Here’s a sample set that’s so underground it doesn’t even have a website. I don’t know why, I’m a complete sucker for these kinds of things; I think there should be more folks out there sampling off-beat instruments, found sounds, toys, forgotten instruments.

Actually, I guess I should be doing that. Damn, I’m lazy.

Anyway, thanks to KvR user Architeuthis for not being lazy.

Sorry, this is my first sample library and so I don’t have all that professional stuff going for me like a website and a quick Pay to Download system setup. That will hopefully come in the future.

* Recorded in 24-bit / 96,000khz
* 15 tone musical box in the key of G#
* 14 alternative samples per tone, 210 samples total
* Coming soon for registered users: A version of the sample library with crank noises

- Listen Here (first two melodies dry, third melody using EQ and KarmaFX reverb)
- Download Manual here

Send $15 to my paypal account argitoth-at-gmail dot com and you will receive a username, password, and product key to your e-mail. When sending the payment, specify the following:

-First and Last name
-An e-mail you want to register the product with

It is available for Kontakt. More samplers will be supported soon. Reply to this thread if you would like support for the sampler you use.

I actually haven’t receive my link yet, so I’m posting this on good faith. The links are going out fairly quickly; by the time I got back to my computer several hours later it was waiting for in my inbox. He’s a verified paypal member and seems to have been around KvR for a while, so let’s assume this is all on the up and up. The demo does sound pretty fantastic, and I have the perfect track for this.

^{Photo by Kriss Szkurlatowski, via stock.xchng.com.
So, yeah, the photo is just something I found and does not represent the sampled box.}

This has to be the best licensing agreement I’ve read.

For The sounds found project:

You are free to do with them whatever you desire. Authorship is void here. Too many declarations of property are made by people who simply pressed a record button, this project exists to encourage a different path.

How can you not love any project that has samples of “20021217: Scissors, like any room, Heidelberg” or
“20020922: Mad violinist, bathroom, St. Wendel”?

I’m not sure how one goes about submitting but there seems to be a very cool community working over at http://www.intelligentmachinery.net. Grab your field recorder and explore the ambiance of your life.

Coming soon: The bucolic soundscapes of Pawtucket.

Without getting too inside VST geeky, there was a developer who went by the name Arguru, a real rock star in the development/advancement of making music on computers. Chances are, if you are using software sequencers/samplers his work has at least influenced what you are using. Sadly, he died a while ago, unexpectedly, in a car accident.

Anyway, for a while he was involved in the discoDSP venture and developed a sampler/host hybrid that is mind-bendingly advanced and incredibly simple. The fabled Highlife. Anyway, after Arguru parted from the company Highlife was released as freeware, frustrating everyone who had paid for the thing, delighting the rest of us cheap bastards.

Well, discoDSP have gone and released the source code under a BSD¹ license.

To quote Ugo over on the *cough* KvR *cough* forums, “Wow, that was unexpected!”

Remember when Netscape decided to open up its source code? No? Well, I’m old. But, unless I’m mistaken, it directly let to Mozilla/Firefox. I imagine this is the same. Only with DSP.

I imagine we’ll quickly see ~nix versions, right? This is big news indeed, correct?

^{1From what I understand, this means you can do what you will with it, commercially or not, as long as you keep a credit to the original copyright holders intact.}

_{Note: I only came to know of Arguru and his work after his passing, other than seeing his name around from time to time. One of those morbid cases of only learning of a person/their work only exactly because of their death. But once I began reading up on the guy and his life I realized how influential he was. Apparently a pretty stellar individual as well.}

Two new VST pluings are now available to anyone who wishes to download. One appears to be a rather polished “sampler” that is more or less official abandonware. The other is a raw chunk of open source programming that may be a diamond in the rough.

The former, Vember Audio’s Shortcircuit, is simple-sample engine, with the emphasis on traditional sampler paradigms, i.e. not build around huge sample libraries, i.e. you drop single sample into it and mangle, modulate and trigger them. Windows only. I don’t know, is there a good MAC VST/AU simple sample playback, like Live’s Simpler or Cakewalk’s DropZone?

