# FluidSynth

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**FluidSynth**, formerly named **iiwusynth**, is a free open source [software synthesizer](/source/Software_synthesizer) which converts [MIDI](/source/MIDI) note data into an [audio signal](/source/Audio_signal) using [SoundFont](/source/SoundFont) technology without need for a SoundFont-compatible soundcard. FluidSynth can act as a virtual MIDI device, able to receive MIDI data from any program and transform it into audio on-the-fly. It can also read in [SMF](/source/Standard_MIDI_files) (.mid) files directly. On the output side, it can send audio data directly to an audio device for playback, or to a [Raw](/source/Raw_audio_format) or [Wave](/source/WAV) file. It can also convert a SMF file directly to an audio file in faster-than-real-time.[1] The combination of these features gives FluidSynth the following major use cases:

- Synthesizing MIDI data from another application directly to the speakers,
- Synthesizing MIDI data from another application, recording the output to an audio file,
- The MIDI data for either of the above can be received from an application, or a MIDI controller device (e.g keyboard / pads) attached to the computer (e.g. USB or Bluetooth) or received over a network,
- Playing a MIDI file to the speakers,
- Converting a MIDI file to a digital audio file.

The size of loaded SoundFont banks is limited by the amount of RAM available. There is a [GUI](/source/Graphical_user_interface) for FluidSynth called **Qsynth**, which is also open source. Both are available in most [Linux](/source/Linux) distributions, and can also be [compiled](/source/Compiler) for [Windows](/source/Microsoft_Windows). Windows binary installers are not distributed alone and are bundled with QSynth.

It features [microtonal](/source/Microtonal) support and was used in the MicrotonalISM project of the Network for Interdisciplinary Studies in Science, Technology, and Music.[2] A [Max/MSP](/source/Max/MSP) plugin is available from [IRCAM](/source/IRCAM).[3]

The core synthesizer is written as a [C](/source/C_(programming_language)) library with a large [application programming interface](/source/Application_programming_interface) (API). Partial bindings for [Python](/source/Python_(programming_language)),[4] [Ruby](/source/Ruby_(programming_language)),[5] [Haskell](/source/Haskell_(programming_language)),[6] and [.NET Framework](/source/.NET_Framework)[7] are available. It has also been converted into an [LV2](/source/LV2) plugin,[8] which has enabled it to run in LV2 plugin-based open-source [effects pedals](/source/Effects_pedal) such as Mod Duo and Zynthian[9]

## See also

- [Comparison of free software for audio](/source/Comparison_of_free_software_for_audio)
- [TiMidity++](/source/TiMidity)
- [WildMIDI](/source/WildMIDI)

## References

1. Green, Josh (2009-11-02). ["FluidSynth 1.1.0 - "A More Solid Fluid""](https://github.com/FluidSynth/fluidsynth/wiki/ChangeLog#fluidsynth-110---a-more-solid-fluid). *[GitHub](/source/GitHub)*. Retrieved 2017-09-02.

1. ["MicrotonalISM"](http://www.n-ism.org/Projects/microtonalism.php). *N-ism.org*. Retrieved 2016-07-15.

1. ["FluidSynth for Max/MSP - IMTR"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160921220107/http://imtr.ircam.fr/imtr/FluidSynth_for_Max/MSP). *Imtr.ircam.fr*. 2007-05-01. Archived from [the original](http://imtr.ircam.fr/imtr/FluidSynth_for_Max/MSP) on 2016-09-21. Retrieved 2016-07-15.

1. Whitehead, Nathan. ["GitHub: pyFluidSynth"](https://github.com/nwhitehead/pyfluidsynth). *[GitHub](/source/GitHub)*. Retrieved June 14, 2021.

1. steinbro. ["steinbro/ruby-fluidsynth: Ruby bindings for FluidSynth"](https://github.com/steinbro/ruby-fluidsynth). *GitHub.com*. Retrieved 2016-07-15.

1. ["bindings-fluidsynth: Haskell FFI bindings for fluidsynth software synthesizer"](https://hackage.haskell.org/package/bindings-fluidsynth/). *Hackage.haskell.org*. Retrieved 2016-07-15.

1. ["FluidSynth Wrapper for .NET - Z-Systems"](http://www.z-sys.org/products/fluidwrapper.aspx). *Z-sys.org*. Retrieved 2016-07-15.

1. Coelho, Filipe (December 12, 2020). ["DIE-Plugins: Fluidsynth"](https://github.com/DISTRHO/DIE-Plugins/tree/main/plugins/a-fluidsynth.lv2). *[GitHub](/source/GitHub)* "a collection of plugins imported into the DISTRHO project for easy packaging."

1. ["DIE Fluid SynthDIE Fluid Synth"](https://pedalboards.moddevices.com/plugins/dXJuOmRpc3RyaG86YS1mbHVpZHN5bnRo). *ModDevices pedalboards*

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [FluidSynth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FluidSynth) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FluidSynth?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.