Chromatic sampler?

#1

I'm thinking of buying an axoloti for a specific thing I have in mind. Basically I want to be able to play samples chromatically with midi, i.e. a single sample is loaded across an entire keyboard at the corresponding pitches of the keys. Ultimately I want to use midi guitar to trigger them, in the same way the british band Disco Inferno did in the 90's. From what I understand, they used now discontinued rack samplers with floppy discs. For some reason I can't seem to find any modern samplers with this function. I already have an sp404 for example.

Does this sound plausible? I can't find any existing patches that do this. Hope this makes sense!

#2

sure its possible... playing a (single) sample back at different midi notes, is just a matter of changing the speed you play back the sample.

however, the reason this is not commonly done these days, is over a single sample over a large frequency range often doesn't sound great... which is why multi samples over the split/velocity are used. this can also be done with Axoloti (with patching) but you need to be careful of sample size/ram usage.

there are lots of samplers still available, that can be triggered from midi.
so I can't quite see what your saying is not possible with these - perhaps you need to explain a bit more precisely what cannot be done by these, to determine if Axoloti can do it (likely) and how much patching is necessary(!)

cost (only) is not a great reason (in my experience) - as you'll soon gain an understanding of complexities the other solutions provide...* this does not mean Axoloti cannot do it (and is obviously cheaper) but it means to do the same you have to spend time implementing these things OR trimming down your requirements / expectations.

put another way, it takes 5 minutes to do a simple chromatic polyphonic sampler in Axoloti ( once you know what your doing), but implementing a Volca sample could take you 6 months.

but here is the 'rub', why would you implement a volca sample on Axoloti, when you can implement something unique, something new, something that is tailored to your requirements?
this imho, is where Axoloti shines... a volca sample is what it is, what korg want it to be, unchanging... Axoloti can mutate to what you need... where you want to take it.

(* of course, if you have lots of time, and no cash... then its a great learning experience... but many underestimate the effort, and this can lead to disappointment)

#3

Dear @jimmymuscles

I certainly agree with Technobear that any sampler, hard or software, is (still) able to do what you want. So I would advice you to get a better insight into general sampler terminology (sampling, layering, splitpoints, the use of keybaord zone's, etc.) and then have a look at what is already out there, since there hardly is a need for you to go to an Axoloti if you are only interested in such a basic fascility.

Not that Axoloti isn't GREAT but if you still have to learn about basic synthesis and sampling terminology and the principles behind it AND at the same time must learn to program the Axoloti you are in for a very steep learning curve.

#4

Thanks for the reply. Most samplers can be triggered via midi yes, but I've not seen many at all that can map them over a keyboard at the corresponding speeds/pitches, except the old rack samplers. The sp404 can be used with midi for example, but only to play the separate samples on different keys, which I suppose I could utilize if I were to pitch the sample myself over many different pads. To be honest though i'm kind of interested in making use of the bizarre sounds and artifacts created by the samples being stretched over a large frequency range.

I'm not looking to create a fully functioning sampler like the volca sample (which I should add also cannot be used as a chromatic sampler out of the box), and I am aware that this would be a daunting task. My end goal is to use this in a live setting with midi guitar, which for me excludes software samplers, because i'd rather not use a laptop. I want to keep this as simple as possible really.

#5

I'm really not sure this is the case. Unless my research has been terribly bad, there are few, if any, modern samplers that will can play a single sample chromatically via midi. As technobear states, the reason for this is that sound quality is usually sacrificed - in my case I don't mind this. I emphasize that I don't just mean triggering samples with a midi keyboard. As I stated in the OP, I already own probably one of the most widely used hardware samplers alongside MPC's, and this is something that it cannot do. The volca sampler also cannot do this without additional hardware.

The axloti is still something i'll probably buy just to experiment with, even if chromatic sampling is a misguided reason to buy one.

#6

You should look for a korg microsampler, it's super easy to use, instant sampling, switch to keyboard mode to play sample chromatically, hold notes in both modes. drone heaven, resample, rinse, repeat. it's not perfect, it has it's flaws (only a few) but very fun to use, I bring it to every session. it's fantastic and battery powered, a portable mellotron. Anywho, you should also get the Axo it's the most fun device per dollar ever. the factotum looper module alone is worth the price of admission.

#7

yeah the microsampler is something I was considering, I've heard it's a seriously underrated piece of equipment, and it does look a lot of fun

#8

So if I understand correctly key regions can nowadays not be set anymore, because everybody assumes that enough memory means every single key will at least have one individual sample allocated to it? That is way stupid. It actually confirms that creative sampling is as good as dead and only imitative sampling rules.

There is some hope though. I think granular sampling is the way to go. Assuming one can choose long enough grains with single looped repeats such a device already works as the basic sampler you are talking about. A good granulator will thus be sort of backward compatible. You can use it that basiclay or go all the way

I've said it elsewhere in these hallowed halls: Only full re-synthesis can beat it and thus I am, after getting the basics out of the way, just about to jump into the subject on the Axoloti myself.

#9

except, I don't think this is true...

Im not really into sampling per se ... so following may be inaccurate but,

  • Im sure my Spectralis supports this
  • my Organelle can do it
  • Elektron Octatrack? Rythm?
  • Any number of DAWs/VSTs e.g. Simpler in Ableton

Id have thought there would also be some of the cheaper samplers that do it... just because its easy/cheap.. does the Electribe not do stretching?

ok, last one is a cheat, as I think OP wants hardware... but certainly if means 'creative sampling' is far from dead.

#10

OK, the "creative sampling is dead" bit is of course a bit of hyperbole (Hyperbole? Moi?) but the general point still remains the same: Any sampler, soft or hardware, worth it's money should be able to allocate a single sample to more then one key at a time!

Back to you @jimmymuscles !

#11

I think the microkorg is probably one of the cheapest samplers available that can do it. I also found out after making this thread that the volca sample can do it if it's used with a special midi cable called RK-002. The reason I wanted to try out the axoloti was because i don't really want a whole new sampler when I already have the sp404; i'd prefer it just to do this one task, so that I can use it in my guitar set-up. I'm not sure whether there would be issues with basic controls - for example, switching through samples - when the guitar is the sole controller. That would be where a proper sampler would be more useful, I suppose.

#12

I am total at @jimmymuscles, i have the same question if this cromatic kind of sampler is possible. i love the effect of up and downpitsh. i like gear like the microgranny from bastl instruments and so on. i want to buy an axoloti to built a sampler, that can record a sound an dirketly pitch it over the whole keylbard so that you can instantly play this sound. and i want to play with additional features that i cannot implement on a microsampler. another reason is that it is hard to get a microsampler because the production is discontinued.