SFZ Format & Drum Sample Newbie

[SingerSmith]

hello all...

[Really hoping for an easier alternative than learning the SFZ Format in it's entirety...but here goes]...

1) I need to either create my own Drum Sample Player Software...or...name my newly recorded drum samples per the most universal format (SFZ?) & place them into a custom library in a currently used Drum Sample Player (Session Drummer 1 & 2, in SONAR). [really also hoping to avoid drum 'replacement', if possible...as I'd like to approach this from a basic MIDI Mapping standpoint, so as to have a sampler play my *own* samples]. [& right now...for the CD I'm working on...I only need to create a snare sampler, or have any sample player play snare only...I'll move on to the other kit components later]

2) Started w/ my two classic acoustic snare drums...a Rogers 5" PowerTone (circa mid-'60's); & a TAMA 6" RockStar Stainless Steel (circa early-'90's, I believe). Used quality overhead & underside micing, thru quality preamping & an Aurora 8 AD/DA, under pristine studio conditions...into my DAW (SONAR X1 PE). I recorded hits at 4 velocity levels...soft, mid-lite, mid & heavy ( I also did rim shots at the mid & heavy levels). My signals were very good & the audio clips sound great...very happy.

So...(as per an informational website I visited, written by KVR forum member DSmolken)...(which is a great freakin' site, incidentally)...I'm hoping it is as simple as (if I'm using an existing drum sampler)...labeling my snare samples as follows (splitting 0-127 MIDI Velocity into 4 segments):

<region>key=38
lovel=0 hivel=31
sample=snare.rogers_vl1.wav
<region>key=38
lovel=32 hivel=63
sample=snare.rogers_vl2.wav
<region>key=38
lovel=64 hivel=95
sample=snare.rogers_vl3.wav
<region>key=38
lovel=96 hivel=127
sample=snare.rogers_vl4.wav

& then placing them into a custom library in Session Drummer

So...A) how far off am I for using an existing player? B) any suggestions on easily creating my own player? C) If Session Drummer isn't capable of playing custom samples...any suggestions on one that would?

thanx,


SingerSmith
[ADK Pro Audio Quad Pro, w/ Intel Core i7 2600 CPU | 8 GB DDR3-1600 RAM | Win 7 Pro 64-Bit | Lynx Aurora8 ~ AES16 | Cakewalk SONAR PE XI | Steinberg WaveLab 7]

[DSmolken]

As far as I know, most of the dedicated drum software and existing drum libraries don't allow "user samples", so you have to use a general-purpose sampler like Sforzando (which will read SFZ) or Kontakt (which I assume what Session Drummer is made in - so while you can't get your samples into Session Drummer itself, you can do something that uses the same Kontakt platform Session Drummer does).

To make your own player, the most viable option is probably HISE (which will import basic SFZ sample maps). You can also do MaizeSampler, which is not as capable for when you decide to add fancy features later, but it will do for simple stuff - if it'll let you make self-muting hi-hats, it might be worth a closer look.

The only drum-specific things that allow loading user samples are either drum machine style samplers that can't do velocity layers and round robins, and DrumGizmo which is not a plugin at all and not very user-friendly.

[pljones]

Being an sfz evangelist and drum sample mapper (of old), I'd say go with SFZ format and Sforzando. It Just Works. Example: http://www.drealm.info/sfz/GregJazz/plj ... nk_kit.sfz - others: http://www.drealm.info/sfz/

Sforzando made a major improvement in that is has self-muting that SFZ 1.0 didn't have (you had to mute with a different note, making natural-sounding, CC4-controlled hi-hats impossible).

[SingerSmith]

thanx to you both...

Sforzando will not install on my studio's audio pc...have no idea why....downloaded it onto a thumb drive...moved it over to my other machine, but nothing.

Session Drummer designed by Cakewalk Music Software (SONAR proprietary)...I have Kontakt, tho...is there a sample player w/ that bundle?

thanx again,


SingerSmith

[CrystalWizard]

Battery might suit.

[pljones]

Kontakt is a sample player.

[enroe]

hello all...
(splitting 0-127 MIDI Velocity into 4 segments):

<region>key=38 lovel=0 hivel=31 sample=snare.rogers_vl1.wav
<region>key=38 lovel=32 hivel=63 sample=snare.rogers_vl2.wav
<region>key=38 lovel=64 hivel=95 sample=snare.rogers_vl3.wav
<region>key=38 lovel=96 hivel=127 sample=snare.rogers_vl4.wav

At first: You can see yourself how easy SFZ is: You can do your own mapping
immediately! And of course: You don't need to dive into alle the depths of SFZs,
just use what you need only!

So...A) how far off am I for using an existing player? B) any suggestions on easily creating my own player? C) If Session Drummer isn't capable of playing custom samples...any suggestions on one that would?

Well, as already said, the best advice is: Use one of the sfz-sampler or sfz-sample player.

Sforzando will not install on my studio's audio pc...have no idea why....downloaded it
onto a thumb drive...moved it over to my other machine, but nothing.

That is weird: I have never heard of any Windows system that Sforzando
would not work. You must've done anything wrong.
Anyway, you can choose any player from the following list: SFZ-Player

[mw4man]

THANX everybody (& I truly mean *thanx* & *everybody*...invaluable help...very much appreciated).

gonna go w/ Kontakt...I have version 5; & it looks like a fairly simple process to assign clips, velocity scaling & all dat.

[after everything I did, my snare samples sounded way to *tinny*...it was because I had them tuned too tightly, something I did when I used to play live to have the snare bite thru the mix (along w/ underside micing). As a rule of thumb, snares should be tuned to A; & I think I was 5 or 6 half steps above that (oy-vey)].

But now I can at least go back to task...re-tune & re-record; & have a whack at Kontakt.

cheers...thanx again,


SingerSmith

[KVRaside]

Kontakt is extremely powerful once you take the time to really delve in. Good luck with your project.