[sdiy] Anyone ever build a sampler?

[Scott Gravenhorst]

When deciding on DIY projects, I look at a sort of price
to performance ratio.  But 'price' is not necessarily
measured in currency.  Rather, I have very limited amounts
of free time for this.  I will choose the project that
for the least time and effort will yield the greatest
expansion of my musical tools.  This is a principle which
I learned from members of this very list.  Much, then, 
depends upon how much use I might get out of a given thing.  
But certainly if the price of the components is not 
significantly less than an assembled commercial unit, there 
would have to be a very special feature I build in that is 
not available commercially.

For me, a sampler is not impossible, but it's complexity
is such that I would probably opt for other projects in
the same detail range.  Eg, I would rather build an ASM1 
than a sampler.  I've gotten by with the software that came 
with my AWE-64 as a sampler, but I can't think of too many
features I could add to a hardware sampler that I would die
for.  Having an additional synth, modular no less, would be
of far more use to me than a sampler.

Another issue for me would be the quality.  I can say with
confidence that many of the basic problems I would encounter
by building a sampler have already been solved by the engineers
of a commercial unit.  Noise floor, power supply issues, etc.
These elementary issues need to be solved before any special
feature I add would be useful.  A noisy sampler with all sorts
of special features might as well be a cracked coffee mug.  I
can confidently say that I would not be able to put together
a DIY sampler that would outperform even this device that many
decry as 'crap'.

Related to a sampler might be a wavetable synth.  This would be 
something I might attempt (I have, actually).

All just my opinion on this...

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-- Scott Gravenhorst | LegoManiac / Lego Trains / RIS 1.5
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