Squids:
Would you be able to tell me the difference between SampleTank XL, Sonic Synth and StudioPhonik in terms of sounds?
Is there much overlap in the libraries? Which of the three has the highest quality sounds in terms of sample rates, etc.?
Will Sonic Synth 2 have regular sounds (like drums, keyboards, etc.)? Or only synth samples?
I should say that I am most interested in "real" sounds like pianos, horns, drums, basses, clavinets, wurlys etc. But synths would be cool too!
Thanks for your help. I appreciate it.
Regards,
Geekboy
Differences in sounds?
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- Sonic Reality Head Chef
- 8566 posts since 11 Mar, 2002 from Florida
Can you PM me this instead? 
Just kidding! (Geekboy PMed me this and I asked him to post it here so everyone could read the answer).
Q: Would you be able to tell me the difference between SampleTank XL, Sonic Synth and StudioPhonik in terms of sounds?
A: Yes. SampleTank 2 XL's sound collection is like a big diverse sample library. You have a little of everything but not a lot of one thing. So, while you have some synth sounds in it there aren't a lot. Same thing for drum kits and other things that either Sonik Synth 2 or Studiophonik would have a lot of. SampleTank 2 XL does occassionally have a lot of one thing such as pianos, voices, brass and other select categories. But, in general it is a smattering across a much wider range (including a healthy selection of loops as well).
Sonik Synth 2 is centered around being both a synth workstation and a synth anthology so to speak. As a synth workstation it has the kind of sounds you would expect to find in something like a JV or a Triton (except they are original samples, not samples of those synths) and as an anthology you can expect to find reanimated flavors of nearly every synth brand. But, there are also a lot of sounds and elements that sound like nothing ever before too. Think of it as a past, present and future sound module in terms of its sounds.
Studiophonik is a workstation dedicated only to a band's instrumentation. This hasn't been done before in hardware because it would have required a lot of RAM/ROM to pull it off. But, for having variety within the instrument categories of guitar, bass, drums, percussion, piano, organ and horn section you can "produce" your virtual band swapping out different brand snares or electric guitars and running the internal amp sim or tube compressors etc on it. I'll explain a bit more in the other answers...
Q: Is there much overlap in the libraries?
A: Not in terms of the same sample material. All three may have acoustic pianos on them though but they will be different multisamples. The idea behind them is that they can be used together to make a massive working system tailored to your needs. So, if you were to get any combination of ST2, SS2 and SP it would be adding to your overall sample and patch collection with unique material.
Q: Which of the three has the highest quality sounds in terms of sample rates, etc.?
A: In terms of sample rates they are the same. I don't believe IK or SR does any sounds less than 44.1 or higher than 96K. In terms of numbers of samples across the keys and overall resources that would be taken up to achieve a certain high-end sound the most would be Studiophonik. A lot of the sounds take up 4 voices of polyphony with every note because they have mic mixiing built-in or other features like that. Plus, because it is dedicated only to a more focused group of instruments yet it is over 5 gigs in size the amount of velocity layers, durations and samples across the keys tend to be higher which can add to realism and expressiveness.
Next would be Sonik Synth 2 because a lot of the sounds in it are made up of elements that are layered so in many cases one key can take up 4 notes of polyphony there (but not always, depends on the kind of sound). But, other than the focus of the variety within the genre the sounds are more on par with ST2 XL except different.
Overall, SampleTank 2 XL is probably best for writing efficiency because the sounds tend to take 1-2 voices of polyphony per key. But they may not be as complex or expressive as sounds that take up more polyphony per key such as those in the other modules... it's a trade off. Also, there are a number of features such as the ability to read ALL of the modules under one GUI and to import other formats and ST2 libraries that ST2 XL has that makes it the sort of GLUE between all of them.
Q: Will Sonic Synth 2 have regular sounds (like drums, keyboards, etc.)? Or only synth samples?
A: Sonik Synth 2 will have a "best of" selection from Sonic Synth 1 inside which did have pianos, bass, guitars, drums etc. It will also have SOME new pianos, guitars, orchestral, drums etc. but MOST of the new material is made up of synths and natural elements plus the combinations of them. Actually, any guitars, pianos or drums that were added are stellar. But, they are mainly there to give a basic "synth workstation keyboard" role in terms of variety as well as to function within "Combi" presets where you have a mix of orchestral instruments in a performance patch or pianos layered with pads and strings or bells etc.
Q: I should say that I am most interested in "real" sounds like pianos, horns, drums, basses, clavinets, wurlys etc. But synths would be cool too!
A: For those specific instruments Studiophonik would be the ultimate solution. If synths would be cool too then Sonik Synth 2 would have you covered very well on synth sounds. The combination of those two is super powerful. Then it is a question of whether at some point to get the GLUE between them that is SampleTank 2 XL so you can run them all under one GUI and add other specific sounds to your set up.
