Practice keyboard bell samples

One way to get bell sounds for a MIDI carillon practice keyboard is to install a sample player on a Mac or PC and add a USB MIDI adapter to connect the keyboard.

Sample player software

Requirements

• • Keyboard, mouse, display if computer is not a laptop
• USB Midi interface
• Headphones or amplified monitor speaker

Plogue Sforzando

Download Sforzando for OS X or Windows from Plogue's download page

Sforzando requires either a Mac with OS X (10.6.8 & up) or Windows (XP and up)

Sample players for Linux

Linux Sampler supports the SFZ file format used below. Usage is beyond the scope of this article, but we have loaded the samples into it to check compatibility. The easiest way to make it work is using a graphical plug-in host such as Carla. If you have audio experience in Linux, you should be able to get it to work. If you are a beginner wanting to experiment with Linux audio, we suggest you start with a distribution called KXStudio. It works well on old PCs with good sound cards.

Bell Samples

University of Michigan

Download audio samples of the 60-bell Ann & Robert H. Lurie Carillon at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor for free under CC BY 4.0 license.

Create lurie.sfz

// code coming soon

GCNA Members Only Samples

2012 Ronald Barnes Memorial Scholarship winner Ed Herrmann created high-quality recordings of the carillon bells at the University of Chicago's Rockefeller Memorial Chapel. These recordings are available to all GCNA members, and are useful to provide bell sounds for the carillon practice keyboard.

Requires a GCNA Membership to access the download pages below.

Downloads Chicago samples

1. Download the Chicago samples from the GCNA members web page
   1. go to the Members area of the GCNA website
   2. enter your user name and password for access
   3. right click each bell note link to save link as
   4. copy the downloaded .wav files from your downloads folder to a new folder named samples

Create chicago.sfz sample map file

Open a text editor, then copy the code below and paste it into the editor.

//----------------------------------------------------------
// Programmed by Rick White, http://www.chimemaster.com
// For GCNA membership use with MIDI practice keyboards
// January, March 2016, May 2017
// Works with Garratin Sample programs using ARIA engine or
// Plogue Sforzando - freeware can be found at
//        http://www.plogue.com/products/sforzando/ 
//----------------------------------------------------------

<group>  // was <global> more compatible using group
  polyphony=64        // reduce for slow cpu/low memory
  loop_mode=one_shot  // force sample to play in entirety
  ampeg_attack=0.005  // 5 ms de-click may be excessive
  ampeg_hold=1        // 1 sec hold
  ampeg_decay=1       // 1 sec decay
  ampeg_sustain=100   // to 100% - play same staccato or legato
  ampeg_release=100   // 100 sec release long 

// no keyboard transposition - full 6 octaves
<region> sample=1-Csharp2.wav key=037 lokey=036 hikey=038
<region> sample=2-Eb2.wav      key=039
<region> sample=3-E2.wav       key=040
<region> sample=4-F2.wav       key=041
<region> sample=5-Fsharp2.wav  key=042
<region> sample=6-G2.wav       key=043
<region> sample=7-Ab2.wav      key=044
<region> sample=8-A2.wav       key=045
<region> sample=9-Bb2.wav      key=046
<region> sample=10-B2.wav      key=047
<region> sample=11-C3.wav      key=048
<region> sample=12-Csharp3.wav key=049
<region> sample=13-D3.wav      key=050
<region> sample=14-Eb3.wav     key=051
<region> sample=15-E3.8.wav    key=052
<region> sample=16-F3.wav      key=053
<region> sample=17-Fsharp3.wav key=054
<region> sample=18-G3.wav      key=055
<region> sample=19-Ab3.wav     key=056
<region> sample=20-A3.wav      key=057
<region> sample=21-Bb3.wav     key=058
<region> sample=22-B3.wav      key=059 
<region> sample=23-C4.wav      key=060
<region> sample=24-Csharp4.wav key=061
<region> sample=25-D4.wav      key=062
<region> sample=26-Eb4.wav     key=063
<region> sample=27-E4.wav      key=064
<region> sample=28-F4.wav      key=065
<region> sample=29-Fsharp4.wav key=066
<region> sample=30-G4.wav      key=067
<region> sample=31-Ab4.wav     key=068
<region> sample=32-A4.wav      key=069
<region> sample=33-Bb4.wav     key=070
<region> sample=34-B4.wav      key=071
<region> sample=35-C5.wav      key=072
<region> sample=36-Csharp5.wav key=073
<region> sample=37-D5.wav      key=074
<region> sample=38-Eb5.wav     key=075
<region> sample=39-E5.wav      key=076
<region> sample=40-F5.wav      key=077
<region> sample=41-Fsharp5.wav key=078
<region> sample=42-G5.wav      key=079
<region> sample=43-Ab5.wav     key=080
<region> sample=44-A5.wav      key=081
<region> sample=45-Bb5.wav     key=082
<region> sample=46-B5.wav      key=083
<region> sample=47-C6.wav      key=084
<region> sample=48-Csharp6.wav key=085
<region> sample=49-D6.wav      key=086
<region> sample=50-Eb6.wav     key=087
<region> sample=51-E6.wav      key=088
<region> sample=52-F6.wav      key=089
<region> sample=53-Fsharp6.wav key=090
<region> sample=54-G6.wav      key=091
<region> sample=55-Ab6.wav     key=092
<region> sample=56-A6.wav      key=093
<region> sample=57-Bb6.wav     key=094
<region> sample=58-B6.wav      key=095
<region> sample=59-C7.wav      key=096
<region> sample=60-Csharp7.wav key=097
<region> sample=61-D7.wav      key=098
<region> sample=62-Eb7.wav     key=099
<region> sample=63-E7.wav      key=100
<region> sample=64-F7.wav      key=101
<region> sample=65-Fsharp7.wav key=102
<region> sample=66-G7.wav      key=103
<region> sample=67-Ab7.3.wav   key=104
<region> sample=68-A7.4.wav    key=105
<region> sample=69-Bb7.wav     key=106
<region> sample=70-B7.wav      key=107
<region> sample=71-C8.wav      key=108
<region> sample=72-Csharp8.wav key=109 hikey=127

Save the file as chicago.sfz in the samples folder

Load the file into sforzando

1. Start sforzando
2. At the top left of the app, click INSTRUMENT and then Import, navigate to chicago.sfz and open it
3. The bells should play when you click on the keys of the on screen keyboard
4. If you have connected and configured your MIDI interface, Open sforzando preferences from the menu, select your MIDI input and audio output
5. In sforzando's File menu, select save as and enter Practice Chicago