Post by wizzarts on Jun 9, 2013 22:57:28 GMT
When we talk about sound-libraries we mean a library of sampled instruments, natural or electronic, which can be played by a sample-player or sampler beside software-synthesizers which have their own category.
It is quite common that the needed player for a library is shipped with the package but also there are a lot of libraries available without a player but in a format that can be loaded into the major sampler/player like Native Instruments Kontakt.
Most sampler/player come along as a stand-alone or a VSTi-plugin (Virtual Studio Technology Instrument - created by Steinberg which already became a standard). How to install those plugins will be another threat.
The Sibelius-Sounds coming along with Sibelius are in fact Garritan Instruments with some very nice add-ons of TabsSpaces Virtual Drum line. To keep it as simple as possible the Aria-player is fully integrated within Sibelius without the usual user-interface. So unfortunately there is not much we can do about the sound but on the other hand users do not have to pay too much attention on the engine itself. Add a staff and Sibelius does the rest is kind of a nice philosophy for users with the priority on note-sheets rather than a good sounding playback.
What are samples?
A sample is an audio-recording which can be played over the full range of a keyboard. This can be a voice, a noise or an instrument. Whatever we can record can be used as a sample within a sampler (the wave-editor and playback-engine).
The recorded sample has to be assigned to a centre-key. On this key the sample will be played back with the original pitch.
All other keys will play back the sample in the corresponding pitch. In the sample-editor you also can limit the key-range to one or more keys. When recorded a bunch of samples those can be combined into a so-called patch where every sample got its own specific key-range. This was quite common when memory was limited. So a piano-sound got one sample for 3 or 4 keys. Now-a-days every single note of a piano is sampled and assigned to the corresponding key.
Those created patches are called a multi-sample. Another example for multi-samples are drums. Every recorded drum-instrument is assigned to one key. So we will find the bass-drum on on key, the snare on another, etc.
The next step was to pay attention on the key-velocity. The full range of the KV was split into ranges. Being that the sound differs depending on how strong/loud an instrument is played modern sample-libraries have multi-sample not only for every single note but for the sound as well. So when playing a trumpet-sound on your keyboard the sound depends on how strong you hit the key. It is quite common that there are up to 16 or more different samples on assigned to one key.
So a acoustic piano patch contains 88 x 16 sample. Depending on the quality of each sample this can be up to 500Mb.
There is another very important thing about samples we should know.
Every recorded note got an attack, a decay, a loop and a release.
When we hit a key the attack and the decay will be played followed by the loop. The loop-area will be repeated until we release the key. Then the release will be played.
A good example might be a choir. When singing with a stagger breathing they can sing to infinity.
To improve the quality of a single instrument-sample the sample is sliced right before the release-area instead of using a loop. This means the sample with its attack, decay and release will be played in full length. So when we play a horn-sound it will be played the full length of, lets say, 20sec. followed by the release. When we release the key before the sample is over the player will jump to the release-tail and plays it back.
So far about samples.
The following pictures show a loop-area and the assignment of one sample to a certain key. It is a Oboe D'amore coming along with the factory-library of the Native Instruments Kontakt (Sampler)
(I will edit this post later - somehow I am a bit tired)
It is quite common that the needed player for a library is shipped with the package but also there are a lot of libraries available without a player but in a format that can be loaded into the major sampler/player like Native Instruments Kontakt.
Most sampler/player come along as a stand-alone or a VSTi-plugin (Virtual Studio Technology Instrument - created by Steinberg which already became a standard). How to install those plugins will be another threat.
The Sibelius-Sounds coming along with Sibelius are in fact Garritan Instruments with some very nice add-ons of TabsSpaces Virtual Drum line. To keep it as simple as possible the Aria-player is fully integrated within Sibelius without the usual user-interface. So unfortunately there is not much we can do about the sound but on the other hand users do not have to pay too much attention on the engine itself. Add a staff and Sibelius does the rest is kind of a nice philosophy for users with the priority on note-sheets rather than a good sounding playback.
What are samples?
A sample is an audio-recording which can be played over the full range of a keyboard. This can be a voice, a noise or an instrument. Whatever we can record can be used as a sample within a sampler (the wave-editor and playback-engine).
The recorded sample has to be assigned to a centre-key. On this key the sample will be played back with the original pitch.
All other keys will play back the sample in the corresponding pitch. In the sample-editor you also can limit the key-range to one or more keys. When recorded a bunch of samples those can be combined into a so-called patch where every sample got its own specific key-range. This was quite common when memory was limited. So a piano-sound got one sample for 3 or 4 keys. Now-a-days every single note of a piano is sampled and assigned to the corresponding key.
Those created patches are called a multi-sample. Another example for multi-samples are drums. Every recorded drum-instrument is assigned to one key. So we will find the bass-drum on on key, the snare on another, etc.
The next step was to pay attention on the key-velocity. The full range of the KV was split into ranges. Being that the sound differs depending on how strong/loud an instrument is played modern sample-libraries have multi-sample not only for every single note but for the sound as well. So when playing a trumpet-sound on your keyboard the sound depends on how strong you hit the key. It is quite common that there are up to 16 or more different samples on assigned to one key.
So a acoustic piano patch contains 88 x 16 sample. Depending on the quality of each sample this can be up to 500Mb.
There is another very important thing about samples we should know.
Every recorded note got an attack, a decay, a loop and a release.
When we hit a key the attack and the decay will be played followed by the loop. The loop-area will be repeated until we release the key. Then the release will be played.
A good example might be a choir. When singing with a stagger breathing they can sing to infinity.
To improve the quality of a single instrument-sample the sample is sliced right before the release-area instead of using a loop. This means the sample with its attack, decay and release will be played in full length. So when we play a horn-sound it will be played the full length of, lets say, 20sec. followed by the release. When we release the key before the sample is over the player will jump to the release-tail and plays it back.
So far about samples.
The following pictures show a loop-area and the assignment of one sample to a certain key. It is a Oboe D'amore coming along with the factory-library of the Native Instruments Kontakt (Sampler)
(I will edit this post later - somehow I am a bit tired)