Actually, you can have more than one preset in an sfz file. A
lot more. And it's rather easy if you organize your samples into a compact set of groups. (That's important to making it easy).
Let's say you have a piano preset that has two groups, and a strings preset that has 1 group. Like so:
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// Piano preset
<group>
<region> sample=my_piano_note.wav key=c4
// Maybe more regions here
<group>
<region> sample=my_piano_pedal.wav key=c4
// Maybe more regions here
// Strings preset
<group>
<region> sample=my_strings_note.wav key=c4
// Maybe more regions here
First you have to figure out how you want them selected. For example, do you want upto 16 presets, each on a different midi channel? (ie, You select between them by changing the MIDI channel on your external controller.) Let's explore that first.
You need to add the lochan and hichan parameters to each group. Let's say you want the piano on midi channel 1, and strings on 2. You need to put
lochan=1 hichan=1
on all your piano groups. This restricts it to a range of midi chan 1 upto midi chan 1. In other words, only midi chan 1. And then
lochan=2 hichan=2
on all your strings groups like so:
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// Piano preset (MIDI chan 1)
<group> lochan=1 hichan=1
<region> sample=my_piano_note.wav key=c4
<group> lochan=1 hichan=1
<region> sample=my_piano_pedal.wav key=c4
// Strings preset (MIDI chan 2)
<group> lochan=2 hichan=2
<region> sample=my_strings_note.wav key=c4
The strings group plays whenever your sfz player is receiving notes on midi channel 2. But the piano groups don't in this case, because you've restricted them to channel 1 with the lochan and hichan settings.
Easy right?
Now let's say you want only the piano groups to sound whenever you select the first patch (number 1) on your controller. And you want only the strings to sound when you select patch 42. Now you use the loprog and hiprog parameters, much like the preceding example with lochan and hichan:
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// Piano preset (Program 1)
<group> loprog=1 hiprog=1
<region> sample=my_piano_note.wav key=c4
<group> loprog=1 hiprog=1
<region> sample=my_piano_pedal.wav key=c4
// Strings preset (Program 42)
<group> loprog=42 hiprog=42
<region> sample=my_strings_note.wav key=c4
Let's say you want to layer strings and piano when you select patch 100. (While still keeping them separate for patches 1 and 42). You need to copy and paste your 3 groups so you have a duplicate copy of each group. On the 3 duplicate groups set all 3 (two pianos, and one strings) to loprog = 100 hiprog = 100 like so:
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// Piano preset (Program 1)
<group> loprog=1 hiprog=1
<region> sample=my_piano_note.wav key=c4
<group> loprog=1 hiprog=1
<region> sample=my_piano_pedal.wav key=c4
// Strings preset (Program 42)
<group> loprog=42 hiprog=42
<region> sample=my_strings_note.wav key=c4
// Layered strings and piano (Program 100)
<group> loprog=100 hiprog=100
<region> sample=my_piano_note.wav key=c4
<group> loprog=100 hiprog=100
<region> sample=my_piano_pedal.wav key=c4
<group> loprog=100 hiprog=100
<region> sample=my_strings_note.wav key=c4
But wait. You can combine multiple sets of parameters to further define a patch. For example, let's say you want the piano and strings to both play for patch 101. But you want only the piano sound for middle c (note 60) and up. And you want only the strings for note 59 down. In other words, you want a split with strings sound on the left side of the keyboard, and piano sound on the right side. Use the lokey and hikey parameters to restrict strings from 0 to 56, and piano from 60 to 127. And of course we'll make yet another copy of the 3 groups so we still have our other patches available.
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// Strings and piano split (Program 101)
<group> loprog=101 hiprog=101 lokey=60 hikey=127
<region> sample=my_piano_note.wav key=c4
<group> loprog=101 hiprog=101 lokey=60 hikey=127
<region> sample=my_piano_pedal.wav key=c4
<group> loprog=101 hiprog=101 lokey=0 hikey=59
<region> sample=my_strings_note.wav key=c4
Sfz has
tons of other criteria you can add to your groups. Want to create a group that plays only on channel 4, when you select patch 88, and only over the key range of middle C to high C, and only when the mod wheel is in the range of 40 to 80, and you're pressing the sustain pedal down? You can do it. You can't come close to that level of programmability with SF2.
And you can arrange things so that it's easy to create "sets" of patches. For example, put all your piano patches in one SFZ text file named Piano.sfz. Put all your bass patches in Bass.sfz. Put all your string patches in Strings.sfz.
Now create a fourth SFZ that includes all 3 of those patch sets. When you load this one SFZ, it will automatically load the other 3. Here's what that "master set" looks like. We'll call it MyGigSet.sfz
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#include "Piano.sfz"
#include "Bass.sfz"
#include "Strings.sfz"
And I've barely scratched the surface of what SFZ offers which sf2 can't do. I think you maybe now have an inkling of why it's "superior".
P.S. When it comes to technical things, especially about programming, MIDI, and sound editing, you may want to hit me up for advice. I can be useful from time to time.
