The process of "sampling" audio is everywhere in the modern studio. Sampling is just another word for recording sound on digital media. We find this process of sampling audio in our sequencers, multi track recorders, CDR recorders, in many workstation synths, in hardware samplers (of course) and even in effects boxes. How interesting it is that we usually do not find any form of sampling in most soft samplers! What! It's true. The entire class of products is mis-named. When we talk about soft samplers we are really referring to software sample-playback devices that assign samples to a keyboard or other controller. This mis-naming happened when people compared these new devices to the hardware samplers they replaced. A soft sampler, in general, does everything a hardware sampler does, except record the samples. When we talk about software samplers here, we mean a software device that maps audio files to a MIDI keyboard or controller.

Tweak's Pick for a SoftSampler

Kontakt 2--see my review

Tweak's Runner up for a Soft Sampler

Emulator X--see my review

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Steinberg HALion Player Virtual Studio Instrument
Tailored to newcomers to virtual sampling, HALion Player puts many of the next-generation technologies available on the HALion sampling platform behind a sleek, no-frills interface. HALion Player is the perfect choice for any User searching for a stable, easy to use and affordable sample content playback module for VST, DXi2, AU and any Rewire environment.

Steinberg HALion Digital Sampler (Macintosh And Windows)
HALion 3 is the latest version of Steinberg’s award-winning software sampler. Over 50 new features in HALion 3 include 27 added effects, new sound management tools and RAMSave technology. The sleek new user interface and expanded routing functions add even more flexibility to the HALion experience.

Tascam GVI Giga Virtual Instrument Plug-In (Windows)
Tascam's new GVITM is the ultimate sampler -- the power of GigaStudio 3 in an easy-to-use plug-in for Windows VSTi and RTAS workstation software. It's the sampler for all musicians, composers and producers, with unobstructed access to the best sound libraries ever produced. GVI shares much of the feature set that makes GS3 the go-to sampler for power users in every style of music.

IK Multimedia Miroslav Philharmonik Software Synth
A powerful integrated Orchestral Workstation combining the legendary Miroslav Orchestra and Choir sample collection masterpieces with a dedicated plug-in instrument.

Mark of the Unicorn (MOTU) Symphonic Instrument Soft Synth (Macintosh and Windows)

The MOTU Symphonic Instrument is a cross-platform instrument plug-in that gives users quick and easy access to an enormous 8GB library of quality orchestra sounds for composing, sequencing and rendering realistic orchestral performances. The MOTU Symphonic Instrument can be used with any compatible host application (VST, Audio Units, DXi, MAS and RTAS), where users can load up to sixteen different instruments per instance of the plug-in to create ensembles of any size and scope.

Mark of the Unicorn (MOTU) MachFive Universal Sampler Plug-In

The most critical thing you need from a sampler is easy access to your sounds. MachFive (tm) offers unprecedented sound bank management, helping you concentrate on the music – not file handling chores on your hard disk. MachFive always remembers where your sounds are located, and it has been optimized for browsing and loading libraries. Even multi-gigabyte libraries are quickly and efficiently scanned

SONiVOX Complete Symphonic Collection

The SONiVOX Complete Symphonic Collection is comprised of 4 volumes, Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, and Percussion. Recorded exclusively within the exquisite Victorian confines of the renowned Sonic Temple in Roslindale, MA, the SONiVOX Symphonic Collection offers exceptional recordings of orchestral instruments performed by musicians from the Boston Pops and Ballet orchestras, captured in sparkling detail by a team of award-winning recording engineers and honed to perfection by a design crew with more than 30 years cumulative experience in soundware development.

Sampler Basics:

When you assign samples to a keyboard they can be played like a piano. You can record the MIDI data from your keyboard or controller and trigger these samples on playback. The all important feature is that you can assign a sound to any key(s) at any pitch you want. A decent soft sampler lets you layer sounds, stacked on top of each other like a layer cake. You can map the keyboard to emulate traditional instruments, drum kits, or you can place a whole bunch of loops and beats on the keys. I often build new keymaps for each song and build a completely fresh sound out of all the samples I have that fits the song rather than hunt for a preset that will work.

Samplers vary greatly in complexity, from the ultra basic, like Absynth, lets only lets you put one sound in a keymap, to Kontakt, that will let you put hundreds of samples across a single keymap with different modulators for each sample and let you build massive libraries of tens of thousands of presets.

The more features a sampler has, the more things you can do with it. Samplers usually have a synth engine inside that let you do creative things when you apply synthesis functions (envelopes, LFOs, filters and looping) to the samples. In the "big" softsamplers like Kontakt2, Emulator X and GigaStudio you have exacting control of the sound and can go way out if you want.

Why we use Soft Samplers

Two words, Realism and Creativity. First, Realism. While few are going to be fooled when you try to play a string section from your MIDI sample based synth, you will fool more of the people, more of the time, using an excellent set of quality samples. Don't get me wrong, you can go really far with a synths emulating acoustic instruments, especially if you have good technique, but when it has to sound real, you need a sampler and a great set of samples.

