what is an instrument modulator, a preset modulator, and what modulator(s) apply to every instrument.

But since you plan to save the modulators in the DMOD chunk to the regular IMOD chunk for compatibility reasons, what exactly should fluidsynth support here?

[spessasus]

Hi,
The original issue suggestion involved only polyphone using DMOD, and the saving solution would make it work with all sf synths, but now I've expanded it as a full-on chunk that won't save modulators to IMOD. The original issue is out of date. I'll update it now.

[spessasus]

Hi again,
I've added an example soundfont for testing in the proposal repository. I hope it helps getting the idea. I've also implemented support for it into my synthesizer so you can see how it should be interpreted.