Hello, so I got an old Giga sampler library,

I tried installing tascam gigastudio v3 but of course it doesn't run on windows 11.


I have 0 idea how to read the library, here are few screenshots from the architecture folder. Can't even open the .rar files.

Please any recommendations?

 

The rar extraction could be failing for a few reasons. Back when Gigasampler was a "current thing", downloads were much more frequently corrupt, crc errors, etc. So you do need a working fix for whatever that problem is. What is the actual title of the sample library? It has to be ancient.

After that, GPT results with this to actually use a .gig library:

Spoiler

what modern samples can use content from gigasampler?

ChatGPT said:


Modern samplers that can use content from GigaSampler (.gig) format include both hardware-compatible software and powerful plugin samplers. Here’s a breakdown:

✅ Modern Software Samplers That Support GigaSampler (.gig) Files
1. Tascam GVI (Giga Virtual Instrument)

• Direct descendant of GigaStudio, designed to load .gig files natively.
  
  
• Discontinued, but still usable on older Windows setups.
  

2. LinuxSampler (cross-platform)

• Fully supports .gig format (including advanced programming).
  
  
• Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  
  
• Free and open-source.
  
  
• Best for preserving Giga format features (filters, layers, keyswitches).
  

3. Kontakt (by Native Instruments)

• Does not natively support .gig files, but...
  
  
• You can convert .gig to .nki using:
  
  • Extreme Sample Converter
    
    
  • CDXtract
    
    
  • Awave Studio
    
• Be aware: Some advanced scripting and modulations may not translate perfectly.
  

4. Sforzando (by Plogue) + .sfz Conversion

• Convert .gig to .sfz format via tools like:
  
  • gigedit + LinuxSampler export
    
    
  • Translator (by Chicken Systems)
    
• Use .sfz in Sforzando or other SFZ players.
  

5. HALion (by Steinberg)

• Also supports imported samples from .gig via conversion tools like Awave or Translator.
  
  
• Offers deep editing like Kontakt.
  

Converters and Utilities
Tool Purpose
Awave Studio Converts .gig to many formats (Kontakt, SFZ, EXS24, etc.)
CDXtract Windows-only; extracts and converts from .gig
Extreme Sample Converter Another powerful option for format conversion
Chicken Systems Translator Converts .gig to multiple formats (Kontakt, EXS24, HALion, SFZ, etc.)
gigedit + LinuxSampler Edit .gig files directly before using/exporting
Not Compatible

• Logic Pro's EXS24/Sampler: No direct .gig support, needs conversion.
  
  
• Ableton Sampler: Needs conversion to .sfz or .nki.
  
  
• Mainstage / GarageBand: Same as Logic—conversion required.
  

 

There's a giga sampler emulator out called G-player or something like that. It runs perfectly fine as a modern VST- I'll find it and put a link.

 

Open archive with 7-Zip.
Default Win archive s*cks.

 

https://www.kvraudio.com/product/g-player-by-soundlib

 

GOS should stand for Garritan Orchestral Strings.

 

e: misfire

 

VirtualBox and any VM windows able to launch it. (XP? 7?).
Share a folder in VB, copy, install and test it.

 

The error appears to be saying that you're trying to open the archive with a program (Windows Explorer?) that does NOT support the archive format. Did you try with WinRAR or 7-Zip? Those support all features of RAR4.

You can probably load the extracted .gig library in G-Player by Soundlib - it's a bit crashy though and doesn't support all GIGA features. Failing that, LinuxSampler (works on any OS despite the name) is an option.

If you have a really old Kontakt 5 copy (not all Kontakt 5 versions will do), you can import .gig into Kontakt 5, export to .nki and load in any version of Kontakt.

The Kontakt 5 converter is based on the Chickensys Translator IIRC.

Russian torrent tracker may have a conversion of your library to Kontakt.

