ben m
Joined: 15 Sep 2002
Posts: 344
Location: UK |
| Week 7 - Samplers 2 |
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Hi everyone,
sorry I'm a bit later than normal getting the questions to you.
Ok, samplers again this week. Any problems post them in the forum.
Good Luck!
01 - Would individual percussion samples be assigned to one key or to a keyzone typically?
02 - What is the importance of setting a root note with a sampler?
03 - Why were samplers so important in the dance music explosion of the late 80s/early 90s
04 - Why could the sampler be described as a post-modern instrument?
05 - How could a DJ implement a sampler into a live set?
06 - What is the most common RAM type used by samplers?
07 - Why is the Gigasampler piano patch so large in terms of MBs?
08 - Why do certain artists such as Fatboy Slim use older 12-bit samplers?
09 - Do any samplers offer solid state storage rather than traditional RAM based storage?
10 - What format are samples saved in on hardware samplers?
11- What instruments may benfefit from velocity sensitive samples?
12 - Apart from High-Hats, what other samples may benefit from Mute-Groups?
13 - Will hardware samplers always have a studio niche? Why or Why not?
14 - What editing facilties will a typical hardware sampler offer?
15 - What is a fundamental legal issue associated with sampling?
16 - What effect on the timing of a sample will be caused by playing it an octave higher than the original sampled material?
17 - Name 2 ways that a sample could be reduced in size to save storage space?
18 - What are the benefits of multisamples? What are the drawbacks?
19 - Why may some samples not want to be 'tracked'?
20 - What is a 'one shot' sample? What instruments may benefit from this kind of sample definition?
21 - Name one pitch related problem that may occur when sampling from vinyl?
22 - What is the importance of setting the 'root' note for a keyzone?
23 - How are the at; length; and time functions defined in terms of setting a loop on a sampler ?
24 - What is the major problem that you are likely to encounter when making loops?
25 - Imagine a manufacturer has just introduced a new top-of-the-range sampler. What would be the practical benefits of the following features, compared with previous models?
a)More voices
b)More keygroups per program
c)More outputs
d)More RAM
26 - When looping a sample of a single note, what characteristics in the waveform are desirable at the start and end point of the loop?
27 - You have recorded a two-bar segment of drums. Is it better to loop the sample in the sampler, or to get a sequencer to repeatedly trigger the sample?
28 - Why would you sample several notes of different pitches from an instrument?
29 - What would you be intending to do if you sampled the same note at different volumes? |
Mon Apr 18, 2005 5:54 pm |
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hoaxwagon
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Posts: 27
Location: Boulder Creek, CA USA |
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Wk 7 MT Q&A Darrell Dixon, hoaxwagon
I am stumped on some of these.. 
01 - Would individual percussion samples be assigned to one key or to a keyzone typically?
An entire drum kit might be laid out with a different drum sound assigned to each key.
02 - What is the importance of setting a root note with a sampler?
Setting a root note with a sampler tells the sampler which key is to be pressed to sound the original sample at its original pitch.
03 - Why were samplers so important in the dance music explosion of the late 80s/early 90s
The repetitive dance beats of the late 80s/early 90s electronic dance music were created using samplers.
http://www.ele-mental.org/ele_ment/think/original/think.html
04 - Why could the sampler be described as a post-modern instrument?
The tendency of a postmodern composer to explore sonic textures rather than traditional classical forms is fueled by synthesizer and sampler technology. With a sampler one could achieve multi genre and even multi cultural mixes which would be described as a post modern musical compossition.
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2822/is_4_24/ai_85883705
05 - How could a DJ implement a sampler into a live set?
A DJ could implement a sampler into a live set by sampling from a record being played and adding layers to the currently played track from the sampler in real-time.
http://blogs.grouper.com/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=19&blogId=2
A DJ could also make use of the multiple sample outputs if available to assign one shots for headphone cueing during a live set.
http://remixmag.com/mag/remix_beat_beat/
06 - What is the most common RAM type used by samplers?
SIMMs chips are the most common RAM used by samplers
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1997_articles/sep97/sampleram.html
07 - Why is the Gigasampler piano patch so large in terms of MBs?
Although the sampler streams from the hard drive it still has to buffer the attack of every sample. The Gigastudio sampler uses multiple samples for each note resulting in a patch that is hundreds of mega bytes in size
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/May03/articles/pcnotes0503.asp
http://www.soundsonline.com/whatis.shtml#compatibility
08 - Why do certain artists such as Fatboy Slim use older 12-bit samplers?
12-bit samplers have a certain quality that is a plus for many users. 12-bit samplers have a trademark sound.
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may01/articles/catchphrase2.asp
09 - Do any samplers offer solid state storage rather than traditional RAM based storage?
Sample data can be saved either to a SCSI drive (such as an Iomega Zip or Jaz drive) or a solid state Smart Media card
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec03/articles/xvjvmasterclass.htm
10 - What format are samples saved in on hardware samplers?
Akai S1000, Sound Designer I/II, SampleCell II, SoundFont 2.0, DLS, Giga (Unity Studio only), AIFF and WAV.
http://www.soundsonline.com/whatis.shtml#compatibility
11- What instruments may benefit from velocity sensitive samples?
Wind instruments that are sampled with a loud sound at higher velocities, and instruments that sound noticeably different in some other way when played loud.
12 - Apart from High-Hats, what other samples may benefit from Mute-Groups?
Any instrument that has different sounds at different velocities can benefit from mute groups. The soft tone of a bass when played softly and the pluck or slap of a note with lots of velocity can mute each other when in the same mute group.
http://www.soundsonline.com/whatis.shtml
13 - Will hardware samplers always have a studio niche? Why or Why not?
Yes the hardware samplers will always a niche in the studio because there will not always be a dedicated computer for a soft sampler.
