IK Multimedia SampleTank 2 XL

.5 years of music making
. version 2 . the latest update
. cubase sx 2 (PC)

i doint get how people here have stated that this interface is complex - and then want to go and use a hardware set up LOL

its all on screen in front of you (almost) - it takes seconds to get it up and working

all the sounds are tweakable - so its all down to your own ability - but planty dont need a whole lot of tweaking

solid as you want - and if anyone tells you that all patches on a workstation are good they are lying - their is none of the hyped korg sound going on here (ie a deliberate compression and eq applied to the outputs to make everything sound more exciting when you demo it in a shop - shit to mix with tho) so some sounds might appear plain - but most are useful

OK i dont use the synths presets - but ive got actual synths so I dont use vsts as synths very much at all

yeah - its a big step up from sampletank 1 - stretch is useful if not infallable - but now its got user definable midi automation of ANY parameter - and you can save banks, adjust the number of outputs (and who was the idiot who said it only had one ouput RTFM, which is also fairly easy), the effects are better (and they were good to start with)

has it crashed - yes - but VERY rarely

is it a cpu hog - no - compare it to kontakt or emulator x and it uses a fraction of the cpu for a just as good sound

i guess a velocity layer - loop point editor so it became a full sampler so i can reduce the number of instruments I use - and the emulator x filters please (but then i say everything should have the emulator x filter s!)

I've been making music with computers for more than 10 years. I have 15 years experience in software and computer design.

I'm using SampleTank 2 XL with Sonar 3.1 Producer Edition on a 3.0 GHz P4 with 1 GB of DDR Ram and 2 120 GB SATA Maxtor Drives using RAID 0. The operating system is Window XP Home Edition.

I use a M-Audio Delta 1010 with a Mackie 1624VLZ for Audio I/O and my MIDI gear is controlled using a MIDISport 8x8/s.

In the last three years I have been going more software than hardware. I've been very reluctant because until recently software effects and synths sounded like 1985 Casio keyboards.

With all the standards, two operating systems and what is still a small market I'm amazed that some companies like Cakewalk, Steinberg, IK Multimedia, MOTU and others can make software that works as well as it does.

I needed to write this because for the first time I'm using soft synths and effects more than my hardware synths and effects. Specifically, SampleTank 2 over my JV-2010. I also needed to write this because I'm sure there's a crowd out there making the same decisions about software vs. hardware that I'm making. Sometimes I try to use these review forums to help in making decisions (usually big money decisions) but most of them are filled with crap from moronic assholes that can't spell or write and that babble about concepts they don't understand. Maybe I?m one of them.

Come on! How can you give this program 5 or a 1. It can't be anymore straight forward! As soon as the program popped up I knew exactly what to do and I was making music a minute later. Can you say that about any other soft synths or samplers? Compare this to what you find in Reason or Project5 or software like VSampler, Kontact or GigaSampler. When I try to use the other stuff I spend 95% of my time fiddling with software, 4% of my time yelling "FUCK" out the window and 1% actually playing.

If you have used hardware sound modules you know how to use this program. Changing settings, selecting instruments, etc. is easy.

I had no problems with installation. There are 8 CD's and it takes about 30 minutes but I'm glad the program's not asking me for a CD when I make an instrument change.

I have yet to come across software with this wide a range of quality sounds. Sure, there are some that may be less than what we hope or are use to, but you can tweak every sound. I have been able to make every instrument I've used sound interesting. There's a lifetime of sounds with infinite possibilities. I'm already bored with Project5 and Reason.

With all other soft synths I've purchased their main focus was to provide a huge range of options with very little effort in providing sounds and presets. If your a sound designer you might want something like VSampler but if you want to actually create music use SampleTank.

This is the first software synth that is a integral part of my setup. I use it for drums, basses, keyboards, effects, etc. I have produced songs were I've swapped a well recorded live drum kit with a track made with SampleTank2 and the musicians didn't say "what's that crap?".

I love the program because it has the feel of an outboard sound module. In many way it is much better than an XV-5050 or a JV-2010 at half the cost.

It does crash occassionaly but no more than my sequencer or other plug-ins. I think it is more stable than most but it could be improved, especially the DXi version. Like it or not, DXi is the future. (Another MAC vs PC like argument.)

