KVR Audio

thagoocher · Post by **thagoocher** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 1:53 am

I asked this in the sticky up top, but I don't think anybody notices new posts up there.

What Mac programs are there for playing sampled instruments? I can work with drum samples well, but I want something to play all these excellent pitched instruments out there. I have to admit that I'm baffled by all the different sample formats, and the problem is compounded because none of the programs in the sticky are Mac compatible. Something decent and free would be great, of course, but failing that, any good and reasonably priced commercial product
would be cool.

TechEverlasting · Post by **TechEverlasting** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:07 am

Kontakt 2 and ESX24 (Logic) seem to be the two most widely used platforms.

dougsyo · Post by **dougsyo** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:53 am

TechEverlasting wrote:Kontakt 2 and ESX24 (Logic) seem to be the two most widely used platforms.

My picks (I use Windows, but all are Mac-compatible) are K2, DimPro, and ST2XL. Of the three, ST2XL is the "least friendly" to creating your own sample sets and has limited third-party support. If you need streaming, go with Kontakt2. Right now, avoid Kontakt3, it's reportedly a bug-fest (as are most new NI releases).

Logic and Live both have proprietary samplers available (EXS24 and Simpler/Sampler respectively).

Doug

Pantsdown666 · Post by **Pantsdown666** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 9:56 am

What host program are you using ?

pettinhouse · Post by **pettinhouse** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:43 pm

Native Instruments Kontakt 2 or 3

wakax · Post by **wakax** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:51 pm

kontakt is the best choice but
bs-16 is really another
http://homepage.mac.com/bismark/bs-16/index.html

and ESX24 if you have logic

kovacs · Post by **kovacs** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 3:05 pm

Kontakt 2 in Live 6 here.

thagoocher · Post by **thagoocher** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 5:28 pm

I'm using Plogue Bidule as a host.

Pantsdown666 · Post by **Pantsdown666** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 11:16 pm

thagoocher wrote:I'm using Plogue Bidule as a host.

Well, that means you can use anything mentioned above except EXS-24, because it's only in Logic.

For soundfonts : In Plogue Bidule, under AU Music Devices, you'll find the DLS Music Device. This will load soudfonts, but will only play the first preset of each. You need to put the soundfonts in Library - Audio - Sounds - Banks

I guess in referring to the sticky about playback devices, you're asking about freeware soundfont/sample players.
The story for macs is not great here, and you're better off buying something like Kontakt.

Anyway, freeware :
You can get a few free Pluggo instruments if you install "Pluggo Runtime" from http://cycling74.com/downloads/pluggo
For a PPC machine (older) get version 3.5.4, for an Intel one get 3.6.1

Part of that installation will create a "Pluggo" folder inside your VST folder (Library-audio-plugins-VST)

Then grab the following pluggos, and put them in that "Pluggo" folder :

for SOUNDFONTS :

Depends how old your Mac is. If it's a PPC machine (i.e. NOT Intel), you can get Fluidsynth from http://www.sonoria.pl/jk/pluggox.html
This will allow you to access all of the presets in a soundfont.
For Intel machines ... nothing yet.

for SAMPLES :

Nothing that will play multisamples for free, but a few that will load a sample and place it up and down the keyboard.

If you've got a PPC machine : Samplero from http://www.sonoria.pl/jk/pluggox.html
If not, TapeHead Sampler from http://www.artassault.org/software/collideascope.html

For making up drumkits - one sample per key- you've got the Boboche sampler in Bidule (under Instruments),
or for a PPC machine there's Ddram from http://www.sonoria.pl/jk/pluggox.html

From memory, I think in Plogue Bidule these will also appear in a 'pluggo' subfolder of the VST instrument folder.

LijEyasu · Post by **LijEyasu** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 11:23 pm

No offense, but free samplers aren't going to be worth much. That being said, if you buy Logic Pro you get EXS24 which is a decent sampler; it's just not up to par with Kontakt 2. It all depends on what you're doing. There are tons of libraries available for Kontakt that make it mandatory to at least evaluate.

Bonteburg · Post by **Bonteburg** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 12:24 am

For simple sample fun on OSX, nothing beats Expert Sleepers Crossfade Loopsynth

http://www.kvraudio.com/get/368.html

Pantsdown666 · Post by **Pantsdown666** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 2:45 am

Bonteburg wrote:For simple sample fun on OSX, nothing beats Expert Sleepers Crossfade Loopsynth

http://www.kvraudio.com/get/368.html

Ahh yeah forgot that one.
Free one is pre-Intel :
http://www.collective.co.uk/expertsleep ... r_1_3.html

steff3 · Post by **steff3** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 6:39 am

Well, do not forget that exs is also part of garageband to some degree (which is free with every mac). It will play most exs files and you can even use KeyMap (one?) to make your own mappings.

Another great and efficient sampler for OSX is Ableton Sampler (runs only in Live). There is also YellowTools Independence ....

best

What do Mac users use for sample playback?