14 - What editing facilities will a typical hardware sampler offer?
Among the many features of most samplers are looping, filtering, pitch shifting, time compression/expansion, amplitude modulation and playing back a sound in reverse.
http://www.etcetera.co.uk/Support/cakewalk/twv_desktop_music_handbook_midi.shtml
15 - What is a fundamental legal issue associated with sampling?
copyright infringement and fair use.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampling_(music)
16 - What effect on the timing of a sample will be caused by playing it an octave higher than the original sampled material?
The timing would double on a sample that is played 12 semi-tones away from the original sampled material.
17 - Name 2 ways that a sample could be reduced in size to save storage space?
sounds which have very little high-frequency content can often be sampled at a reduced sample-rate to save memory. A sample with a lower bit depth will take up less space. Redundant and irrelevant data can be removed to reduce the amount of data in a sample.
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr01/articles/practical.asp
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug98/articles/datacompression.html
18 - What are the benefits of multisamples? What are the drawbacks?
The benefits of multisamples are a more accurate representation of the original sample across a key zone, the ability to have velocity controlled dynamics and the instrument stays in tune with a different pitched sample every 3 semi tones or so. The drawbacks are, the amount of time it takes to record all the samples and the amount of memory it requires.
19 - Why may some samples not want to be 'tracked'?
Searching....
20 - What is a 'one shot' sample? What instruments may benefit from this kind of sample definition?
samples that are not looped and that play once and stop are said to be in one-shot mode
21 - Name one pitch related problem that may occur when sampling from vinyl?
I haven’t stumbled on anything yet.....
22 - What is the importance of setting the 'root' note for a keyzone?
The root note for a key zone is the original sample pitch that the other keys in the zone work from.
Without the root note set in a key zone I guess the notes in that zone would sound using the next closest sample.(from another keyzone)
http://www.iaekm.org/article10.htm
23 - How are the at; length; and time functions defined in terms of setting a loop on a sampler ?
If you want to record for a specific amount of time, the length can be adjusted to predetermine the point at which the sampler stops recording.
24 - What is the major problem that you are likely to encounter when making loops?
Timing is something to watch out for when samples are being looped.
25 - Imagine a manufacturer has just introduced a new top-of-the-range sampler. What would be the practical benefits of the following features, compared with previous models?
a)More voices,
Less note stealing going on
b)More keygroups per program ,
one step closer to insanely accurate acoustic instrument emulation.
c)More outputs ,
more effects balances can be set up, more routing possibilities
d)More RAM ,
The possibility of having all your samples and loops in RAM would speed things up a bit. No latency maybe.
26 - When looping a sample of a single note, what characteristics in the waveform are desirable at the start and end point of the loop?
Zero crossing
27 - You have recorded a two-bar segment of drums. Is it better to loop the sample in the sampler, or to get a sequencer to repeatedly trigger the sample?
It would be better to have a sequencer to trigger the sample every measure to keep the timing on.
28 - Why would you sample several notes of different pitches from an instrument?
So you could assign each sample to adjacent key zones on the keyboard for a more accurate tone and pitch.
29 - What would you be intending to do if you sampled the same note at different volumes?
You would be intending to set up velocity controlled dynamics for each note or key zone. |
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Thu Apr 21, 2005 8:36 pm |
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JohnA
Joined: 20 Jan 2005
Posts: 28
Location: Mid Glamorgan, UK |
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Audio Course
AUMT03
Week 7
SAMPLING 2
JohnA (mixindown)
01 - Would individual percussion samples be assigned to one key or to a keyzone typically?
Individual percussion samples would typically be assigned to one key. As an example, a kick drum would be assigned to a key, then a snare to another key, and so on.
02 - What is the importance of setting a root note with a sampler?
The importance of setting the root note with a sampler is that the root note identifies the original pitch from which further notes will be transposed to. Once the root note is set, a keyzone can be set up. Each key that is in that keyzone will correspond to the root note in varying degrees of semitones. The sample can be spread over the keyzone.
03 - Why were samplers so important in the dance music explosion of the late 80s/early 90s
Samplers were so important in dance music in the late 80s/early 90s because they provided the ability to be able to sample whole phrases. This ability was the cornerstone of dance music construction which is often based around a series of drum loops.
04 - Why could the sampler be described as a post-modern instrument?
The sampler could be described as a post-modern instrument because of the willingness of the original users to combine elements of all styles and periods of music.
05 - How could a DJ implement a sampler into a live set?
A DJ could implement a sampler into a live set by using samples triggered from a hardware sampler and keyboard controller. The DJ could assign the samples he/she wants to use, to various keys on a controller and could simply press the key to trigger any sample they had pre-assigned at anytime, creating the music spontaneously.
06 - What is the most common RAM type used by samplers?
The most common type of RAM used in samplers is 72pin SIMMs RAM.
07 - Why is the Gigasampler piano patch so large in terms of MBs?
The Gigasampler piano patch is so large in terms of MBs because the acoustic piano would sound odd if it was transposed by more than a few notes. So it is so large because there are lot of samples needed to reproduce the full range of an authentic piano sound.
08 - Why do certain artists such as Fatboy Slim use older 12-bit samplers?
A 12bit sampler will only capture a dynamic range of around 72db. This can make certain sounds sound very grainy. For certain musical styles, it has become acceptable to sample certain sound sources with little treble content, such as bass drums, or for creating grungy, low-fi special effects (as used by Fatboy Slim).
09 - Do any samplers offer solid state storage rather than traditional RAM based storage?
Yes, some samplers offer solid stage storage (SSD: Solid State disc) such as the EMU E-Synth Ultra, various AKAI models including the AKAI MPC2000XL and the Roland Various Sampler have a Compact Flash Card Slot
10 - What format are samples saved in on hardware samplers?
