Download links removed from site as Alesis officially do not want my samples circulating.
http://free.chokehold.net/alexis-dfour/
Demo track here:
http://soundcloud.com/chokehold/alexis-d-four-demo
What it is:
A drum sampler with a huge 1.16GB sound library.
500 drum sounds, 3000 samples, 1 custom patch.
Not "sampler" in the professional sense as Superior Drummer and the likes, but in an amateur (=me) kind of way. One sound per plugin instance, but helluva sound! (more on that further down)
Win or Mac, VSTi or AUi, x86 or x64.
Load the plugin onto a track, select the sound you want, trigger it via MIDI note C1 - job done.
That's actually all there's to it.
This is no longer true.
The plugin is now an assumed 99% General MIDI compatible, so Kicks only trigger with C1, Snares only trigger with D1 etc. To avoid too much confusion, each patch has been appended the MIDI note name and number that triggers it.
What's inside it:
- 99 Kicks
99 Snares
92 Toms
55 Cymbals
76 Percussive sounds
79 Original effects
1 custom silence FX patch
You'll also find a separate WAV file on the download page that contains nothing but the "silence" coming out of the original device when it's idling.
Nearly 5 minutes of true -76dBfs analog 16-bit noise floor recorded in 24/44.1 - I'm sure some of you will find use for it...
As I'm a Reaper user, I have uploaded a text file that contains the note names you can load into Reaper's MIDI editor, so you don't just see a keyboard but you can read what you're doing.
--> If any of you feel like contributing, I think "the masses" would approve of such mapping aids for other DAWs, should they support something. So if you have the time - put a mapping together and send it to me, so I can upload it with the rest.
Your way of saying "thank you".
How is it controlled?
To the left is the volume knob, and just like on the real device there's no scale or default value. Select a sound and adjust the volume so it doesn't clip. Pretty simple. Those were the 90s...
The display doesn't just display, it also selects.
In the upper half you see what SET is currently loaded (Kicks, Snares, Toms, etc.) and in the lower half you see what INSTRUMENT of that set is selected.
Click on either one to show a popup menu that lets you jump directly to a specific set or instrument.
If you want to skip through the sounds one by one, you can do so by using the little arrow keys to the right of the GUI.
Pressing the "stop sound" button will immediately halt and end all currently playing samples. Nothing fancy, but might come in handy sometime.
The big Data wheel in the middle of the GUI doesn't do anything yet, as the sampling system I use can't implement a pitch shifting control in a useful way at the moment. This MIGHT change, so that wheel MIGHT find use at a later time, but I can't promise anything.
Is it practical to use?
Depends on what you expect.
No, it does not compare well technically to full-fledged "realistic" drumkit samplers with mic positions, mixers, internal FX, etc. for live performances.
But if you need a fat kick or a snappy snare and don't feel like setting up wire buzz times and saturation amounts - give it a spin. Who cares if you need a track per sound - if the sounds are good.
The installation requires some (one short time) attention... the zip files and download page are littered with the "IMPORTANT - Installation.txt" file, and if you follow the few easy steps in there to the word - you'll be thumping and thrashing in no time.
About the sound:
True 16-bit stereo samples, just like in the 90s.
Recorded with expensive gear and high-quality cables, yes, but no Neve consoles or Studer tapes involved. Sorry to disappoint you.
Just recording one loud sample and "scaling" or attenuating it at lower velocities would be a quick and easy way to create something like this, but the overall sound would also lose most of the background hiss when quieter notes play.
And what's worse - scaling would distort the dynamics of the actual sound fading down into the background hiss differently at various volumes, because the background hiss would get scaled down as well. So I sampled all sounds at 6 velocities to avoid this loss of analogogueitity and to keep the feeling "true".
There's an image at the download page that should help you understand what I'm on about.
To younger ears used to ultra-clean and sterile digital samples, this might sound a little grungy and fuzzy, it does to me as well. But it's not a harsh fuzz, it's actually a very pleasant and slight fuzz, and may just be what's missing in oh so many modern productions.
And now - enjoy!
Be creative and be sure to link your works with the Alexis here, I love to know what good comes out of my hard work.
Let me know if you have any problems.
Cheers
Rob
