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.\" FluidSynth is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
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.TH FluidSynth 1 "Feb 2, 2025"
.\" Please update the above date whenever this man page is modified.
.\"
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.SH NAME
FluidSynth \- a SoundFont synthesizer
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B fluidsynth
.RI [ options ]
[ SoundFonts ]
[ midifiles ]
.SH DESCRIPTION
\fBFluidSynth\fP is a real-time MIDI synthesizer based on the
SoundFont(R) 2 specifications.
It can be used to render MIDI input or MIDI files to audio.
The MIDI events are read from a MIDI device.
The sound is rendered in real-time to the sound output device.
.PP
The easiest way to start the synthesizer is to give it a SoundFont on
the command line:
\&'fluidsynth soundfont.sf2'.
fluidsynth will load the SoundFont
and read MIDI events from the default MIDI device using the default MIDI
driver.
Once FluidSynth is running,
it reads commands from the stdin.
There are commands to send MIDI events manually,
to load or unload SoundFonts,
and so forth.
All the available commands are discussed below.
.PP
FluidSynth can also be used to play a list of MIDI files.
Simply run FluidSynth with the SoundFont
and the list of MIDI files to play.
In this case you might not want to open the MIDI device to read external
events.
Use the \-n option to deactivate MIDI input.
If you also want to deactivate the use of the shell,
start FluidSynth with the \-i option:
\&'fluidsynth \-ni soundfont.sf2 midifile1.mid midifile2.mid'.
.PP
Run fluidsynth with the \-\-help option to check for changes in the list
of options.
.SH OPTIONS
\fBfluidsynth\fP accepts the following options:

.TP
.B \-a, \-\-audio\-driver=[label]
The audio driver to use.
"\-a help" to list valid options
.TP
.B \-c, \-\-audio\-bufcount=[count]
Number of audio buffers
.TP
.B \-C, \-\-chorus
Turn the chorus on or off
[0|1|yes|no, default = on]
.TP
.B \-d, \-\-dump
Dump incoming and outgoing MIDI events to stdout
.TP
.B \-E, \-\-audio\-file\-endian
Audio file endian for fast rendering or aufile driver
("\-E help" for list)
.TP
.B \-f, \-\-load\-config
Load command configuration file
(shell commands)
.TP
.B \-F, \-\-fast\-render=[file]
Render MIDI file to raw audio data and store in [file]
.TP
.B \-g, \-\-gain
Set the master gain
[0 < gain < 10, default = 0.2]
.TP
.B \-G, \-\-audio\-groups
Defines the number of LADSPA audio nodes
.TP
.B \-h, \-\-help
Print out this help summary
.TP
.B \-i, \-\-no\-shell
Don't read commands from the shell [default = yes]
.TP
.B \-j, \-\-connect\-jack\-outputs
Attempt to connect the jack outputs to the physical ports
.TP
.B \-K, \-\-midi\-channels=[num]
The number of midi channels [default = 16]
.TP
.B \-L, \-\-audio\-channels=[num]
The number of stereo audio channels [default = 1]
.TP
.B \-m, \-\-midi\-driver=[label]
The name of the midi driver to use.
"\-m help" to list valid options.
.TP
.B \-n, \-\-no\-midi\-in
Don't create a midi driver to read MIDI input events [default = yes]
.TP
.B \-o
Define a setting, \-o name=value
("\-o help" to dump current values)
.TP
.B \-O, \-\-audio\-file\-format
Audio file format for fast rendering or aufile driver
("\-O help" for list)
.TP
.B \-p, \-\-portname=[label]
Set MIDI port name
(alsa_seq, coremidi drivers)
.TP
.B \-q, \-\-quiet
Do not print welcome message or other informational output
.TP
.B \-r, \-\-sample\-rate
Set the sample rate
.TP
.B \-R, \-\-reverb
Turn the reverb on or off
[0|1|yes|no, default = on]
.TP
.B \-s, \-\-server
Start FluidSynth as a server process
.TP
.B \-T, \-\-audio\-file\-type
Audio file type for fast rendering or aufile driver
("\-T help" for list)
.TP
.B \-v, \-\-verbose
Print out verbose messages about midi events
(synth.verbose=1)
as well as other debug messages
.TP
.B \-V, \-\-version
Show version of program
.TP
.B \-z, \-\-audio\-bufsize=[size]
Size of each audio buffer

.SH SETTINGS
The settings to be specified with \-o are documented in the
fluidsettings.xml
hopefully shipped with this distribution
or online at
https://www.fluidsynth.org/api/fluidsettings.xml .
We recommend viewing this file in a webbrowser,
favourably Firefox.

