IK/SR VI HOT BUY - GROUP BUY on eSoundz!!! SampleTank Instruments for $99 + more!

[bigtom]

I just bought an Akai MPK25. My first keyboard with a pitch and mod wheel, and aftertouch. Wow does it make Miroslav 10x more expressive. I followed the tips for expressive legato lines here:
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=103808
This links the "Swell" to the mod wheel. I also maxed out the ATPUSH on the Macro to use the aftertouch. Assigned a button to "Tempo" and one to "Harmonics" (with a range of -3 to +3) in the Tune - Stretch menu. It sounds and feels so much closer to playing a violin (without of course learning all that difficult technique stuff required to play a real one).
I'm guessing the veterans have been using this type of stuff for a while, but it's been quite a discovery for a nOOb like me.

So if you're a nOOb sitting on the fence and you've got a mod wheel, try this stuff out in Sampletank Free. It makes a big difference.

osidenick
(here and at esoundz)

I've been trying to figure out how to assign the mod wheel to the leslie effect on my yamaha s90 with no luck. I was hoping your link would give me the answer but the link doesn't work. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks Big Tom

[Tzarls]

Ok, I need some advice here....

First of all - I already have Miroslav CE, Sampletank Free, SampleMoog and 8 Expansion Tanks from a previous group buy. I also have Garritan Personal Orchestra, Kontakt 4 and a few other VSTi's (Z3ta+, Rapture...).

Now, what do you think I should do:

Get Miroslav Full (Do I really need it?)
Get SampleTron (couldn't I get it cheaper some time)?

Don't get anything and wait for Sampletron at $50 (No brainer or Stupid Deal or whatever) and live with Miroslav CE. (Do I really need more expansion tanks?)

What would you do?

[Xenobt]

Tzarls, I'd actually recommend Sampletank XL or Sonik Synth if they're even close to on your radar. I was writing my reply and realized I was quoting torgo nearly point for point, so here it is from the horses mouth!

Sonik Synth has a significantly larger library (over 8.5 gig) than ST XL (4.8 gig base library plus about 1.6 gig of "bonus" sounds from Miroslav, Sonik Synth, and various Expansion Tanks). But a lot of that will be centered around keyboard and synth sounds.

The Piano Collection 2 will be mostly repeats of what's in Sonik Synth. The other XpansionTank libraries you picked up last year will also have some repeats in Sonik Synth, but not too bad - three sounds from Symphony Strings, ten (all small ones) from Cinematik, etc. The Piano Collection is the only one that really gets ripped to shreds with repeats.

SampleTank XL's library is still pretty big - and there will be no repeats at all from your other libraries. ST's library was created by/for IK. Sonik Synth and your other libraries were all created by Sonic Reality. Different companies = no exact duplicates.

In fact, all those XpansionTank libraries were created specifically to expand what you would have in SampleTank XL. So with those eight libraries plus the three more you'll add with the group buy, you've already expanded your favorite areas very nicely.

(With that in mind, you might even consider a specialty set like Miroslav Philharmonik rather than either of ST or SS.)

I'm not sure what your personal tiebreaker would be. The one edge for SampleTank might be the acoustic piano, since you already have the Piano Collection 2. For synth sounds, Sonik Synth 2 is hands down the winner. It has well over 2 gig of synth and other vintage keyboards. SampleTank XL only has about 250 meg of that stuff. For most other instruments, it's pretty close to dead even.

-torgo (esoundz = bhall1968)

Another thing he mentioned elsewhere was that Sonik Synth has lots of bread and butter Tron sounds in it, so SampleTron may be overkill for the occasional user. I have it and it is for me!

I have Garritan too, and find that between it and the full version of Miroslav, I've got LOTS more options for layering and picking the best instrument or ensemble from either. I never owned the CE version, so I'm no help there, but maybe torgo could clear up the main differences...

As for another dip into the Expansion Tanks, I'd recommend Electronic Drums, Hip Hop Instruments and World Instruments or World Grooves if you don't already have them. They were ump-teenth choices when I did the 8x1 GB twice last summer, and have knocked me out every time I use them.

The Nashville Pop drum loops are also GREAT for things other than country, and have the most modern drum kit sound of all the ReTanks.

