Samplitude Pro X3 Suite sale $149.00 until Dec 20th

[VariKusBrainZ]

Id love to know how this folder came to be ?!?!

C:\ProgramData\MAGIX\Bitwig Studio\UserData

You could have just changed that path in the installer though, or not?

This wasnt an option, for obvious reasons

But generally, the install doesnt offer where to install stuff

I found folders at the following locations:

C:\Program Files\MAGIX (1.68 GB)
C:\Program Files (x86)\MAGIX (476 MB)
C:\ProgramData\MAGIX (1.41 GB)
C:\Users\creepjoint\AppData\Local\MAGIX
C:\Users\creepjoint\AppData\Roaming\MAGIX
C:\Users\creepjoint\AppData\Roaming\MAGIX Computer Products Intl. Co
C:\Users\creepjoint\Documents\MAGIX Downloads
C:\Users\creepjoint\Documents\MAGIX

and I changed the available folder options within Samplitude and Independence to another drive

[pekbro]

It does offer fairly extensive directory preferences during the install, you kind of have to wade through a bit. It only comes up after everything is downloaded and the installation actually begins. At least the international version for US customers does.

Just sayin.

Its a nice DAW imho, even though I primarily bought this for the Audio editors, I am enjoying Samplitude as well. I wish you could dock the mixer though...

[codec_spurt]

How does Samplitude handle plugin organization? Is there a plugin manager?

Esoterically. To say the least. But it makes sense after a while, even if it is a bit of a hack. You need to find the "VstPlugins.ini" file that it writes to when it closes, located in the "C:\ProgramData\MAGIX\Samplitude Pro X3 Suite" folder for most people. Make a backup of it. Every time you do a scan.

You can edit it by hand, i.e. in a text editor.

One annoying thing is how (in the main options) one of the file paths seems to be 'hard-coded' (File>Program Preferences..), at least on my system (System VST2 Plug-in Folder), probably taking info from the registry, and you can't change it (at least on my system). Samplitude is archaic, arcane, even, but it works, and works well when you get a grip on it. I tested it a year or two back and it was so painful that I haven't forgotten the experience. With regard to VST's anyway.

Pro-tip: After setting up your preferences by hitting the 'Y' key on your keyboard and selecting 'VST / ReWire', make sure to uncheck 'Scan user and system VST folders automatically for new plugins', after you have set the 'User VST plugin folder' for whatever new plugs you want scanned.

Then, to select the new plugins do this: Select "Scan VST folders for new plugins" from the drop down menu on the track itself on the main arrange page of the DAW, not from preferences. It saves a bit of time going over everything again, depending on how you have stuff set up. At least know it is another way of doing things. When you close down the DAW, a new .ini file will be written. I can't stress enough, when you get a good setup going, make a backup of it.

I think there are some things you can put in there as well for recursion and reading of the files, but I forget now. Don't bother with that. Get the basics right first. It took me over an hour to add a single VST plugin today for Samplitude to read (Ambient Reverb 4). I had to hack the .ini file to get it working properly. In comparison, EnergyXT2 took about 3 seconds. I had to work from backups as well of the .ini file. You can lose the whole lot in one go by pointing it to the wrong folder or having a certain checkbox marked or not.

Samplitude is a nightmare in this regard, if you have a LOT of plugins. But it's really not difficult at all once you get your head around it. It's just time consuming.

Make a backup of that .ini file.

Put a shortcut to it on your desktop while you get stuff set up: 'C:\ProgramData\MAGIX\Samplitude Pro X3 Suite' - works for me.

Use Textpad or some other decent editor to 'hack' the stuff out you don't want, or to add stuff you do. You can set up various .ini files and then work from them to create a 'master' .ini file that you will end up using.

I've made it sound a lot more complicated than it is. But then again, I've spent dozens of hours doing this, and there is no easy way to boil it down.

One thing I will say in it's favor though is that it works perfectly - you just have to think like a programmer. But even if you do program, you will forget how it's done when you come back to it next year.

You really need to back up that 'VstPlugins.ini' file.

It's a different paradigm than you will probably be used to. Then again, it took me days to get my head around the Tracktion Waveform paradigm with regard to VST folders. In Energy XT2 there is no paradigm, it just reads your VST folder structure 'as is'. It doesn't even scan. Every single new plugin loaded without fault. It's bizarre.

I guess these newfangled, highfalutin programs need to check everything first, before they decide they can't work.

Having said all that, once it's set up, it works a charm, no nonsense. Very stable. But it does 'poof' now and again so you want to set up auto-save (which is another essay in itself). I wouldn't use this program as my main DAW, but as a 3rd or 4th choice, it's ideal!

Most people, who have all their plugins in one place, will just need to point it to the right directory, and all will be good. But even then, if you change folder structure at all, it will get 'interesting'.

