Hello People,
Excellent thread! I have just installed my new Power Pulsar 3, and STS-3000, and now face the somewhat daunting task of putting all my samples from my Akai-format CD collection on my hard drive for accessing from the STS.
This brings me to my question, which I hope that some of you more experienced Pulsarian sampleheads can help me with.
What's the best way to do this, and in what format? I have CDextract, and can save the files in Akai S5000/6000 format, or Pulsar (.p+.s) format. Which is better? Or should I use the STS itself to extract the samples? From reading the instructions, it seems like this would take forever. I have about 100 CD's to rip.
Thanks in advance,
Mark
Get the most out of your sampler
100 cds!?! Impressive...
I think that the simplest way is to let your samples as they are, put them on your HD and your STS will accept them with no modification. When you want to preserve some changes that you've made on a program, just save it (right button on the prog in the sts) and it will appear as a .p prog in the future. The .p's icon will appear as a blue keyboard instead of white(akai format). Both (the akai and sts) will be in your repertoire, you only have to load the .p prog and use it!
Very simple in fact, and so fun to use!
Hey, Wayne! If you ever sample your tuba at 3 velocities, let us know! I'd be interested to try it out...
Peace...
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: eliam on 2002-02-06 21:36 ]</font>
I think that the simplest way is to let your samples as they are, put them on your HD and your STS will accept them with no modification. When you want to preserve some changes that you've made on a program, just save it (right button on the prog in the sts) and it will appear as a .p prog in the future. The .p's icon will appear as a blue keyboard instead of white(akai format). Both (the akai and sts) will be in your repertoire, you only have to load the .p prog and use it!
Very simple in fact, and so fun to use!
Hey, Wayne! If you ever sample your tuba at 3 velocities, let us know! I'd be interested to try it out...
Peace...
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: eliam on 2002-02-06 21:36 ]</font>
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marcuspocus
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Eliam - I'll get around to that in a couple of months, bit busy now. Any tips on what sort of sustain to use on tuba for best tweaking? I imagine flat would be best. Any other tips for sampling acoustic instruments would be great - do you maximise all samples? This could turn into a bit of fun, I have about 15 lovely old instruments lying around waiting to be digitised!
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kensuguro
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Heeey, that's a cool idea. All Pulsarian's acoustic instruments sampled by Pulsarians!
As for me, I can pitch in a conga sample. (not very good congas like they use for sample CDs tho) And maybe maraccas.. if you don't own a pair already. I also have a djembe, but I suck at it.
It'll be nice if we can set a standard for the samples, like no eq, no dynamics, just raw sound.. etc. Or make it out of the box usable. who knows. any ideas?
As for me, I can pitch in a conga sample. (not very good congas like they use for sample CDs tho) And maybe maraccas.. if you don't own a pair already. I also have a djembe, but I suck at it.
It'll be nice if we can set a standard for the samples, like no eq, no dynamics, just raw sound.. etc. Or make it out of the box usable. who knows. any ideas?
Wayne, an interesting option would be to sample both straight notes and some with vibrato. If you have time, I even suggest that you sample two or three levels of vibrato at two or three velocities, so you end up with a nice variety of effects which can make a track sound really natural... Here's a list of what I'd record if it was for my use:
-Straight notes: 3-4 velocities
-Light vibrato: 2-3 velocities
-Big vibrato: 2-3 velocities
-Staccato: 3 velocities
-Flutters: 1-2 velocities
Optional (but useful!):
-Crescendos and diminuendos (2 lenghts)
-Trills
-Repeated notes
-Notes jumps (harmonics)
-Other special effects(you could tell me what...)
With all that stuff, man...! you never need anything else in a lifetime...!
Stereo sampling can be interesting because a stereo image is always more alive than a mono one, and you can always use it in mono if you want...
If it was me, I would make this so to never have to do it again-ever... So a VERY QUIET space with good acoustics, top class mics, preamps and converters. Place the mics at the same position for all the sampling session, so that the image is consistent through all the bank. I suggest you to make tests to find the right position for the mics. The ears of a listener's position in space can be a good starting point and close-miking is to be avoided...
I also suggest you to sample almost chromatically (so that you don't have to detune too many notes when you build your programs)full-lenght sounds (so that you have no problem to find smooth loop-points).
Now if this is well done, you can make a cd ("Cosmik Tuba") which you can sell because it's the best in the world!!!...
What are the 15 instruments you are talking about? Sounds interesting...
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: eliam on 2002-02-07 19:51 ]</font>
-Straight notes: 3-4 velocities
-Light vibrato: 2-3 velocities
-Big vibrato: 2-3 velocities
-Staccato: 3 velocities
-Flutters: 1-2 velocities
Optional (but useful!):
-Crescendos and diminuendos (2 lenghts)
-Trills
-Repeated notes
-Notes jumps (harmonics)
-Other special effects(you could tell me what...)
With all that stuff, man...! you never need anything else in a lifetime...!
Stereo sampling can be interesting because a stereo image is always more alive than a mono one, and you can always use it in mono if you want...
If it was me, I would make this so to never have to do it again-ever... So a VERY QUIET space with good acoustics, top class mics, preamps and converters. Place the mics at the same position for all the sampling session, so that the image is consistent through all the bank. I suggest you to make tests to find the right position for the mics. The ears of a listener's position in space can be a good starting point and close-miking is to be avoided...
I also suggest you to sample almost chromatically (so that you don't have to detune too many notes when you build your programs)full-lenght sounds (so that you have no problem to find smooth loop-points).
Now if this is well done, you can make a cd ("Cosmik Tuba") which you can sell because it's the best in the world!!!...
What are the 15 instruments you are talking about? Sounds interesting...
