KVR Audio

OzoneJunkie · Post by **OzoneJunkie** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 4:27 pm

So, going through my sample library today, and thinking, hmmm, too big? Ok, so, would I: 1. look for a analog bass sample I like out of many many bass samples, or bass loops (and extract a single waveform), or load up a VSTi and find a good preset, or make my own?

Honestly, I don't usually (ever-ish?) reach for those type of samples, bass-wise. Same with a lot of these drum loop CDs. I am prone to taking a good breakbeat here and there and using that. But a lot of these sample CDs have drum beat loops that I would never use as is. I *might* chop it up, or extract a single slice (maybe containing 2 or 3 combined hits).

Sorry, the post is mostly stream of thinking - but I'm really feeling that I'm overrun with samples (15 gig or so) that I bet I'll never use, nor miss if I delete.

Anyone clean/delete large chunks of their library and gain productivity? Or at least a sense of "I've got what I might use" as opposed to feeling overrun with too much stuff to use?

chris_b · Post by **chris_b** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 4:35 pm

OzoneJunkie wrote:Anyone clean/delete large chunks of their library

I back stuff up to disc from time to time and will probably never use it again - but never delete stuff.

koolkeys · Post by **koolkeys** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 5:37 pm

I agree. Don't delete things, but make them unavailable for yourself. Same with plug-ins. It hinders creativity when you have too many. But I'd hate to get rid of something then to realize I needed it.

Koolkeys

OzoneJunkie · Post by **OzoneJunkie** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 5:54 pm

Cool, advice noted. Going to do that. Besides, I want to get a smaller set going anyway for my notebook - keep my portable quick and clean, not cluttered with all this junk...

waveriderarts · Post by **waveriderarts** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 5:56 pm

OzoneJunkie wrote: that I bet I'll never use, nor miss if I delete.

False, you'll need the one you deleted.....

...I never know in advance what will fit, in isolation some are useless, but they might complement others perfectly....

Lawnmower Of The Damned · Sat Oct 08, 2005 6:02 pm

I've got 22 gigs of samples right now. I'm planning on having over 200 gigs worth within a year.

Now what's this "too much" thing that people keep talking about?

TrekStar · Post by **TrekStar** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 6:12 pm

I also agree that the trend to monsterlibraries is exaggerated. on the one hand there is sure a lower limit that should not be passed when you have e.g. an orchester-library: if it's samplepool is simply too small it can't sound good.

on the other hand I'm sick of my two hd's which are packed full with libraries an it is hardly any space left...when I want to copy a dvd or so I have to look if the partition has enough space left.
not only that the software developpers expect from you to buy a nu computer for their perverted cpu-eating new vsti....now also the library developpers want you to buy an additional hd for each library.

and the second thing which disturbs me is the trend to monolith libraries which means that they are one pack and can't be deeper edited/reduced of the samples which you don't need. ...very user unfriendly that idea.

circuitbentpirate · Post by **circuitbentpirate** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 3:11 am

I recently downloaded a ton of free vsts (here of course), and then I couldn't easily find my old favorites so I went through one by one, testing the sounds, if I liked it within 10 seconds I kept it, if it didn't impress me much I deleted it. Took me 2 hours to do. I don't miss them.
Doing this with samples would take me much longer, but I usually 'trim the fat' the first time I listen to them. My hardrive is only 40G, and 4G is samples.

Distorted_Mastermind · Sun Oct 09, 2005 5:09 am

i gotta 3rd don't delete. with computers nowadays there's many options....a cd 700 mb, a dvd 4.7 gb, and an external drive for just samples.....priceless....ok that was a bit cheesy, but true in my case. my sample drive is around 60 gb right now and very well organized. being organized is the big key for me...i layed it out about like a gm bank.....strings, winds, brass, drums, pads, fx, guitars, bass and also made seperate folders for the synth type sounds since they are a whole different flavor.that took some time and was well worth it.

OzoneJunkie · Post by **OzoneJunkie** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 1:53 am

Well, I've decided that I'm actually going to delete some of this stuff. I can say with all honesty that there's some stuff that I've got that I will never use. Some long .wav files that are more ambient textures/soundscapes that I have personal issues against using. I'd always make something like that myself, as opposed to using someone else's. As I stated, I like chopping up breakbeats to form my own drum stuff. But I won't use other people's basslines, guitarlines, etc. Nor will I use premade rhythms, soundscapes, drones, etc. So that stuff is getting deleted. As are a bunch of things that basically overlap the rest of the library. Tons of synthetic/drum machine hits, etc. Besides, that type of stuff, I'd rather use something like microtonic, and tweak. Or just have a nice, simple, easy to navigate set. Right now I've got too much overlap.

I don't have any problem with other people making music by combining ACID loops (that's what some of the library is), but I just would never do it, because it takes away from my own personal enjoyment of creating music, the way I like to create it.

Anything that doesn't get deleted, will stay for a bit on the hd, or archived.

soma · Post by **soma** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 5:55 am

I tend to look for/make stuff as I need it. It takes longer but is more fun. The stuff I have made myself is not massive at all but every sample has a use and get recyled or reprocessed regularly.
Same goes for presets.
I hardly ever download a sample just because its there. If it sounds so good that I have to have it, then I use it right away in an attempt at a song. Even if it's $500 library offered that day for free. I just hate clutter. I have to know what I have in order to use it.

androidlove · Post by **androidlove** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:00 am

somehow i've amassed 200mb of drum hits. i use maybe 1% of em

Debutante · Post by **Debutante** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:26 am

I only have 1 gig of total samples but I feel I need more. I think one key would be to first think of what samples you want to begin with. The only samples I want , for example, are mainly drums and percussion and others exclusively from organic instruments that cannot faithfully be reproduced by synthesis. I don't want any synthesized samples because that's what I'm trying to learn in the first place. So I really only want one-shots of as great a variey as I can catalogue effectively.

LIMITAPROACHINGINFINITY · Mon Oct 10, 2005 8:06 am

Dude, drumatic 3 will cut the amount of samples you have in half.. If your into synthesized sounds.

kevvvvv · Post by **kevvvvv** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 8:30 am

Hmmm ... I've got 181 gb of samples.

Maybe I could ditch 20-30 gb of them, but frankly I'd like to keep the rest.

I feel my PC is like a laboratory, that lets me approach music in many different styles - something I've always liked doing.

A lot of sample space is taken up by the long tails that many instrument sample sets now have.

Oh - and don't forget to add your collection of convo verb samples. They count as samples too.

Sample library too big?