Second, its for Creativity. When you map your own sounds to the keyboard and play them with your hands the brain hears pathways open and you find cool stuff to do. Many trippy beats, hooks, special effects have been discovered this way. You never know what gold you might mine.

Sample Libraries of the Rich and Famous

But you don't have to make samples to use a sampler or softsampler. You can simply buy libraries. The past few years have seen a massive changeover from sample cd-rom libraries (mainly designed for hardware samplers) to DVD based libraries which can hold several gigabytes of samples. Indeed we can now get massive orchestral libraries like the Vienna Symphonic Library (VSL) (240 GB) which lists for nearly $6,000 or the East-West Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra Platinum (68 GB) which lists around $2,695 or huge "general" libraries like the East West Colossus (32GB) at a modest $995. There are also high end specialty libraries like the Quantum Leap Rare Instruments (RA) and Quantum Leap Symphonic Choir, both coming in around a cool grand. Here ya go, check some out on audio-pro-central But if you are new, you aren't ready for these yet. Who buys this stuff? Professional composers, film soundtrack makers, those that make music for TV and Radio, commercial studios and producers, and those who want the best and can afford it.

The quality of sample libraries is like it is for other gear for our studios. There is cheap stuff that is usable and cheap stuff that is total garbage. There's lots of mid range stuff that is great, some greatly disappointing, and high end stuff that is truly stellar, but you pay dearly for it. Make sure you listen to demos--that is how the library sounds under the best of conditions. The choice has a subjective element too, so take all opinions, including mine, with some grains of salt. You are buying a library for your music, not anyone else's.

You can go quite far these days with the sample libraries included free with many soft samplers and there are many reasonably priced libraries that have excellent sound quality, mix-ability and playability. The higher priced libraries contain more articulations of instruments, that is, more nuances, that makes the instrument more realistic, and in many cases, nearly indistinguishable from a real player. And there are more samples in a premium set's instruments. For example, an old hardware sampler string section in an inexpensive library may consist of between 5-24 short, looped samples stretched along the keys. Your modern DVD based premium library may use 50-300 longer unlooped samples to make a single string section preset. You can guess which one is going to sound more real.

You should be getting an idea of the computer horsepower required. Pressing a single key on a massive string section preset in a premium library is like starting 5-8 audio files playing. Hold down a chord on a few tracks and you may quickly drain your computer's CPU and audio streaming capacity. Hence the big libraries are for those who have the fastest DAWS, with powerful CPUs, lots of memory and fast hard disks. Those with average to mediocre performing laptops should not enter the arena of premium libraries.

Orchestral Libraries for the Common Man

One way to think of building your sample library is as a lifelong project. You collect samples as you go along. You'll get a starter set with your soft sampler of choice, and you build from there. All the expensive libraries mentioned above have cheaper versions, and some have an upgrade path. For example, the East-West Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra (EWQLSO) comes in a Gold and Silver edition. Emulator X2 has lots of inexpensive libraries. ProSamples offers scores of multi format CD-roms which can be bought one at a time. There are also hundreds of Akai and Emu sample cd roms from the hardware sampler days that can be imported into many soft samplers. Prices are dropping significantly on these now as the industry moves towards the larger DVD based libraries. Finally, there are massive amounts of WAV file and audio sample CDs in circulation. Just create your own .WAV file from these and drop them in your soft sampler of choice. Its harder work this way as you have to do all the programming, but the results can be great.

Recently, several excellent orchestral sample collections have become available inexpensively. The MOTU Symphonic Instrument is one and the Miroslav Philharmonik, which is actually an older classic orchestral library now in plugin form, are both available for a fraction of the cost of a full orchestral library. These appear to be following the path blazed by The Garritan Personal Orchestra (GPO) and they all offer great quality for the price. Also in the category, particularly for the Cubasers is the Halion String Edition 2.

Choosing a Soft Sampler

There are 2 basic considerations you must heed to get the right product for your rig. 1. Does your sequencer and soundcard of choice support it? How well? 2. What libraries do you want to run (if any) or what kind of instruments do you want to build (drum maps? Grand Pianos? Synths? Beats and Loops? As you might guess, the performance of any soft samplers will vary dramatically along the lines of all the variables mentioned above. I can't get into all these issues here--those are the things you have to research. But here's a few notes.

Kontakt --the top of the Native Instruments Sampling line, works with most computer platforms and sequencers. It can load the many variations of the East West libraries as well as nearly all soft sampler formats and old sample cd rom formats. They are trying to to it all Kontakt is a great choice if you run multiple sequencers on multiple platforms, and want to be able to load many different formats. The Kontakt 2 Synth Engine is quite incredible, with many ways to warp pitch and time, build scripts for drum patterns, arpeggios as well as the usual filter/LFO/envelope/effects parameters. Its my pick for a soft sampler for all the reasons above. For Beats and Loops I suggest Intakt, but if you are doing anything elaborate emulating instruments, go to the top of the class. Kompakt is a good for just loading libraries (many of the East West libraries come with a limited version of Kompakt).