On hardware samplers, samples are saved in either .wav or .aiff files.
11- What instruments may benefit from velocity sensitive samples?
Instruments that would benefit from velocity sensitive samples would include acoustic instruments such as piano, drums and cymbals and stringed instruments such as acoustic guitars and violins.
12 - Apart from High-Hats, what other samples may benefit from Mute-Groups?
Apart from hi-hats, other samples that may benefit from mute groups are certain percussion instruments like congas and bongo drums.
13 - Will hardware samplers always have a studio niche? Why or Why not?
I think that hardware samplers will have a niche in the studio for a long time to come because there are a lot of musicians that like the “feel” of hardware, as opposed to using a mouse with software. And although keyboard controllers like the M Audio Keystation Pro 88 allows the same kind of control using sliders, buttons and knobs with software samplers, you are not using the actual function knobs on the hardware sampler.
I think we also have to take into account that a lot of people like to have a separate unit (other than a PC or Mac based computer) to record into and play back from.
Then there is the live aspect, where you can take your sampler out and use it live (as in question 5) and bring that same piece of gear back into the studio and create with it and on it. So everything is done in the same equipment, no transferring or editing even, in another platform. Some people like that familiarity.
14 - What editing facilties will a typical hardware sampler offer?
A typical hardware sampler will offer editing features such as cut, copy and paste, merge, pitch shifting, time stretch, re-sampling, mono/stereo conversion, volume increase / decrease, filter editing, LFO editing, crossfade looping and reverse.
15 - What is a fundamental legal issue associated with sampling?
The fundamental legal issue associated with sampling is that if you intend to sample someone else’s work, you must first seek permission from the owner of the copyright.
16 - What effect on the timing of a sample will be caused by playing it an octave higher than the original sampled material?
Playing a sample at an octave higher than the original sampled material will have the effect of doubling the speed of the original sample. If a piano note were sampled at 4 seconds long, the sample would only be 2 seconds long if played an octave higher.
17 - Name 2 ways that a sample could be reduced in size to save storage space?
Two ways that a sample could be reduced in size to save storage are:
a. loop the sustain section of the sample.
b. By using the re-sampling facility on a sampler, you could load a full bandwidth sample into your sampler then create a version using a lower sampling rate.
18 - What are the benefits of multisamples? What are the drawbacks?
The benefits of multisamples are that they can get closer to capturing the true fidelity of the sound of the instrument as it is sampled every semitone.
The drawbacks are that it take more memory to store the extra number of samples used in multisampling as well as taking more time to record the samples.
19 - Why may some samples not want to be 'tracked'?
There would be no need to track instruments such as drums because their pitch does not need to be changed in order for them to sound authentic (which is why you add tracking to transposed samples on a keyboard).
20 - What is a 'one shot' sample? What instruments may benefit from this kind of sample definition?
A “one shot” sample is a sample that, when triggered by a sampler that is in “one shot trigger mode”, plays for its entirety. The sample is triggered, and, regardless whether or not the trigger (usually a key on a keyboard) is held down or not, the sampled sound plays to the end.
Sounds that benefit from this kind of definition is individual drum sounds / drum loops.
21 - Name one pitch related problem that may occur when sampling from vinyl?
The record player used in sampling from vinyl may not play back at the correct speed due to a problem with the motor and fan belt system used to move the turntable. If this were so, the sample would be sampled at varying speeds.
22 - What is the importance of setting the 'root' note for a keyzone?
If the root note is not set correctly for a keyzone, none of the notes in the keyzone will sound right as they are all pitched around this note.
23 - How are the at; length; and time functions defined in terms of setting a loop on a sampler?
At: This defines the starting point of the loop, where the first zero crossing point would be.
Length: This defines the length of the loop from the beginning through to the end of the looped section
Time: This defines how many times the sample is repeated
24 - What is the major problem that you are likely to encounter when making loops?
The major problem you are likely to encounter when making loops is there will be an unnatural modulation effect occurring at the rate at which the sample loops. As you play higher notes on the keyboard, the modulation rate increases along with the frequency.
It is for this reason that it is not advisable to add any modulation to a raw sound when sampling it. If a sound has been sampled with modulation added, for the loop to be smooth, the loop time must be a multiple of the sample frequency as well as any modulation applied to it.
25 - Imagine a manufacturer has just introduced a new top-of-the-range sampler. What would be the practical benefits of the following features, compared with previous models?
a) More voices
b) More keygroups per program
The more keygroups that you have available to you, the more accurate the eventual sound will be.
c) More outputs
More outputs would give you more flexibility to connect your samplers individual tracks to other outboard gear such as mixing desks, recorders, effects units etc.
d) More RAM
More RAM would enable you to load and create more and bigger samples. You will also be able to have more keygroups so the sound that you create will potentially be more accurate.
26 - When looping a sample of a single note, what characteristics in the waveform are desirable at the start and end point of the loop?
When looping a sample, the characteristics desirable at the start and end point of the loop would be that they should be equal in their level, shape and phase.
27 - You have recorded a two-bar segment of drums. Is it better to loop the sample in the sampler, or to get a sequencer to repeatedly trigger the sample?
If you intend to add other music to the sample by using a sequencer, then it would be better to get a sequencer to repeatedly trigger the sample by setting the sample as a “one shot” sample, triggered every bar (or for however long the sample is). The reason for this is because by looping and playing back the sample in the sampler, the sampler will eventually drift out of sync with your sequencer. By repeatedly triggering the sample from the sequencer, the sync will be re-established at the beginning of each bar.
28 - Why would you sample several notes of different pitches from an instrument?
You would sample several notes of different pitches from an instrument because you would want to use each of these samples as “root notes”. These root notes would be assigned to various keys on the keyboard and transposed in keyzones to build the sound of an instrument.