This is a "system" that you can build to your needs. One of the unique things that SR and IK has to offer is a variety of DIFFERENT sound-filled workstations. You get a lot of bang for the buck this way plus just a lot of inspiration and convenience. It takes a LOT of work for us to be able to do one workstation let alone a bunch of them. But, I know that musicians like to just get GOING with their music and flip through sounds and effects without interrupting the creative process. That's how I like to work too! So this is the philosophy behind them.
Just kidding! (Geekboy PMed me this and I asked him to post it here so everyone could read the answer). Q: Would you be able to tell me the difference between SampleTank XL, Sonic Synth and StudioPhonik in terms of sounds?
A: Yes. SampleTank 2 XL's sound collection is like a big diverse sample library. You have a little of everything but not a lot of one thing. So, while you have some synth sounds in it there aren't a lot. Same thing for drum kits and other things that either Sonik Synth 2 or Studiophonik would have a lot of. SampleTank 2 XL does occassionally have a lot of one thing such as pianos, voices, brass and other select categories. But, in general it is a smattering across a much wider range (including a healthy selection of loops as well).
Sonik Synth 2 is centered around being both a synth workstation and a synth anthology so to speak. As a synth workstation it has the kind of sounds you would expect to find in something like a JV or a Triton (except they are original samples, not samples of those synths) and as an anthology you can expect to find reanimated flavors of nearly every synth brand. But, there are also a lot of sounds and elements that sound like nothing ever before too. Think of it as a past, present and future sound module in terms of its sounds.
Studiophonik is a workstation dedicated only to a band's instrumentation. This hasn't been done before in hardware because it would have required a lot of RAM/ROM to pull it off. But, for having variety within the instrument categories of guitar, bass, drums, percussion, piano, organ and horn section you can "produce" your virtual band swapping out different brand snares or electric guitars and running the internal amp sim or tube compressors etc on it. I'll explain a bit more in the other answers...
Q: Is there much overlap in the libraries?
A: Not in terms of the same sample material. All three may have acoustic pianos on them though but they will be different multisamples. The idea behind them is that they can be used together to make a massive working system tailored to your needs. So, if you were to get any combination of ST2, SS2 and SP it would be adding to your overall sample and patch collection with unique material.
Q: Which of the three has the highest quality sounds in terms of sample rates, etc.?
A: In terms of sample rates they are the same. I don't believe IK or SR does any sounds less than 44.1 or higher than 96K. In terms of numbers of samples across the keys and overall resources that would be taken up to achieve a certain high-end sound the most would be Studiophonik. A lot of the sounds take up 4 voices of polyphony with every note because they have mic mixiing built-in or other features like that. Plus, because it is dedicated only to a more focused group of instruments yet it is over 5 gigs in size the amount of velocity layers, durations and samples across the keys tend to be higher which can add to realism and expressiveness.
Next would be Sonik Synth 2 because a lot of the sounds in it are made up of elements that are layered so in many cases one key can take up 4 notes of polyphony there (but not always, depends on the kind of sound). But, other than the focus of the variety within the genre the sounds are more on par with ST2 XL except different.
Overall, SampleTank 2 XL is probably best for writing efficiency because the sounds tend to take 1-2 voices of polyphony per key. But they may not be as complex or expressive as sounds that take up more polyphony per key such as those in the other modules... it's a trade off. Also, there are a number of features such as the ability to read ALL of the modules under one GUI and to import other formats and ST2 libraries that ST2 XL has that makes it the sort of GLUE between all of them.
Q: Will Sonic Synth 2 have regular sounds (like drums, keyboards, etc.)? Or only synth samples?
A: Sonik Synth 2 will have a "best of" selection from Sonic Synth 1 inside which did have pianos, bass, guitars, drums etc. It will also have SOME new pianos, guitars, orchestral, drums etc. but MOST of the new material is made up of synths and natural elements plus the combinations of them. Actually, any guitars, pianos or drums that were added are stellar. But, they are mainly there to give a basic "synth workstation keyboard" role in terms of variety as well as to function within "Combi" presets where you have a mix of orchestral instruments in a performance patch or pianos layered with pads and strings or bells etc.
Q: I should say that I am most interested in "real" sounds like pianos, horns, drums, basses, clavinets, wurlys etc. But synths would be cool too!
A: For those specific instruments Studiophonik would be the ultimate solution. If synths would be cool too then Sonik Synth 2 would have you covered very well on synth sounds. The combination of those two is super powerful. Then it is a question of whether at some point to get the GLUE between them that is SampleTank 2 XL so you can run them all under one GUI and add other specific sounds to your set up.
This is a "system" that you can build to your needs. One of the unique things that SR and IK has to offer is a variety of DIFFERENT sound-filled workstations. You get a lot of bang for the buck this way plus just a lot of inspiration and convenience. It takes a LOT of work for us to be able to do one workstation let alone a bunch of them. But, I know that musicians like to just get GOING with their music and flip through sounds and effects without interrupting the creative process. That's how I like to work too! So this is the philosophy behind them.