Basic sampler/format question

[PaulG]

Really basic question -

I know that, for example, a SoundFont can have multiple samples across the key range, while a .wav file, for example, only will sample, say "middle C".

I'm looking to buy a relatively inexpensive sampler/playback like Kompakt w/it's library -

Here's the question -

Do the various formats compensate or have multiple samples across the instrument's range? Is it built in to the format itself? Do you need to get, say, a .wav file for each octave? Does the .akai or Konpakt formats have multiple samples built-in?

Am I explaining this well? Basically, I don't want to buy a library that has only one single piano sample and have it sound really unrealistic 2-3 octives up/down.

Thanks for any input,

- Paul

[jones-y]

Here's the breakdown:

A sample (wav, aiff, or other) is a digital recording of one particular sound.

A sampler instrument is a mapping of one or more samples to keys, along with other instrument settings. They come in two flavors. The first has both the samples and mappings/settings rolled into one big file (like giga or SF2). The second has just the mappings/settings and contain references to samples which are independent files (like .exs, .nki, and others)

Most, if not all, commercial sample sets contain multi-samples. In other words, one 'instrument' will consist of a mappings/settings file, plus several dozen or hundred samples. In the case of sampled pianos, the trend is hundreds of samples.

The various samplers (hard or soft) all have their own sampler instrument formats, which have their similarities and differences, but they can all handle multiple samples within one instrument. So, for example, that piano can have as many as 32 samples on each key, with the EXS24.

[videzyrah]

Good question, lol. I'm still trying to figure out what program(s) to get in order to work with soundfonts instead of simple .wav samples.

[jones-y]

Work with? As in creating soundfonts? Or playing them?

If its the latter, try rgc:audio sfz.

If its the former, try this tutorial