 

try to update Winrar if the file was archived recently there may be errors

For Giga libraries try sample lib converters wonderful Awave Studio or old but good Extreme Sample Converter, CDXTRACT4

 

thanks for your answears. It's garritan orchestral strings. Anyone had luck with it.

The VM idea is clever, but how to route the audio out of giga sampler into my main machine inside the daw ? @orbitbooster

 

Kontakt 5 can open Gigasampler files, but later won't. I haven't tried it with .gig files though, but it's been pretty good at loading some older Akai CDs.

It's Kontakt for better or worse, but it does work in Windows 11.

 

issue is I read is that it doesn't convert well garritan orchestral strings because of some script named maestrotool

 

If you can't get anything else to work, find a copy of Chicken Systems "Translator".

 

Correct. I had these back in the day- they sounded really good too- but without Maestro Tools to help script them into something useful they're probably not worth the effort. It was a proprietary thing that ran outside of GigaStudio somehow, kind of like what Vienna had to do as well in the early days.

 

That is probably what this release was made for: Garritan.Orchestral.Strings.MaestroTools.v2.71.Inc.Keygen-ECLiPSE

Description: Garritan Orchestral Strings MaestroTools extends the capabilities of GigaStudio with new legato phrasing, mono, and auto-alternation features. The Garritan Orchestral Strings sample library takes special advantage of these features to offer an advanced new level of performance realism in strings.
With MaestroTools, you can play legato passages, monophonic lines, and alternate notes and takes with a single key. Without latency or system performance penalties, MaestroTools allows you to easily control new aspects of the orchestral sound and enjoy a more realistic sound. MaestroTools runs alongside GigaStudio and can be used with or without a sequencer.

 

there was this release some time ago not sure it helps but you can find it on Sisters Site™

Spoiler: >

Spoiler: >>

Garritan.Orchestral.Strings.MaestroTools.v2.71.Inc.Keygen-ECLiPSE
Garritan Orchestral Strings MaestroTools extends the capabilities of GigaStudio with new legato phrasing, mono, and auto-alternation features. The Garritan Orchestral Strings sample library takes special advantage of these features to offer an advanced new level of performance realism in strings.
With MaestroTools, you can play legato passages, monophonic lines, and alternate notes and takes with a single key. Without latency or system performance penalties, MaestroTools allows you to easily control new aspects of the orchestral sound and enjoy a more realistic sound. MaestroTools runs alongside GigaStudio and can be used with or without a sequencer.

I think to use this lib you'll have to do lots of manual correction and adaptation to the new sampler you work with, which is quite a tedious work or install Windows XP because without Maestrotools which works only with Gigastudio this lib seems unusable and looses all it possibilities https://web.archive.org/web/20040214135102/http://gigastrings.com/control.html
https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/garritan-orchestral-strings
Maestro tools are from 2002 and need own driver which is 32bit and made for winXP


One more software you could try is Samplelord (https://www.samplelord.com/) it reads .giga files too

If you are not ready to go the hard way and just play the instrument old Garritan Orchestral Strings are included in Garritan Personal Orchestra 5 (https://usermanuals.garritan.com/GPO5/Content/ataglance.htm https://makemusic.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/217748688-Garritan-Orchestral-Strings-availability)

Managed to pull down one GOS demo thats still alive from the old Garritan site with help of web archive. Not bad

 

Last edited: May 15, 2025

You can only through emulation layer, so I wouldn't say it's a go for latency nor I don't kow how route losslessly audio from VM to DAW.
This is just to test sw.

If any of above posts suggestions doesn't work, you'll have to partition HD or SSD to leave space for the proper OS and then go to all the mess procedure for dual booting.
If the compatibility option in win doesn't work this is all you have to go through, Unfortunately for very old sw it's like that.

 

I m trying to install GPO (kontakt or aria version) but in either case I can't get the library to be activated. Did anyone tried using GPO ?

 

GPO is actually not bad at all, I managed to find a way