B.) The other, VSTLus by programmer John Williamson, is the first iteration of a MIDI utility that runs custom MIDI scripts. So all those hours you’ve spent scoring the web for free VSTi MIDI/MFX plugs and trying to understand/get them to work, can now be spent learning what appears a straightforward scripting language, that will do whatever MIDI tricks you can dream up. It’s all a bit above my head, especially in regard the the plugin’s programming, but I’m definitely keeping an eye on it. Windows only, but since it’s a BSD license here’s to hoping some enterprising MAC/~nix coder can recompile it. I image the scripts are cross-platform, and there’s a rudimentary API, so there’s plenty there for the hardcore. In some ways it reminds me of mucoder’s hypercyclic (my top choice for the Dev Challenge), or, more specifically, a stripped down MFX Development Kit. Personally, I love a good GUI, and the MIDI-hacking I’m most interested in are those that lead me in directions I’d probably not come across on my own, different flavors/degrees of generative and sequencing and modulation scripts. So hypercyclic fills that slot nicely for me. But who knows what can happen with this.

I’ve now spent some time with the 2 Soniccouture sample sets I’ve purchased over the last few months, specifically Konkrete2 and the Hang Drum libraries. So, I feel fully qualified to rave about these products, and in general develop a bit of a gear-nerd crush on the company.

General fan-boy notes: Slick, well-functioning web-site, with a good eCommerce business model. (Some other payment options might be advised but I’m fine with paypal.) But, more importantly, insanely well-produced content, that is as specific as it is flexible, and it’s reasonably priced; in terms of sample libraries (and music software in general) they’re downright cheap. You’ll need a Kontakt so there’s that; I mean, most of the titles are released for other sampler-players as well, but what they do with Kontakt is where these libraries really shine - the scripting is insanely good.

Konkrete Drums 2: It took me a little while to figure out how to make them usable. Obviously, it’s not EZDrummer - not any sense.¹ And it’s far more extensive and varried than your bog-standard x0x sample kit. But the mapping vaguely recalls your standard drum-kit mapping (kicks and subs down around #36). And most of the hits seem to be single velocity - caveat: I say that not having fully explored the library: it’s really frickin’ huge. The range of sounds is really expansive, from organic to completely inorganic, metallic to completely warm and squishy. And this is cool but really I purchased it for the glitch-script it comes packaged with. Go watch the video, you’ll see what I mean. Nice, right? And with Sonar’s new multi-lane controller view makes short work of this.

Hang Drum: I said to my producing partner last night, “The problem with these libraries is that in about a year you’ll be hearing them everywhere.”

Let me revise that. In about 6 months you’ll be hearing them everywhere. I’ve already used them on 3 tracks.

It’s amazing how they’ve approached putting together a multi-sample of an unconventional instrument. And, as everyone notes, it’s easy to just sit there with the “Jamming” script turned on and just muck about for hours. So, here I am, once again, giving away the game. For a while these are going to be like Reason and you’ll be watching TV or playing XBox and some piece of music will drift by and you’ll think to yourself, “Hey, that’s the Hang Drum library.” For a little less than $100 US - less if you’re European, you can sound like every other producer for the next, oh, 7 years. What will be interesting is the people who really start pushing the library in unconventional ways. But even if you don’t use it in a single track you should buy it just to experience its musicality.

And if you act now you can get their Abstrakt Bass for a discounted price. Honestly, when I first was poking about their site I thought, “Yeah, whatever, another bass instrument.” But, again, this thing appears hugely deep, covering all manner of, erm, basses. And, once again, they top off a really extensive but economical library with a batch of Kontakt-scripting goodness. Right now I’m so glad I could never afford Trilogy.

And for you lechers and freeloaders, they have a well-stocked freebies/demo page so you can taste their brilliance. But, really, this is a company we want to be around for a while so buck up and buy some new sounds.

