Anyone using a sampler?

[TK]

I'm beginning to see that more and more pro drummers are triggering samples from their kits. I'd welcome hearing from some of us who do this regularly. What samplers are you using? How are they configured into your kit?

[dr. kildrum]

A good sampler gives you tremendous quality of and control over your sounds. I use the Akai S6000 and am still learning it.

Being a little lazy, and not an engineer, I pretty much start with over the counter professionally studio recorded samples. Next, I set up the transitions of sounds based on dynamics to be as smooth as possible. I use outboard gear and often layering to customize the sounds (sometimes, to an extent, individually). Once a "kit" is set up, its just a matter of balancing it and making it coherent.

But that's easier said then done. I only have three kits (and variations of those three) that I am relatively happy with. There's quite a bit to it, and it has really made me appreciate what the little modules we often criticize actually do. For instance, "machine-gunning" is now addressed pretty effectively by most modules, I kind of took that for granted. It doesn't just happen. Also, if you're going to set up multiple kits, your interfaces aren't likely going to sync up, so you will need to keep track of routing and what patch goes with what patch, etc.

The ddrum product is a nice happy medium if budget is an issue. You have to live with memory and flexibility/control limitations, but it does a lot of the tedious stuff in the background without you having to, and sets it all up rather cleverly for a drumming context.

If $ is no object, the quality and versatility of a good contemporary sampler cannot be matched, but there is a learning curve and you will not be able to easily duplicate all that a good module does, some things not at all.

BTW, I still use the TD-10 and TD-6 to a great extent along with the sampler because of the ease of the interface, positional sensing (hi-hat functionality ease), etc., etc., etc., and I just plain like some of the sounds I get.

What I really want can be found in the wishlist forum on this site (search TD-12, etc.) or at the ddrums.com site (search ddrum 5, etc.). The technology exists, but apparently the market doesn't demand the same level of state of the art electronic sound production for percussion as for keyboards. At least not yet. For now, the best option available I can see is "bending" existing gear to percussion applications they really weren't best designed for, and combining it with the existing electronic percussion stuff.

[mcconaghy]

I use 2 Akai S1000s live, and and E-Mu E4Platinum in the studio. What I do with them is sample loops and phrases which I then scatter across the set on the rims of some of my PD-9s. I have a very simple setup, all my drum sounds are generated with the TD-10 and some outboard processing, and the samplers are only used for the loops.
Why do I use S1000's live? They're workhorses, in close to 10 years they've never failed me even once. As reliable as a Volkswagen.

Stu

[szvook]

[cgrieves]

(Like a broken record ) I use Nemesys Gigasampler on a PC, mainly using SonicImplants Blue Jay sampled kits. All triggered from the TD-10/V Pro.

Currently I don't play live, but wouldn't have any qualms about using it live as it's quick and stable. I'm thinking about building a rackmount PC with custom frontpanel buttons rather than take a full sized base unit (Nemesys did the same thing with the NCS44).

[mcconaghy]

Originally posted by szvook:

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!

Stu,
who says they should combine the SDS V and the SDX, update some features and blow the competition out of the water!

[CaptKidd]

Ok I'll just throw in my YaY! for using a sampler. I have the EMU ESI-2000 which I bought to trigger from my SPD-20. I have only messed around with it a little bit but seems to work pretty well. There is some learning curve to it but for anyone who has creativity and some time they shouldn't have a whole lot of trouble implementing using one.

Brian

[juggernaut]

I use Propellerhead's Reason software to trigger sounds from the built in drum module. Works great. It also has a built in sampler you can trigger sounds from, but I havent used that much yet. With the drum module I can load wave files of anything I want and trigger them. Lotsa fun.

[Jerm]

I like using my roland sp-808 groove sampler. it is really user friendly. the only problem i have found when triggering with this sampler is the retriggering effect. If you hit the pad twice quikly it just starts the sample over and doesent let the first sample fade out. on the sp808 their are 3 sampling options, gate(hold down),trigger(start and stop), and drum(start over).
Other than that i use the samples just as much is i use the factory and expansion(TW1)waves from the td-10.a lot of my samples come from sample cd's . Some from key boards, like sign waves and real low signals.
its also smooth to layer them (TD-10 and SP-808 samples).Just bring the faders up a little on the TD-10 and make sure there in tune!

[captain54]

Sampler: Emagic EXS 24
Software: Emagic Logic Audio Platinum 4.72
Module: Alesis DM PRO

EXS 24 accepts AKAI, Soundfonts, Wave and AIFF files...

I'm familiar enough with the software/sampler setup so that I'm working on putting together a laptop rig to use live..

[roya]

I have the powersampler card by creamware(.com)
Great great thing for a great price.

[Enjoy the Music.com]

Wow,

An updated Simmons SDX... i'd dump my V-Session for it in a minute!

Enjoy the music,

Steven R. Rochlin http://www.EnjoyTheMusic.com

[Snills]

Any chance of hearing some samples from you guys? MP3's of your sampler kits etc...

Bill