29 - What would you be intending to do if you sampled the same note at different volumes?
You would be intending to use “velocity switching”, which is using two different samples triggered by the same key on a keyboard. As an example, this could be useful for a bass guitar sample where a velocity of say up to 59 would trigger a plucked bass string sound, but a velocity of 60 and above would trigger a slap bass sound.
JohnA (mixindown)
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1997_articles/sep97/samplebasics.html
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec98/articles/gigasample.143.htm
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1996_articles/jan96/samplebasics1.html
http://www.samplecraze.com/tutorial.php?xTutorialID=9 |
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Fri Apr 22, 2005 6:46 am |
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chemira
Joined: 03 Jan 2005
Posts: 50
Location: Nova Scotia Canada Eh! |
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Week 7 Music Technology
01 - Would individual percussion samples be assigned to one key or to a keyzone typically?
A percussion sample would usually be assigned to a particular key instead of a keyzone. This allows the instrument to be triggered and sequenced from one key allowing several instruments or percussion kits to be laid out along the keyboard.
02 - What is the importance of setting a root note with a sampler?
The root note will establish the key of the music being played back from the sequencer. The sampler needs this Root note to determine the pitch of the sampled data that will be triggered by the sequencer for playback.
03 - Why were samplers so important in the dance music explosion of the late 80s/early 90s
Samplers allowed dance mixing artists a large number of instruments samples at a low cost to create complex rhythms that can repeat and be modified very easily.
04 - Why could the sampler be described as a post-modern instrument?
A sampler can be described as a post modern instrument in a sense that it can take samples from any Era of music and fuse it together with any other or a combination of other Eras. This blending of many generations of sounds and samples brings forth a new sound from old.
05 - How could a DJ implement a sampler into a live set?
a DJ could implement a Sampler into a live set by triggering loops to repeat and then trigger other loops to layer over top of the basic loop. This could create and endless transition of patterns in a live setting just like an improvisational jam.
06 - What is the most common RAM type used by samplers?
Most samples use 72 pin SIMM standing for Single Inline Memory Module.
07 - Why is the Gigasampler piano patch so large in terms of MBs?
Gigasampler samples the individual notes using each pedal and at different attack velocities so some samples will have very long decay times increasing the size of the sample.
08 - Why do certain artists such as Fatboy Slim use older 12-bit samplers?
12 Bit samplers like the AKAI S950 will have a sonic signature that is dated to the 80’s. A more rough sample but with that Fatboy Slim can create new samples and loops that are tailored to his unique sound. These samplers will create lower quality samples that are unique.
09 - Do any samplers offer solid state storage rather than traditional RAM based storage?
Many Samplers offer solid state stirage via smart media cards such as the Roland SP505 Grove sampler.
10 - What format are samples saved in on hardware samplers?
Samples are saved as wave files in several different formats such as AIIF and .wav file types.
11- What instruments may benfefit from velocity sensitive samples?
Any instrument that can be played with varying degrees of attack or with different playing styles can benefit such as a piano, drums or percussion or even guitar or bass.
12 - Apart from High-Hats, what other samples may benefit from Mute-Groups?
Any sample that has a dual trigger for sounding the instrument could and should use a mute group. A violin, bass guitar or acoustic guitar , using pluck bowing or fingerpick and snap and for acoustic guitar finger picking and strum. The two techniques cannot be played at the same time.
13 - Will hardware samplers always have a studio niche? Why or Why not?
(I will answer this while the coin is still in the air.)
Hardware samplers have unique sound qualities that they can impart on the sample that is triggered. The interface is separate and hands on compared to software samplers which can be hidden in several windows or alternate control surfaces need to be used. They do their primary task and do not affect the host sequencer but track counts in software sampler based computers are sufficient in numbers. Cost factored in for a hardware based unit you can buy a PC with sampling a sampling library and sequencer for the same price. This I think unless the hardware based units drop in price will be the deciding factor that will bring upon the demise of NEW hardware based samplers.
(back to the COIN, it’s tails, software is the future)
14 - What editing facilties will a typical hardware sampler offer?
A hardware sampler will offer EQ filtering, time stretching, re-sampling, sample trimming or splicing, time based effects and looping.
15 - What is a fundamental legal issue associated with sampling?
Samples hold copy rights for the creator of the sound or sample. To use a sample in a circumstance that there will be someone paid to perform live or create tangible hard copies(CD) then a royalty must be paid to the author.
16 - What effect on the timing of a sample will be caused by playing it an octave higher than the original sampled material?
A sample that is played an octave higher that it was originally recorded will half its original time unless pitch correction timing algorithms are used.
17 - Name 2 ways that a sample could be reduced in size to save storage space?
The sample can be looped during its sustained portion or stereo files can be converted to mono. Down sampling can also be do for high bit formats.
18 - What are the benefits of multisamples? What are the drawbacks?
Muti-sampling will create a more realistic sound throughout the range of an instrument and in more velocity or dynamic circumstances. The problem being the files of these sampled instruments are very large.
19 - Why may some samples not want to be 'tracked'?
20 - What is a 'one shot' sample? What instruments may benefit from this kind of sample definition?
One shot samples do not decay fully if the sample is retriggered. The final sample will decay fully as long as there is not another retriggering of this same sample. The instruments that can benefit from this are percussion instruments like toms, cymbals or other ringing instruments, backing vocal samples like ews and ahs.
21 - Name one pitch related problem that may occur when sampling from vinyl?
When sampling from vinyl the turntable RPM may be off or the original tracking mixing and cutting may have been off pitch to begin with. Pitch analysis and correction may be needed.
22 - What is the importance of setting the 'root' note for a keyzone?