Hope this didn't confuse the issue further. Tough choice!


KVR/eSoundz: Xenobt

[torgo]

I just bought an Akai MPK25. My first keyboard with a pitch and mod wheel, and aftertouch. Wow does it make Miroslav 10x more expressive. I followed the tips for expressive legato lines here:
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=103808
This links the "Swell" to the mod wheel. I also maxed out the ATPUSH on the Macro to use the aftertouch. Assigned a button to "Tempo" and one to "Harmonics" (with a range of -3 to +3) in the Tune - Stretch menu. It sounds and feels so much closer to playing a violin (without of course learning all that difficult technique stuff required to play a real one).
I'm guessing the veterans have been using this type of stuff for a while, but it's been quite a discovery for a nOOb like me.

So if you're a nOOb sitting on the fence and you've got a mod wheel, try this stuff out in Sampletank Free. It makes a big difference.

osidenick
(here and at esoundz)

I've been trying to figure out how to assign the mod wheel to the leslie effect on my yamaha s90 with no luck. I was hoping your link would give me the answer but the link doesn't work. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks Big Tom

Big Tom - sometimes the KVR system puts extra spaces in links for no apparent reason. Try the link below. Or if you're copying and pasting into the address line of your browser, just delete the space (make it 103808) and it will take you to the correct post:

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=103808


And that's a great point from osidenick... if you don't have it already, grab SampleTank Free from the IK web site. And then grab the Studiophonik preview sounds from the Free Soundz section of the esoundz web site. They're FREE.

[Squids]

Ok, I need some advice here....

First of all - I already have Miroslav CE, Sampletank Free, SampleMoog and 8 Expansion Tanks from a previous group buy. I also have Garritan Personal Orchestra, Kontakt 4 and a few other VSTi's (Z3ta+, Rapture...).

Now, what do you think I should do:

Get Miroslav Full (Do I really need it?)
Get SampleTron (couldn't I get it cheaper some time)?

Don't get anything and wait for Sampletron at $50 (No brainer or Stupid Deal or whatever) and live with Miroslav CE. (Do I really need more expansion tanks?)

What would you do?

Do you NEED Miroslav full? Or would it be good to have while it's at this price? I think the extra sounds and articulations are totally worth having. But you may or may not need them. It's just that for $99 you might as well? Depends on your budget I guess but it's a lot less expensive than other orchestral libraries.

Waiting around for a SampleTron at that price... it either happens or it doesn't. Those are boxed and shipped though so it ends up costing more. I think that deal came and went. Doubtful it'll happen again on this one. So you may want to grab it at $99 which is also a no brainer. The price IS going back UP in just a few days.

Do you really need more Expansion Tanks? Sounds are sounds. They come in handy for writing, producing and playing... so if you get them for free on top you might as well. You never know. There could be a gem in another collection you don't have that sparks up inspiration for a song. When that happens it sure is a good thing you have them on hand.

The bottom line is that it's all a really good deal and you get quality sounds with undeniable value here. Sounds are great tools and sources of inspiration which is always nice to have as long as one can afford it. A deal like this is made for more people to be able to afford it. Hope that helps. Just make sure you decide before June 1st. There are no extensions on this deal that I am aware of.

[torgo]

Another thing he mentioned elsewhere was that Sonik Synth has lots of bread and butter Tron sounds in it, so SampleTron may be overkill for the occasional user. I have it and it is for me!

SampleTron plus Squids Tron Exclusive Extras is *definitely* for me too. For dedicated Tron-heads, it's the best thing under the sun.

(For everyone else, *please* take the time to learn a little about Mellotrons and Chamberlins before putting money down on ANY 'Tron library or instrument. They aren't exactly crisp and clean, high end sounds. If you don't know what you're getting, you're bound to be disappointed.)

The other set besides SampleTron, Sonik Synth and the two Exclusive Extras sets that has some 'Tron stuff is Vintage Keys. There's not much there - mainly just a few variations of the classic strings sounds plus a standard choir. But then, those are probably the exact sounds you'd find loaded into a real M400... if you ever run across one that actually works.

I have Garritan too, and find that between it and the full version of Miroslav, I've got LOTS more options for layering and picking the best instrument or ensemble from either. I never owned the CE version, so I'm no help there, but maybe torgo could clear up the main differences...