¹I’ve edited this for clarity, and to make a feeble joke.

I got into a discussion over at the mighty fine rekkerd blog (log-rolling in our time) regarding the reasoning behind huge multi-instrument, multi-sample libraries, specifically the just-announced Sample Logic Elements.

As I said there, it’s an interesting idea for a multi-sample collection, and I’m sure there’s lots of cool, useful sounds, but, jeeze, $300? Who buys this stuff? What kind of market is there for these cover-all-the-bases, huge and expensive sample libraries? The perks are an interesting touch - Virtual Instruments Magazine, how was I not aware of this? - but I don’t understand the market behind these libraries.

A few key companies keep making these huge sample sets that seem marketed at people who are looking for a one-stop-fits-all (to mix a metaphor) sample library, and I just wonder how many of these buyers there really are. Most people who are going to be interested in this are users who already have all of these sounds well covered, and are probably more interested in specific instruments. Having to sort through 100s upon 100s of presets, no matter how well organized, is not a great trade-off. So what they’re doing to their customer is making us shell out for the whole friggin’ thing whether we’ll use it or not. And anyone who has been working with sample libraries for awhile will tell you, that with these huge multi-instrument libraries you use maybe 40% of them more than a few times and a good 60% once or twice if at all. And that’s it.

Why not break it up into smaller custom sets and sell them at 40 bucks a whack? Oh yeah, physical media.

You know, like Soniccouture. So, while we’re on that subject…

Not to be outdone by Apple, Native Instruments have announced the imminent release of their fall line-up.

Aside from the new product bundles (which I don’t pay a whole lot of attention to), we have Kontakt 3 and Guitar Rig 3.

I was just saying a little while ago that the thought of Kontakt 3 makes my head hurt. While I’m certain welcome any improvement to the program, I feel like I’ve invested a bit of time into getting it working as it is now. So the learning curve just got a little steeper. But what exactly are we getting? Well, aside from a host of improvements to the workflow and an expanded library, an inline sample editor, improved browser and library, some new effects and expanded modulation. From watching the little video on the announcement page, it looks like sample editing, mapping and modulating got a lot easier. So, this one will go in the cart eventually, after we see what else shapes up this upgrade season.

Also getting a point update is Guitar Rig. This is just some new amps and effects, with a bunch of workflow improvements thrown on top. And for users who are using GR live, you’ve got a new Rig Controller and a live view, neither of which is hugely interesting to me.

So there you have it.

There’s been a lot of talk at the various sites I visit about sample libraries, and loop libraries, which is nothing unusual save that most of the time the discussion is from people just coming into digital audio production wondering where to find fodder for their explorations. Legitimate enough, and we’ve all been there in some form or another, but after the flurry of the usual links, it’s just a waiting game until it starts again, and after a while you just begin to ignore them. It’s such a broad topic and one clearly defined by taste and prejudice. But sometimes people who know what they’re talking about will point you to libraries and sets you might otherwise miss or not have considered.

Arguments about authenticity aside, I’m a big fan of sample libraries. I use more multi-samples than loops (ACID/REX), multi-sample libraries that emulate other instruments (drums, strings, piano, mellotron, old synths, et al), or might otherwise inspire me in unusual directions. But I’ve also always enjoyed chopping up samples, mostly beats (love me some breakbeats), but I’m pretty comfortable ripping up a bass line or horn riff and re-assembling it to suit my needs; just as I’m comfortable laying down a bass part or the guitar track. (Yeah, never use the sampled guitars, and not because I’m so great on guitar or for any aesthetic considerations, but that’s one of the fun parts making music.)

Anyway… I’ve been collecting a lot of my audio surfing finds in a del.icio.us feed, and if you click on the Samples tag you’ll get a list of what I’ve found so far in terms of sample libraries. I try to find the unusual and less heralded, so you’re not going to find Sony or some of the large Kontakt commercial libraries. But there are a lot of companies doing weird and wonderful (and, let’s be honest, crappy) work. But there’s a lot of stuff out there on the net that can be found for a price more of us can work with.

