Instrument Inclusion

Some audio formats include their instruments, others keep them in a separate file, while others are digital recordings which in which the instrumentation is intrinsically included.

Combined

(Category)

Formats with combined instruments are typically those that contain raw information sent directly to an audio chip to be processed. Because of this, the instrument definitions and the musical notes cannot easily be separated.

• Used In: SID, AY, CMS, DRO, GBS, GOT, IMF, KSS, LDS, NSF, NSFE, SNDH, VGM

External

(Category)

These are formats that require an external file to house their instruments.

• Used In: 2SF, GSF, DSF, HMI, HMP, KSM, MUS (AdLib), MUS (DMX), PSF, RMI, ROL, SCI, SND (AdLib), SNSF, SSF, SX

Internal

(Category)

These formats have their instrumentation built into each music file.

• Used In: AMF, CDFM, CMF, IT, MOD, OKT, ORC, PSM (Beta), PSM, S3M, SND (Sierra), SPC, XM, XMI

Intrinsic

(Category)

When a format records digital audio, the instruments are intrinsically included in the file because it is a recording of the sound instruments make. Instrument banks are also included in this category as they are nothing but instrument definitions.

• Used In: AIFF, AU, AUD, BNK, CD, DLS, DP, FLAC, IFF, MP3, OGG, PATCH, RAW, SND (Tandy), SYX, VCL, VOC, WAV, WMA

N/A

(Category)

This is for formats that don't actually house audio data but are included for other reasons.

• Used In: (MML)

Optional

(Category)

Formats that optionally allow for instruments to be included internally are in this category.

• Used In: M (Origin), MIDI

Unknown

(Category)

• Used In: (UNK)