|
As time goes on, technology advances and the tools to sample improve. Prices go down and better equipment become available. It has been mentioned in
TO-L many times that electronic equipment becomes obsolete very rapidly. It’s true!! The Alesis QSR, basis for my sample playback is no longer produced. Besides --
the QSR sample maximum is 48KHz and 16 bits.and the maximum data that can be added to the existing samples in the QSR is only 16 megabytes. This limits the number of samples per octave available to be used to voice each rank. The polyphony of 64 notes further limits the ability to playback both the start and stop wave envelops. To sample and playback a 61 note rank with each note sampled and stop envelope included takes around 20 megabytes of data!!
In last few years, several
new PC applications have come on the market. Two of these products are PC Software Synths and can stream data directly from a hard drive. GigaStudio from Tascam and KontaKt from Native Instruments are now in their second generation and provide tools to adjust about every parameter required to voice a pipe. Each of these applications have pros and cons. Both can stream data
- GigaStudio3 Orchestra - Unlimited polyphony dependent upon PC capability. KonaKt - 256 notes for each instance
- Unlimited Sample/instrument size - Contained on hard disk
- Graphical Instrument Editor
- Can layer voices
- Release Trigger available to initiate the stop waveform.
- Can play more than one MIDI Port (each port has 16 channels)
Both of these applications require specific selected audio hardware adapters and drivers to perform at the best level. In my case I use use a TASCAM PCI-822
Audio card feeding a TASCAM IF-DA8 TDIF to XLR converter providing 8 channels of audio and 2 MIDI ports. This combination is used on my desk top PC. I also own the new M-Audio “Transit” USB Audio in/out adapter and an Indigo I/O PC card adapter both of which can be attached to my laptop. I have successfully recorded the last two of our concerts direct to laptop using the “Transit” and SoundForge 6.0. ( I don’t like SoundForge 7.0) They were recorded at 48KHz and 24 bits. What a shame to have to resample them to 44.1 KHz and 16 Bits so I could put them on a CD!!.
|