The root note should be close to the original samples pitch so there will be no transposition required for the sample.
23 - How are the at; length; and time functions defined in terms of setting a loop on a sampler ?
At refers to the beginning of the sample or it’s start time.
Length refers to the duration of that the sample that will be looped
Time is the tempo of the loop
24 - What is the major problem that you are likely to encounter when making loops?
There will be different tempos that will need to be converted. This conversion process can affect the sample making it grainy sounding.
25 - Imagine a manufacturer has just introduced a new top-of-the-range sampler. What would be the practical benefits of the following features, compared with previous models?
a)More voices Will allow a wider selection of musical instruments to be played at the same time.
b)More keygroups per program would allow more accurate playback without transposition.
c)More outputs can give mix options and greater separation of each instrument or group.
d)More RAM allows storage of more samples.
26 - When looping a sample of a single note, what characteristics in the waveform are desirable at the start and end point of the loop?
You MUST have a zero crossing point to reduce the chances of clicks and pops.
27 - You have recorded a two-bar segment of drums. Is it better to loop the sample in the sampler, or to get a sequencer to repeatedly trigger the sample?
The Sequencer would be better because it will be the timing master for all other audio or sampling. The sequencer could trigger the sample in perfect time with the rest of the tracks.
28 - Why would you sample several notes of different pitches from an instrument?
This will give a better representation of the instrument at more pitchs so there will be less transposition “distance” to be covered. It’s better to transpose as little as possible up or down to create more natural sounds.
29 - What would you be intending to do if you sampled the same note at different volumes?
Create velocity maps fopr the keys so that depending on how hard the keys are struck the sound will be triggered at a proportional volume to how hard or soft the keys are played.
http://www.tweakheadz.com/sampling_software.html
http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/news/9906_101/
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1996_articles/feb96/samplebasics2.html
http://www.answers.com/topic/postmodern-music
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1997_articles/sep97/samplebasics.html
http://www.sonicspot.com/guide/samplefileformats.html
http://www.tweakheadz.com/Sampling_Tips.html |
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Fri Apr 22, 2005 8:51 am |
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thx1138
Joined: 07 Jan 2005
Posts: 21
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01 - Would individual percussion samples be assigned to one key or to a keyzone typically?
Individual percussion samples would be assigned to an individual key as each percussive sound is at a fixed note and is not based on any key or pitch.
02 - What is the importance of setting a root note with a sampler?
The root note is played at its original pitch with no transposition; other notes are made from altering the pitch/playback speed of the root note.
03 - Why were samplers so important in the dance music explosion of the late 80s/early 90s
Samplers were so important in the dance music explosion of the late 80s/earlt 90s as much of the music was made up of samples from various other forms of music, such as samples of drum beats, vocal lines and breaks.
04 - Why could the sampler be described as a post-modern instrument?
A sampler could be described as a post modern instrument as it can be used as an 'instrument' to make music without the user going to all the trouble of learning to play a real instrument. It means that anyone can make music with a sampler regardless of what musical knowledge he or she may, or may not possess.
05 - How could a DJ implement a sampler into a live set?
A DJ could implement a sampler into his/her set by triggering samples to add to his/her set and add his/her own thing to the records being played. Phrase samplers could be used to capture loops from the turntable or to provide links between songs.
06 - What is the most common RAM type used by samplers?
The most common type of RAM in a sampler is 72 pin SIMMs.
07 - Why is the Gigasampler piano patch so large in terms of MBs?
The giga sampler piano patch is quite large in terms of MB, as a lot of keyzones would have to be used. A piano note can only be stretched a few semi-tones each side of its original pitch without sounding strange. More keyzones would be needed to compensate for this. The more keyzones the more samples the more space the patch takes up.
08 - Why do certain artists such as Fatboy Slim use older 12-bit samplers?
The old 12 bit samplers get used by artists such as Fatboy Slim as his music relies on sampled breaks from old records and a 12 bit sampler such as the Akai S700 is perfect for that 'retro' lo-fi grainy sound.
(www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar01/articles/retroakais700.asp)
09 - Do any samplers offer solid state storage rather than traditional RAM based storage?
Some samplers use smart media cards?
10 - What format are samples saved in on hardware samplers?
Samples on a hardware sampler are generally saved as 16 bit 44.1 kHz .wav or .aiff files.
11- What instruments may benefit from velocity sensitive samples?
Instruments such as pianos and other percussive instruments would benefit from velocity sensitive samples as notes/hits on the real instruments are played at varying strengths.
12 - Apart from High-Hats, what other samples may benefit from Mute-Groups?
Maybe instruments such as guitars could benefit from mute groups as only certain notes can be played at the same time. A chord cannot have two notes played on the same string sounding at once, like you couldn't play frets 2 and 3 on the low E string at the same time.
13 - Will hardware samplers always have a studio niche? Why or Why not?
I think hardware samplers will always have a niche in studios even though everything is going towards software these days as using hardware devices just seems so much more satisfying than staring at a pixelated screen for hours on end. However, I think that software will be used in conjunction with hardware samplers.
14 - What editing facilties will a typical hardware sampler offer?
The editing facilities that a typical hardware sampler would offer:
Copy, paste and cut, looping, pitch shift, timestretch, EQ and filtering, volume change/fade, reverse, normalise.
15 - What is a fundamental legal issue associated with sampling?
A fundamental issue associated with sampling is copyright infringement. Samples taken from copyrighted material are illegal unless permission is given to use them if they are for commercial use.
16 - What effect on the timing of a sample will be caused by playing it an octave higher than the original sampled material?
Playing a sample an octave higher than the pitch it was sampled at will make the sample play back at twice the speed as well as twice its original pitch.
17 - Name 2 ways that a sample could be reduced in size to save storage space?
