The STS range of samplers - velocity zones

caleb · Post by **caleb** » Thu Feb 21, 2002 11:21 pm

Hi all,

I have a question about the STS samplers for Pulsar. I'm using the STS3000 at the moment and find it very good for a lot of things...of course.

However, it seems that there is only the possibility to have a maximum of 4 mono velocity zones. This actually causes a problem when you import an SF2 sample with many velocity zones.

Now the STS5000 looks amazing and perhaps I could be tempted later on to buy it because it has much functionality that I could use that I would need several tools to do ordinarily. However, does it up the ante with the velocity zones provided?? Because if not it seems like it's a bit overpriced.

Can anyone help me on this?

caleb · Post by **caleb** » Thu Feb 21, 2002 11:38 pm

Oh actually. Just downloaded the manual from Creamware. Seems like it still only has 4 mono velocity zones.

That's a real pity. I'm sure at that price it could provide a bit more than that, especially considering that if you want to keep the samples stereo you have to take up two zones.

2 velocity layers for stereo samples.

This would have to make SF2 import a pretty bold claim I would imagine.

I've got a VSTi sampler that will support many more velocity layers so I will just continue to use that for such instruments. *sigh*.

eliam · Post by **eliam** » Fri Feb 22, 2002 9:30 am

The only way to get around this limitation is to separate the different velocities between separate programs. It takes more instrument space, but it works as well...

caleb · Post by **caleb** » Fri Feb 22, 2002 8:37 pm

Hey thanks.

I'll have to try that out.
It's not the most ideal solution, but I really only need that complexity of layering before converting to audio so this might actually work.

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Fri Feb 22, 2002 9:33 pm

The S3000 has only got 4 velo layers too. There tried to make an exact copy rather than a new machine, I think. Also modultaions etc. are exactly the same as on my S5000.

Be happy, as the Pulsar devices recognises +/- 120 CC# as contoller, the real (hardware) thing about 1. That really pisses me off, cos I have no means of (sequence-)controlling, I can only use the front of the sampler to tweak it.

OT: We managed to make sys-ex remote control codes for the active program (the one in the S5000 GUI). I cannot find any way to select another Program to control! If someone here could help me with that, I have LFO's and ADSR's in my codes already. Just wanna know how to edit another Program than the active one...

Desperately SysEx'ing Atomic.

David · Post by **David** » Sun Feb 24, 2002 11:13 am

Does Volkzsampler suffer the same problems?

eliam · Post by **eliam** » Sun Feb 24, 2002 1:23 pm

Volkszampler is the exact same sampler than the STS3000 but in a VST format. The actual demo version don't have all the fuctions operating though, but with the new OS release we will all have the full version.

Jez · Post by **Jez** » Mon Feb 25, 2002 4:42 am

Surely, rather than create a new program, you just create a new keygroup within the same program with the required velocity settings. Then, if you need to adjust envelope or filter settings, make sure you have 'edit all' selected. A have loads of programmes with up to ten velocity settings, all making use of multiple keygroups with the same key range but different velocity settings.

Hope this helps

David · Post by **David** » Mon Feb 25, 2002 10:29 am

Cool Idea !

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Mon Feb 25, 2002 3:14 pm

the 4 mono / 2 stereo sample limit of the keygroup is actually in the definition of the Akai S1000 format. Obviously this is implemented to avoid compatibility problems. After viewing an Akai CD with very sophisticated velocity splitting I found it much easier to handle than the method used in soundfonts.

caleb · Post by **caleb** » Mon Feb 25, 2002 4:37 pm

Wow! Fantastic idea about the keygroups. I didn't realise that would work for some totally bizarre reason. In fact it should have been obvious when left and right mono can be done this way in separate keygroups.

Isn't it terrible when you miss something as obvious as that. DOH!

Suddenly the STS5000 seems like an amazing purhase.

It would be wonderful if the sf2 import function successfully split layers like this though. At the moment they do import all the velocity layers as separate keygroups, but they don't imort the velocity layering settings. I can do it manually, but it would be nicer if it was done automatically.

I take it you can't actually use velocity cross-fading across different keygroups, but I guess that's not as important as having the layering in the first place.

dblbass · Post by **dblbass** » Mon Feb 25, 2002 6:27 pm

Getting soundfont multiple velocity triggers to map into STS overlapping keygroups is a great idea.

I am not a Chickensys Translator user (yet!) but someone who is registered with them might want to send them an email and suggest they implement this in a future version. Perhaps the best way would be a tickbox in a diaogue selected whether user wants overlapping keygroups (with non-overlapping velocity triggers) or not when translating.

I now use CDXtract which works okay, but frustrates me as its a little inflexible and very opaque regarding how various parameters get mapped in a format translation.