sfizz vs Subsample

sfizz is a sample-based musical synthesizer built around the SFZ instrument format. It can load existing SFZ libraries or support the creation of personal instruments. The software supports SFZv1 and has partial compatibility with SFZv2, so some features of the newer format may not work fully. sfizz is available as VST3i, Audio Unit and LV2 plugins, as well as a standalone JACK client. Instrument makers can use hot reload to revise custom instruments and check changes without manually operating the software. Its streaming system loads sounds when needed and reclaims memory once sounds are no longer in use. Developers can integrate the engine into other programs with C and C++ API bindings; it accepts an SFZ file and MIDI-type events and renders audio through successive callbacks. Downloads include Linux packages, Windows 32-bit and 64-bit installers, and a universal macOS package for Intel and Apple Silicon. The project requires no payment to use, with optional donations. Its repository was archived on June 21, 2026 and is read-only.

Subsample is a standalone sampler that turns live input or recordings into collections of sounds that can be played from MIDI. It separates and sorts sound events, then maps them to MIDI notes by acoustic similarity without labels, training data, or manual tagging. In live sampling, it captures, trims, analyses, and adds distinct events to an instrument library in real time. For longer samples, onset detection can identify hits and place them on a beat grid at a target BPM. Its processors include filters, dynamics, distortion, radio, vocoder, pitch shifting, time stretching, and quantisation. It accepts WAV, BWF, FLAC, AIFF, OGG, and MP3/MPEG files, and supports MIDI input, OSC, and MIDI control bindings. Audio runs from mono through 7.1, with per-instrument routing and first-order ambisonic capture and playback. Subsample has no graphical interface and runs from a terminal, using YAML files and a MIDI map. It is an early release, and those formats may change. The open-source AGPLv3 license requires source availability for modified versions used as network services; proprietary use requires a commercial licence.