EXS 24 Logic Sampler Users Group

sorenrv wrote:
> I have never had any luck in using the import sample options that are
> supposed to look at the sample files "key note" or whatever it's
> called.

Actually, it's all a matter of a) which preference you are using in the EXS
preferences and b) if there is some info embedded in the actual sample.
As you might know, wavefiles (and for that matter, AIFF and SD2 files too)
can contain certain "invisible" data, such as looppoints, copyright info and
also root keys. It seems to me that usually when you "create" a wavefile,
none of these is added. You will need a sampleeditor (well, maybe some
resource editor such as ResEdit would do that too) to add all that
additional info. It further seems to me (at least that's what I know from
WaveLab) that as soon as you add looppoint information some rootnote
information is added as well.

Now, in the EXS preferences you will find some options and actually they are
pretty much sufficient in handling such things.
Here's 3 little simple waveforms for you to demonstrate what the EXS will
do, actually they are all the same but contain different info:
http://www.saschafranck.de/exs/Sinewaves.zip (just 11kb)
- Sine_NoInfo.wav: As the name says, it contains no info at all. The EXS
will allways load it with C3 as the rootkey, regardless of which settings
you've choosen
- Sine_SomeInfo.wav: Contains loop and rootkey information. With any of the
"file" options choosen in the EXS preferences, it will automatically load
the file with the root key A0 (which is what is included in the file). With
"filename only" set in the preferences it will load it with C3 as the root
key.
- SineC2.wav: Actually this is a "fake name" as the file contains A0 rootkey
information. Now, when you set the EXS to either "filename/file" or
"filename only", the sample will automatically be mapped to C2 as its root
key, regardless of its fileinfo. When selecting "file/filename" or "filename
only" however, it will be mapped to A0 as a rootkey, regardless of its name

Now, when dealing with drumsamples and automappings, it's at least
questionable if any of the preferences will help you. Most drumsamples
simply don't contain any root info (ones you got from an audio CD can't even
contain any info at all) and well, usually it's not that much more efficient
if you had to rename the file to make use of the EXS's "filename" options,
especially as almost allways you have to tweak the zones further in the EXS
anyways.
IMO the EXS really needs some more or less huge improvements in this area.
Actually if it's supposed to compete with the others, the editor would need
a completely new design. If you ever worked with HALion (which I also own)
you will know what drag and drop means when dealing with your own patches.
Oh well, and a MIDI learn feature would be kickass too. Unfortunately, apart
from the streaming option, there's no EXS improvement at all in LA5. Well,
you can define a MIDI command now to step up/down through your patches, not
bad but only a minor thing if you ask me.

Anyways, this is why I never use any of the automapping options unless I am
just dealing with a bunch of unsorted samples where I might not care on
which key they actually are. Apart from that it seems that the automapping
feature sometimes is doing stupid things. Just try with the samples
mentioned above and choose "Auto Map" when being asked. You will find
yourself ending up with erratic zones, the results somewhat differing,
depending on the preference you've yhoosen, but you allways will find two
zones which aren't mapped all over the range but are splitted at *some*
point. One time this is Bb1, another time it's F#2... maximum bugginess as
it makes no sense at all.

However, what I choose to load and map drumsamples is doing it the hard way,
read: manually. I'm allways setting up a single key zone first, then load a
sample, then set proper attributes (one shot), then copy  and finally move
the zone using the "Shift zones L/R incl. key" keycommands. Attention,
there's a bug in copying zones: Once you press Ctrl+C and Ctrl+C, the copied
zone will stay selected in the display below the keyboard, also your "shift"
KCs will work for that zone, but the zone info box will NOT be activated at
the same time, so to actually load a new sample you will have to deselect
and select it again before loading a new sample.
Oh yes... there's quite some bugs in the EXS editor...

Regards,
Sascha