Greetings. Ridiculously naive newbie question here. I notice at our sister site that Wav file packages are often offered especially recently for exotic music styles. I looked at one offering recently and there was a large collection of musical bits all in C minor of different instruments, vocal bits, percussion bits...

What are these used for? Are they worked with in a DAW? Why are they all in one key.

I know this is a super beginner question. Thanks for letting me know what these packages are and how they are used. Thanks so much!!

 

never heard of sample packs?

 

put them in a sampler and rinse
Works with all samplers

 

Ahhh with samplers. OK not DAWs. Second rediculously newbie question. OK I watched the video Thanks! I am getting it now. So looks like one can change these samples into any key needed. Then I suspect one can make the sample as long as needed? Does one then use the sample in a DAW as a track that one would use in your own composition?

What are some of the best software based samplers for a beginner to use or learn?

 

Last edited: Feb 5, 2022

Actually no - isn't that amazing!!?! LOL. Told ya I was a newbie on this topic.

 

It's like ingredients we use to make our own "recipes", People arrange them in different keys, organize them in categories and subcategories (loop, one-shot, fx, bass, etc), specify their bpm... Just to make our lives easier.

About WAV, WAV is an audio file format, a way of encoding audio in the digital realm. Most sample packs will use WAV (or sometimes FLAC, AIFF, etc) because its a "lossless" encoder, meaning there's no loss of information/compression in the conversion to the audio file, so it's as clean as it can gets and you have more "space" to manipulate it without it getting "dirty" or distorted (hope that makes sense?).

To use them you can use any software that can manipulate audio, be it an audio editor, a DAW, samplers (hardware and software), android apps, video editors and so on.

 

Last edited: Feb 5, 2022

Thanks Djord! I do understand about WAV files. I did find your comment about using the files in a DAW interesting. How would that be used if they are only in one key. Can DAWs change the key, BPM, length etc. of these files? Or can only a software sampler do that?

Also I have now read up on Wikipedia about the history of sampling and my next question is if these sample packs have any copyright restrictions of any kind?

 

Last edited: Feb 5, 2022

You can usually change bpm and transpose audio files in softwares that support this type of audio manipulation, like audacity (audio editor), reaper (DAW), hardware samplers like MPCs or mobile apps like koala sampler. Even some video editors might do the job.

It depends on the pack, they usually come with a readme file with their terms and conditions, most of the times one can use them in ones productions without having to do anything and without a problem but it depends, only way to know for sure is reading the pack's terms and conditions.

 

Nicely explained.

 

They're useful for professionals making commercial music but beware of kids proclaiming "Listen to this cool track I made!"

 

I will beware of all FL Studio users. just in case.

 

the built in Sampler plugin in every DAW are capable of sample manipulation that all those legendary hardware sampler couldn't do, while these newer ones lack in "character" or "color" that old Sampler machine are known for, there are more fancy Sampler emulation plugin that can create the same effect. As an example TAL Sampler that is my currently favourite.

about the WAV files that comes in Key and BPM, it can be easily manipulated by Sampler now that the stretching algorithm becomes more and more powerful. The Key and BPM are stated for each file because sometimes the stretching algo will get wrong so the user can manually adjust it. That settings is important to get the best out of the Sampler. The Key information is useful when you want to repitch and retune it so you know it will suitable or not with your track key or scale, or DJ need it for their stuff (mixing keys together, forgot what it is called).

If you not familiar with modern sampling technique I suggest you to start exploring it. I was quite hesitant back then, because I'm a musician so I rather play the instrument, but once I did, it opened few new doors I never thought possible. Imagine until today I never had a day that "what am I gonna do today" day. I just pick a random sample, manipulate (slice, stretch, reverse, rearrange, repitch, retune with Melodyne) it and let it drive me to the unknown.

 

WHAAAAAAAA
An untainted soul!
Forget those pesky samples, use Synthesizers instead!

But if you really wanna, look: You can't change the sample's scale without some advanced trickery.
But you can change the playback speed and hence pitch of the whole sample. But also its length. You know, the faster you play something, the faster it ends, duh. You can also play a inner part of the sample in a loop for some time and thus kinda change its length. Samplers are used for controlling it all in an easy way via MIDI, but nobody stops you from doing it manually in a DAW. You'll also probably use a sampler in a DAW anyways.
There are also more complex algorithms that allow you to repitch audio without changing its time and timestretch audio without changing its pitch. Those are primarily used in a DAW itself.
So you basically load a sample or a bunch of samples into a sampler and play it like an instrument via MIDI.

 

Thank you so much everybody. I know this was a really basic question, but I just didn't know the ins and outs of this. Thanks for all your help. Gonna go play in the sandbox now!!!!

 

play around with ableton, its very userfriendly, and friendly to samples in a special way.
Even though most daws can do most of the things it does.
but if you get the suite it has everything you need
From simple sampler to a complex sampler
instruments and most of all a cool timeline and non timeline aproach to samples and music.

either way, if you learn the basics of sound and design (Pitch + ADSR)
you Learn the Language and you will never ask, how and with what something is made
you just create your own version

Tune from 20Y ago. no sampler just Live and mousclicks, tanks as kicks, Crashing bottles as snare etc.
without comps just Pitch - ADSR, EQ and Limiter at the end

 

Last edited: Feb 6, 2022