What is the Big Deal with sfz?

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

Sfz is a  "soundfont". Soundfonts create virtual instruments and play samples according to a file that names the parameters and gives their settings. The two kinds of soundfont are sf2 (.sf2) and sfz (.sfz). The main difference is that, in an sf2, the sample are included in, and tied to, the file. with an sfz they are not so you can use the same samples for as many sfz instruments as you wish. The sfz player will have a list of what samples to play and how to play them, along with the various parameter settings of your instrument. As such it has to be shown where the samples are. The other big difference is that you can write the full sfz file yourself using a text file then renaming from .txt to .sfz. The sfz player handles like any other instrument plugin in the DAW
Many sources https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=fxM7WrP_PK6N_Qas0KOQCQ&q=about+sfz&oq=about+sfz&gs_l=psy-ab.3..33i160k1.2871.5461.0.20357.10.9.0.0.0.0.165.966.6j3.9.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..1.9.964.0..0j35i39k1j0i131k1j0i20i264k1j0i131i46k1j46i131k1j0i20i264i46k1j46i20i264k1.0.UsVO0N89uhY

The two main players, of several, are freeware; Plogue's Sforzando 
https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=Of86WqGhEsK5ggeUgITYAw&q=plogue+sforzando+sfz+player&oq=sforzando+sfz+pl&gs_l=psy-ab.1.1.0j0i22i30k1.3027.52616.0.63357.17.15.0.1.1.0.118.1503.9j6.15.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..1.16.1504.0..35i39k1j0i131k1j0i131i20i264k1j0i20i264k1.0.FiMjcBNhlXU

with YouTube videos)

manual https://www.google.com/search?ei=ghA7WvaAHpLq_AaYvY2ABw&q=plogue+sforzando+manual&oq=sforzando+manual&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.0i7i30k1j0j0i8i30k1.23842.30928.0.35414.2.2.0.0.0.0.93.180.2.2.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.2.180....0.ZpMxpANPmVw

  and SFZ Player
http://www.vst4free.com/free_vst.php?id=217

manual https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=qBE7Wur6LqGxggfP0IOwCw&q=rgc+audio+sfz+manual&oq=rgcaudio+sfz&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.35i39k1j0i13k1j0i22i30k1l4.2748.7993.0.15488.13.12.0.0.0.0.121.1207.6j6.12.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..1.12.1201.0..0j0i131k1j0i20i264k1j0i131i20i264k1j0i20i263k1j0i10k1j0i10i30k1j0i30k1j0i13i30k1.0.IMg0HMjWIpM

both d use the ARIA sound engine
https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=Zw87WsDGKqOF_QaPvraYCA&q=aria+sfz&oq=aria+sfz&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.0j0i20i263k1.3680.11638.0.18619.9.8.0.0.0.0.109.802.4j4.8.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..1.8.800.0..35i39k1j0i131k1j0i20i264k1j0i131i20i264k1j0i10k1.0.pxyQpElErrs

There is an sfz editor called SFZedit
https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=IhI7WuSEEKWa_Qa-14PAAg&q=sfzedit&oq=sfzedit&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0i13k1l2j0i13i30k1l2j0i8i13i30k1l3.2025.20326.0.28190.8.7.0.0.0.0.177.776.3j4.7.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..1.7.773.0..0j35i39k1j0i67k1j0i131k1j0i20i264k1j0i131i20i264k1j0i131i67k1j0i10k1j0i10i30k1.0.YB3GCqCUsiQ

  Some sfz players can also play sf2 files, of which there are scads of free sets along with purchases sets, notably of ensoniq instruments
PatchArena sfz .https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=pRk7WrPQMIKk_Qb_h5HICw&q=patch+arena+sfz&oq=patch+aren+sf&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.0i13i30k1.1302.12404.0.17601.14.13.0.0.0.0.129.1039.4j6.10.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..4.10.1037.0..0j46j0i20i264k1j0i131k1j0i46k1j0i3k1j0i22i30k1j0i13i5i10i30k1j0i13i5i30k1j0i8i13i30k1j0i13k1.0.tpHYYp2QgO8

The big deal is that you can create your own instruments, even drum machines or google them up