davdud101
 
I suspect it's this. It would've been REALLY cool if the Patch Menu on the MIDI track could list all the available patches in Xpand!2, dividing up the categories as banks.
Could certainly be something inside the MIDI files that's not viewable in the Event Editor. I'll check that out and see what I dig up!

I hear ya!  I started out with external hardware MIDI synths, and had to deal with instrument definitions and bank/patch changes to send the project setup out to the hardware.  But it's been a while, and I've slept since then, LOL! 
 
I am really enjoying the freedom that VST instruments provide now, with their internal patch lists.  Save the project and your entire studio setup for that project is backed up with one click.  Whoohoo!!!  Instrument defs and patch lists are for external hardware only, not for VST instruments.  It may be a design flaw, or a carryover from old tech, that allows some VSTs to still respond to bank/patch change events.  The only use case for bank/patch changes I still see is for GM sound set compatibility used in VSTs.
 
But you do bring up a good point, this DAW patch list thing seems to have been dropped by the developers along the way.  It could be useful in a DAW, but probably difficult to implement with VST across the board.  Progress, I suppose! 
 
I have searched up a few discussions in forums on this topic, and it seems most users today are resigned to using a separate track and VST instance for each patch, instead of changing presets mid-track.  There are some good reasons for this, as in the time it might take to load a large sample, without interrupting the track.
 
http://forum.cakewalk.com/How-To-Define-Instruments-patch-names-etc-for-VST-Instrument-m3193061.aspx
 
http://forum.cakewalk.com/Instrument-definitions-for-samplers-Kontakt-Dimension-Pro-etc-m2381808.aspx
 
http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=168167
 
http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=243374

No love for Sample Tank?

BobF
No love for Sample Tank?

It doesn't seem to be very popular around here, based on previous comments that I have read on the forum.  Since I've only tried the freebie, I have no opinion on the full version.  The freebie sounds good and works fine with my rig, but the cost for the upgrade to the full version caused me to consider other options, so I held off.

abacab

BobF
No love for Sample Tank?

It doesn't seem to be very popular around here, based on previous comments that I have read on the forum.  Since I've only tried the freebie, I have no opinion on the full version.  The freebie sounds good and works fine with my rig, but the cost for the upgrade to the full version caused me to consider other options, so I held off.

 
I think a lot of the negative feelings are directed to the developer/vendor, IKM, rather than the product itself.  I have no issues with IKM but others here have fairly significant criticisms.
 
But there's a deeper reason for the lack of enthusiasm regarding this product.  Many of the folks that frequent this forum are either professionals or at least amateurs who have an uncompromising dedication to the craft of home studio music production.  Think about the next one or two tiers down from that.  I think that is Sample Tank's primary target market and it should serve very well for those in it.  It's a respectable product for what costs these days.
 
Just my 2 cents.

Larry?

dmbaer

abacab

BobF
No love for Sample Tank?

It doesn't seem to be very popular around here, based on previous comments that I have read on the forum.  Since I've only tried the freebie, I have no opinion on the full version.  The freebie sounds good and works fine with my rig, but the cost for the upgrade to the full version caused me to consider other options, so I held off.

 
I think a lot of the negative feelings are directed to the developer/vendor, IKM, rather than the product itself.  I have no issues with IKM but others here have fairly significant criticisms.
 
But there's a deeper reason for the lack of enthusiasm regarding this product.  Many of the folks that frequent this forum are either professionals or at least amateurs who have an uncompromising dedication to the craft of home studio music production.  Think about the next one or two tiers down from that.  I think that is Sample Tank's primary target market and it should serve very well for those in it.  It's a respectable product for what costs these days.
 
Just my 2 cents.

I think IK  were prioritising a workstation type product for those using it live. It appears to have some very good features for that environment and anyone wanting a VST workstation with a good range of bread and butter sounds for live use should put it on their shortlist
 
If you are using it in a DAW those features are not important. Those of us who had built up Kontakt and EastWest libraries in the long years we were waiting for ST3 were probably always going to be disappointed, we wanted a Kontakt killer, but it was never designed with that in mind.

abacab
 
I hear ya!  I started out with external hardware MIDI synths, and had to deal with instrument definitions and bank/patch changes to send the project setup out to the hardware.  But it's been a while, and I've slept since then, LOL! 
 
