SF2 Synth Module

Polyphonic SoundFont synthesizer for Move Everything using TinySoundFont by Bernhard Schelling.

Features

• Load any .sf2 SoundFont file
• Preset selection via UI
• Multiple soundfont support (switch with Shift + Left/Right)
• Octave transpose (-4 to +4)
• Full polyphony
• Velocity sensitivity
• Pitch bend support
• Signal Chain compatible

Prerequisites

• Move Everything installed on your Ableton Move
• SSH access enabled: http://move.local/development/ssh

Installation

Via Module Store (Recommended)

1. Launch Move Everything on your Move
2. Select Module Store from the main menu
3. Navigate to Sound Generators → SF2 Synth
4. Select Install

Manual Installation

./scripts/install.sh

Loading SoundFonts

Quick Setup

1. Download a .sf2 file (see "SoundFont Sources" below)
2. Copy to Move:

   scp YourSound.sf2 ableton@move.local:/data/UserData/move-anything/modules/sound_generators/sf2/soundfonts/
   

3. Restart the SF2 module or use Shift + Left/Right to switch soundfonts

The module loads the first .sf2 file in soundfonts/ by default. If the folder is empty, it falls back to instrument.sf2 in the module root.

Controls

Control	Action
Jog wheel	Navigate presets
Left/Right	Previous/next preset
Shift + Left/Right	Switch soundfonts
Up/Down	Octave transpose
Pads	Play notes (velocity sensitive)

Switching soundfonts resets to preset 1 in the new file.

SoundFont Sources

Free SoundFonts are available from:

• https://musical-artifacts.com/artifacts?formats=sf2
• https://www.philscomputerlab.com/general-midi-soundfonts.html
• FluidSynth's FluidR3_GM.sf2

Recommended starter SoundFonts:

• FluidR3_GM.sf2 - Full General MIDI set
• Timbres of Heaven - High quality orchestral
• Arachno SoundFont - Good all-around GM set

Troubleshooting

No sound:

• Ensure a .sf2 file exists in the soundfonts folder
• Check that the soundfont loaded (name shows on display)
• Try a different preset - some may be silent or very quiet

Wrong preset:

• Large GM SoundFonts can have 100+ presets - keep scrolling
• Bank 0 typically has melodic instruments, Bank 128 has drums

Clicking/glitching:

• Large SoundFonts may exceed available memory
• Try a smaller file or one with fewer samples
• FluidR3_GM (~150MB) works well; larger ones may have issues

Can't find soundfont:

• Ensure file is in modules/sound_generators/sf2/soundfonts/ (not the module root)
• File must have .sf2 extension (case sensitive)

Technical Details

• Sample rate: 44100 Hz
• Block size: 128 frames
• Output: Stereo interleaved int16

Building from Source

./scripts/build.sh

Requires Docker or ARM64 cross-compiler.

Credits

• TinySoundFont by Bernhard Schelling (MIT license)

AI Assistance Disclaimer

This module is part of Move Everything and was developed with AI assistance, including Claude, Codex, and other AI assistants.

All architecture, implementation, and release decisions are reviewed by human maintainers.
AI-assisted content may still contain errors, so please validate functionality, security, and license compatibility before production use.