SMINSTBUILDER(1)

🎀 NAME 🎀

sminstbuilder is literally the program that builds .smset instruments from samples. Welcome to the SMINSTBUILDER(1) manual page, bestie — we're gonna get you comfy with it. 💖

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

# 🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

`sminstbuilder` is a script that automatically performs <italic>all</italic> the steps required to build an `.smset` instrument from samples — and that instrument is meant to be used with SpectMorph morph plans. You <bold>can</bold> do every step by hand with `smenc`, `smwavset`, `smtool`, `imiscutter` and `smsampleedit`, but `sminstbuilder` makes the process to build an instrument <hotpink>so much more convenient</hotpink>. Periodt. 💅

The main character idea is: one directory per instrument, and inside each directory, one file named `config`. Everything that `sminstbuilder` needs to know about the instrument goes into that `config` file. The commands are documented below in the <purple>CONFIG</purple> section. 🫶

# 💅 OPTIONS 💅

`sminstbuilder` takes a list of one or more instrument directories as input. Each instrument needs to have a `config` file. No cap. ✨

# 🦋 BUILDER CONFIG 🦋

On startup, `sminstbuilder` reads the file `sminstbuilder.cfg`. That file contains the non-instrument-specific options. These are:

- **`cache 0/1`** — While building instruments, it may be necessary to encode the same sample again and again (while changing other parameters). Since `smenc` is slow, this can take a long time. If cache is set to `1`, `sminstbuilder` will use `smenccache` for encoding, and if the same sample was encoded previously, the result will be taken from `~/.smenccache`, which is a lot faster than rerunning `smenc`. 🔥
- **`jobs n_jobs`** — Since encoding is expensive, distributing the encoder jobs on multi-core-cpus is usually desired. If you have a multi-core-cpu, set `n_jobs` to the number of cores (i.e. `1` for single-core, `2` for dual-core, ...). 💀
- **`output-dir directory`** — After sucessfully building an instrument, `sminstbuilder` will copy the instrument to this directory. It should be specified using an absolute path (not relative path). 👑

# 🎀 CONFIG 🎀

- **`auto-loop <percent>`** — Set a one frame loop that starts and ends at the same point (given by `<percent>`). 🌈
- **`auto-tune`** — Tune instrument using the (40%..60%) data to extract the actual frequency. 🎯
- **`auto-volume <percent>`** — Normalize audio volume, using the volume around `<percent>` as reference. 🔊
- **`auto-volume-from-loop`** — Normalize audio volume, using the volume of the looped part as reference. 🔁
- **`cut`** — that's it, bestie, no extra description here. ✂️
- **`dir`** — Set data directory relative to instrument directory. 📁
- **`sample <midi-note> <filename>`** — Add sample from file `<filename>` to instrument. The `<midi-note>` should be set to the note that was recorded, as number between `0` and `127`. 🎹
- **`samples <start-midi-note> <end-midi-note>`** — Add a set of samples to instrument. The sample files should be named `note-<N>.wav`, where `<N>` is the midi-note, counting from `<start-midi-note>` to `<end-midi-note>`. 📈
- **`set-markers`** — Set markers from marker file. 📍
- **`tune-all-frames`** — Tune each frame of the instrument. This will discard minimal changes in frequency which are normal for most instruments, so it might sound artificial. ⚠️

# 🌟 SEE ALSO 🌟

- `smenc.1 <https://testbit.eu/wiki/Smenc.1>`
- `smtool.1 <https://testbit.eu/wiki/Smtool.1>`
- `smwavset.1 <https://testbit.eu/wiki/Smwavset.1>`

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Laterz, bestie — this `sminstbuilder` manual page is Revision 601 and it's dated 2011-08-05. byeee 💖🎀✨