Re: question re: hardware samplers?

[Rainer Straschill <moinsound@googlemail.com>]

This topic is somewhat dated, so I'll just add my proverbial .02 to it - 
sorry if it has already been covered:
One of the things with the hardware samplers of old is getting stuff 
stored/restored. Typcially, it's oldskool parallel/single-ended SCSI, 
and nobody uses that anymore, and any media you get for that (e.g. 
harddisks) are old, slow, big package, small capacity and loud. However, 
there's workarounds for that.

As for the use as an instrument (as for capturing instrument sounds and 
playing them in a tuned fashion), there really isn't any reason to work 
on a hardware solution today. If someone still uses a hardware sampler, it's
   a) capturing loops on the fly (aka the DJ application - see Akai MPC 
etc.)
   b) samplers which can do funny other things in realtime (aka the 
oddness of Thomas DiMuzio and his Kurz)

As for b), list member Matt Davignon did a three-part interview on 
youtube with artist (and Y2kloopfest performer) Thomas DiMuzio:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6SSlv-1Zew
He uses a Kurzweil K2600RS, which has a feature called "live sampling" 
where you can play your samples while they are played - without going 
into too many details, just watch those videos, and you'll get the hang 
of it.

Are there other things (hw or sw) which do that what the Kurzweil does, 
btw?

The Kurz is, as mentioned above, using oldskool SCSI for storage. If you 
really must use one (like me), a good approach is to use a 
SCSI-connected card reader, which allows you to design your sample sets 
on the computer, then copy them to an e.g. SD card and quickly transfer 
them to the Kurz - an approach which should work with other hw samplers 
as well.

Yours,

         Rainer

Scott Hansen schrieb:
> does anyone (DJs?) still use hardware samplers anymore? or has 
> everything gone to computer software?
> i was just curious.
> seems like all i ever see anymore in DJ pics is computers w/ a small 
> mixer....but maybe i'm not looking close enough!


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