Two ways a sample could be reduced in size:
Lowering the sample rate
Changing a stereo file to mono OR lowering its bit rate.
18 - What are the benefits of multisamples? What are the drawbacks?
Multisampling allows for instruments to be realistically reproduced over several octaves. A drawback of multisampling is that the more samples you have, the more memory it uses up.
19 - Why may some samples not want to be 'tracked'?
drumsounds would not need to be tracked as they do not rely on being played back at a certain note. They are at a fixed note so pitch and filter tracking would not be necessary.
20 - What is a 'one shot' sample? What instruments may benefit from this kind of sample definition?
A one-shot sample is one that plays in its entirety whenever it is triggered no matter how long the key is held down for or how long the note on message is. Percussive samples would benefit from this description.
(quote from: Ben M audiocourses forum hehe)
21 - Name one pitch related problem that may occur when sampling from vinyl?
When sampling from vinyl, a pitch related problem might be that the turntable isn't playing at an entirely constant speed and possible warping of the vinyl itself.
22 - What is the importance of setting the 'root' note for a keyzone?
The root note in a keyzone is the note that is played 'as is' and doesn't require any pitch transformation so all other notes in a keyzone are worked out from the root.
23 - How are the at; length; and time functions defined in terms of setting a loop on a sampler ?
At = the start point of the loop
Length = the length of the loop from start point to end point
Time = how many times the note repeats itself.
24 - What is the major problem that you are likely to encounter when making loops?
Finding decent zero crossing points is a major problem likely to be encountered when making loops. Cross fading could be used if no suitable zero crossing points can be found.
25 - Imagine a manufacturer has just introduced a new top-of-the-range sampler. What would be the practical benefits of the following features, compared with previous models?
a)More voices
more voices means more polyphony, so more samples can sound at the same time.
b)More keygroups per program
more keygroups per program means better multisampling so more samples can be used to represent an instrument more effectively.
c)More outputs
more outputs means that more samples can be sent to individual tracks on a mixer and more external effects can be added.
d)More RAM
more RAM means more samples can be stored enabling better multisampling and the above features could be implemented more effectively.
26 - When looping a sample of a single note, what characteristics in the waveform are desirable at the start and end point of the loop?
When sampling a single note, desirable characteristics of the waveform at the start and end points would be zero crossing points where the amplitude of the wave is at zero, or failing that, the levels are the same.
27 - You have recorded a two-bar segment of drums. Is it better to loop the sample in the sampler, or to get a
sequencer to repeatedly trigger the sample?
It would be better to trigger the loop from a sequencer as opposed to looping it in a sampler.
Timing errors could occur with looping in a sampler unless the sampler is exactly the right length and tempo.
28 - Why would you sample several notes of different pitches from an instrument?
Sampling an instrument at different pitches would mean an instrument could be represented more realistically on a sampler over several keyzones. A note can sound strange if pitched too far from the original root note so sampling several different notes would mean the instrument would sound more realistic over a greater range of notes on the keyboard. This is known as multisampling.
29 - What would you be intending to do if you sampled the same note at different volumes?
You would be setting up velocity sensitive samples by sampling the same note at different volumes. A sample would then be triggered at different volumes depending on how hard or soft a key was pressed.
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AcousticalWeaponsDivision/Alex |
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Fri Apr 22, 2005 3:27 pm |
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rachelh
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 35
Location: Trinidad WI |
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01 - Would individual percussion samples be assigned to one key or to a keyzone typically?
Percussion samples would normally be assigned to one key.
02 - What is the importance of setting a root note with a sampler?
The importance with setting a root note with a sampler is that it sets the key at which the sample is to be played back.
03 - Why were samplers so important in the dance music explosion of the late 80s/early 90s
Samplers were important in the dance music explosion of the late 80s / 90s as most of the music produced they allowed the artist to utilise convincing approximations of anything from a Minimoog to a full orchestra with relative ease without actually having to source the original instruments. [1]
04 - Why could the sampler be described as a post-modern instrument?
The sampler can be described as a post-modern instrument as it originated in the 70’s, although it is still utilised today. Although modern day tweaking may occur, the basic operations and uses of samplers have not changed.
05 - How could a DJ implement a sampler into a live set?
A DJ can implement a sampler into a live set by connecting the sampler to the turntable via the phono inputs on the sampler. [1]
06 - What is the most common RAM type used by samplers?
The most common RAM type used by samplers would be 72 pin SIMM.
07 - Why is the Gigasampler piano patch so large in terms of MBs?
The Gigasampler piano patch is large in terms of MBs because it has “the unique advantage of being able to stream samples of almost unlimited length direct from a hard drive, and for realistic acoustic instruments this approach can't be beaten” thus, the associated patches will be large due to the capacity of the software. [1]
08 - Why do certain artists such as Fatboy Slim use older 12-bit samplers?
“For those artists and producers working within many modern types of music production, however, sampling is less about multisampling and 'realism' and more about phrase sampling — finding individual inspiring samples, which can be triggered or looped alongside your track, and manipulated in real time. New styles are often developed on shoe-string budgets, and so it's hardly surprising that much modern music favours this type of sampling, simply because it tends to place fewer demands on the hardware being used, and hence allows older, cheaper samplers to be pressed into service” [1]
09 - Do any samplers offer solid-state storage rather than traditional RAM based storage?
Some samplers offer external high-capacity storage devices, on which you can store your samples. There are a number of options available which include fixed and removable hard drives and a number of lower-cost removable-media drives, such as Iomega's Zip and Jaz.[1]
10 - What format are samples saved in on hardware samplers?
The format in which samples are saved on hardware samplers is AIFF, which can provide excellent sound quality and is compatible with many modern samplers. [1]
11- What instruments may benefit from velocity sensitive samples?