I've never had the CE version either, so I'm no help there. I only have the full version plus the Symphony Strings set. I haven't felt the need to mix and match between those two sets when layering, but maybe I ought to give it a try.

Along the mix-and-match lines between SampleTank stuff and other items, I use the True Pianos modules (and love them) and find the SampleTank pianos work well with them to create distinct sounds for pieces with two piano parts playing as a duet.

In particular, I like the Diamond module in True Pianos with the layered combination of the Whispering Piano YM from SampleTank XL and the Home Tape Piano from the Piano Collection. Sharp and bright (Diamond) meets soft and sweet (the SampleTank combo). Just make sure to adjust the fine tuning of the Home Tape Piano so that it blends well with Whispering Piano YM.

The Nashville Pop drum loops are also GREAT for things other than country, and have the most modern drum kit sound of all the ReTanks.Xenobt

I'll second that. It was one of my very last choices in last year's group buy. I didn't think I'd like it, but it might be the most useful pure drum groove set on the list. It's certainly not just for country music.



Also... I mentioned this earlier, but it's now several pages back. If you don't already have the set of Groove Monkee's MIDI drum loops from various other esoundz drum packages, you can get a good sampler set for free directly from the Groove Monkee web site.

These are MIDI files rather than audio loops. You load them into your sequencer and play them on whatever drum kit you like. They work with those kits in the SampleTank XL or Sonik Synth libraries, the Acoustic Drums or Electronic Drums collection, or even with the kits in SampleTank Free or Omnisynth.

And you can get them in GM or IMAP mappings - so you can also use them with the StudioPhonik kit that you can also get for free from the esoundz web site.

[torgo]

Ok, I need some advice here....

First of all - I already have Miroslav CE, Sampletank Free, SampleMoog and 8 Expansion Tanks from a previous group buy. I also have Garritan Personal Orchestra, Kontakt 4 and a few other VSTi's (Z3ta+, Rapture...).

Now, what do you think I should do:

Get Miroslav Full (Do I really need it?)
Get SampleTron (couldn't I get it cheaper some time)?

Don't get anything and wait for Sampletron at $50 (No brainer or Stupid Deal or whatever) and live with Miroslav CE. (Do I really need more expansion tanks?)

What would you do?

In part, it might depend on which XpansionTanks you already have and how much use you'd have for three more of them. Can you fill in the gaps and let us know which sets you have?




On Miroslav: several folks that have already upgraded from Miroslav CE to the full Miroslav have said they love the extra articulations and feel it was well worth it. I can't say firsthand, as I don't have CE so I don't know its limitations. But those three bonus libraries might be enough to justify the price tag all by themselves - making the upgrade (and the Miroslav Outtakes bonus set) a dirt cheap bonus.





The 'Tron thing is more in my realm. I can definitely help you there - but you might not like my answer:

It depends on your familiarity with Mellotrons. I have to emphasize that they aren't for everyone. Don't put money on ANYTHING related to Mellotrons unless you really do understand what they are and what you're getting. I'm sure I sound like a broken record repeating that for everyone who asks, but it's true.


For most people, the set of Tron sounds in Sonik Synth is more than sufficient. It has the "classics" very well covered. It also has a comprehensive 8.5 gig library of general sounds, with heavy emphasis on synth sounds. Well over 2 gig of them, in fact. That seems to be your bag, as you have already picked up SampleMoog.

So if you have the cash to spare but really don't know if you want to go whole hog on Mellotrons, Sonik Synth would be a better approach. Get the basic 'Trons and everything else for the same price as just the 'Trons.


If you know for sure that you love the Mellotron thing, then absolutely yes Yes YES - get SampleTron immediately through this group buy. And pick up the Squids Tron Exclusive Extras as your first bonus choice. If you're a true Tron-head, you want the full set. And even if you did get another shot a a $50 "Stupid Deal Of The Day", it wouldn't include those other sounds from the Squids Tron Collection. And you'd still have two more bonus choices to go along with it. That's a no-brainer.



There's also another way to play it, in case you want to keep all your options open for later. Keep in mind that the SampleTron interface really isn't important. Yeah, it's nice, but the sound library is what counts.

