KVR Audio

tracer_221 · Post by **tracer_221** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 5:17 pm

Good day to all.

Ummm, I have a shit-load of samples, I basically collect sound, and I'm finding it really hard to keep all my stuff neat without getting 100's of files in one folder, coz I can't come up with any good folder catagories. I've started out with Hits and Loops (lol, and thats almost as far as I've gone).

And I don't just mean like Snare/Kick/Guitar... I have a seriously huge collection, with lots of differant FX, Sounds, Intruments etc.

Any one with huge sample libraries out there wanna give me a look at your typical tree of folders?
And for my loops, know any good sites that define differant styles and genres of drum beats and stuff, maybe with examples?

Hernan · Post by **Hernan** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 5:24 pm

I have a similar plan, actually. My idea was to do something like:

Hits
- Snares
- Kick drums
- HH Closed
- HH Open
- ... and so on and so forth

And then store 5 samples max on any directory and get rid of the rest of the samples

Maybe snares could be sub-divided into rock, pop, piccolo, loose, dry, wet, whatever.

No idea about the loops... maybe sort them by tempo?

L

tracer_221 · Post by **tracer_221** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 5:32 pm

That bits kinda easy. But thanx dude.

Hernan · Post by **Hernan** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 5:43 pm

OK got it now... yes, my idea is the opposite: build a "drum machine" with the most useful sounds from the samples I got. Or just get the 1st 5 samples from each category that are "good enough" and then get on with making music.

I'm currently not too interested on synthetic drums, so that cuts down the search space quite a bit too. Ditto for effected drums.

Good luck with your categorizing, and let us know what you end up doing, that would be interesting.

L

sangha · Post by **sangha** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 12:37 am

I think you should give a great deal of thought to how you are going to be using the samples before you spend a minute actually organizing them. When you go looking for a sample, what are the criteria you use to search and select samples?

First off, your main criteria might be format. Sometimes you need a .wav, and other times you might want a RX2 file. Alternatively, the first thing you typically require might be music style, with format coming 2nd. Whatever criteria it is, and that will depend on how you work, and how many criteria you use, you should organize your folder structure to match it. The first, most important criteria (to you) should be at the top of the heirarchy.

Try to keep the criterias that apply to all your samples, like format (all samples have a format), type (ie single hit, loop) etc at the top of the heirarchy. Those are the ones you'll probably know right from the start, so you just go right to the folder that applies.

As you go down the folder tree, you'll find yourself breaking some folders down into ways that are not applicable to the other folders at that level. For example, you might break your samples down by format, then by type, and then by clean/fx'd. In the wav/hit/clean folder, you might want to group your samples by how they were mic'ed (ie close-miked, small room, close miked large room, etc) which may not apply or be a useful way to group your wav/hit/fx'd folder, which you might want to group by type of fx. If you keep the criteria that applies to all near the top, you'll reduce the complexity of the tree, and it will become a less confusing task to both organize, and then use.

tracer_221 · Post by **tracer_221** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 8:26 am

sangha, indeed, thanx you.

sangha · Post by **sangha** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 5:13 pm

No problem. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about how to organize your files. I'll probably respond by asking *you* a question, and then you'll tell yourself the answer.

Just remember, this is all about you.

Barf · Post by **Barf** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 5:20 pm

Throw away all samples u dont like. Try to have only samples that u really really like in your banks, it also helps u creating your own sound.

tracer_221 · Post by **tracer_221** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 9:05 pm

Barf wrote:Throw away all samples u dont like. Try to have only samples that u really really like in your banks, it also helps u creating your own sound.

mmmm, but i like 'em all, i really am an audiophile, i dont just use samples in my music... this may sound really weird but i have all my samples, hits and loops, burnt to an audio cd and sometimes just lay there listening to them (usually drugs and alcohol are involved as well, lol, but sometimes not)

oh, can someone tell me the differance between a stab and a hit then?

C00kie · Post by **C00kie** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 9:37 pm

Hit & stab is the same...

Filing problems like this are tricky, because simply organising it into folders does not cut it on the long run.

Folders are excellent for separation on one criteria, but with multiple criteria (like: format, style and instrument) it's far from optimal.

You really need some sort of database to disconnect a physical location from attributes you want to put on the samples, like instrument, style, format, maybe length, mono/stereo, bit depth & sample rate, author, download location, etc etc. A database can be queried in any way you want it.

scuzzphut · Post by **scuzzphut** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 9:47 pm

how about.........

A
Accordion
Apple hit by a hammer

B
Bass guitar
Bottom of the fridge

C
Cello
Clavinet
Curses (various)

D
Djembe
DJ scratches
Dobber slammed in drawer

E
Excorcism (SM57 w/U-57 spot)
Electric Guitar
Elephant droppings hitting marble floor

etc.

sangha · Post by **sangha** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 2:21 am

C00kie wrote:You really need some sort of database to disconnect a physical location from attributes you want to put on the samples, like instrument, style, format, maybe length, mono/stereo, bit depth & sample rate, author, download location, etc etc. A database can be queried in any way you want it.

Are there any sample database programs out there on the market? ISTR hearing about them somewhere.

Any help for a perfectionist...?