Comments on: Sampler Wars. Software VS Hardware.

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 28 May 2009 19:34:31 +0000

I definitely agree; I got my e6400 about 4 months ago and I love the sound it puts out. I know a while ago you said you were getting a futureretro xs, if you did could you do a review for it?

By: AlexVI

AlexVI — Thu, 28 May 2009 19:21:53 +0000

On a more fetishist note, I think the hardware experience of creating music is a way more interesting, independently of the sound quality polemic. It’s a lot harder to program hardware, sometimes also very frustrating but at the end, when the results achieve your initial expectations, you feel kinda high, rewarded. The global groove of the mix is also imperfect, like the human being, something very important with music.

By: gunknife99

gunknife99 — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:04:05 +0000

hey it’s me gunknife99 ex housetoy. I like making music and got the acoustic guitar now. Yeah I had a godless life and have recently found strength in eternal faith in God and maybe Jesus. Anyways I have a girlfriend now and basically utilize the usefulness of the internet. I basically want to sell mp3 players for 20 dollars a piece and buy them for 10 dollars off Ebay. Maybe do all kinds of work. Well gotta blaze a doobie now. I’m going sampleless pretty much soon, and keeping it to live instruments and deconsructed sin by NIN. And found his music has nothing but hooks. And one last thing for this post. Do a review on the last three live years of Nine Inch Nails off YouTube. Check out Nine Inch Nails Sin Live KROQ 2005.
Badass

By: Hexfix93

Hexfix93 — Thu, 28 May 2009 08:05:05 +0000

Software is easier to use, but what is the point when everything you put into sounds like SHIT!

By: Hexfix93

Hexfix93 — Thu, 28 May 2009 07:58:43 +0000

I have not used samplers for years, because everytime i load kotakt or halion or exs and put my akai stuff in them, they sound so lame next to my hardware, and dont fit in the mix well, when i bought my s770 it sits in my mix and sounds good next to my hardware, software never does. never from my experience.

By: Hexfix93

Hexfix93 — Thu, 28 May 2009 07:57:18 +0000

Software is garbage. They alias bad, the filters are horrid, they dont sound as punchy, or in your face or full. even with layering. Sorry, i did the shoot outs myself recently and stand by what i say on the sound quality.

we can disagree, but i did side by side tests. I know what i prefer, weather you do the tests or believe me or not, well thats up to you.

By: James

James — Thu, 28 May 2009 07:45:31 +0000

I think that hardware provides a tactile means of producing a full “live” and “lively” sound…and playing an instrument is an experience that dragging a dial with a mouse just doesn’t compare with.

But I think that software, rather than being used as a substitute, can layer up really well with and complement hardware. Some people like starting with that “dead, flat” sound and layering it up. The modulation capablities and cost of software are impressive, but very rarely do they put out as much pleasurable frequency as hardware.

I think both have their place… there’s something about the breadth of the Kontakt libraries that is appealing and people who sing the praises of plugins like Gareth Jones or Yello have the experience with hardware to make the most of it, but there’s also something “deeper” sounding about a sample passing through a quality conversion stage or through a lovely SSL EQ or being summed as part of a great software mix through a tube console that I don’t want software to emulate.

Some older samplers have wonderful filters and sequencers in them, and the limitations on their sampling time and the interfaces force you to be inventive. But I would never say no to both…

Perhaps plugin makers should focus more on unusual, modern functionality and modulation capabilities while hardware manufacturers should focus on “deepening” the sound of our mixes and providing us with exciting physical terrain to be creative with.

By: KryonikMessiah23

KryonikMessiah23 — Fri, 22 May 2009 23:21:26 +0000

Nice to see you speak some more truth on this shit.
To anyone reading, you can get the killer sampler bryan’s talking about for like……..200$ on ebay.

ScSi zip drives are REALLY easy to get cheap as well.

And you won’t be in the hole much. Only maybe 50-100$ more than kontakt for a much better sound. I have an Eventide and an EMU Emulator myself, and those are way more expensive than what you can get an old, GOOD sampler for.