I need to find that registry value that it won't let me change in the options for VST scanning.

Hopefully I haven't put you off.

Back up your 'VstPlugins.ini' in your 'C:\ProgramData\MAGIX\Samplitude Pro X3 Suite' folder.

If you want to find out what is installed where, then use this program called 'Everything' - you can get it here free: https://www.voidtools.com/

It is indispensable for this kind of work.

[ErBen]

When trying to install Independence library, I get this message (see attached screenshot).

2017-12-04 21_21_10-KVR_ Post a reply.png

Any idea what can be wrong?
All in all, it seems Samplitude is a decent but somewhat antiquated DAW, all feels rather Win98-ish

[Acid Mitch]

All in all, it seems Samplitude is a decent but somewhat antiquated DAW, all feels rather Win98-ish

It predates Windows 98. It first appeared on the Amiga.

[Trancit]

When trying to install Independence library, I get this message (see attached screenshot).

2017-12-04 21_21_10-KVR_ Post a reply.png

Any idea what can be wrong?

I would guess that the file path is too long...
I had a similar error too with another software... as I put it all up one or two directories, it installed fine...

[VariKusBrainZ]

All in all, it seems Samplitude is a decent but somewhat antiquated DAW, all feels rather Win98-ish

It predates Windows 98. It first appeared on the Amiga.

I was thinking how much Reaper seems similar, a huge mess of menus and sub menus

I use quite a few DAWs cos I'm a masochist but love that they all offer something different, switching between S1 and Samplitude is like being cast back a couple of decades.

I hadn't use Samplitude in a long time until buying it again the other day

I'll probably just be using Soundforge and SpectraLayers from the deal.

[Kraznet]

With regard to installation of Vita instruments, when you install them you don't get an option to place the samples on a different drive. Unfortunately you are stuck with this location C:\Users\Public\Documents\MAGIX\Common. If you try to move them you will get an error so I'm afraid they will have to stay in the default position unless someone else knows a way to move them without errors. You can move the Independence samples to a different location and all you need to do is open Independence and navigate to the new location from the library manager. Unfortunately the Vita instruments don't have this library manager. These Vita instruments were originally created for MAGIX Music Maker so I guess they never considered anyone would want to move them. I've been in contact with MAGIX about this.

Here's how you choose the library location in Independence:



Regards, Kraznet

[xphen0m]

All in all, it seems Samplitude is a decent but somewhat antiquated DAW, all feels rather Win98-ish

This was my impression after trying to demo. I passed on buying it.

[VariKusBrainZ]

You could probably get around the folder issue by using Junction Points

With regard to installation of Vita instruments, when you install them you don't get an option to place the samples on a different drive. Unfortunately you are stuck with this location C:\Users\Public\Documents\MAGIX\Common. If you try to move them you will get an error so I'm afraid they will have to stay in the default position unless someone else knows a way to move them without errors. You can move the Independence samples to a different location and all you need to do is open Independence and navigate to the new location from the library manager. Unfortunately the Vita instruments don't have this library manager. These Vita instruments were originally created for MAGIX Music Maker so I guess they never considered anyone would want to move them. I've been in contact with MAGIX about this.

Here's how you choose the library location in Independence:



Regards, Kraznet

[pekbro]

I don't mind the DAW itself. Its got some nice features. The metering and UI docking is nice. The midi implementation is a bit weird to me. I still cant get any VST sequencers to work beyond recording their output. Supposedly you can via midi-thru, but I've had no success, that is a big draw away from using it a lot for me, as I love to use sequencers. I've not tried most of the content, and probably wont, mostly due to lack of a place to put all the stuff.

Anyway, still a nice and effective alternative DAW, and a steal at this price. But yeah, the main attraction here, for many is going to just be the audio editors.

-Cheers

[Kraznet]

I still cant get any VST sequencers to work beyond recording their output

Any particular sequencers you're having problems with? How do you mean they don't work?

[pekbro]

Any particular sequencers you're having problems with? How do you mean they don't work?

The HY-Plugins sequencers for example. I have not been able to route midi from one VST to another.

I enabled midi recording for them (both in the track editor and plugin editor) set the additional outputs, enabled monitoring etc. I believe it said midi-thru was enabled. I couldn’t find any settings to verify that though. I suppose it’s in my midi driver somewhere.

Anyway, thanks in advance for any help.

-cheers

[telecharge]

Any particular sequencers you're having problems with? How do you mean they don't work?

Do you know of any good resources related to Samplitude and sequencers/arps like Cthulhu, Thesys, Kirnu Cream, BlueArp, etc.? How about internal MIDI routing in Samplitude?

[Kraznet]

I did a tutorial about Kirnu Cream awhile back showing how to route the midi so it triggers a synth track. I'm still in the process of trying to work out whether I can trigger more than one instrument from Kirnu Cream as it has the possibility to use 4 tracks.