Prominy LPC - Still Numero Uno?

[Tomdini]

Yo.

Months ago, the LPC lib was hailed as the go-to reference resource for superb clean electric guitar sounds. A breakthrough, some of my colleagues called it. I didn't much care. Not my thing.

But since then, I have come to require a good clean e-guitar lib. The buzz around LPC has died down a bit in my circle, but I've done some poking around and it doesn't seem like anything better has surfaced since Prominy released their product.

I've listened to all the demos from most of the competition, but I just wanted to see if anybody else in this world knew something I didn't. So I inquired on a few boards, but I didn't get very helpful replies... mostly lots of "go with xxxx lib or xxxx VSTi, it's much much cheaper!"

But I'm not paying for this. My budget for such a library is absolutely unrestricted.

So I shall now appeal to the collective knowledge of the KVR forum, which is always filled with folks who seem to be much more on top of what's floating around out there than myself.

With infinite cash, is LPC still the way to go for the ultimate expressive clean electric lib? Yes, it's the most expensive - but that's not what convinces me that it'd be any good. What does catch my eye is the sheer size - and that's what I need. Mass articulations - and noises. The noises that add to the expressiveness of the instrument. I'm pretty well set in the rhythm guitar department, so what I'm looking for is the best in melodic expression for the electric guitar. The kind of stuff I can't play myself, and is damn difficult to do well with samples.

Can anything really truly beat LPC, in that regard? Again, it's got to be clean.

Also, while I'm on the subject... uh, I'm gonna need a sampler. Kind of an important component to be missing! I'm a big synth guy myself, never dealt very much with samples, and I don't know anything about the various software packages out there. I'm thinking NI's latest incarnation of Kontakt might be the ticket, if for nothing else than the fact that it seems to work with every format yet conceived. But maybe that's nothing special?

And finally... while I've never much worked with samplers, I'm a quick learner but don't quite seem to understand the general workflow. For instance, most sample libraries that I've seen come with various files (based on whatever sampler you're loading the library into) which contain mapping and other data for different samples in the library as a whole. Generally, how does one access the various samples scattered throughout the different files in order to create music that is seamless and coherent?

I'm not looking for a tutorial or anything very detailed here. Just a broad overview - I'm simply curious as to how one brings the different pieces of a very big library together and makes it sound right. I imagine it's got to be a ton of work, but I don't have any experience whatsoever in the process.

Think that's it. Thanks in advance for any advice/info.

-Tom

[jeffn1]

Yo.

Months ago, the LPC lib was hailed as the go-to reference resource for superb clean electric guitar sounds. A breakthrough, some of my colleagues called it. I didn't much care. Not my thing.

But since then, I have come to require a good clean e-guitar lib. The buzz around LPC has died down a bit in my circle, but I've done some poking around and it doesn't seem like anything better has surfaced since Prominy released their product.

I've listened to all the demos from most of the competition, but I just wanted to see if anybody else in this world knew something I didn't. So I inquired on a few boards, but I didn't get very helpful replies... mostly lots of "go with xxxx lib or xxxx VSTi, it's much much cheaper!"

But I'm not paying for this. My budget for such a library is absolutely unrestricted.

So I shall now appeal to the collective knowledge of the KVR forum, which is always filled with folks who seem to be much more on top of what's floating around out there than myself.

With infinite cash, is LPC still the way to go for the ultimate expressive clean electric lib? Yes, it's the most expensive - but that's not what convinces me that it'd be any good. What does catch my eye is the sheer size - and that's what I need. Mass articulations - and noises. The noises that add to the expressiveness of the instrument. I'm pretty well set in the rhythm guitar department, so what I'm looking for is the best in melodic expression for the electric guitar. The kind of stuff I can't play myself, and is damn difficult to do well with samples.

Can anything really truly beat LPC, in that regard? Again, it's got to be clean.

Also, while I'm on the subject... uh, I'm gonna need a sampler. Kind of an important component to be missing! I'm a big synth guy myself, never dealt very much with samples, and I don't know anything about the various software packages out there. I'm thinking NI's latest incarnation of Kontakt might be the ticket, if for nothing else than the fact that it seems to work with every format yet conceived. But maybe that's nothing special?

And finally... while I've never much worked with samplers, I'm a quick learner but don't quite seem to understand the general workflow. For instance, most sample libraries that I've seen come with various files (based on whatever sampler you're loading the library into) which contain mapping and other data for different samples in the library as a whole. Generally, how does one access the various samples scattered throughout the different files in order to create music that is seamless and coherent?

I'm not looking for a tutorial or anything very detailed here. Just a broad overview - I'm simply curious as to how one brings the different pieces of a very big library together and makes it sound right. I imagine it's got to be a ton of work, but I don't have any experience whatsoever in the process.

Think that's it. Thanks in advance for any advice/info.

-Tom

I have Bela Media's Lyrical Distortion and just got the full Prominy LPC package.

I don't think there is much doubt that LPC is the most complete electric guitar sample library around. It is too bad you missed the recent group buy on it. I have only started using it, but it seems great to me. For one thing, I think it is the only electric guitar library with a full range of chords, in addition to the large number of lead oriented articulations. It seems well mapped too.

But I still like LD's exploitation of Kontakt multis. It makes putting together a rhtyhm part or a lead with palm and release at your fingertips painless (LD is moderately overdriven).

If money were no object, I would lean toward getting LPC and LD to use in Kontakt 2.

jeffn1

[sghoughton]

Tom,

Try asking at the Norther sounds forum. During the group buy last month there was a lot of talk about it and lots of purchases so there are lots of people with it now. I have it and can't really give an opinion because I just haven't played with it enough. It does come giga and kontakt 2 though so you'd be good with either (my preference is kontakt).

steve

[LijEyasu]

I own this and can verify that it is the most comprehensive guitar library out on the market now.

I've even run it out to my crybaby with good results. I'll admit that having a real guitar is still better for more advanced rhythm parts. However, this is the only guitar library with 7th, 9th, Add, etc chords.

Too bad you just missed the groupbuy. You could have purchased it for $140 US.

Tom,

Try asking at the Norther sounds forum. During the group buy last month there was a lot of talk about it and lots of purchases so there are lots of people with it now. I have it and can't really give an opinion because I just haven't played with it enough. It does come giga and kontakt 2 though so you'd be good with either (my preference is kontakt).

steve