Using Sampletank 3

[braj]

I had the hardest time figuring out the SampleTank groove workflow because my ST3 had 'latch audio loops' enabled in the preferences. I was looking for this setting on the regular UI because it seems like something that should be changed there, my brain just couldn't figure to look for the setting in Settings. (it isn't exactly hard to find). So, I was frustrated trying to use grooves in ST3 and thought it was just a badly designed feature.

Yesterday someone pointed out the setting (thank you) and now I'm finding ST3 groove libraries a joy to use. Anyhow, this was all being discussed in the Marketplace forum, but someone just rightly pointed out that it wasn't exactly fair to other Marketplace users to have the thread bumped while we converse, so I'm just trying to move the conversation over here.

BTW the group buy has 8 more days to sell 109 more to get us to 5 free libraries Just in case you weren't aware.

[braj]

I don't have "The Grid" soundset either. The kits above use the 808 and Metal Kits from the default ST3 install. They are designed to be played with midi controller drum pads programmed to match the (rather odd) default note assignments of ST3's Grid which can't be changed. You can change the note the pad sends but not the note it receives. They are hardwired to match the notes IK's iRig Pads hardware unit sends......

Ah ok, got it. I can understand why they would make the default their own unit, but it sure would be nicer for the user to have the ability to change that.

[braj]

Getting knobs mapped with ST3 in Studio One requires tedious hoops to be jumped through, I wish they would change that.

You have to assign the control in ST3 to a CC, so you you have to set up CC #s for all the controls you want to use. Then you map the controller to the CC parameter in S1, not the control directly. Amplitube's solution of making a selected control visible to controllers is much better, and it is odd that the same company doesn't have consistent behavior for this across their products.

[Teksonik]

Are you talking about the Macro Knobs on ST's interface ?

There are several things that make me go WTF ? when using ST3..........

[braj]

Are you talking about the Macro Knobs on ST's interface ?

There are several things that make me go WTF ? when using ST3..........

Well, those too, but they are easy to assign to controllers at least, I'm talking about nearly every other control. Most other plugins I own I can get a knob assigned in 1 second in Studio One, ST3 takes a couple minutes. That is a big problem. I usually have a little Akai pad sitting on my desk and on the fly assign knobs for things while I'm working, it just takes ST3 out of the game with that.

[braj]

Don't get me wrong though, I am loving this plugin, just some things definitely require a 'WTF?'

[Teksonik]

Yes I agree I like Sampletank 3 it's just some things make you say "what were they thinking" or "were they thinking".....

[braj]

I would like to know if they are listening. I know Peter is, but do our words get to the right ears?

[VitaminD]

I strongly doubt it.. Peter doesn't even handle tickets for people.. he refers them to customer support and to their forum for product suggestions. And I doubt IKM outside of Peter really visit this site.

They probably do listen to those who post on their own forum though.. IKM as a whole seems to have morphed over time by customer input..

[DarkStar]

Yes, it is best to post on the IK Multimedia SampleTank forum AND send in your FR / BR to Support.

Also Peter has asked on the forum for some ticket numbers, so that he can chase them up. But you can always bump the ticket yourself, by adding a new reply.

[braj]

Yes, it is best to post on the IK Multimedia SampleTank forum AND send in your FR / BR to Support.

Also Peter has asked on the forum for some ticket numbers, so that he can chase them up. But you can always bump the ticket yourself, by adding a new reply.

I've made a couple tickets, I never heard back but I'm ok with that, I don't think I will raise any issue they aren't aware of already. And all things considered I'm overjoyed with ST3, I can use sounds I have had for years and just feel much more comfortable with the new interface than the old ST2.5 one. And the updated effects are awesome, now that I understand the grooves I'm enthusiastic about using them. I contrast ST3 with Presence XT in Studio One and it is really clear to me that ST3 is superior, so it is clear I got an upgrade and ST3 adds value to my setup. The only other substantial sample library outside drum loops I have is Wusikstation 7, which sound wise is hit and miss, and I don't use a lot of its features. Wusik is a little off the beaten path (a poor man's Omnisphere is how I consider it) so ST3 fills out my sampled instruments collection nicely, the basses are so good I'm neglecting Trilian lately. I just find the whole plugin fun to play, which makes me invest myself in seeing it updated in ways that will make it even better.

