Re: Samplers as loopers?

[sean o'donnell <sodonne@vm.temple.edu>]

Matthias Grob wrote:
> 
> ...I was amazed too, when I was looking for a looping
> device, to see that most samplers have all Hardware ready for looping and
> do not care to create the software. So in the future looping could be 
>done
> either on multi effect machines, computers or samplers. And samplers have
> more memory than multi effects. But the pitch change should be without 
>time
> change, right?
> Then I imagine it totaly shocking to be able to polyphonically detune
> immediately whatever happens on stage!

Although my sampler has a whole lot of memory (16MB), it is incapable of 
modulating 
pitch without a sample shortening or lengthening over time.  That is, if I 
sample my 
voice saying "Matthias" at middle C on the keyboard, playing it back at an 
octave lower 
would result in "MMMAAAATTHHHIIIAAAASSSSSS" in a deep beelzebubbish voice. 
 Although, my 
 sampler has a sample conversion function that will supposedly maintain a 
fixed time for 
a sample while allowing for pitch alteration, it is time-consuming and 
absolutely not a 
real-time stunt.

> >My old AKAI sampler had start- and end-point sliders that could be
> >reversed simultaneously during sample playback).
> 
> I did not understand "reversed simultaneously". How do these features 
>work,
> and what did you use them for?

Two sliders were on the face of the unit and were used to control sample 
start- and 
end-points.  Both sliders were identical and were situated one above the 
other. Each 
slider represented a value of 100 units (-50 to +50).  Now, here's the fun 
part.  
Depending on their positions relative to one another, either slider could 
represent the 
start- or end-point of the sample.  For example, with the top slider all 
the way to the 
right and the bottom all the way to the left, the top will control the 
sample playback 
start-point and the bottom will control the playback end-point.  Moving 
the two closer 
to the centers of the slider ranges, and therefore closer to one another, 
reduces the 
time of the sample and increases the triggering of the sample start- and 
end-points.  
Once the top slider is moved far enough the right, and the bottom one is 
moved far 
enough to the left, the two will cross over the zero start/end point.  
Wierd metallic 
tones are generated.  In continuing to move the sliders (top still moving 
right and 
bottom still moving left), the sample will  be "growing" in length once 
again, but the 
start-point will have become the end-point, and the end-point will have 
switched to 
become the start-point.  The sample will be playing in reverse.

I may have just explained something that is entirely elementary to 
everyone on this 
list in way too many words, but I thought I should clarify my statement 
sent in the 
previous e-mail.  In summary, what comes around, goes around.

> Thanks for joining and bringing new questions and answers
> Matthias

You're welcome ;)

Sean