Multi-Gig Sample Libraries...

 I agree Jonbouy. Never could understand why when a company comes up with say a piano that is a computer emulation based on a real piano compared to a huge sampled streaming piano most people prefer the huge sampled piano when  they both can sound very similar depending.

 I think there are times when the streaming libraries beat anything else hands down but I have found that in my case there are times when working with certain sounds there are plenty of alternatives so that there is no reason to necessarily feel limited by or confined by not having the streamers. 

 

I thought size mattered .....

and bigger was always better....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS_ZcDaaduE

SongCraft


In that case I suggest the studio guys will need to have a clear understanding of the type of music the client does = get them to send a link/music long before booking so that way you'll be somewhat well prepared.  

That's exactly what I do. My sampling library is remarkably huge. I've been collecting and creating samples for many years and have them all in order and placed in categories. Clients in need of specific sounds send me clips of what they are after and I either match them up or create them if possible.
 
The one thing I do like about having the larger sample libraries is, there are more hits per velocity which makes things more natural. Relying on a few samples without having a nice sample pool to draw from velocity wise can make things sound a little unrealisitic, but I do agree with Jonbouy's comments.

-Danny

I am someone that owns several large sample libraries but also makes patches too. It is also very important to get onto the more detailed aspect of the programming of a patch though and serious samplers like Emulators for example allow for very expressive playing. Many patches are not even programmed anywhere near where they can be in terms of touch sensitivity etc. I agree with Jonbouy in that they can be a turn off only at first though.

I think you have to be fluent with the samplers OS and be able to get in there and edit the patches in depth. For example in the Emu E5000 that I use you can send velocity to all manner of destinations. eg volume of course but also filter cutoff, attack, pitch, resonance, pan position and all of these in varying degrees. (And also most effect parameters!) EMU's can set up two very different filter types and morph between them under the control of velocity. Then the sound takes on a new dimension and feels and sounds incredible to play. BTW VST 3 really takes expressive control of synths into a very new level of capability.

Kurzweils can have many VAST processes going on over a patch and be under the control of touch sensitivity. The options there are almost limitless.

I have made patches by carefully sampling things and then doing all the pre production on a sound but then you need to get into the expression part of the patch to fully complete it. If you also add in the effects of after touch, pitch and mod wheels, foot control and breath control then some serious expression can be built into patches as well. 

These things apply to all VST's and synths as well as samplers. Samplers are OK and for me I never get bored with them. They seem infinite to me. There are so many ways you can edit the patch. Repeating sounds is very avoidable. I have got incredible conga patches for example that have like 7 or 9 different soft notes in succession. The idea is to also use them in such a way that for example you may only use 9 soft hits and rotate them 1 to 9 and restart etc. This will cycle over the time signature you are using and notes won't repeat themselves in the same spot rhythmically for tens or hundreds of bars etc..You can be clever like that and use maths to make things sound more natural. If you are a drummer you can sample cymbals crashes like 10 times and use all of the crashes in succession before repeating. Same with hand claps and finger clicks etc.. It is important for one crash to continue on with its volume envelope too if another crash comes in quick succession. 

All this does take time and require a lot of thought and input. But at least once you edit a patch for very expressive playing it can be stored as such and then you have it like that from then on.