[Teksonik]

Yes, it is best to post on the IK Multimedia SampleTank forum AND send in your FR / BR to Support.

In my experience it's pointless to do either. Look at all the the feature requests on the IK Sampletank forum. Many have been there for well over a year. I've submitted tickets and the interaction I had with "support" personnel left me feeling they were simply Interns or very inexperienced at actually using the software. Or hadn't used it at all.......

Peter is a great guy and he does his job very well but I've said many times I'd love to see IK dedicate some manpower from a department other than Public Relations.

As I've also said many times one of the great things about KVR is we can interact directly with many of the developers who actually write the code and that interaction tends to make for more fluid development and dynamic products. It helps both the user base as they have some say in the direction the software should go and the developers deliver a desirable product that better serves the user base. A mutually beneficial arrangement.

According to Peter the people who write the code at IK don't even decide what goes into that code. A "Product Manager" decides that so have the Product Manager peruse the forums to get an idea of what people are saying instead of just relying on what ever feature requests may trickle across their desks.

I've gotten many great deals from IK so in that respect I'm a satisfied customer but no I don't really think the people who have the power to effect positive change are listening.

Many times when working with Sampletank I run into issues that make me think "did any musicians actually test this or were they just corporate Quality Control drones ? ".

I like Sampletank 3 very much but it could be so much better I just don't get the feeling that the powers that be at IK care about anything but sales and group buys and new products. Sorry just my honest feelings....

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

I'm the only one that posts here from IK, but as I've stated countless times I do relay the suggestions to the right people. I'm sorry if you are frustrated that some requests do not get implemented but IK does listen and we have made changes based on user suggestions frequently. I've also pointed out countless times that I suggest FR/BR get sent in through the trackable support system because that puts them in a trackable system and are have more weight being directly submitted by the customer.

I'm sorry that you are frustrated with certain requests not being implemented and that we function like a company that develops multiple types of complex products (having Product Managers and such, we couldn't scale otherwise if we were a few-person shop doing it part time or similar... I'm glad you appreciate those folks too, as we do too).

Since we're sharing honest feelings, I'm glad you are a satisfied customer but I do have to say I find insulting the insinuation that support are interns (we've got a team of experienced folks on that team and they are all musicians with knowledge of our software - I've been here 6 years and there are at least two people on that team that have been here years longer than I have) and that the people who design and code products that don't have features that match your workflow aren't musicians because I can assure you they are. Those that know me also know I'm more than just "PR manpower" and deeply trained/educated and have experience far beyond any marketing. In fact a friend I made through his being an IK customer just sent me a very complex music theory question because I'm as he stated "might be the only person I know that might understand what I'm asking for here"...

Honestly, I wouldn't slag IK team members personally because the product isn't stacked with each feature you and some others might want exactly or because you feel we're not listening. I'm not the only one who READS posts here, by the way, just the one who posts. People higher than me (and I'm a manager here) definitely do and hope they understand that I'm not blaming you for feeling the way you do and reacting in that way but I don't feel that insulting the team personally because we're not a one-man shop working for beer money makes us less experienced / non-musicians / interns. Almost every single person working for IK is a musician and good at what they do here. Who knows, maybe I'll have to resort to taking my dual degrees from a top music school and related experience elsewhere if they don't agree with my approach with this post

[braj]

Regarding "Quality Control drones", well, I used to manage these sorts of worker bees and without professional testers (with knowledge about testing, and I'm talking technical white box stuff) we would have much more to complain about. The testers are not to blame, and you can thank them for no kernel panics, no DAW crashes, no data loss, and what does function seems to be rock solid. You don't want professional musicians doing this, you want fault-finders, if they are both great. Now, whoever designed some things, like how the controller mapping works, didn't seem to know what users would want, and maybe the testplan didn't include usability well enough, but those worker drones did their job. I haven't found any functional bugs.

[braj]

Regarding the controller mapping, I have a feeling that may have been a compromise, the number of instances of every control visible to automation would need to be x16 to cover every available part, so they likely hid them unless you set them up specifically (at least in Studio One). Even testing all that thoroughly would cost a pretty penny. I just think they should have included an easy right-click 'make available for control' option so it wouldn't take so many steps to set up.

My point is there are often compromises in design not immediately clear to us end users that they make to get everything working. Sometimes you design yourself into a corner with some things.