EXS 24 Logic Sampler Users Group

> Yeah well, the main problem probably being that "patch + separate samples"
> formats can be converted all too easily.
Too right ;-)
 
> And while I do understand this from a sample developers point of view, it's
> just another example of copy protection getting in the
> way of the user.
Unfortunately yes. Sadly, the 'magpie' attitude of many people has forced
developers to seek ways to protect the time, effort and money they invest in
their products. Just before I split with Akai, I proposed a copy protection
method that protected the WAVs in their sound library so that they could
only be used in a Z-series or MPC4000 sampler in order to prevent the
library they spend good $$$ on migrating to competing s/w samplers. This was
done but what became of it is anyone's guess as Numark stepped in shortly
afterwards - I don't think it was actually implemented (and, of course, it
looks like the Z-series was discontinued).

I am sure I don't have to preach here where the attitude towards piracy and
related practices is very healthy (as opposed to other forums I frequent!)
but developing sound library is quite a mammoth task (and largely a labour
of love in many cases). Venues have to be booked to record the samples,
equipment needs to be bought/hired, musicians, recording engineers have to
paid as do the programmers who then spend (literally) months staring into
screens painstakingly editing and looping (often) thousands of samples and
then, of course, mapping them out and programming the actual patches. Then
artwork needs to be done plus production/duplicating, advertising,
marketing, etc.. None of this comes cheap and it's not difficult to sink
tens of thousands of $$$ into a soundware product development! That
investment needs protection and the 'monolith' is a good way to achieve that
as it makes life more difficult to rip the sounds off (although I guess it's
not impossible in the hands of a determined hacker).

> I expect quite fewer sample libraries to be released in EXS format in the
> future because of that as well.
NI seem to have cornered the 'bundled player' market with soundware
developers. 

> Which is a shame, as it's still the most efficient playback machine.
I wonder if Apple could somehow be persuaded to make an EXS 'player'?!

I can't imagine it would be rocket science - keep the underlying engine but
offer a simplified UI (and, of course a monolithic sample structure).
Developers could then offer 'EXS Lite' as a way to present their product to
Logic users.

And maybe it would be prudent for them to use Chicken Systems' Multi-Format
Installer so that they could supply Kompakt AND 'EXS Lite' on one CD/DVD and
let the user decide which one to install depending on their preferred choice
of DAW/OS platform. Of course, given NI's stranglehold on the 'bundled
player' concept, I suspect this latter idea might depend on Apple/Emagic
adopting NI's 'monolith' standard/format so that both players could share a
common 'monolith' in much the same way as the MFIs share a common 'WAV pool'
on my CDs.

Just a thought.


Best regards,


Steve
http://www.hollowsun.com