EXS 24 Logic Sampler Users Group

Hi folks,

I just learned about a function which actually updates your file references
when copying audiofiles (I allways thought this was impossible and a major
EXS drawback).

First of, very often you might like to have some songbased EXS instruments,
this can be useful for backups, but even more, it will allow you to
destructively edit samples without altering the source ones.
Now let's assume you have a "basic" drumset, to be found in your generic
"Sampler Instruments" folder (subfolder of Logics program folder) - but, in
your current song the snare doesn't fit too well so you might wanna edit it
a bit, of course without loosing the original sample.
Here's what you can do:
>- Open it in the EXS editor.
>- Select "Instrument > Copy Audiofiles"
> 2 new subfolders will be created inside your songfolder, one named
>"sampler instruments", another one named as the source instrument,
>containing all the required samples.
>- Eventually you will have to do a "refresh" (4th entry in the EXS
>instrument pulldown, only appearing after you copied something), after that
>a new entry on top of the instrument list will appear, named as the loaded
>song. Your copied instrument will be in there.
>- You could now crosscheck by loading the instrument, editing it and editing
>one sample. After that (in your audio window) you will be able to see that
>the files refer to the songs subfolder.

>Now you can just edit the samples as much as you like.
>Unfortunately I still haven't found a way of automatically refreshing the
>EXS Ram content which would be necessary once I edit a file in an external
>SampleEditor. So far I think the only way is to close the EXS completely and
>reopen it.
>The above described tip is pretty much worth a lot for me anyways.

>Regards,
>Sascha

Sascha, 

I have just come back from the Music Live exhibition, which for non UK users
is a trade show which gave us our only chance to see Logic 5, and all the
new stuff.

I also picked up some useful info about EXS sample management - The most
important part is this:

In the EXS part of the key commands, there is a function which says
something like "Save instruments and sample with song"

What you do is this:  You have a folder named xyz and a song inside it named
exactly the same (xyz) and if you use this command, two folders are created
inside the song folder, one called sampler instruments and one called Akai
samples.

These then can be backed up with the song files - but the real bonus is
this:

When you reload the song - Provided the song is still in the same folder,
you don't need to move the Akai sampler folder or any shortcut or reference
to it - It is found automatically. This means that there is an easy way to
save instruments and samples with for each song!!!!!!

As far as the other stuff that we saw - It was very interesting to see the
new version - Automation looks great and will give protools a run for its
money.  The 3 new included synths look and sound really special.
There is an ES mono (monophonic synth) an ES poly and an ES ensemble.  They
all have that similar new look and they sound really fat.

The ES2 was..... WOW !!!! That's all i can say - it was flexible, easy to
use, with a host of features and sounded unbelievable.
Other things of note were the new Multiband compressor and particularly the
EVOC.   I hadn't realised that this would be split into 3 different plug
ins.

First you get an audio plug in, which goes on any audio track - and sounds
fabulous and was really flexible - Much better than the orange vocoder.
Second you get a version to put on an audio instrument, which is side
chained to the audio, and allows you to play the notes you want via midi.
The sounds can also be FM based which worked really well.
Thirdly, you get 20 band filter banks - Which can morph between two
different settings and sounded really warm.

The last point of note is a little OT - I was given a demonstration of
Melodyne by Paul Whiffen, who writes apple notes for Sound on Sound.

It was incredible, but I couldn't hear much because of everything around us,
so they have agreed to come up to our studio and give us a private demo in
the next couple of weeks.
When we have had it, I will report back with particular reference to its
integration with logic.

All for now

David Tobin