.SH SHELL COMMANDS
.TP
.B GENERAL
.TP
.B help
Prints out list of help topics
(type "help <topic>"
to view details on available commands)
.TP
.B quit
Quit the synthesizer
.TP
.B SOUNDFONTS
.TP
.B load filename [reset] [bankofs]
Load a SoundFont onto the SoundFont stack. If reset is 1 (which is the implicit default), all currently in-use SoundFont presets will be re-evaluated with the newly loaded SoundFont taken into account.
Optionally, you can specify a non-zero bank offset for the new SoundFont. For example the command
load soundfont.sf2 0 10 will load the soundfont.sf2 with a bank offset of 10 without re-evaluating the presets.
.TP
.B unload number
Unload a SoundFont.
The number is the index of the SoundFont on the stack.
.TP
.B fonts
Lists the current SoundFonts on the stack
.TP
.B inst number
Print out the available instruments for the SoundFont.
.TP
.B MIDI MESSAGES
.TP
.B noteon channel key velocity
Send a note-on event
.TP
.B noteoff channel key
Send a note-off event
.TP
.B cc channel ctrl value
Send a control change event
.TP
.B prog chan num
Send program-change message
.TP
.B select chan sfont bank prog
Combination of bank-select and program-change
.TP
.B channels
Print out the presets of all channels.
.TP
.B AUDIO SYNTHESIS
.TP
.B gain value
Set the master gain
(0 < gain < 5)
.TP
.B interp num
Choose interpolation method for all channels
.TP
.B interpc chan num
Choose interpolation method for one channel
.TP
.B REVERB
.TP
.B set synth.reverb.active [0|1]
Turn the reverb on or off
.TP
.B set synth.reverb.room-size num
Change reverb room size
.TP
.B set synth.reverb.damp num
Change reverb damping
.TP
.B set synth.reverb.width num
Change reverb width
.TP
.B set synth.reverb.level num
Change reverb level
.TP
.B CHORUS
.TP
.B set synth.chorus.active [0|1]
Turn the chorus on or off
.TP
.B set synth.chorus.nr n
Use n delay lines
(default 3)
.TP
.B set synth.chorus.level num
Set output level of each chorus line to num
.TP
.B set synth.chorus.speed num
Set mod speed of chorus to num (Hz)
.TP
.B set synth.chorus.depth num
Set chorus modulation depth to num (ms)
.TP
.B MIDI ROUTER
.TP
.B router_default
Reloads the default MIDI routing rules
(input channels are mapped 1:1 to the synth)
.TP
.B router_clear
Deletes all MIDI routing rules.
.TP
.B router_begin [note|cc|prog|pbend|cpress|kpress]
Starts a new routing rule for events of the given type
.TP
.B router_chan min max mul add
Limits the rule for events on min <= chan <= max.
If the channel falls into the window,
it is multiplied by 'mul',
then 'add' is added.
.TP
.B router_par1 min max mul add
Limits parameter 1
(for example note number in a note events).
Similar to router_chan.
.TP
.B router_par2 min max mul add
Limits parameter 2
(for example velocity in a note event).
Similar to router_chan
.TP
.B router_end
Finishes the current rule and adds it to the router.
.TP
.B Router examples
.TP
router_clear
.TP
router_begin note
.TP
router_chan 0 7 0 15
.TP
router_end
.\".TP
Will accept only note events from the lower 8 MIDI channels.
Regardless of the channel,
the synthesizer plays the note on ch 15
(synthchannel=midichannel*0+15)
.TP
router_begin cc
.TP
router_chan 0 7 0 15
.TP
router_par1 1 1 0 64
.TP
router_add
Configures the modulation wheel to act as sustain pedal
(transforms CC 1 to CC 64 on the lower 8 MIDI channels,
routes to ch 15)

.SH AUTHORS
Peter Hanappe <hanappe@fluid-synth.org>
.br
Markus Nentwig <nentwig@users.sourceforge.net>
.br
Antoine Schmitt <as@gratin.org>
.br
Josh Green <jgreen@users.sourceforge.net>
.br
Stephane Letz <letz@grame.fr>
.br
Tom Moebert <tom[d0t]mbrt[ÄT]gmail[d0t]com>

Please check the AUTHORS and THANKS files for all credits
.SH DISCLAIMER
SoundFont(R) is a registered trademark of E-mu Systems, Inc.