Any Included ST2 XL instruments with every note recorded?

[Controller_C]

I lot of the included drumkits i liked seemed to have only 3 verlocity layers- some had zero. It seemed like all the included electric bass guitars (non-synth)- had only one bass note recorded- with maybe 1 0r 2 velocity layers. By one note I mean- only one actuall pitch/note was recorded and then that note was manipulated to sound like a few octaves worth of pitches. This is especially noticable when you play the high bass notes- it sounds like a keyboard- not a bass. So my question is- what are the ST2 XL included instruments that have every note the instrument is capable of recorded at least 3-4 times (for multiple velocitys)? Are there any included or do they have to be bought? Is something like that available to buy from IK? Does 2.1 have anything like this? I mainly need this for electric/acoustic basses and drumsets- and rhodes/B-3 oragan sounds. Anything come close to NI B4 for organs?

[Controller_C]

I did some more research- It appears having every possible note of an instrument recorded isn't so common- high quality soundsets would be considered more like at least one recording for every 2 semi-tones- so I'd be curious to know which included basses are sampled this way if any- or if there is a bass capsule sampled this way I can purchase?

[trixie]

You're right, sampling every other note is rare. Good instruments usually have 4 notes sampled per octave.

I have the "Bass Collection" ExpansionTank, I'll have a look at how the instruments are made when I get home.

[Controller_C]

cool- thanks Trixie- but I wonder why that is? I mean- sampling every note wouldn't take up that much more memory- and maybe it would free up some CPU since the notes arent pitch shifted by defalt- then again maybe it automatically generates a sound file for each shifted note instead of doing it as it plays. Does Giga record every note- just wondering if there is an audible advantage. Sound on Sound mag seems to think so.

[trixie]

@Controller_C
Of the 119 instruments included in the Bass Collection ExpansionTank, only one has multiple (two) velocity layers. All the other instruments are single-velocity. The numbers of samples contained in an instrument range from 1 to 22. Most instruments consist of 5-10 samples.

[Controller_C]

Only 1 velocity layer?? THat seems more like a limitation than an expansion. For example; What about soft verse and hard chorus dynamics? How can such a dynamic sound good or convincing with 1 velocity layer?

[trixie]

I absolutely see what you mean. Try asking Squids about the Bass Capsule, it's a more modern library (SampleTank format V2) and I've heard the Capsules are more detailed in sampling than the ExpansionTanks.

All in all, some of the ExpansionTanks have really disappointed me (considering the fact that not long ago they cost 99 dollars each!). I wonder what IK/SR have up their sleeves . We already know about the Sonik Instruments but I sincerely hope it is not becoming a trend that we'll have to buy new (and I guess quite expensive) instrument plugins to actually get our ST libraries expanded.

[Controller_C]

Now Im wondering what are the most thoroughly sampled/velocity layered included sounds with ST2 XL? Im sure at least one of the grand pianos if it was used on the 8-Mile soundtrack. For stringed instruments I think you need at least three samples per octave with a MINIMUM of 3 velocity layers on every note to have some kind of natural expression- and to even try to compete with the real thing. If one has to buy a sonik instrument for this quality- then why fork out $400 or more just for Sampletank? When you could get the B4 or The Grand or BFD etc. We all want "more for less"- or "more for the same price"- who wants "less for less"?