Samplers advice: LPX vs TAL

[masterhiggins]

I like TAL sampler. Kind of annoyed it can’t do simple velocity layers. When I convert s1000 cd libraries over even they have velocity layers that get lost when opening them in tal sampler.

[AnX]

I guess it's aimed at a kinda retro feel crowd, it's quite limited, but fits a very specific niche very well

Limited in what way ?
Sure it is not meant to load giga byte libraries , but it can do stuff no other sampler can do
Have you actually tried it ?

of course

limited, in what it can load, not function as such

[FapFilter]

I like TAL sampler. Kind of annoyed it can’t do simple velocity layers. When I convert s1000 cd libraries over even they have velocity layers that get lost when opening them in tal sampler.

It can do now since one of the more recent updates, but you have to sacrifice (some of) the other layers, as each layer can now be set to it's own velocity range if desired.
This probably won't happen automatically during conversion though and has to be done manually.

[MTorn]

I like TAL sampler. Kind of annoyed it can’t do simple velocity layers. When I convert s1000 cd libraries over even they have velocity layers that get lost when opening them in tal sampler.

It can do now since one of the more recent updates, but you have to sacrifice (some of) the other layers, as each layer can now be set to it's own velocity range if desired.
This probably won't happen automatically during conversion though and has to be done manually.

Yes, now you can do some fairly basic velocity switching between up to four layers - assuming that you don't want to use those layers for, well, layering.
I just now figured out a hack to get a lot more velocity layers, but it only works with single-note non-pitched stuff, like, say, a snare drum:

You can map out, for example, eight progressively harder hits of a drum (on a single layer), starting at your root note (like C3), and chromatically up (so, C3 to G3). Then in the matrix, modulate the layer's COARSE setting (in the ALL layers view) with velocity. For an 8-note velocity layer, the modulation amount is 7.00, I'm guessing because at velocity 127 it will transpose up 7 semitones. And there you have it!
The important part is to modulate the COARSE knob, not the TUNE knob. The coarse knob will transpose how the MIDI note will play on your key map, while tune simply pitches the samples up or down.

You can also use other modifiers instead of velocity, like random, alt, mod wheel, or a combination of several of these. But again, only for non-melodic sounds.
I suppose you could map up to one drum sound for each of the four layers this way.

TAL sampler is very versatile and accessible in many ways, but in other ways it's terribly clunky. On the key map screen, for example, you can only select one zone (sample) at a time. So if you have a 20-zone key map and want to turn of the loops, you have to select each zone separately and turn them off. And there's no auto-mapping whatsoever, or recognition of the root key of an imported sample. For old-style single zone sampling it's no problem, but for bigger things I've resorted to making basic SFZ layouts in other software, and importing them into TAL Sampler. The SFZ opcode recognition is very basic, by the way.

[pummel]

I believe you can do VEL crossfade using two slots of the mod matrix and two layers -- mod slot one VEL positive for layer A with it's volume at zero; mod slot two VEL negative for layer B, with it's volume slightly above default. Not as good as having +/- VEL sensitivity per layer, but a usable work around.

[masterhiggins]

Does anyone know if you can change the sample lookup default folder and keep it separate from the instrument files? I'd like to be able to share my samples among different samplers. I can keep all of my Logic sampler audio files in one repository and use Chicken Systems Translator to create TAL versions while sharing the same samples. It doesn't make sense to have to duplicate the samples if they're the same format.

[Tj Shredder]

Most samplers would include the folder a preset is stored. Place the preset for all sampler formats just at the same place… You can also use aliases, soft- or hard links to your samples/sample folder…