Hi guys,
            I know this thread should be posted in cakewalk's intrument thread but I think there is more traffic here in X1 thread and I would get more respond from X1 users (since all X1 users also have dim pro). I am a everday dim pro user and own DSF1-13 expansion, currently downloading the free strings package due to the X(you know what) upgrade.
 
 
Ok, here it goes. Here are my questions, 
1. Are you a Dim Pro user?
2. How good is Dim Pro compare to other sampler player like kontact, etc?
3. Is it about Dim Pro receive some major upgrade/update?
4. What are the dim pro features that need to be improved or added? Multioutput? 4 outs or more? Effects? GUI sample mapping? SFZ easy to use or pain in the butt? ACT response? GUI way of switching on the piano pedal effect? ADSR type knob/slider control envelope
5. How about ability to other sample format?
6.How good is DSF expansion sound compare to the others?
 
Perhaps if we get enough responses the bakers will take notice and give us an improve Dim Pro VST?
 
Thanks for reading
Choo Shi-Hwei
Malaysia
 

musichoo


Hi guys,
            I know this thread should be posted in cakewalk's intrument thread but I think there is more traffic here in X1 thread and I would get more respond from X1 users (since all X1 users also have dim pro). I am a everday dim pro user and own DSF1-13 expansion, currently downloading the free strings package due to the X(you know what) upgrade.
 
 
Ok, here it goes. Here are my questions,  

I have to admit: I haven't used Dimension Pro much. I've tried it through to see what it's capable of and I've also done some research on the SFZ-format, so..  

1. Are you a Dim Pro user?   

..Not really, no ;P

2. How good is Dim Pro compare to other sampler player like kontact, etc?

The thing is that Dim Pro is more what's called a sample player. Kontakt is more than that, since you here got all the editing possibilities (and more) of a hardware sampler. To compare them wouldn't be fair. Maybe it would be better to compare it to Kontakt Player (wich is free by the way). In other words: Kontakt is superior to Dim Pro 

 

3. Is it about Dim Pro receive some major upgrade/update? 

Sure, why not? :) What I'd really like to see first though is an easy to use but powerful SFZ-editor. This would open up nice possibilities with Dim Pro (and Rapture and SessionDrummer3)

4. What are the dim pro features that need to be improved or added? Multioutput? 4 outs or more? Effects? GUI sample mapping? SFZ easy to use or pain in the butt? ACT response? GUI way of switching on the piano pedal effect? ADSR type knob/slider control envelope 

About features.. I don't know. IMO it feels like it's ment to be more of a just-load-and-start-playing kind of instrument. Maybe multi outs would be nice, for the different elements, though :)

About SFZ: I'm sure it's easy once you've learned. But I think more people would start using it if we got a nice SFZ-editor included with Sonar (since this format is used by most (if not all) of Sonars sample based VSTis)

5. How about ability to other sample format? 

Nah.. IMO I think they should just stick to SFZ. I'm sure this format's got some nice possibilities.. And with an editor the users could start making their own libraries (for all Sonar's sample based VSTis) and maybe start sharing them here or something..?) 

6.How good is DSF expansion sound compare to the others?

Didn't download it yet, but I've heard some really good things about it :)

Thanks Loptec for your response.

DimPro is pretty much a straight ahead synth compared to Kontact.  There are some rhythmic presets, but not the same.  Also it is only 4 different voices.

SFZ is a great, but text-based definition system.  You can do a lot w/ it, like NI's scripting, but it is a lot of right-side brain work.  The biggest flaw w/ Rapture/Dimpro etc. is the lack of a visual editing system.  Of course, René said that this allowed flexibility and an ever-evolving system.  However, I think most users would have prefered a scheme that was easy, point and click, rather than typing (or copying and pasting) for something as simple as note-range.

René left cakewalk, so I wouldn't look for any vast improvements, tho it has been a while since Cake released a new synth.  Z3TA 2 was a nice improvement on the original.  But who knows if Cake's other SFZ style synths will get a new member or upgrade.

I don't have the DFS, tho there are some demos and they are quite good.

Finally, DimPro and Rapture and the other SFZ synths cut through a mix.  They are very clear (not necessarily clean) and work well against VA synths and many acoutically recorded stuff - electric guitars etc.  It is like having a different palate of colors to work with.

@

I useDim Pro alot all the time.  But, I'm not very good on the programming.  I take the presets as is.  I took one instance for a track and after the recording is done I freeze the track.
Sometimes, I use 5  and 6 instance of it.

Thank you AT and Muzock.

I tend to agree with Muzock in that my programming chops are fairly limited - though I know the basics and being able to alter things filter cutoff/resonance, VCA settings, bend ranges etc is about as deep as I get.

Dim Pro finds it's way onto nearly every one of my projects with at least 4/5 instances in every one. I find the sounds immediately useful, especially after a bit of minimal tweaking like I described above.

The last version update was to 1.5, I don't know if this will be subject to further updates, probably not

musichoo

SFZ easy to use or pain in the butt?

Both.  I normally create a new sfz file by copying an existing one and editing it.  Alternatively, if a set of sample WAVs are already named according to the notes they represent, I use SfzEd to generate an sfz file.

Kev999

musichoo

SFZ easy to use or pain in the butt?

Both.  I normally create a new sfz file by copying an existing one and editing it.  Alternatively, if a set of sample WAVs are already named according to the notes they represent, I use SfzEd to generate an sfz file.

So if I understand you here, you find a preset that you like, but want to change it in some way, and then you alter the new file you create and save that?


What I would like to do is to alter the preset sounds in a manner that fits what I am going for.

Grem

Kev999

...I normally create a new sfz file by copying an existing one and editing it...

 So if I understand you here, you find a preset that you like, but want to change it in some way, and then you alter the new file you create and save that?

That's not what I meant.  I would only create a new sfz file for a new sampleset.  For example, I sampled a set of notes on my bass guitar and saved them as WAVs.  Then I copied an existing sfz file for bass guitar, renamed it and amended it to suit my requirements.

I wouldn't alter presets by messing with sfz files.  What do you think Dimension Pro is for?