E-mu Systems SoundFont Designer
Application Note
March 19, 1996

- Bugs fixed:
  Properly detects 28 MB of extensible Sound RAM
  Does not re-initialize the EMU8000 upon start-up. This eliminates
    the problem where a loud pop is heard on certain S/PDIF compatible
    DACs, and eliminates the problem where the AWE-32 MIDI driver sounds
    incorrect after running the tool.

  However this brings up another problem, which requires a special app note:
  
  FOR BEST RESULTS: 
  E-mu Systems SoundFont designer should be run exclusively of the AWE-32 
  MIDI driver on a per Windows session basis. IE, either use E-mu Systems 
  SoundFont designer, OR use the AWE-32 MIDI driver. Do NOT switch between 
  using both in the same Windows session. If you need to switch between
  using E-mu Systems SoundFont Designer and the AWE-32 MIDI driver, bring
  Windows down first.

  IF THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE OR TOO CONSTRICTING:
  To allow both E-mu Systems SoundFont designer and the AWE-32 MIDI driver 
  to run within the SAME Windows session, it is crucial that you follow
  ONE of the following THREE procedures to avoid Sound DRAM deterioration:

    PROCEDURE 1:
    Before running E-mu Systems SoundFont designer:
    Make sure the FM Synthesizer is enabled 

    PROCEDURE 2:
    Before running E-mu Systems SoundFont designer:
    Use the AWE-32 MIDI driver or the AWE-32 Control Panel's Audition
      Panel to repeatedly play a SoundFont sound on the SOUND ROM. 64 
      consecutive note-on events is recommended.
    Use the AWE-32 MIDI driver or the AWE-32 Control Panel's Audition
      Panel to repeatedly play a SoundFont sound downloaded into Sound 
      RAM. 64 consecutive note-on events is recommended.
    
    This should be done EACH TIME you want to begin a SoundFont designer
    session!

    PROCEDURE 3:
    After running E-mu Systems SoundFont designer:
    Use the AWE-32 MIDI driver or the AWE-32 Control Panel's Audition
      Panel to repeatedly play a SoundFont sound on the SOUND ROM. 64 
      consecutive note-on events is recommended.

    This should be done EACH TIME you exit a SoundFont designer
    session!


    TECHNICAL PROBLEM CAUSING THIS:

    The AWE-32 MIDI driver selects varying EMU8000 voices dedicated to Sound
    RAM refresh, and E-mu Systems SoundFont designer has no way of knowing
    which voices those are. 
    
    If the FM Synthesizer is enabled, the voices which are dedicated for that
    are easy to detect. If the FM Synthesizer is disabled, it is impossible
    to detect which are the dedicated DRAM refresh voices.
    
    Readback of current EMU8000 position is insufficient because if many 
    voices were previously used to play ROM sounds, it is impossible to tell 
    which of those are the DEDICATED ROM sounds verses the voices which 
    happen to have been playing ROM sounds.

    PROCEDURE 1 forces the FM Synth on.
    PROCEDURE 2 forces the dedicated ROM sound voices to expose themselves
    PROCEDURE 3 sets refresh voices after the tool is ended AND forces the
                dedicated ROM sound voices (wherever they are) to go back 
                to playing ROM
