New sfArk utility for Linux

[j_e_f_f_g]

It's not particulary hard, but it's some work.

Taking properly attributed code and GPL'ing it is easy! (It's way easier than reverse-engineering, and I came up with that sfark utility in a day). I've done it myself with several codebases I wrote (which I originally distributed under a non-gpl license). I have exclusive rights to the code since it's my original stuff. I just added that little blurb, halfway down the webpage you reference, to the standard copyright line in each source file. Then I saved the GPL license text in a file named COPYING. Put everything in a zip file, and uploaded it to my website. Done. I can't even begin to count the number of legitimate open-source projects for which the "GPL branding" (or whatever you want to call it) is exactly that.

[Matthew]

Would the two of you please set aside whatever minor disagreements you have and GPL a fully working un/sfArk Linux utility, then submit it to Ubuntu(Studio)? We all want to perpetuate the soundfonts floating around in sfArk format. I'd like to use some simple commandline util right away. That might seem selfish of me, but I'm sure I'm not alone.

Be a couple of heroes and get together to get this util into Linux distros for the rest of us. Please?

[j_e_f_f_g]

I already made a working utility and posted the source. Raboof posted that on a site with a makefile that can also produce a commandline version. It's incredibly simple to make. I have no "disagreement" with anyone. As far as I'm concerned, my "work" in this case is done.

[raboof]

We need a testsuite. I tried some of the soundfonts from http://www.soundfonts.gonet.biz/list.php but so far none of them convert correctly:

* Splendid_72M.sf2: works but crackles badly
* Cello Section.sf2: works but crackles
* tgk3.SF2: does not load at all
* 031.9mg reality gm gs bank.sfark: fails to unsfark (bad checksum)
* 027.3mg symphony hall bank.sfark: fails to unsfark (bad checksum)
* GUITAR-NYLON-PROTRAX.SF2: fails to unsfark (bad checksum)
* Piano Bechstein.sfArk: fails to unsfark (bad checksum)

Do you have any public domain sfArks that do convert correctly?

As promised, Andy's code is now up over at github:

* https://github.com/raboof/sfArkLib
* https://github.com/raboof/sfArkXTm

I'll do a proper announcement in a minute, but I'm happy to report unlike unsfark it successfully converts all of the above sfark's with the exception of 'tgk3', which appears to be an sfark version 1 file.

Beware that this is all rather rudimentary (for example I haven't done anything to prevent floating-point errors discussed above yet), but seems to be working out fine already!

I'll do a proper announcement in a bit.

[jlinkels]

Thanks a lot for providing this utility. Nice explanation as well.

I was able to run the compiled executable on Debian Wheezy on a 64-bit i7 processor. However, I got checksum errors while unpacking the sfArk file downloaded from Merlin merlin_gmv32. The playback did not sound good, with pops and crackles in the sound.

Then I found this site with a couple of links to free soundfonts files, including non-compressed .sf2 files or .zip compressed files.
http://hiphopmakers.com/over-2000-free- ... ont-player

Not all of the downloaded files provide all tracks I needed, but in general the result was successful. This one in particular was satisfactory:
http://www.ntonyx.com/soft/32MbGMStereo.sf2

jlinkels