Is sampler all you need?

dominicw78 · Post by **dominicw78** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:33 am

Samplers users, which libraries work best with least fuss? I need to get various multisampled instruments and percussion, wondering if I should just piece together various libraries into sampler or if I should go for kontakt 3 or gvi 4.

Advice please! I'm not really interested in spending hours layering samples just looking for the versatile sampler with best response, work flow and libraries.

feyshay · Post by **feyshay** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 3:12 pm

Kontakt is much deeper with a nice library included.
Sampler is better integrated, more user friendly, and better for doing simple things.
+/- tossup, depending on how much the Kontakt library is worth to you. I'd give the edge to Kontakt, considering the price.

voidseeker · Post by **voidseeker** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 4:25 pm

Definitely Kontakt. The included library is really good, and there are tons of top-notch libraries out there now with every imaginable sound. In Kontakt it's so easy to build complex setups and layers. Couple that with the scripting function, you can just bypass Lives midi processing with something even better and more powerfull, your good to go.

Sleep Tyght · Post by **Sleep Tyght** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 4:30 pm

I stopped using Kontakt when I got Ableton Suite. I like things simple these days.

Sampler+Battery+ MPC. Actually I mostly just use Live itself as a huge sampler.

Lazos · Post by **Lazos** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 7:19 pm

I decided on Sampler awhile back because I don't want to deal with gigabytes of electric basses, guitars, and crappy techno drum loops that I don't need, and I'm more of a DIY composer/sound designer than a library utilizer.

That said, it sounds like you should get Kontakt. I found Sampler MUCH easier to use and actually get music written, but Kontakt is deeper and probably has easier library utilization.

v00d00ppl · Post by **v00d00ppl** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:07 pm

Lazos wrote:I decided on Sampler awhile back because I don't want to deal with gigabytes of electric basses, guitars, and crappy techno drum loops that I don't need, and I'm more of a DIY composer/sound designer than a library utilizer.

That said, it sounds like you should get Kontakt. I found Sampler MUCH easier to use and actually get music written, but Kontakt is deeper and probably has easier library utilization.

same here. i like things simple. I think that once i get really get at an expert level i might mess with kontakt 3 or emulator x3. I am not a fan of library sounds ecause i spend more time deciding on what touse veruss actually playing the instrument.

I would rather have a friend being recorded live playing guitar or horns as a dry run. Then I would chop up the samples in adobe audition, then I'd make a fun instrument by using sampler and racking it up with other sounds.

jan.krey · Post by **jan.krey** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:17 pm

I used Kontakt until 1.5.3 and its a very very good sampler, both for building own instruments and the library included. I guess its gotten even better now that its a couple of versions older......

But these days im content with Sampler in my Ableton Suite.....and the session drums are great and I find the EIC2 is good enough.

I have found that Sampler is faster to use due to its simplicity, but its definently got its restrictions......and its these restrictions that make me work fast with it....if you follow me.

v00d00ppl · Post by **v00d00ppl** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:27 pm

jan.krey wrote:I used Kontakt until 1.5.3 and its a very very good sampler, both for building own instruments and the library included. I guess its gotten even better now that its a couple of versions older......

But these days im content with Sampler in my Ableton Suite.....and the session drums are great and I find the EIC2 is good enough.

I have found that Sampler is faster to use due to its simplicity, but its definently got its restrictions......and its these restrictions that make me work fast with it....if you follow me.

understand where you are coming from. The limitations make you push harder to find ways around it.

jan.krey · Post by **jan.krey** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:41 pm

What I mean is that I use less time programming the sampler and more time using it, when I use Sampler, when I use Kontakt I can program it "deeper"

Lazos · Post by **Lazos** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:48 pm

jan.krey wrote:What I mean is that I use less time programming the sampler and more time using it, when I use Sampler, when I use Kontakt I can program it "deeper"

Exactly. It's not like Kontakt is more "professional" than Sampler, IMHO. It just has more features, big (required) library, and invites more time spent on mousing around in it. Sampler invites me to actually make music quicker and easier.

jan.krey · Post by **jan.krey** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:51 pm

Lazos wrote:
jan.krey wrote:What I mean is that I use less time programming the sampler and more time using it, when I use Sampler, when I use Kontakt I can program it "deeper"
Exactly. It's not like Kontakt is more "professional" than Sampler, IMHO. It just has more features, big (required) library, and invites more time spent on mousing around in it. Sampler invites me to actually make music quicker and easier.

Amen

dominicw78 · Post by **dominicw78** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:08 pm

In my case I'm just looking to merely play multisamples. Mainly world percussion, so that I can have them mapped out accross a keyboard and bang out a rhythm or rhythmic melody.

In which case I'd much rather use sampler as it is simpler and intergrated, however is it restricted by sample libraries? It's supposed to take kontakt and giga files, so if I go and invest in some of these libraries and then whack them in sampler will i be good to go or is there more to it than this?

Anyone have experience using kontakt, giga or other pre organised multisamples in sampler?

DJDJ · Post by **DJDJ** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:40 pm

Lazos wrote:[

Exactly. It's not like Kontakt is more "professional" than Sampler, IMHO. It just has more features, big (required) library, and invites more time spent on mousing around in it. Sampler invites me to actually make music quicker and easier.

Generally, I like sampler better, and I agree with this statement. BUT, there is one thing that Sampler lacks that makes it far less Pro than Kontakt, IMO:

Multiple Outs.

Without the ability to run multiple outs from Sampler, it really limits it's usefulness to me.

JJarvis · Post by **JJarvis** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 12:08 am

I would like to see sampler with multiple outs as well. Maybe they could do multiple outs like drum racks. I really like tracking drums this way rather than creating various audio input tracks like before.

DJDJ · Post by **DJDJ** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 5:03 pm

Though it's an interesing idea, I don't see the advantage to it:

Drum Racks already allow me to do all the things that multi outs in Sampler would do--i.e.: adjusting/mixing each drum leve & panl in an easy way in the mixer, adding inserts to specific drum hits (instead of just adding inserts on the whole whole kit) etc....

With Multi Outs on Sampler, I could do stiff like have multiple sections of the same bass sound being routed to various outputs for different processing, all played from one instance of sampler, etc...

Honestly, I LOVE sampler, and would easily make it my sampler of choice if they made it multi out. Because it isn't I haven't bought it yet, and have used kontakt instead.