I wish it worked as seamlessly with my MIDI controllers and sequencers as hardware modules do. Instrument lists for Sonar, Cubase, etc. and presets for MIDI controllers like the A-37 would be nice.

Overall, I have proven to myself that this is the best option if you want a software equivalent to your hardware sound modules. I think the route IK has taken with SampleTank is going to copied by many other manufacturers: Probably, the best way to determine whether something is worth buying.

I have been making music seriously for over 7 years. I play Drums, Guitar and Keyboard. I produce HipHop & RB mainly. I Recently purchased Sampletank 2 L. and I use a PC AMD 2100 and a delta 1010 lt card, My main programs are Logic 5.1 and Reason 2.5.

THis product seemed good in the adds, and online demos from IK multimedias website. But I pulled about all my hair out with this crap sofware. I get stupid errors when trying to import my own audio samples, and I don't know why, all it tells me is Error.

The sounds are good, but I'm taking this back and investing in a Motif, better sounds more reliable.

THis program is doo doo. YOu can only use it in ONE Instrument track in Logic! With in Sample tank you can creat up to16 parts of seperate sounds, BUT it can only be output to Audio Instrument 1.. so all those sounds are being output to ONE audio track!!! SO not proffessional.

I've been making music on computers for about 15 years now. Started on Midi Sequencer for Commodore 64 (believe it or not, a distant ancestor of Emagic Logic!) I'm using Sampletank 2 as a general sounce of sample material for composition and production. Music is a mixed bag -- rock, electronica, atmosphere, etc. Using a PIV 2.8 with Win XP pro.

Interface is very easy to use though I agree with others that the fonts are too small for most hi-res screens. Other than that, it's pretty straightforward. I've never read the manual and I've been able to figure out what I need to know to use it.

Sounds range from top-notch to awful. The orchestral instruments and drums are my favorites. Pianos are OK, not spectacular. The synths are a load of rot and unusable to me -- I can't imagine why anyone would bother sampling some of these ugly and uninteresting synth sounds. The effects are very good, and Sampletank can be a decent source for wierded out sound design if you want to twist the raw material using effects. Actually I think this is probably a better ST application than using it like a GM module or something like that. All in all, it's not horrible, most if it is usable, but I think something on the order of used Roland JV unit would have been a better use of my $300 upgrade fee -- it would just sound better.

It's usable, but it's overpriced, somewhat buggy, and very spotty sound wise. I love a lot of the virtual analog VSTi's out there but nobody seems to have done a real good ROMpler emulation yet. I think it's because the Rolands and Korgs of the world invest in great sound design and that's why they can make a 32MB module sound better than this 8 Gigs of sludge.

I been playing 25 years, about 5 years using computers to make backing tracks for my band
I'm using a p4 2.2 Ghz with a gig of ram on win xp. Have Behringer truth studio monitors
I bought Sampletank 2.03xl to record backing tracks for my group in Cubase 2.01 sx

The interface is mediocre once you get the hang of it, providing you have a magnifying glass to read the text in the interface. I am simply tanking midi files I have used for years with my old Korg o5r/w and playing in sampletank, so that I can record to cd. It generally takes 2 hours per song to get an already perfectly mixed song to sound almost a good as it does on my Korg. I had been looking for a gm sound set (oh yeah, no gm sound set here) that sounded better then the old korg, and this was the recondmendation of the salesperson at Long & McQuade in Toronto. The copy protection is an outright pain in the ass. It provides a digital ID from your computer and you must authorize by email. Three authorizations is the max, so if you need to upgrade your computer to run this piece of crap, you've just lost one.

Strings are incredible, pianos are fine, pads are pathetic and I assume they've never even heard a clavinet, because the piece of crap they put in there for a clav, doesn't even come close. The rest of the sounds sound well not really as good as my $100 Korg

This thing crashes my computer constantly. I have visted a number of web sites where everyone is complaining about the same thing. I have not read a positive user review on this product, yet before I bought it I had read some pretty impressive reviews from the magazines (oh, do they get advertizing money) They've got a long way to go before I'd reconmend this crap.
I wish I could get my $700 back

-been making music for 10 years
-trip-hop, hip-hop, punk, pop, post rock, ambient, whatever
-sonar 3.0 & acid pro 4.0
-i've had sampletank 2 for several weeks
-yamaha NS-10ms

Sampletank 2 is quite simply.... STUNNING.