There are two ways to get the full currently available SR library of 'Tron sounds: SampleTron plus Squids Tron Exclusive Extras, or Squids Tron Collection vol 1 plus the SampleTron Exclusive Extras.

If you decide to get the full Miroslav now but need to wait on the 'Trons for later, you could use one of your bonus choices to get SampleTron Exclusive Extras. Then you'd scoop up the Squids Tron Collection vol 1 whenever you like to complete the set.

Here's the page for Squids Tron Collection vol 1. Check out the price:

http://www.esoundz.com/details.php?ProductID=1769

That's pretty close to a "Stupid Deal Of The Day" anytime you want it. Not to mention you could put some epointz towards getting it. Or some general purpose coupon code that could knock $10 or $15 off the price...

[torgo]

Squids - can he use the TANK10 coupon code on Squids Tron Collection vol 1 (download)?

[crackershaun]

SampleTron plus Squids Tron Exclusive Extras is *definitely* for me too. For dedicated Tron-heads, it's the best thing under the sun.

(For everyone else, *please* take the time to learn a little about Mellotrons and Chamberlins before putting money down on ANY 'Tron library or instrument. They aren't exactly crisp and clean, high end sounds. If you don't know what you're getting, you're bound to be disappointed.)

That's why I joined the Group Buy and I could NOT be happier!

A bit of a lie - a night with Angelina Jolie would come close...

...talking about Trons of course

As an M-Tron owner with several other sources of Tron Sounds I really rate these as additions to my Library and would recommend them to anyone who wants that special lo-fi 'organic' sound as part of their music.

[bigtom]

Thanks torgo

[osidenick]

I've been trying to figure out how to assign the mod wheel to the leslie effect on my yamaha s90 with no luck. I was hoping your link would give me the answer but the link doesn't work. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks Big Tom[/quote]


Big Tom,
Have the Leslie Effect on the screen in the Effects slot. Click "MIDI CTL" (top left). Click the effect you want to control: Speed, Drive, or Lo/Hi. A pop-up window appears, and you can set values and controller number (1 for mod wheel). Click OK, and it should work.

osidenick (here and at esoundz)

[DarkStar]

^^^^
It won't be specifically named - you'll see "Effect M Settting N" where M is the number of the slot into which the Effect is loaded and N is the knob number.

SampleTron plus Squids Tron Exclusive Extras is *definitely* for me too. For dedicated Tron-heads, it's the best thing under the sun.

(For everyone else, *please* take the time to learn a little about Mellotrons and Chamberlins before putting money down on ANY 'Tron library or instrument. They aren't exactly crisp and clean, high end sounds. If you don't know what you're getting, you're bound to be disappointed.)

That's why I joined the Group Buy and I could NOT be happier!

A bit of a lie - a night with Angelina Jolie would come close...

... Thankfully, she prefers a night with SampleTron

[Tzarls]

Thanks for the advise guys. These are the expansion Packs I've got:

OmniSynth 2
Vocal Collection
Acoustic Drums 2
Acoustic Guitar Collection 2
Bass Collection 2
Vintage Keys Collection
Piano Collection 2
Modern Tech Rap

Because of these, I find slightly repetitive to get Sonic Synth, but I'll have to check... Right now i'm leaning towards getting Miros + SampleTron Exclusive Extras.

[Squids]

Squids - can he use the TANK10 coupon code on Squids Tron Collection vol 1 (download)?

Good question. I don't think so.

[Squids]

Thanks for the advise guys. These are the expansion Packs I've got:

OmniSynth 2
Vocal Collection
Acoustic Drums 2
Acoustic Guitar Collection 2
Bass Collection 2
Vintage Keys Collection
Piano Collection 2
Modern Tech Rap

Because of these, I find slightly repetitive to get Sonic Synth, but I'll have to check... Right now i'm leaning towards getting Miros + SampleTron Exclusive Extras.

Just so you know that only scratches the surface of what Sonik Synth 2 would have. It's a good taste of some of the types of sounds but there are thousands and thousands more in SS2 and most of them are different in some way as well. These are not pieces of Sonik Synth 2 but meant to expand it as well as SampleTank (apart from Omni which is pieces of a bit of everything to make a GM set).