Emulator X2--The Emulator is based on the the Emulator Operating System (EOS) which was at the heart of their hardware samplers (which in their day, were considered hi-end gear). Emulator X runs only on systems using Emu soundcards and audio interfaces and is PC only. Unlike most soft samplers, Emulator X actually can sample and re-sample audio. Its great for building complex instruments and has a comprehensive synth engine with lots of filters, eqs, effects. However, while Emulator X can import libraries from Gigastudio, soundfonts, Akai, EXS and HALion, it won't load Kontakt or any of the East West Libraries (which come with their own stripped down sample playback editors). Emu has its own custom libraries which are inexpensive.

EXS 24--This soft sampler is available in Apple's Logic Pro application. It is quite powerful though it looks, compared to the others, graphically crude. It only works in Logic and will not run the East West stuff, but will run versions of the Vienna Symphonic Library, the Peter Siedlaczek Advanced Orchestra Extended, and many of the inexpensive Pro Samples Series CD-Rom. It will also load all the Garage Band instruments. The EXS 24 will load Akai, Giga, Soundfonts, REX. It's synth engine is compact, trading off complexity for ease of use.

HALion-- HALion is a cross platform soft sampler by Steinberg, and it of course will work with all flavors of Cubase and Nuendo. But it can also be used in Sonar, Digital Performer. It will load libraries in Akai, Emu, Giga, Kontakt, EXS24, Soundfonts, REX and more. It also has a complete synth engine and lots of effects.

Gigastudio--Tascam's Gigastudio is among the earliest of soft samplers, perhaps the first to exploit the ability to load large, unlooped samples and use disk streaming. Gigastudio is PC only and requires a compatible soundcard to run. (Giga will not run on Emu soundcards and audio interfaces presently). Many people run Gigastudio on a dedicated computer, though you can run it on the same computer as your sequencer. Gigastudio has its own libraries available that are known for their quality, and their are many 3rd party libraries in Giga format. It is also well supported by Chicken System's Translator, for conversion of other formats to Giga.

MOTU Mach Five--Mach Five is a cross platform soft sampler that can run in Cubase Sonar, and of course Digital Performer. Since it can be run as an Audio Unit, it should work in Logic as well, though check to make sure it passes the latest AUVAL. There is RTAS support for Pro Tools LE. It imports Akai, Emu, Giga, EXS, Halion and others.

IK Media Sample Tank--Sample Tank gives you its basic interface and the ability to add "modules" to extend your library. It's cross platform, and supports VSTi, DXi, RTAS, MAS and AU. That's Cubase, Sonar, Pro Tools LE, Digital Performer and Logic for those who'd rather think of sequencers.

SoundFont--The SoundFont soft sampler engine comes standard with Creative Labs Soundblaster cards, so the price is right. There are many free soundfonts on the web and many inexpensive libraries available that are quite good. However, the soundfont engine does not import other formats. But happily, most soft samplers will import soundfonts, making it a great way to start. SoundFont files can be used on both Macs and PCs in Kontakt, Halion, EXS and others. However, they are at their best, in my opinion, on a PC using a creative labs Soundblaster card.

Drum Kit Oriented Soft Samplers

These have become quite popular with today's emphasis on Beats and Drum tracks. The more popular ones include Battery, FXPansion's BFD, and Guru; the Toontrack DrumKit for Hell. These are interfaces dedicated to building great sounding drum maps. Not the thing, of course, for sampling the Steinway in the living room. For a more worldly cinematic sound consider StormDrum.

Do you even need a Soft Sampler?

You might not. Sequencers like Fruity loops can be used as a basic soft sampler out of the box. Reason has 3 different samplers in its rack. Reaktor can be used as a basic sampler. Absynth can be used as a one-shot single sample sampler.

Increasingly, sample makers are bundling their own sample playback interface (or borrowing one) with their product so you don't have to have a soft sampler. While all these use samples at their core, you cannot load samples in or export them out. Most of the East-West stuff comes with a stripped down Kompakt or Intakt player. Yellow Tools supplies their own interface with their libraries. Garritan uses the Kontakt Player for its Personal orchestra. Wizoo products have their own. These are great for just using the supplied presets, and some may let you edit them and save them. But you won't be importing anything with these sample-playback interfaces.

Then there is the shade of grey between soft synths and samplers with the Spectrasonics stuff like Trilogy, Atmosphere, and Stylus RMX. There are also virtual instruments based on samples like Steinberg's The Grand and Virtual Guitarist. While these too use samples at their source they will not import other formats. (One exception is the Stylus RMX can import REX, but that's it.).

So to answer that one, consider if you want to drag in your samples and make some cool noises. If so these preset devices won't cut it. Get a real deal soft sampler.

To Conclude

When you start using a sampler, hard or soft, for the first time you will be amazed at the difference it makes in your sound quality and sound possibilities in your projects. You can dramatically reduce the difference between a pro studio and your studio using great samples.

Rich the Tweakmeister

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Cool Quote:

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away."

Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862), U.S. philosopher

What are Software Samplers?

How to Choose the Right one for your Studio

by Tweak