Best all purpose VI to use w/DP

[zandurian]

I've got Piano and drums, just need a program for everything else. Don't know whether to go W/mach5 or something else. Suggestions?
- byron

[Frodo]

Your needs are unique-- there's really no one size fits all. However, here are some things to consider:

1. A universal sampler will allow access to a great variety of libraries with virtually limitless expandability.

2. Rompler workstations like VI One, Colossus, or SampleTank offer a great deal of variety, but are a little more self contained. The upside is that someone took the time to design the interface to work more easily with the sounds, whereas a sampler's knobs have to be more fully understood to get the most out of each third-party library loaded into it.

For example, if you are working with string samples, the chances are slim or at least rare that you would add LFO or wave modulation-- so knowing what knobs to avoid in MachFive or Kontakt is important. But if you're working with an analog synth emu or a ton of sound effects, the parameters to be used regularly with these will be quite different.

If you want to get to work fast with good turnkey sounds at your fingertips ready to go, I'd say get a good all-purpose rompler. Very generally speaking, this would be a composer's choice.

If you want to do more custom editing with a nearly limitless choice of sound libraries go with MachFive or Kontakt. This would be closer to an engineer's choice for the sake of greater flexibility.

[Dwetmaster]

There is also the type of music you are doing. It will affect greatly what you are looking for.
Propellerhead Reason is great for electronic stuff and probably a reallly good bang for the buck. Unfortunately it is not as flexible as a dedicated sampler like Mach Five as far as sample editing.

You have to know if you're only looking for sounds to play with or if you want an environment to do your sound/patch designing.

[zandurian]

Thanks for the input. I do all styles, so I guess my question is what you guys have found to be all around best for electronic and natural. I've basically used d-50, dw-8000 and dx-7 along with hardware samplers and am looking to do everything itb instead. I hate to spend time tweeking anymore, but I think tweekitis is incurable so, customizing is important.
I observed the long wait for the new mach5 and wondered how it is stacking up against sample tank and kontact.
- byron

[James Steele]

I've got Piano and drums, just need a program for everything else. Don't know whether to go W/mach5 or something else. Suggestions?
- byron

Frankly there's a great deal going on PlugSound Pro for a while. Do a search on it and you'll find the thread. It's $99 plus $29 shipping and people speak highly of it.

[MegaDPuser]

I do all styles, so I guess my question is what you guys have found to be all around best for electronic and natural.

It's hard to see how you'd go wrong with Kontakt. The 33 gig library covers some of everthing. I am not a M5 user, so I can't compare them. Kontakt 3 is a pretty awesome tool. It not only gives you the huge library to get started, but being the industry standard it has become, it's easy to add sounds and libraries over time. Everything works with and in Kontakt. If you later decide you need a bass or horns or something, the odds are approaching 100 % that you'll find really cool Kontakt-based instruments for sale that take advantage of the Kontakt engine to maximum effect. Add to Kontakt one general-purpose VI synth like FM8 or Massive, and you are basically set for a long time in terms of making music.

[zandurian]

So, MachFive or Kontakt? I want to support MOTU, but need an honest opinion about the stability/usefulness from those who have used both. I've only got one shot at this since my health is failing somewhat, ie: not a lot of time to sort out problems, bugs etc. (I do realize there will always be *some* issues to deal with)

Thoughts? Comments?

- byron

[Shooshie]

I can't compare, so I can only tell you what MachFive does that I like:

••• Unlimited outputs. I like that.
••• Unlimited instruments. That's good, as long as you have the RAM
••• Streaming.
••• Quite a large number of effects that can be strung together with a large number of algorithms.
••• B3 organ setup complete with slider bars. That's fun.
••• Drag & drop sample editing. Couldn't be any easier. I've dealt with a lot of samplers, but this is the easiest I've seen as far as creating, editing, and working with samples.
••• probably the same Vienna library that comes with Kontakt. Just good enough to make you wish you had more.
••• handles almost any format. Reads them from disk.
••• you load your disks into disk images, so you don't need the disks to be physically present.
••• "rules" enable complex key switching and other things, but I haven't gotten too deep into that.
••• Learning curve flattens pretty quickly. I found myself looking too deep for most things. I kept expecting things to be more complicated than they were, and consequently I made it harder than it really was. MachFive2 is much easier than MachFive was, and probably gives you faster access to your libraries than any other sampler because of its simplicity.
••• you can save complex setups, and they will be there with a click.
••• full-page edit window
••• full-screen effects window that can be moved around separately from the base window. You could have one window on one monitor and the plugin window on the other. The separate window can be full-screen.
••• works stand-alone, which is the best way to create and edit setups.
••• loop editor
••• runs Apple loops, like Garageband, and other loop libraries

I'm sure there is much to criticize, too, but I've been pleased overall. I think Kontakt sounds like a very interesting program, and I wish I could get it, too, but like you, I can only afford the one.

Several instruments come with Kontakt Player, such as Akoustik Piano, which I have, but they yield no clue as to what Kontakt is like. Wish I could help more directly, but I only know about MachFive2.

Shooshie




Shooshie

[tim57var]

MachFive2 gets my vote. It's much simpler to use (at least initially) than Kontakt, is VERY stable, and comes with a nice library. You can also get the PlugSound expansions to play in it - from the sounds of it, you might like the Synth Anthology pak - lots of samples from DX-7, M1, D-50, and older analog synths as well. Good luck!

[frankymax]

I have both and I think they are both fine. I got Kontakt 3 in order to play my East West Gold Orch which would not play on an intel Mac and they offered a nice crossgrade offer along with the 32 gig library (which has some excellent sounds), but I do tend to use Mach 5 first as the interface seems easier to me (it could just be I've worked with Mach 5 longer!). They both offer good libraries but I'd say that initially the Kontakt library that comes with it is more useful to me than M5's - I don't even bother with the M5 8 Gig Piano- too huge and too much of a CPU hog. Also, they both seem to translate other sounds (Giga, Roland etc) pretty well. It will come down to a personal choice for you, I think.

[daniel.sneed]

Reason4 has a lot to offer IMHO : fine samplers, all kinds of powerfull synth, many tools.
Works very easily in DP thru Rewire.
A matter of taste, as usual.

[emulatorloo]

Zandurian -- I would take a look at PLUGSOUND PRO as James already mentioned.

Workstation style plug in w excellent sound library.

Usually 300.00 but on sale for Christmas for 129.00 delivered:

http://www.ultimatesoundbank.com/plugsoundpro.html

Audiodemos:

http://www.ultimatesoundbank.com/plugso ... =audiodemo

BTW UltimateSoundBank is the company who developed the engine that drives Mach5.

==

[Tonio]

Not to intrude, but has anyone compared Plugsound pro & Sampletank?

T

[emulatorloo]

Not to intrude, but has anyone compared Plugsound pro & Sampletank?

I would think IK Multimedia's Sonik Synth 2 would be more comparable to Plugsound Pro. Both designed to be no muss, no fuss, ready-to-go workstation type products.

In my mind Sampletank is more comparable to Mach5 etc. (that is, softsamplers).

As always, JMHO --

===
http://www.soniksynth.com/Main.html?prod_SS

SoundonSound review:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr05/a ... synth2.htm

---

[zed]

Zandurian -- I would take a look at PLUGSOUND PRO as James already mentioned... Usually 300.00 but on sale for Christmas for 129.00 delivered...

Wow. At that price, how could you go wrong? I already have SampleTank and SonikSynth (and they're both great), so I don't really need any more instrument choices... but I don't know if I can resist such an affordable way to add another 8GB of useful instruments to my collection... and with built in convolution reverb too.