Decent Sampler: Free Win/macOS/iOS/Linux sampler

[SampleScience]

I discovered this very cool sampler a couple of months ago. I recently got an email from the dev telling me that it's now at v1, which means that it's stable and I can develop libraries for it if I want.

It's a good sampler for musicians who just want to load libraries made for it. For devs, it's based xml code, so no visual mapper but it's fairly easy. At least, it's easy enough for me to understand.

You can get Decent Sampler here: https://www.decentsamples.com/product/d ... er-plugin/

And there are 103 free libraries in Decent Sampler format available on the Pianobook website. Get them here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hUc-8Y2bL0

https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3A ... pler%22%29

You'll have to register on both sites to get Decent Sampler and the free libraries. There are also some free instruments you can download from the app itself as well as paid ones.

Decent Sampler runs as a VST/VST3/AU/AAX plugin and standalone on Windows/macOS/Linux and it also runs on iOS as an AUv3 and standalone.

I'd like to know your opinion about it. Does it run well on your setup? How do you find the UI?

[glokraw]

I really like the uncomplicated gui, I use the linux version, and have found many delightful sounds. I see you mention David Hilowitz's google search string to easily find more sounds, likely quite a few more than 103 now, as people are working on the conversions from Kontakt and exs24 formats:

https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3A ... pler%22%29

I mentioned DecentSampler in the commercial linux apps topic a few days back. It's great for loading an instrument, or a few instruments. A few reported problems were due to not having disk-streaming enabled, as a few sounds in monolith format remained silent until that box was ticked. But I haven't any odd-lot crashes.

It would be a great choice for people short on cash and/or daw skillz, who would enjoy a midi controlled grand piano, choir, guitar, or some of the many less generic intruments. The library is nicely categorized, by instrument type, arrival time, or highlights.

https://www.pianobook.co.uk/library/cat ... ighlights/

Sounds are nearing the 600 mark, click on an instrument, and off to the right
of the new page, the available formats are shown in blue links, and Marcus Manderson traded lots of his real life for making demos of each instrument, a monumental task greatly appreciated when among the choosing instruments.

https://www.pianobook.co.uk/forums/topi ... %9f%98%8a/

I think my favorite sound is the Winter Voices choir, great to just play with the eyes closed, when trying to work through life's difficulties, the unknowns ahead, or the simple joys of hearing a beautiful chorale. The number and type of the gui controls varies according to the sound's author, so they're not all the same

DecentWinterVoices.png

DecentSamplerReplika.png

Cheers

[glokraw]

edit: I've read that Spitfire Audio's Christian Henson is behind this /PianoBook DecentSampler 'movement', so I hope a little extra prosperity befalls them, due to their vision and generosity!
Cheers

[EvilDragon]

AFAIK nope, this has nothing to do with SA. Their sampler is closed source and not open for 3rd parties. David Hilowitz developed DS.

[glokraw]

Christian Henson is a co-founder of Spitfire, and involved in creating instruments for DecentSampler, and I think working on the forum in spare time. I'll edit my post above, regarding actual coding of an app.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ableton/commen ... christian/

Cheers

[SampleScience]

I'm currently learning how to program Decent Sampler libraries, there's a lot not mentioned in the official documentation. For instance, in the Soft String Spurs library, there is an amplitude modulation control. Nothing is mentioned about it in the documentation. So my guess is that there's more to it than it looks...

As far as I know, Christian Henson personal projects aren't linked to Spitfire Audio. He seems to "support" Decent Sampler in the sense that he encourages its developement. But he is not working on it; Decent Sampler is the solo project of musician and programmer David Hilowitz.

If I can recommend some free libraries for Decent Sampler, here are my recommendations:

https://www.pianobook.co.uk/library/winter-voices/
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/library/soft-string-spurs/

[glokraw]

The Lamp sound is great with Winter Voices. It's atop the 'highlights' category, a very rich ambient sine pad, with a cool backstory at the download link...

https://www.pianobook.co.uk/library/cat ... ighlights/

https://www.pianobook.co.uk/about/

winter-lamp.mp3.zip

winter-lamp.png

Cheers

[Drew Lake]

there is an amplitude modulation control. Nothing is mentioned about it in the documentation. So my guess is that there's more to it than it looks...

I must say this looks quite promising. I just had a quick read of the Dev Documentation and the XML syntax looks real easy to understand to the point I might even give it a go...

[GaryG]

Since my rebuild/simplification I've used Decent sampler a lot. It just seems to work without fuss, download a zip drag it in, all there consistently whenever you open it in the future etc. Never crashed for me on Reaper.

I'd never argue it's a replacement for those who need the more complex features of say Kontakt, key switching orch libraries etc. but for regular sounds it's great. I like too that anyone can add front panel controls to their instruments, don't need a license like other players.

Personal tip: Claustrophobic Piano - great for that insanely close mic'ed piano noodling, perfect for minimal, ambient piano malarky.

[monkeygenius]

From what I understand, the open source SFZ player Sfizz is also able to read Decent Sampler libraries.

[surreal]

Really cool post about Decent Sampler

[Tj Shredder]

As far as I know, Christian Henson personal projects aren't linked to Spitfire Audio. He seems to "support" Decent Sampler in the sense that he encourages its developement. But he is not working on it; Decent Sampler is the solo project of musician and programmer David Hilowitz.

If I can recommend some free libraries for Decent Sampler, here are my recommendations:

https://www.pianobook.co.uk/library/winter-voices/
https://www.pianobook.co.uk/library/soft-string-spurs/

Christian Henson at least introduced the Pianobook project. I recall having seen a video about it. David Hilowitz Decent Sampler project was a perfect match.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6wprMToxSg

The sfz compatibility combined with the possibility to publish to iOS adds to the usability for sound designers. I guess Decent Sampler will grow together with the sfizz project which seem to have a 100 times faster development pace as Plogues reference sfz implementation...

[SampleScience]

there is an amplitude modulation control. Nothing is mentioned about it in the documentation. So my guess is that there's more to it than it looks...

I must say this looks quite promising. I just had a quick read of the Dev Documentation and the XML syntax looks real easy to understand to the point I might even give it a go...

Yeah, absolutely! That's why I like it, it's easy to understand and everything make sense in an intuitive way.

[SampleScience]

Here's a nice Rock Drum Kit not on the pianobook website, totally free: https://gretchenswretchedlabnotes.wordp ... led-drums/

[go_fig]

SampleScience, I don't know the detailed considerations of Decent vs. various sfz options, but as someone who's bought and enjoyed your samples/plugins, I'll follow your lead and explore this platform. It seems like a no-brainer that there should be a licensing-free platform for sample instruments that is stable and full-featured enough to share and sell sounds, at least for moderate-complexity designs.