EXS 24 Logic Sampler Users Group

Hi all,

I have like so many others downloaded some of the AKAI Samples from 
their server and the EXS files from James (thanks a lot!). I still 
think that these Samples are o.k. to use, because they had posted 
them freely themselves, but may be someone can find out more.(?)
I have a different question related to them. Haven't done so much 
sampling myself, it's nice to have some examples to look at to learn 
to do it right. I find quite some instruments from these samples that 
have some quirks, and I was wondering whether that's related to the 
original AKAI files, or whether it's a problem with CDXtract (in view 
of the fact that I consider the purchase), or even a PC/Mac problem 
(I'm on a Mac).

Here are examples of what I find:

1) Looking at the acoustic guitar which uses the samples "XX MARTIN 
CS.WAV" I find that the lowest notes don't have the right tune. The 
sample used for that is called "E0 MARTIN CS.WAV" and the keynote in 
the EXS, which is also written in the file, is G1 (43). The next zone 
is "A0 MARTIN CS.WAV", which uses C2(48) as keynote, and so on. Most 
zones are detuned, so that they sound about right. However, "E0 
MARTIN CS.WAV" does not contain an E0 but an A0 (55Hz).

2) The HIFI-CORNET is of very high pitch. The samples all have a 
keynote which is an octave low relative to the file name, like G1 for 
"CORNET_G2.WAV", and contain a tone which is again an octave higher 
(G3). In addition to the gross tuning they also seem to be slightly 
out of tune.

There are a lot of instruments which sound fine, but some with 
obvious problems like the two above. Do others find the same? Does 
CDXtract screw this up? Has somebody tried these sounds on an 
original AKAI Sampler?
Is there a reason why one would want to set the keynote incorrectly 
and then change the tuning to compensate?

Thanks for any information.

Best regards, Thomas

> 
> There are a lot of instruments which sound fine, but some with 
> obvious problems like the two above. Do others find the same? Does 
> CDXtract screw this up? Has somebody tried these sounds on an 
> original AKAI Sampler?
> Is there a reason why one would want to set the keynote 
incorrectly 
> and then change the tuning to compensate?
> 
> Thanks for any information.
> 


I havn't got a S5000 to try the progreams in but there are certainly 
a lot of problems loading them into the EXS - I bought CDXtract to 
do the conversions.  It gets it mostly right and I have emailed them 
about the problems I have found.  

So now I'm spending quite a bit of time checking and correcting ALL 
the instruments.  I think the time and effort required will be time 
well spent because it's a damn fine sample library to have 'on call' 
(and I've got to do _SOMETHING_ while waiting for 5.0!)

Gordon

> 2) The HIFI-CORNET is of very high pitch. The samples all have a 
> keynote which is an octave low relative to the file name, like G1 
for 
> "CORNET_G2.WAV", and contain a tone which is again an octave higher 
> (G3). In addition to the gross tuning they also seem to be slightly 
> out of tune.

Some of this is quite easily explained: the S5000 is for some reaon 
or another an octave off in comparison to for instance logic (and 
pretty much anything else I know of). Ie, a C4 in logic is called a 
C3 on the S5000. This is probably the reason you experience this 
confusion with samples programmed to be used on the S5000.

regards

monsdrum

At 09:27 AM 2/17/02 +0100, you wrote:

>I have like so many others downloaded some of the AKAI Samples from
>their server and the EXS files from James (thanks a lot!). I still
>think that these Samples are o.k. to use, because they had posted
>them freely themselves, but may be someone can find out more.(?)
>I have a different question related to them. Haven't done so much
>sampling myself, it's nice to have some examples to look at to learn
>to do it right. I find quite some instruments from these samples that
>have some quirks, and I was wondering whether that's related to the
>original AKAI files, or whether it's a problem with CDXtract (in view
>of the fact that I consider the purchase), or even a PC/Mac problem
>(I'm on a Mac).
>Here are examples of what I find:
>1) Looking at the acoustic guitar which uses the samples "XX MARTIN
>CS.WAV" I find that the lowest notes don't have the right tune. The
>sample used for that is called "E0 MARTIN CS.WAV" and the keynote in
>the EXS, which is also written in the file, is G1 (43). The next zone
>is "A0 MARTIN CS.WAV", which uses C2(48) as keynote, and so on. Most
>zones are detuned, so that they sound about right. However, "E0
>MARTIN CS.WAV" does not contain an E0 but an A0 (55Hz).
>2) The HIFI-CORNET is of very high pitch. The samples all have a
>keynote which is an octave low relative to the file name, like G1 for
>"CORNET_G2.WAV", and contain a tone which is again an octave higher
>(G3). In addition to the gross tuning they also seem to be slightly
>out of tune.
>There are a lot of instruments which sound fine, but some with
>obvious problems like the two above. Do others find the same? Does
>CDXtract screw this up? Has somebody tried these sounds on an
>original AKAI Sampler?
>Is there a reason why one would want to set the keynote incorrectly
>and then change the tuning to compensate?

Akai's have many, many tuning parameters to deal with, and I do know that 
my company's product, Translator, deals with them very precisely. We just 
got done with another round of about 75 or so CD's and not a flaw in the 
process. Of course that's S-1000 and s-3000, but we use the same code 
dealing with the S-5000 as well, so it would apply there as well.

I would challenge anyone at this point to use Translator and see if they 
ever would have a tuning problem at all.


Garth Hjelte
Sampler User

I would challenge anyone at this point to use Translator and see 
if they 
 ever would have a tuning problem at all.

 Garth Hjelte
 Sampler User



I would gladly do this, if Translator was available for my Mac, but 
not yet.....

david tobin

At 05:30 PM 2/18/02 +0000, you wrote:

>>I would challenge anyone at this point to use Translator and see
>>if they ever would have a tuning problem at all.
>I would gladly do this, if Translator was available for my Mac, but
>not yet.....

Go to your library and try it out. Translator has been approved by most 
public library systems.

Just kidding, of course. =)

Garth Hjelte
Sampler User