Ableton sampler/EXS24 files

[nylarch]

Part of me says "that's a lot to ask to seamlessly import from a potentially complex EXS instrument developed by a 3rd party (not that the EXS has changed in, well, forever)".

Then the other part of me looks at the Sampler product page:

Sampler can handle any kind of multi-gigabyte instrument library you care to name—including AKAI S1000, S3000, GigaStudio, EXS, SoundFont and (non-encrypted) Kontakt.

and thinks "make it fookin' work". This is a bug.

[luddy]

Right, the compatibility claim is nonsense. I don't use the word lightly, I really like Live and Sampler and the other instruments, etc. etc. But it's very silly on surface of it to imply that Sampler will be able to handle for example a Kontakt instrument that uses the advanced scripting features of Kontakt. Those scripts can exert all kinds of control over the sample playback based on fairly complicated conditions involving how the instrument is being played. For example, several string libraries use the scripts to automatically change string articulations based on how the user is playing the sampler instrument. I don't see the remotest possibility that such a thing could be translated into Live or that there's any effort to do so. Far simpler features than Kontakt scripting (such as group selection modes in EXS24) are already enough to stump the translator.

What I wish is that the translation would always succeed in some kind of predictable and graceful way, even if the resulting instrument needed a lot of hand-tweaking to make usable. For example, each group in an EXS24 instrument could be rendered out as a single sampler instrument in Live, and racked up in an instrument rack, with only the note and velocity layering being translated in detail. Something like that, I'm just making that up as an example possibility. It would give you a starting point for putting the instrument back together in Sampler. Failing with an error message is not nearly so helpful.

-Luddy

[arafel]

I have successfully translated some factory EXS into Sampler, and many 3rd party instruments (spectrasonics distorted reality as eg).

but it is always a pita.

Reason why #1 - no batch import into sampler. Sampler will not even open an exs without the double step of having to import the preset into the live library and then dragging/ opening on a midi track..

If the preset suks.. you then have to delete it from the library (why keep a shiz sounding instrument).

Reason why #2 - if you import the actual EXS samples into the library.. you then have double the samples. One from wherever the EXS instrument was (like a 2nd hard drive) and then the copy in the Live library.. waste of space (especially if you have stuff backup up already).

Reason why #3 - if you delete the original EXS instrument & samples .. you cannot convert back. There is no other sampler that will open Sampler presets.

So after buying Sampler I've switched to Kontakt.. just so I can open any format easily, with one click, without touching the original wav samples. No conversion/ import necessary. Just open and plan the faking thing... shees * rant over*

Overall my opinion of Sampler is ... -1 , unnecessarily Lame.

[fastfx]

I'm sticking with kontakt for opening my exs24 files in ableton. I see no point in getting Sampler now.

[mholloway]

+1 that the claim about Sampler's import abilities is completely out of touch with reality.

Had the same problem as everyone else here importing EXS file. Even when they DO get imported, you get such a mess that it's hardly worth bothering with.

that said, i LOVE sampler itself for all other reasons, and it's the only sampler I use these days for building my own instruments.

library wise, to the OP, it doesn't come with much at all. it's designed though to be used with the optional "electronic instruments vol. 2" that ableton offers individually (overpriced) or as part of the boxed Suite. and of course all the partner instruments, which are also, i think, overpriced.

but if you want sampler just as a very user-friendly tool for building your own instruments from your sample library, it's to my mind quite ideal.

-M

[luddy]

that said, i LOVE sampler itself for all other reasons, and it's the only sampler I use these days for building my own instruments.

+1. I've never used anything better for building multisampled (pitched) instruments. It's great for looping samples (the cross-faded looping is really well done). Filters, envelopes, and modulation options are great. Integration with instrument racks is great. It's a very nice sampler to work with when building things from scratch. Just the right balance between simplicity and features IMO.

... and of course all the partner instruments, which are also, i think, overpriced.

Not sure I can agree there. 'course, this depends how much use you can get out of them and the kind of music you make. I'm tickled pink with the ones I've bought.

-Luddy

[mholloway]

Not sure I can agree there. 'course, this depends how much use you can get out of them and the kind of music you make. I'm tickled pink with the ones I've bought.

-Luddy

I think they're good quality, judging from the two I have purchased and the generous sampler pack they released. But it's still steep to my mind for single-instruments. In any case, what mostly bothers me is that the Pianos are insane CPU hogs. When playing on a track with just some drums and a couple other instruments, I get CPU spikes hitting 70-80% just from starting to play the instrument. Wonderful sound to 'em, but that's gonna make it really hard to use them compositionally in larger arrangements.

The drums from toon track are really great, though they take a while to load. Awesome sound though.

-M

[luddy]

Yeah, I agree about the cpu load. I guess that's a Live issue more than the fault of the partners, because really what they've done in most cases is to offer a product that's also available in Kontakt and other formats as a Sampler instrument, and maybe Sampler isn't quite to the same level as Kontakt, EXS24 etc. when it comes to playing back really huge sample libraries at low buffer sizes.

-Luddy

[MarkH]

Can you load multiple patches in one instance of Sampler to layer sounds? Or would you have to use an instrument rack with multiple instances of Sampler and load a patch in each one?

[arafel]

Hey Mark...

You can do both.. load multiple patches into one Sampler, or layer multiple Samplers with single patches in an instrument rack. Drag & drop for both (open Zone window in Sampler and drop in a new patch for later).

Although with the multiple patches in one Sampler method.. all samples would be under the same set of Filters, Pitch & Mod controls of one Sampler. So everything has same ADSR, Filter, etc.

Instrument rack method is good to control both patches independently - like having one patch play on note release, or with dif ADSR settings, etc.

Cheers

[Khazul]

Hi Guys,

Does anyone here use 'Sampler' in ableton? I'm thinking of buying it, I currently just use abletons 'simpler' for my sampling needs, however i have seen that 'sampler' can map in zones, has a bunch of modulation and morphing options, and most importantly for me can read Exs24 files.

Has anyone had any problems with it reading/loading Exs24 files?

What are peoples experiences with 'Sampler'?

Thanks!

Tom

If on windows, then it might have issues translating the EXS sample file names and thus be completely unable to load them - at least Ive found that with some exs24 patches I have (need to rename the file to .exs extension usually). I am asuming they load fine on a mac with logic.

If worried, enabled the sampler demo and try it? (If imnport works in the demo)

As for Kontact vs Sampler - you cant even compared them - Kontakt is so far advanced as to make sample seem like some artifact from a primitive bronze age village... If it had a decent 12 bit primitive DAC emulator on it - you would classify it as esoteric vintage Now if ableton were to actually support the pyhthon stuff and embed it in sampler... then maybe were talkin!

And for 379USD (or something like that?) You get kontact and some huge library thats more like a combination of EIC2, OIC and Sampler which would cost you 698USD - You could get Komplete 7 and Kore 2 hardware for that!