Sample CD Wish - Is There One That...?

[aeon]

I would love a sample CD that was nothing more than a collection of the raw waveforms from many different synths...meaning, no sampled patches or even any programming...just the oscs from vintage synths with fat drifty VCOs, string machines, even modern digital beasts...looped of course!

 

Also, I would want to have a sample per key or per minor third at the least...and for those synths with drifty VCOs, etc., a sample long enough to capture that period and really show their flavor.

 

Does anything like this even exist? If not, I sure wish it did. My guess as to why it does not is because this CD would be the raw material for programming...and so few program these days.

 

Does the idea of this appeal to any of you?

 

wondering,

aeon

[bleen]

Have you seen this: Emagic Xtreme Analog ? It sounds quite close to what you are looking for.

 

A tease:

 

For the traditionalists, we recommend checking out the exceptionally authentic core sounds of several legendary synthesizers, including the Jupiter 8, Matrix 12 and Oberheim Xpander

[aeon]

bleen:

 

I have heard of this CD...do you have any more information about it, e.g., what synths were sampled, how many multisamples, total size of data in MB, what format the samples come in?

 

If so, I would really appreciate it...thanks!

 

cheers,

aeon

[SoundMeister]

The description for Xtreme Analog CD goes on:

 

"In contrast to conventional sampled synth waveforms, which are normally based on single oscillators, the multisamples on the Xtreme Analog CD-ROM contain rich, multi-oscillator waveforms. These deliver extremely fat basic sounds, many of which were generated in stacked or unison mode for maximum impact."

 

The concept for "Xtreme Digital" is similar, i.e., to create new timbres by means of layered sounds. I don't think there is any way of separating the layers and getting to the component parts.

 

One the one hand, it makes good sense to want to work with the most basic elements. On the other hand, sounds that have some programming done to them already may allow you to get closer to the sound you're striving for. If the sound is already programmed, that limits what you can do with it, but can also give you a big head start.

 

A lot of the material on our SoundVault collection are actually fairly simple analog waveforms because the idea was to program them on the Kurzweil, which of course has lots of modulation and sound shaping capabilities. It never occurred to make just the basic waveforms based on the assumption that there would be little interest. My sense is people are looking for certain sounds they associate with an instrument, that is, fully programmed leads, basses, pads, drums, and fx that take advantage of the instruments' performance characteristics, filters, effects processing, etc.

 

~Peter Schouten

Pyramid Sound Productions

[aeon]

SoundMeister said:

It never occurred to make just the basic waveforms based on the assumption that there would be little interest.

Oh, I am sure you are right in that there is little interest in terms of a marketable product.

 

That said, I have tremendous interest in such a thing!

 

SoundMeister said:

My sense is people are looking for certain sounds they associate with an instrument, that is, fully programmed leads, basses, pads, drums, and fx.

Understood...but as a programmer, I would love to have the raw materials, so to speak, so I could create those things myself.

 

As an end user, it is no easy feat to be able to sample a wide plethora of synths one does not own...especially as it concerns spendy classic analog polys and monos, early/odd/rare digital machines, e.g. PPG WaveComputer 360, SID 6581, etc., and unique analog beasts like a Fenix, Syrinx, Serge Modular, etc.

[RABid]

Ok. It gets scary when me and aeon start thinking alike. Here is a link to a post I made on KvR back in Feburary asking for something in that same line.

 

Robert

[bleen]

Originally posted by aeon:

I have heard of this CD...do you have any more information about it, e.g., what synths were sampled, how many multisamples, total size of data in MB, what format the samples come in?

Hey aeon,

 

The documentation that comes with the CD isn't that detailed about where the original samples come from. It's 101MB and the multisamples range from 4 to 25 for the various sounds. Most of the samples are WAV, but there are some AIF (not sure why this is....).

 

Peter, I'm with aeon - I'm a tweaker when it comes to this stuff and I'd rather have the most basic, elemental sound so I have the most flexibility. I used to borrrow friend's JP8's and JP6's and sample the raw waves...good fun!

[dementia13]

I found some pure oscillator samples in Sound Font format at hammersound.com. It might be a little time-consuming, but you might turn up some nuggets if you do an internet search.

[aeon]

Robert:

 

Great post, and I now know that you know exactly what I am after!

