STS 5000 or EXS24 mk II ?

Talk about the STS series of Creamware samplers.

Moderators: valis, garyb

Post Reply
RoonSmits
Posts: 113
Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2001 4:00 pm
Location: Netherlands
Contact:

Post by RoonSmits »

I was just wondering, if you're a Logic user, and wanted to buy a sampler, which one would you choose ?

Please motivate your choice, I'm thinking of buying one or the other.

Ronald
marcuspocus
Posts: 2310
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2001 4:00 pm
Location: Canada/France

Post by marcuspocus »

I'm almost sorry to say i would choose EXS24 MKII. But i think it depend on what you expect from a sampler. If only cw could put some work into the STS series...

STS5000 is almost unbeatable a 'creative sampling' by the way of it's 25 filters (they are pretty good, better than exs24).

1-exs support streaming, so you can load even super big giga lib like the borsendorfer @ 1.5gig

2-lots of modulation possibility, but there STS5000 is pretty good also.

3-integration into sequencer, yeah logic only, but that's what we're talking about hein?

4-All setting are save in the sequencer automatically, you never loose a setting

5-automation...

6-multiple ->stereo<- output
RoonSmits
Posts: 113
Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2001 4:00 pm
Location: Netherlands
Contact:

Post by RoonSmits »

Yes, Marcuspocus, that's what I mean, it sure ain't simple to decide what to buy.

I know I'll stick to Logic, wouldn't want to miss my Logic Control for the world.

And I know my 12DSP's will run out eventualy.
My P III 1,4Ghz is also heavily taxed by Waldorf Attack, ES1 and ES2.

So still no definitive pros which overrules the cons enough to decide.

Anyone owns both maybe ?

Thanks,
Ronald

If life was simple it wouldn't be so much fun.
siberiansun
Posts: 437
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2002 4:00 pm
Location: Sweden

Post by siberiansun »

well i think you just got an answer from someone who owns both...
RoonSmits
Posts: 113
Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2001 4:00 pm
Location: Netherlands
Contact:

Post by RoonSmits »

Yeah, yeah, I know.

:wink:

I just hoped that there are some others which may shed some light on this.

Ronald
P-IV 3,2Ghz pc/Pulsar II/Luna II+ADAT exp./breakout box/PowerSampler/Logic 5.5.1/Yamaha CS1x.
jupiter8
Posts: 448
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2001 4:00 pm
Location: Sweden lives in Norway

Post by jupiter8 »

Wiht that setup i'd go for the STS 5000!!!
Since you are already taxing your cpu heavily. That ES 2 can be quite heavy especially with unison on.

How much CPU do you have left for the EXS24?
Even though the EXS is amongst the lightest on CPU around.
With a 12 DSP setup you have plenty left for other things.

You can simply check marcus list and decide what is important to you.
1. This one i could'nt care less about.I don't do orcestral or "imitation" work.
2. Pretty even. How important is this to you?
3. Running a STS, setup correctly,together with Logic is pretty smooth.
4. This is slick of course but you'll save the SFP project anyways would'nt you?
5. The Logic 5 automation is really powerful (at last) but if you only automate volume and panning you can route the STS thru Logic (this is how i do it)
6. You have this in the STS as well although a bit :smile: more long winded in the STS.

But the biggest question is: can you stand running Logic with ,say, 95 % cpu load.
That is slooooowwwwwww.

Although i think the ESX24 is so far ahead of every other (yes, every other!) sampler i tried, handling wise and speedwise it still runs on CPU.


There you have it. A second opinion.
marcuspocus
Posts: 2310
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2001 4:00 pm
Location: Canada/France

Post by marcuspocus »

On 2003-06-11 12:36, jupiter8 wrote:
There you have it. A second opinion.
And a good one also :smile:


BTW, i still use STS5000 more often than Exs24
jupiter8
Posts: 448
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2001 4:00 pm
Location: Sweden lives in Norway

Post by jupiter8 »

"And a good one also "
I am pretty proud of that one. I sometimes suprise myself with short moments of almost divine insight. :smile:

Actually i do prefer the EXS 24 over the STS.
But with that setup i would go for the STS.
Working on a song with ,say 95 % COU load, makes want to go and do something funnier instead.
Like go to the dentist and have a rootcanal.
:smile:
Ein elektronisher musikant mit einem taschenrechner im der hand.

Was?

