Making sample libraries playable?

[NRJay]

I have a sample library of about 10.000 single shot samples, sounds like nothing when you see what NI Komplete is carrying...
Still, I find it dreathfull to mouseklick through them, one by one, to find a sample I like! I want to make them playable, but HOW?

- Load up drumracks and dump em in, 128 in 1 rack. Plays OK, but WHAT a MESS in the mixer. You get 128 faders when you unfold the drumrack, total sh*t when you use only a few samples of the rack. The worst part is the collect all and save option. It collects ALL, but I want it to collect all that are USED...

- Dump 128 samples in the sampler zone tab and link the selector to a macro. Plays even better, BUT: I like to use Volume and Pitch envelopes, filters and maybe saturator in sampler. Works fine UNTILL you want to try out another sample. Sampler keeps it's settings for the envelopes and filters, but they mostly sound like crap on other samples. They should be reset every time I turn the macro or something like that

- 3rd option, you tell me! What can I do to make my sample library playable??
I need my samples at my fingers, able to flick through them, make envelope changes and don't be bothered by the ones that aren't in use...

[NRJay]

Nobody uses samples anymore?

[regretfullySaid]

GET RID OF THE ONES YOU DON'T LIKE

[NRJay]

I did that, and this is what I got left.
But I want a better acces to them instead of clicking them one by one to find one that fits the song...

[JuanSOLO]

I break all my one shots down into separate folders, i.e. Kicks, Snares, Beeps, Glitchy, etc...
From there it makes browsing easier. I just use the up/down arrow keys in the browser and they auto play while listening to a track.
I also have Samplers FULL of my favorite one shots, they are a constant work in progress, if I want to change out a sample, I use the swap button. For now this seems to be the best way.

Not sure what you mean here. My one shot Samplers are each grouped to their own rack, I have by basic parameters always mapped, Selection, Pitch, Decay, Pan, Volume, Send A, Send B, etc...

I like to use Volume and Pitch envelopes, filters and maybe saturator in sampler. Works fine UNTILL you want to try out another sample. Sampler keeps it's settings for the envelopes and filters, but they mostly sound like crap on other samples. They should be reset every time I turn the macro or something like that

[scientist]

if you are on mac you can just use the finder. open a folder of audio files, select one and press the space bar. now you can now use the arrow keys to scroll through the list and each one will play.

windows? no clue.

[NRJay]

I mean that if you change some settings in sampler, and afterward change the sample in the zone tab, those settings will still be there.
For example: I think I like a sample, adjust some filters and such to make it sound better, but still it doesn't fit the song and I need another sample, I select it and alle those settings for filters stay as they where, so I'll have to reset them manually to hear what the original sound of the new sample is...

[NRJay]

if you are on mac you can just use the finder. open a folder of audio files, select one and press the space bar. now you can now use the arrow keys to scroll through the list and each one will play.

windows? no clue.

Yup, windows 7 it is

[JuanSOLO]

I mean that if you change some settings in sampler, and afterward change the sample in the zone tab, those settings will still be there.
For example: I think I like a sample, adjust some filters and such to make it sound better, but still it doesn't fit the song and I need another sample, I select it and alle those settings for filters stay as they where, so I'll have to reset them manually to hear what the original sound of the new sample is...

Thats kind of what I thought you meant. So you dont utilize Macro's for your most important parameters, making resetting the envelopes a little simpler? You could make a ClyphX clip that reset the evelopes to a default setting, giving you a "one click" reset of your Sampler?

[NRJay]

I haven't yet linked them to macro's because I'm still trying to find a good method.
7 free knobs to assign is what I have, maybe that will do, I'll think about it.

Can you elaborate more about that Reset Clip??
It looks very promising!

[regretfullySaid]

That's a good idea.

You could think of Clyphx as the "Poor Man's M4L" because it shares similar access to Live functions through scripting. you can give a clip an instruction to reset a device ie your sample rack so that your parameters go to their default settings. In your case it may not turn off the filter, so if it's in HP mode that may not work...Youtube Clyphx

If you haven't already, split your instrument racks by kick, snar, claps, hats, crashes, perc, etc so you have your "128's" for each type of instrument. Set a macro to scroll through samples. Make a Clyphx clip like [RST Snar] "Snares"/Dev1 Reset. Hell, you can make snapshots of the settings so when you got your filtering setup right, take a snapshot, then you can reset and be confident that you can recall how you had em filtered.

Over time you can refine your sample selection so you don't have to deal with so many. It's better to get them like that in ONE rack. For deleting unused tracks, you can use the "extract chains" option on the used drums so they each have their own clip, but I usually just look at the strips that show no db action and delete em that way.

Actually even without Clyphx you could just use multiple midi clips with different envelopes settings

[JuanSOLO]

ClyphX offers a "Snap" feature, you can make a ClyphX clip that snaps your device's parameters and you can recall them by launching the clip. http://beatwise.proboards.com/index.cgi ... thread=716

Like you I have a lot of one shots. What I have gathered over time is making folders of my favorites, slimming down the choices, making IntrumentRacks with an instance of Sampler for each type of 1 shot i.e Kicks, Snares, etc. I map the parameters I use MOST to Macros on the Rack. For me that is, Selection, Pitch, Decay, Volume, Delay, Reverb, Filter, Pan. With this I can search through samples rapidly and dial in what I find nessicary FAST. If I want anything more, I either open up Sampler and make adjustments, or alter the sound via the series of effects after my sampler (i.e. EQ, Saturator, Compression, etc). My Sampler and FX are all grouped under 1 Rack for one type of 1 shot. These typically go in a drumRack cell. Like I said they are a work in progress, mainly over time I trim the fat. All my one shot racks are set mapped to Macros identically, and the series of FX are identical Racks. This gives me TONS of tone shaping control with just Macros, and I am generally happy with that.

[ghosting]

Use Abletons Browser! Where it says raw, click that. Then you can use the forward arrow to re-trigger the sample.

Back arrow takes you to the folder enclosing said samples, back again closes. Up/down to navigate.

It's one of the handiest features in live I think; as you can basically "jam" your sample library (minus pitch control) while your track plays.