//
 
I have searched up a few discussions in forums on this topic, and it seems most users today are resigned to using a separate track and VST instance for each patch, instead of changing presets mid-track.  There are some good reasons for this, as in the time it might take to load a large sample, without interrupting the track.

Now those must've been the days!  I've never used hardware synths, but I was gumming around in Music Creator 3 maybe 7 years ago and accidentally fell upon the ability to use software synths instead of having to run everything through a cheap MIDI keyboard (bear in mind I was a kid at this time. Still am, eh). Still didn't fully grasp it, but it opened up a range of new possibilities for my sound, primitive as it was then. Dreamstation was one of my favorite plugins then, and I'd definitely still use it if it was support on 64-bit systems.
 
Figured that depending on how your routing is set up, it'd be very bothersome for effects. Same singular complaint I have with Xpand, while the rest is amazingly mindblowing.
 
 
Never used SampleTank. What's it all about? Is it actually just a sampler? I'm looking at videos but to me it just looks bit like a CW Sound Center or the like.
 

davdud101
 
Never used SampleTank. What's it all about? Is it actually just a sampler? I'm looking at videos but to me it just looks bit like a CW Sound Center or the like.
 

IK SampleTank has a free version with a factory demo library you can try out,  I thought the nice set of supplied sounds were very good, but never upgraded to the full version because it ain't cheap!  For the money, I decided to wait and look around. I think there are a few folks around here that waited for years for an upgrade from version 2, then were underwhelmed by what IK finally released as Version 3.
http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/sampletankcs/
 
I think today the best sampler options are probably (not counting the really high end stuff that the pros buy):
 
NI Kontakt - https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/samplers/kontakt-5/
 
Steinberg Halion - https://www.steinberg.net/en/products/vst/halion_and_halion_sonic/halion.html
 
There are zillions of 3rd party libraries you can buy for Kontakt, but many require the full version of Kontakt to run.  Although there are some that will work with the free Kontakt player, which comes with a free factory sound set. https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/samplers/kontakt-5-player/free-download/
 
But my impression of the factory library that comes with Kontakt for $400 is still not a complete all-around sample library.  You will probably need to grab a few more NI libraries to get all of the sounds you want.  More $$$ 
 
The new Steinberg Halion 6 is listed at $350 and seems like a good all around sampler package.  But it doesn't have the 3rd party market that NI has.
 
So if you just want something to get started with, the Garritan Personal Orchestra is an affordable option if you are looking for an orchestral library.  https://www.garritan.com/.../personal-orchestra-5/
On sale for $108.99 at https://www.audiodeluxe.com/products/garritan-personal-orchestra-5

davdud101
 
Never used SampleTank. What's it all about? Is it actually just a sampler? I'm looking at videos but to me it just looks bit like a CW Sound Center or the like.
 

And if you are really looking for "just a sampler" you gotta go grab the free TX16WX sampler by CWITEC.
 
You can drag wav files that you have recorded in Sonar onto the sampler keyboard and map them onto the desired keyranges.  It has a built in loop editor, so you can set loop points, etc. It is also muti-timbral, so you can set up multiple parts for playback onseparate MIDI channels.
 
Powerful sampler workstation modeled after the best hardware tools.  Mapping editor, wave editor and beat slicer, sound shaping, etc.  It is 100% free!
http://www.tx16wx.com/

Probably mentioned already (by me likely) but I'm lazy. SForzando is a freebie with tons of free instruments (all sfz instruments work). Great free pianos in Piano in 162 and Estate Grand LE. Karfoyfer has all kinds of great stuff for it. VPO is a whole orchestra for it. VSCO2 is a chamber orchestra for it. SSO is a classic free orchestra for it. SM drums is brilliant.