Let me know if there’s anything I missed.

Also, I can’t vouch for the quality or reputation of any of these commercial vendors. They all seem pretty much on the up and up, or have decent product, but, you know, your millage and all that.

A note on my del.icio.us feed: There tags for both “Samples” and for “Sampling.” The distinction being that samples refers to collections or work other people did, while sampling refers to the art of actually doing the sampling yourself.

I’d be a poor music tech blogger if I didn’t mention that Summer NAMM ‘07 is under way. Loads of announcements, much of which I don’t give a shite about - most of it actually. Who knows, maybe something will come of it, but mostly it’s just interesting to see what kind of gear will be being hocked by Guitar Center, Sweetwater, et al. And if something else catches my eye I’ll try to mention it.

But there is this weird little bit (well, weird expensive bit): Timbaland Special Edition MiKo. So signature software installations? Forgot about the ultimate usefulness of the MiKo computer/keyboard thing. Can there be any advantage to using the exact same software setup as a famous pop/hip hop producer that you couldn’t get rolling your own with the $3500 this will set you back?

Really, I’m curious.

The online sample shop LoopMaster.com has a new collection out that specifically targets those creators who love to drop funny/interesting/off-beat bits of movie dialog into their productions. It’s called, sensibly enough, Movie Dialog.

This is obviously created by raiding the public domain and combing through this pile of delightful, strange and awful (sometimes all at once) heap of cultural ephemera. There are all kinds of great bits of dialog or narration to be found in these old films, be they commercial, educational, governmental, or promotional. So they’ve apparently taken the best of some of these and chopped and cleaned them. And since they are charging a fair price, I think this a good idea.

I just wish I had the sense and resources to have gotten there first.

Really, I’ve been doing this for several years now, ever since I discovered the Prelinger Archives at archive.org. Prelinger is a fascinating guy and did a great service to the public domain by collecting/rescuing a huge pile of ephemeral films, donating them to a few organizations and then releasing them back to the public, via archive.org. (Check out the recent Harper’s article on him and his wife for a great look into a couple with a unique vision.) Since they are free to use, spindle and mutilate at will, well, go to it.

1. Download the least compressed version your internet connection will allow. And if all you’re after is the audio, you’re probably safe with the 256kb in most cases. I haven’t been able to discern much difference with the audio. (If you’re after the video, well, HiRes is where you’re going to go, but some of the longer films are pretty large.)
2. Watch the film, but pay attention with your ears. Listen to the soundtrack, sort of breaking it up as you go along into discreet samples. Don’t just listen to dialog/narration, listen for clangs, clicks, stings, hits - what have you - there’s all kinds of fun stuff you can sample.
3. Rip the audio via any number of shareware/commercial/free video programs; I use QuicktimePro. I save it as a 16-bit, 44.1 wav file, because let’s be honest, you’re not really getting any audio quality even if you troubled to download the least compressed version on the archive.org ftp server.
4. Use the audio editor of your choice to chop and clean your samples. SoundForge has a deep set of noise reduction tools, but there are many alternatives. Unless I’m way mistaken you could do most it in Audacity.
5. There you go, start dropping these into your projects at will.

Further bonus fun can be had by using pitch manipulation/correction software to really warp these movie quotes into something sonically unique. I use Melodyne, but that’s not what you might consider cheap. Try dblue’s Glitch VST for some true weirdness.

It’s likely that LoopMasters used other sources for their collection - sometimes you can find dollar DVDs that are public domain films. Note there are a lot of other films on archive.org but not all have the same open-source license as Prelinger, which are mostly industrial films, so make sure you’re clear on what you’re downloading. But really, it will be long time before you exhaust the resources offered to you by Prelinger. Either that or you rely too heavily on movie dialog and you might think about actually singing.

Any other places you like to download public domain movies?