The instrument types that may benefit from velocity sensitive samples are stringed, percussion, brass and woodwind instruments.
12 - Apart from High-Hats, what other samples may benefit from Mute-Groups?
Other samples that may benefit from mute-groups, beside hi-hats are, the snare drum, trumpet – basically any instrument that has a large dynamic range.
13 - Will hardware samplers always have a studio niche? Why or Why not?
Hardware samplers will not always have a studio niche as the advent of software samplers that offer as much functionality as their hardware counterparts. They are capable of editing, mapping and splitting sounds across a MIDI keyboard using on screen graphic controls that have improved to the point of being competitive with hardware systems in terms of cost, accessibility and ease of use. [2]
14 - What editing facilities will a typical hardware sampler offer?
The editing facilities that a typical hardware sampler will offer are trimming, envelope shaping, tracking,
15 - What is a fundamental legal issue associated with sampling?
The fundamental legal issue associated with sampling is copyright, that is, the use of samples without permission from the copyright owners.
16 - What effect on the timing of a sample will be caused by playing it an octave higher than the original sampled material?
The effect on the timing of a sample resultant from playing the sample an octave higher than the original sampled material would be that the sample would be speeded up, producing a sound that is twice the speed of the original sample.
17 - Name 2 ways that a sample could be reduced in size to save storage space?
Two ways in which a sample could be reduced in size to save storage space are firstly looping – the process by which a loop is created by defining a segment of a sound sample that does not significantly change in amplitude and composition over a period of time, then repeatedly accessing this sample from RAM and secondly trimming- the process by which undesired sounds or samples can be deleted. [2]
18 - What are the benefits of multisamples? What are the drawbacks?
The benefits of multisamples are that if the samples used create a good match to the original instrument, the result would be sonically pleasing to the air thus creating a good mix, secondly, it allows for creativity and better understanding of instruments and their envelopes. The disadvantages of multisampling are firstly because of the many samples are needed to match the original instrument that is in realistic terms- which can prove to be tedious, secondly, due to the sensitivity of the human air, a next to perfect match has to be achieved as the listener will innately sense the limitations of the sound and know that something is wrong and thirdly, multisampling takes up a lot of memory due to the many samples that are needed to achieve a good match.
19 - Why may some samples not want to be 'tracked'?
Some samples may not to be tracked because they do not rely on being played back at a specific pitch. ??
20 - What is a 'one shot' sample? What instruments may benefit from this kind of sample definition?
A ‘one shot’ sample is one that does not adhere to time limitations or velocity specifications that is, when it is triggered - it continues onward to its duration??
21 - Name one pitch related problem that may occur when sampling from vinyl?
One pitch related problem that may arise with sampled material from vinyl warping which occurs when records are poorly stored, this leads to pitch and tempo fluctuations. If the record player has problems with the reading head or any of the apparatus used during playback, this will affect the pitch and tempo of the sound.
22 - What is the importance of setting the 'root' note for a keyzone?
The importance of setting a root note for a keyzone is that when striked, this root note enables the programmed sequence to start playing, it also can influence the pitch at which the sample is playing as well as the intensity and velocity of the sample.
23 - How are the -at; length; and time functions defined in terms of setting a loop on a sampler?
With respect to setting a loop on a sampler the ‘at’ function defines the point at which the loop begins, the ‘length’ function defines the duration of the loop and the ‘time’ function defines the number of repetitions of the loop.
24 - What is the major problem that you are likely to encounter when making loops?
The major problem that may be encountered when making loops are selecting the start and end points of the loop in terms of matching the amplitudes – the beginning and end amplitudes of a looped waveform must match, if not, popping and ticking will result. [2]
25 - Imagine a manufacturer has just introduced a new top-of-the-range sampler. What would be the practical benefits of the following features, compared with previous models?
a) More voices - The effect of more voices would be that more notes would be able to be simultaneously played back at any one time than in the previous model.
b) More keygroups per program - The effect of more keygroups per program would be that more samples could be used per instrument thus, a more realistic sound will be produced.
c) More outputs - The effect of more outputs would be that a larger number of devices could be directly connected to the sampler – this may eliminate the use of an interface.
d) More RAM - The effect of more RAM would be that a greater sized samples can be used also there will be a decrease in processing time.
26 - When looping a sample of a single note, what characteristics in the waveform are desirable at the start and end point of the loop?
When looping a sample of a single note the characteristics in the waveform that are desirable at the start and end point of the loop is that the amplitudes should be identical, if not, ticking and popping will occur.
27 - You have recorded a two-bar segment of drums. Is it better to loop the sample in the sampler, or to get a sequencer to repeatedly trigger the sample?
If I have recorded a two-bar segment of drums, I would most likely loop the sample in the sampler- as a two bar segment of drums would not utilise much disc space or processing time.
28 - Why would you sample several notes of different pitches from an instrument?
I would sample several notes of different pitched from an instrument because many samples are needed to match the original instrument in order to produce a sonically pleasing and realistic sample.
29 - What would you be intending to do if you sampled the same note at different volumes?
If I sampled the same note at different volumes, in essence what I could be trying to do is to create a ‘fuller’ sound, by fully representing the dynamic range of the instrument??
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Reference:
[1] CATCH PHRASE::Practical Phrase Sampling For Modern Music Production: Part 1:: www.sos.com
[2] Modern Recording Techniques – DM Huber, R Runstein |
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Sat Apr 23, 2005 4:47 am |
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kurt53
Joined: 15 Sep 2004
Posts: 6
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Sorry I'm late…again.
01 - Would individual percussion samples be assigned to one key or to a keyzone typically?
Percussion samples represent individual percussion instruments, there for, it would be best to assign them to individual keys.
02 - What is the importance of setting a root note with a sampler?
