To use SoundFonts in your sound card, you need to change the active soundfont. If you're using one of the Creative cards, there should be an icon for a program called AudioHQ in your Windows traybar. Click it to expand - select the SoundFont option. This opens a dialog box with three tabs. Select the 'Configure Bank' tab, and click the 'Load' button to import a sf2 file into your configuration.
RECOMMENDED SOUNDFONT SYSTEMS
High-End System (PC):
Multi-channel audio card
LiveSynth Pro Software Synth
SONAR MIDI/Audio Sequencer
Sonic Implants SoundFonts
Medium-End System (PC):
Creative Labs Soundblaster Audigy Card
SONAR MIDI/Audio Sequencer
Sonic Implants SoundFonts
Alternate Medium-End System (PC):
Any brand stereo soundcard
Vsampler 3.0 (or later) Software Synth
SONAR MIDI/Audio Sequencer
Sonic Implants SoundFonts
Medium-End System (Mac):
Any brand stereo soundcard
Software Synth capable of importing the Soundfont format
MIDI/Audio Sequencer for Macintosh
Sonic Implants SoundFonts
Budget System (PC):
Creative Labs Soundblaster Live! Card (any model)
Cakewalk Home Studio 2004 or Music Creator 2003
Sonic Implants SoundFonts
Hardware versus Software issues for playing back Soundfonts
If you have a Creative Labs card capable of playing back Soundfonts, you are assured of complete compatibility. (After all, the Soundfont spec was created by Creative Labs to support those Soundcards). If you want to use a different soundcard, then you will need to have a software synth that is capable of loading and playing back Soundfont files. With the increasing popularity of the Soundfont spec, more and more software programs are adding the ability to import and play Soundfonts. However, in our experience, many of these programs do not accurately import all the programming parameters. They typically will import the sample data and keymapping info correctly, but the various programming parameters, such as filter and envelope settings, fine tuning, etc., may not correctly be imported. If you are planning on getting a software program to play Soundfont files, you may want to check with the manufacturer to find out exactly how much info they import.
Software Recommendations
If you are going to be using a software synth on a PC, Sonic Implants recommends using Vsampler 3. It does an excellent job of importing all the programming parameters accurately. It includes VSTi and Dxi compatible plug-ins, plus a stand-alone application. The Dxi version of Vsampler is included with SONAR 3.0 Producer Edition.
Another program that works well is Live Synth Pro, which is a Dxi plug-in. Unfortunately Live Update, the company that created LiveSynth Pro, is out of business. A time limited demo version of Live Synth Pro is included on the SONAR 2.0 CD-ROM, along with demo versions of some of our Soundfont products. But since Live Update is out of business, there is no way to purchase the fully functional version any more.
If you have another software sampler that you like working with and it does not import the soundfont format correctly, you want to try working with a sampler format conversion program, to convert from the soundfont format to another format that imports better in your software sampler. Two programs that we have used are CDXtract and Translator.