Editing SoundFont (section)

== History ==
The original SoundFont file format was developed in the early 1990s by [[E-mu Systems]] and [[Creative Labs]]. A specification for this version was never released to the public. The first and only major device to utilize this version was Creative's [[Sound Blaster AWE32]] in 1994. Files in this format conventionally have the [[file extension]] of {{Not a typo|.SBK}}.

SoundFont 2.0 was developed in 1996. This file format generalized the data representation using perceptually additive real world units, redefined some of the instrument layering features within the format, added true stereo sample support and removed some obscure features of the first version whose behavior was difficult to specify. This version was fully disclosed as a public specification, with the goal of making the SoundFont format an industry standard. All SoundFont 1.0 compatible devices were updated to support the SoundFont 2.0 format shortly after it was released to the public, and consequently the 1.0 version became obsolete. Files in this and all other 2.x formats (see below) conventionally have the file extension of {{Not a typo|.SF2}}.

Version 2.01<ref>{{cite web | title=SoundFont Technical Specification 1998| url=https://www.synthfont.com/SFSPEC21.PDF | access-date=5 April 2024}}</ref> (or 2.1) of the SoundFont file format was introduced in 1998,<ref>{{ cite web | accessdate = 2014-11-10 | url = http://freepats.zenvoid.org/sf2/sfapp21.pdf | title = SoundFont 2.1 Application Note }}</ref> with an E-mu sound card product called the Audio Production Studio. This version added features allowing sound designers to configure the way MIDI controllers influence synthesizer parameters. It is bidirectionally compatible with 2.0, which means that synthesizers capable of rendering 2.01 format will also by definition render 2.0 format, and synthesizers that are only capable of rendering 2.0 format will also read and render the new format, but just not apply the new features.

SoundFont 2.04 was introduced in 2005 with the [[Sound Blaster X-Fi]]. The 2.04 format added support for 24-bit samples. The 2.04 format is bidirectionally compatible with the 2.01 format, so synthesizers that are only capable of rendering 2.0 or 2.01 format would automatically render instruments using 24-bit samples at 16-bit precision.