A root note is the note of which all other notes follow on, the derrivatory note. If there were no root notes, it would result in a manufactured, fake sound.
03 - Why were samplers so important in the dance music explosion of the late 80s/early 90s
I believe this is because dance music is nothing but a perpetual, monotonous array of bass and hi hats. This is achieved by the use of loops, looping being one of the major features of the sampler. As a result of this, very little knowledge of music theory (or just plain talent if I were to be so bold) is required to make the desired " melodic master piece" making it very convenient.
04 - Why could the sampler be described as a post-modern instrument?
I'm not too sure what is meant by this question Ben, however, I'm guessing this is because of the sampler's extremely wide contrast of sounds that it can replicate or even modulate once recorded.
05 - How could a DJ implement a sampler into a live set?
This could be done if a sampler were used for playing transitional phrases when moving from one song to the next. Loops could also be added in, if it were appropriate to prolong the song.
06 - What is the most common RAM type used by samplers?
72 pin 300ns SIMM format.
07 - Why is the Gigasampler piano patch so large in terms of MBs?
This is because the gigasampler piano uses multisampling making the sound a lot more authentic and realistic demanding a lot of memory. As well as this, the sustained notes are not looped, in addition to these contributing factors, the sample contains the full sound and decay of the piano, demanding even more space.
08 - Why do certain artists such as Fatboy Slim use older 12-bit samplers?
I think Fatboy Slim uses 12-bit samplers to replicate a classical effect so to speak. I also believe, it is a means of sticking to the signature sound that the listeners are used to hearing.
09 - Do any samplers offer solid state storage rather than traditional RAM based storage?
Yes, solid-state flash RAM, for example smart media.
10 - What format are samples saved in on hardware samplers?
Depending on what you have: WAV, AIFF and, MP3 files are some examples.
11- What instruments may benfefit from velocity sensitive samples?
Acoustic instruments, such as guitar, piano, and violin.
12 - Apart from High-Hats, what other samples may benefit from Mute-Groups?
Any instruments with a wide dynamic range e.g. slap bass, snare drums, bass drums, and finger picked guitar.
13 - Will hardware samplers always have a studio niche? Why or Why not?
This is quite a controversial subject, as it all depends on what people are comfortable with, some may like the traditional feel, and some may be happy to settle with the alternative advances in technology, for example software samplers. However, software samplers are not as hands on as hardware samplers, so some may feel they are inferior. Nevertheless, I do feel that, with the continued advances in technology, the hardware sampler, like everything else will be rendered obsolete at some point in time, but until something better comes along, they're here to stay.
14 - What editing facilties will a typical hardware sampler offer?
Time stretching, EQ filtering, splicing, re-sampling, looping, and time based effects.
15 - What is a fundamental legal issue associated with sampling?
Copyright.
16 - What effect on the timing of a sample will be caused by playing it an octave higher than the original sampled material?
The timing would be effected, resulting in a faster tempo, and the pitch would be higher.
17 - Name 2 ways that a sample could be reduced in size to save storage space?
Lowering the sample rate, converting a stereo file to mono, or just lowering the bit rate.
18 - What are the benefits of multisamples? What are the drawbacks?
One benefit is that multisamples enable you to realistically recreate a sound over several different octaves. The drawback is, that in order to do so, a lot of memory is used up.
19 - Why may some samples not want to be 'tracked'?
Individual samples like drum samples, or perhaps vocal samples would not want to be tracked as their timbre would not need to be raised in pitch in a way that a piano or guitar sample would, if it were done, it just wouldn't sound realistic.
20 - What is a 'one shot' sample? What instruments may benefit from this kind of sample definition?
A "one shot" sample is a sample that, when triggered plays for the full length of time. Drum loops may benefit from this feature.
21 - Name one pitch related problem that may occur when sampling from vinyl?
Volatilites in the turntable or warped records may result in the pitch shifting out of tune.
22 - What is the importance of setting the 'root' note for a keyzone?
The root note is the pitch at which the original sample plays back unaltered. All other pitches are derived from speeding up or slowing down the root note. The root note should be close to the original sample's pitch so that there would be no variation of positioning required for the sample.
23 - How are the at; length; and time functions defined in terms of setting a loop on a sampler ?
At -start time.
Length -duration of the sample being looped.
Time -tempo of the loop.
24 - What is the major problem that you are likely to encounter when making loops?
If the loops were to crossover each other at any point, it would result in a noticeable clicking or popping sound.
25 - Imagine a manufacturer has just introduced a new top-of-the-range sampler. What would be the practical benefits of the following features, compared with previous models?
a) More voices- you can play back more voices simultaneously.
b) More keygroups per program- more key zones, and more samples with more realistic instruments.
c) More outputs- More outputs mean more versatility regarding the managing and recording output from the sampler through the mixing console.
d) More RAM- more memory allowing more and larger sample programs to be loaded simultaneously.
26 - When looping a sample of a single note, what characteristics in the waveform are desirable at the start and end point of the loop?
A zero crossing point. In addition to that, due to the waveform's similarity, it should sound natural at the join.
27 - You have recorded a two-bar segment of drums. Is it better to loop the sample in the sampler, or to get a sequencer to repeatedly trigger the sample?
I would say a sequencer would be better to use as I feel they are more precise in regard to that particular aspect.
28 - Why would you sample several notes of different pitches from an instrument?
You would sample several notes of different pitches from an instrument to prepare for multisampling to get a more realistic sound.
29 - What would you be intending to do if you sampled the same note at different volumes?
I'm not too sure on this one, but I'm guessing, it would be to accentuate the note. How I mean is, if you were to have one note sampled at different volumes played back simultaneously, surely the note played, would result in a clearer more audible sound. Just taking a shot in the dark. |
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Tue Apr 26, 2005 6:37 pm |
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