 

Sound designers need to realize that sometimes people dont want things totally cooked...they need the reciple ingredients to come up with their own dishes.

 

For too long, the programmer among us who does his/her own programming (but does not have access to a wide range of synths) has gone ignored by the sample-makers.

 

I wonder if one will be bold enough to step forward and do it right...

 

bleen:

 

I must say, 101MB seems mighty slim given my experience with sampling, mapping, looping, etc. as it concerns analog synths. For that matter, it really makes the price on that CD seem spendy...I mean, I know most people would argue that you are paying for the programming, but since I am willing (and eager!) to do that, I want solid sample content.

 

dementia13:

 

no response from that URL...and in general, I know what you mean when you say that a net search should turn up some nuggets...it does...but I want a real smorgasbord, not just a snack.

[Salyphus]

Check these out:

 

http://www.hollowsun.com/

 

Not exactly what you're asking for but they are pretty cool and free

[Phait]

I don't really know what sample CD's do/don't exist but it'd be cool to hear a range of vocal choir ooh's and aahs'..

 

maybe some fingers digging around in a bowl of meat n' guts lol (anyone listened to Quake 1 soundtrack )

 

BTW Aeon - who is/where is you avatar from?

[aeon]

Salieri:

 

thanks...I am checking it out now...

 

Phait:

 

you can get all manner of oohs and aahs with the Symphony of Voices CD set, but they are not inexpensive. I have also read about a relatively new choir set called Voices of the Apocolypse.

 

as for my avatar, that is actress Thora Birch playing the role of Enid Coleslaw from the movie Ghost World.

[Mike Martin]

I must say, 101MB seems mighty slim given my experience with sampling, mapping, looping, etc. as it concerns analog synths. For that matter, it really makes the price on that CD seem spendy...I mean, I know most people would argue that you are paying for the programming, but since I am willing (and eager!) to do that, I want solid sample content.

Every sound designer samples and programs in a different manner, but for raw analog waveforms 101MB seems like a TON of data. You don't need to do long loops of any kind especially for the more basic waveforms (if done well enough, they can be single cycle loops).

[aeon]

Mike Martin said:

You don't need to do long loops of any kind especially for the more basic waveforms (if done well enough, they can be single cycle loops).

Logically, this seems correct, and indeed, you can get a tone from doing it this way.

 

That said, there can be a great difference in sound between sampling a single cycle of a MiniMoog® ramp and sampling a long snippet of it when it comes time to build the end sounds based on that ramp...the instabilities (read character) of the VCOs do come through IMHO.

[Mike Martin]

Absolutely, and in that case I'd wait a half sec or so before I did a loop on that kind of sample for that reason!

[Salyphus]

Originally posted by aeon:

as for my avatar, that is actress Thora Birch playing the role of Enid Coleslaw from the movie Ghost World.

I notice the link is broken. That's because AT&T switched to Comcast. Try this link instead:

 

http://home.comcast.net/~ianlamb/enid.jpg

[aeon]

thanks for the note, Salieri, I guess they stopped auto-forwarding...

 

funny enough, I can still ftp into the old attbi webspace...

[aeon]

bleen:

 

I had a chance to check out the Emagic Xtreme Analog CD...quite well-done overall, but in general, it sounds more virtual analog than analog, if you know what I mean...the demos in particular sound kinda JP8Kish...that said, I may order it.

 

dementia13:

 

thanks for that hollowsun link...they do have a few nice samples there...but I found a couple of things that were odd...some of the samplesets have files with different pitch names, but the samples are the same pitch, even though they are different recordings...the other thing being that some of the looped samples have bad, clicking loops...which I found strange given they make use of Antares Infinity, and moreso given they were easy-to-loop sounds...

 

but thanks for the link...I am massaging their data now.

[RABid]

Originally posted by aeon:

...., there can be a great difference in sound between sampling a single cycle of a MiniMoog® ramp and sampling a long snippet of it when it comes time to build the end sounds based on that ramp...the instabilities (read character) of the VCOs do come through IMHO.

Which really comes into play when you have different cycles on each note of a chord. This can bring that chord closer to the life and animation it has on an analog polyphonic synth. That is the reason for the request for a complete cycle sampled at every minor third.

 

Robert