Kraftwerk, dumme.
User avatar
braincell
Posts: 5943
Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2001 4:00 pm
Location: Washington DC

Post by braincell »

The STS could be so much better but the GUI is horrible.
Herr Voigt
Posts: 624
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2002 4:00 pm
Location: germany, east

Post by Herr Voigt »

I like it. :smile:
marcuspocus
Posts: 2310
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2001 4:00 pm
Location: Canada/France

Post by marcuspocus »

Yeah, maybe the gui of sts could be enhanced, but it is still the gui i prefer amongst all others. Strange, someone hate it, the other love it... :smile:
kimgr
Posts: 621
Joined: Tue May 22, 2001 4:00 pm
Location: Easter Bronx, DK
Contact:

Post by kimgr »

I have used Akai samplers since the late 80'ies, starting with the S-900, so to me using the STS is like being a young hopefull lad again... :smile:

Kim.
eliam
Posts: 1093
Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2002 4:00 pm
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Contact:

Post by eliam »

As Marcus said it, it depends on what you want to do... Do you do extensive tweakings, modulation programming, remapping, etc? If so, then, I personally find that this is a piece of cake on the sts. I never figured it out on the exs, but maybe I just didn't dive into it intensely enough... Do you plan to load huge sample programs? If ram is a limitation factor, then the exs might be the way. Otherwise, I find my sts-3000 to be a well made, sturdy piece of software which I mainly use as a sampler, except if I need more polyphony, which doesn't happen too often, and even then there is the possibility of loading two instances of it. If it suits you, I'd suggest that you go for the sts-4000 because of the higher polyphony count.

I've tried most of the softsamplers out there, and my conclusion is: until one has proven to be reliable and is ofering desirable functionalities, I'd rather use something a little less sophisticated which will do flawlessly what it's supposed to...
RoonSmits
Posts: 113
Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2001 4:00 pm
Location: Netherlands
Contact:

Post by RoonSmits »

Hiya,

I think I made up my mind on this, I'll just stick to my STS3000 for a while longer.

Why ? I see the STS3000 kinda like a virtual Akai S2000, just a simple workhorse with it's own strength, strange bugs and oddities :wink:

Remind you that our current DSP based systems are sooooooooh more powerfull than any of the instruments used a few years back. I remember the days that I thought of a Korg DSS-1 as a very impressive machine, with it's 12bits and 256kb RAM memory, mindblowing! Do you realize how many great songs/classics were made with an Emulator III, S2000, S900 or similar ?

I'll just continue without STS5000 or EXS24 until I run out of creativity.

Thank you for your input,
Regards
Ronald
P-IV 3,2Ghz pc/Pulsar II/Luna II+ADAT exp./breakout box/PowerSampler/Logic 5.5.1/Yamaha CS1x.
SL1200MK4
Posts: 30
Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2002 4:00 pm

Post by SL1200MK4 »

I am happy to say this... but I had pick neither...

I am a Kontakt user, I love it. There are a bunch of other products out there of course. But I think Kontakt is easy to use, powerful, and sounds good. I rather use more process power of my CPU and let the DSP do some other stuff...

I think to a point, it's just a matter of what you like, and I think they are all pretty good at the basic task that they need to perform...
teejay
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun May 18, 2003 4:00 pm

Post by teejay »

if you think you'll ever need the 'elastic audio' features, then the sts5000 wins hands down. it's really cool to be able to play with vocal lines etc. and not have the usual ps artifacts annoying you.
that said, the interface on the exs IS better, and then there;s the disk streaming.
but, if you intend being creative, rather than just using the sampler as a sound module. the sts still wins (for my money anyway).
Regards,
TeeJay
User avatar
braincell
Posts: 5943
Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2001 4:00 pm
Location: Washington DC

Post by braincell »

The STS has good points but I wish CW would put a major effort into developing the software. I for one fail to see why it has to behave exactly like an Akai. The Akai is ancient technology. You would think CW could be more original. Four samples per keygroup? This is insane.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: braincell on 2003-11-01 10:07 ]</font>
RoonSmits
Posts: 113
Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2001 4:00 pm
Location: Netherlands
Contact:

Post by RoonSmits »

Hi,

It's been a while since the last post was done, but just to let you know the 50% discount offer was just too tempting, so I went for the STS5000.

Not realy difficult after reading this thread again, but this set me thinking and so I made up my mind (again)

thanks
Ronald
P-IV 3,2Ghz pc/Pulsar II/Luna II+ADAT exp./breakout box/PowerSampler/Logic 5.5.1/Yamaha CS1x.
Post Reply