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: eliam on 2002-02-07 19:51 ]</font>
Wow! Good stuff, Eliam. When i get the quiet space and the microphones (just a sm57 at the moment) i'll get stuck into that immediately! 
As you might have noticed, i'm a bit of a tuba/bass as-well-as pulsar freak, and i'd love to share that sound with Planet Z mob. Apart from being a surprisingly agile and versatile instrument, it's range extends down below a piano, and from there up 5 octaves. Effects include a very realistic half-valved whale, vocoder-like talking effects, drones of all sorts (learnt a lot from my Aboriginal mates) and chords! To do the latter, play a C, sing a G and the E above comes out strongly. Move the sung G to an A and the E harmonic moves to F, etc.
As for the 15 instruments, i suppose only the unique-sounding ones would be worth the "do it once , do it properly" approach (which is the only way to go). My good samplable instruments are:
Mirafone CC tuba
Bb Euphonium
Tenor trombone
Valve trombone
1880's harmonium (church organ with foot bellows, and analog vox humana trem/chorus thingy!)
old Fender jazz
old Telecaster
Double Bass - although i reckon dblbass is the man in that regard
steel drums
I'm getting exhausted thinking about sampling all those - oh yes the accordions and old mouth organs, not to mention my father and brothers, who play all the reeds.
I'll stick to the tuba 4 now - bloody good idea!
As you might have noticed, i'm a bit of a tuba/bass as-well-as pulsar freak, and i'd love to share that sound with Planet Z mob. Apart from being a surprisingly agile and versatile instrument, it's range extends down below a piano, and from there up 5 octaves. Effects include a very realistic half-valved whale, vocoder-like talking effects, drones of all sorts (learnt a lot from my Aboriginal mates) and chords! To do the latter, play a C, sing a G and the E above comes out strongly. Move the sung G to an A and the E harmonic moves to F, etc. As for the 15 instruments, i suppose only the unique-sounding ones would be worth the "do it once , do it properly" approach (which is the only way to go). My good samplable instruments are:
Mirafone CC tuba
Bb Euphonium
Tenor trombone
Valve trombone
1880's harmonium (church organ with foot bellows, and analog vox humana trem/chorus thingy!)
old Fender jazz
old Telecaster
Double Bass - although i reckon dblbass is the man in that regard
steel drums
I'm getting exhausted thinking about sampling all those - oh yes the accordions and old mouth organs, not to mention my father and brothers, who play all the reeds.
I'll stick to the tuba 4 now - bloody good idea!
Cooool! I guess you can begin with what you're best at. Am I right to think that your first instrument is the tuba? If so, then you got plenty of work with that alone !
I didn't know one could play chords with a tuba... very interesting... Do you circular-breathe?
It is very doable to rent let's say focusrite preamps, among the best mics and a panasonic dat(which, reportedly, has the best converters) for a week-end...
The way to go could be to start the recording (once everything is set) and play the sounds one after the other, and take a break when you need one...
Once you have your sounds, then you must carefully listen to them, to make sure that they are homogenous and to edit them. Discard the notes which are not satisfying and make sure (with a tuner) that everything is right on the pitch. Also look for any mismatch whatever it could be and correct it, whether by filtering, volume correction or anything you wish. Then, build your "attaqué" patch with these samples.
After that, you might want to reduce the attack to make-up your legato patch, which you will assign on a higher octave on the same program. Remember that if it's possible to reduce the attack afterwards through envelope filtering, it's impractical to increase it; so you may not want to cut the attack completely...
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: eliam on 2002-02-08 09:55 ]</font>
!I didn't know one could play chords with a tuba... very interesting... Do you circular-breathe?
It is very doable to rent let's say focusrite preamps, among the best mics and a panasonic dat(which, reportedly, has the best converters) for a week-end...
The way to go could be to start the recording (once everything is set) and play the sounds one after the other, and take a break when you need one...
Once you have your sounds, then you must carefully listen to them, to make sure that they are homogenous and to edit them. Discard the notes which are not satisfying and make sure (with a tuner) that everything is right on the pitch. Also look for any mismatch whatever it could be and correct it, whether by filtering, volume correction or anything you wish. Then, build your "attaqué" patch with these samples.
After that, you might want to reduce the attack to make-up your legato patch, which you will assign on a higher octave on the same program. Remember that if it's possible to reduce the attack afterwards through envelope filtering, it's impractical to increase it; so you may not want to cut the attack completely...
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: eliam on 2002-02-08 09:55 ]</font>
Thanks Eliam, this is all very clear and helpful advice. Yes i do circular breathe, it's been popular over here for a while 
If you need help with that technique, let me know. The Nyoongahs i know mostly play didjeridoo out of the side of their embouchure, getting a much more resonant filter sweep while they're at it
If you need help with that technique, let me know. The Nyoongahs i know mostly play didjeridoo out of the side of their embouchure, getting a much more resonant filter sweep while they're at it
Actually, I played didjeridoo for a while and I learned circular breathing... Thanks for the offer, but maybe someday when I want a true eucalyptus instrument, you could help me get one... Now I still have to figure how to do it(circular breathing) on the flute and clarinet-and I just got a bass clarinet yesterday...
That will come in time...
If you have any other question, I'd be pleased to help if I can...
That will come in time...
If you have any other question, I'd be pleased to help if I can...
ah, the bass clarinet! Love to sample Eric Dolphy playing that thing! Have fun with that ,Eliam, and yes, there are some monster didjeridoos about here, some of my Nyoongah mates work in a shop that gets very special instruments from time to time - just let us know. And i agree, circular breathing is very difficult on woodwinds (nobody told Roland Kirk, though ) - this has got a bit away from Pulsar, but heck, 'tis all one.
) - this has got a bit away from Pulsar, but heck, 'tis all one.