SFZ Creation Tools

Although SFZ files can be created with any text editor, and some users have also created SFZ with spreadsheets, there are some dedicated tools which can make mapping large amounts of samples easier. As SFZ instruments can quickly grow to thousands of samples, efficiency in creating the mappings becomes important. One way of creating SFZ files is to use one of these tools to create the initial maps with keys, dynamic layers, round robins etc. defined, then add controls etc. using a text editor.

Automappers

Name License Linux macOS Windows Description
SFZ Python Automapper Public Domain ✓ ✓ ✓
Folder-to-SFZ converter Freeware ✓ ✓ ✓
Bjoerns Sample Mapper Freeware X ✓ ✓
soundmap GPL-3.0 ✓ ✓ ✓ Online automapper. Can create .sfz and .dspreset

Converters

Name License Linux macOS Windows Description
ConvertWithMoss (Java) LGPL-3.0-only ✓ ✓ ✓ Converts multisamples in a specific source format to a different destination format.
exs2sfz (Python) ISC ✓ ✓ ✓ EXS24 to SFZ sample library metadata converter.
SFZ to HISE Converter MIT ✓ ✓ ✓ Parses and translates/converts SFZ instruments to HISE samplemaps and extracts SFZ opcode data to a JS/JSON object. Runs in a web browser.
EXS2SFZ Freeware X ✓ ✓ Imports sample mapping information from EXS24 instruments and generates SFZ files from it.
TX2SFZ Freeware X X ✓ Converts sample mapping information from TX16WX sampler to SFZ.
Awave Studio Commercial X X ✓ Multi-purpose audio tool that reads a veritable host of audio carrying file formats from different platforms, synthesizers, trackers, mobile phones. It can be used in a variety of ways; as a file format converter, as an audio editor, or as a synth instrument editor.
Chicken Systems Translator Commercial X ✓ ✓
Extreme Sample Converter Commercial X X ✓
sfz-tools-cli CC0-1.0 ✓ ✓ ✓ Command line interface comprised of several tools to read, convert and parse SFZ and audio files.

Editors

Name License Linux macOS Windows Description
Polyphone GPL-3.0 ✓ ✓ ✓ An open-source soundfont editor for creating musical instruments. Note: being a soundfont editor (sf2) it has limited sfz support when exporting.
sfZed Freeware X X ✓ An editor for the SFZ format used by certain VST instruments. It will also convert Soundfont SF2 to SFZ and works with a midi keyboard to allow you to play and set values, including mapping drum samples.

Loop Editors

Name License Linux macOS Windows Description
LoopAuditioneer GPL-3.0-or-later ✓ X ✓ Software for evaluating, creating and manipulating loops and cues and other properties of wav file metadata.
Edison Commercial X ✓ ✓ Fully integrated audio editing and recording tool in FL Studio.
Endless WAV Freeware X ✓ ✓ Software to create sustain loops in WAV files (8, 16 and 24 bit) with loop mix, auto loop, realtime crossfade, fade and cut functions.
Wavosaur Freeware X X ✓ Software for editing, processing and recording sounds, wav and mp3 files. Wavosaur has all the features to edit audio (cut, copy, paste, etc.) produce music loops, analyze, record, batch convert. Supports VST plugins, ASIO driver, multichannel wav files, real time effect processing.

Misc

Name License Linux macOS Windows Description
Freepats-tools GPL-3.0 ✓ ✓ ✓ Tools to manage, create and convert sound fonts, collections of sampled musical instruments and sound banks. Originally created for the FreePats project.
sfzlint MIT ✓ ✓ ✓ Linter and parser for .sfz files.
sfz-tools-core CC0-1.0 ✓ ✓ ✓ TypeScript/JavaScript library to read, convert and parse SFZ and audio files.

Syntax Highlighting

Name License Linux macOS Windows Description
CudaText Editor MPL-2.0 ✓ ✓ ✓
SFZ major mode for GNU Emacs MIT ✓ ✓ ✓
for Geany FOSS ✓ ✓ ✓
for gedit FOSS ✓ ✓ ✓
for Kate MIT ✓ ✓ ✓
for Sublime Text FOSS ✓ ✓ ✓
for VSCode MIT ✓ ✓ ✓
for Notepad++ FOSS X X ✓
for Notepad++ FOSS X X ✓
SFZ Tools for UltraEdit FOSS ✓ ✓ ✓

Some Windows only software can be used under other Unix based operating systems using Wine / CrossOver or in a virtual machine software like VirtualBox.