You HAVE to get it if you are into REAL sounds and tweakability, and effects that completely rule.

I had Sampletank 1 L, and was impressed with a few sounds here and there but version 2 and with the XL package (over 1500 patches/presets), there is a VAST
improvement.

To sum it up:

bass guitars- REAL... great, tons of variety

guitars- several suck, but a lot are really cool and usable, especially the tremolo ones and the acoustic stuff

synths- tons of variety, lots of cool atmospheres, cool leads, etc.

strings- ALL OF THEM are INCREDIBLY REALISTIC. ensembles, solo strings, slow strings.... have to be heard to be believed.

drumkits- LOTS! all of them are usable in some way. the acoustic/studio kits are PERFECT. they sound REAL. dynamics and everything. amazing.

i have to cut this review short because i'm running out the door, but this is definitely a great investment.

pros: the SOUNDS! the EFFECTS!
cons: you need at LEAST a pentium IV 1.5ghz system to have Sampletank 2 run smoothly without problems. I have a Pentium 4, 2.4ghz with 1 gigabyte of
RAM... and it runs flawlessly.

Great stuff. Highly usable sounds, all around.

singer, songwriter/guitar player for over 20 years/

it's not very difficult but i'm still trying to come to grips with the stretch. From what I understand though, is that MAC users are not getting it to work. My producer got this for me because it was suppose to be both mac and pc compatible. i could do a lot pre production arranging at home. and we could use the same session at the big protools studio. no suck luck. but as a writing tool. it's great (on pc platform). i can satisfy just about everything i can imagine, fast, when inspiration hits.

I don't love it, I f(*&^g love it. Love the drums. The strings, pianos, rhodes. and i love the effects. I can actually get decent guitar tracks, even leads.

worth it: yes
what do i love about it:near instant gratification
cpu hog:kinda - so what?
crashed:my shit never crashes
anything i wish it had:beer and a set of tits

Addendum to previous review.
(HC- Please consider posting this, I think people need to know that 1K's advertising is misleading)

Pasted reply from Sampletank Support
_______________________________________________
Mark,

Hey, ST 2 is not a full blown sampler, you cannot change loop points, etc with it. You would need to do this before importing into ST 2.

You would need to get your velocity settings correct in the file name before you import them into ST.

ST 2 is designed more as a sample player and writing tool then a full blown sampler.

If you need specific ways to import sounds please let me know.



Hope this helps
Please reply to me here:
http://www.sampletank.com/STSupport.html


My reply
_____________________________________________________________


In regards to your answer to my questions you clearly advertise this product as the "ultimate sample workstation". This, to me, implies that you can actually work on samples. A sample workstation is a hardware or software solution for *work*ing on *samples*. Working on a sample means being able to see and manipulate, to some degree, a waveform or to edit loops and loop points etc. At the very least you should be able to interactively edit keyboard mapping and velocity. Or simply turn a loop on and off. You do not describe your product as the "ultimate sample player". This is far too much money to pay for something that does not allow a person to edit a sample. It should be made very clear in your advertising that this is *not* a sample workstation and is basically a sample playback device.

-Mark

I've been making music for more years than I care to admit. I just purchased Sampletank 2 XL to plug-in to our HD Pro Tools system. I and a group of composers write music for royalty free music libraries, commercials, film and video. We are using the software on a 1.8 gig G5 running Panther.

When I bought Sampletank I assumed it was a sampler and not just a sample player. As far as I can tell you can't get under the hood (the documentation is among the worst I've seen, the page numbers in the table of contents are wrong). If someone can set me straight please do but how do you set/edit loop points? what if you want to loop the middle of a sample and trigger the end when I release the key? And velocity editing? You have to rename each and every individual sample to change the velocity range? This is ridiculous. Their documentation tells us that they've replaced a "tedious graphical interface" with this renaming of samples procedure.As far as I can tell all editing of a sample has to be done outside of the program and/or in the sample file name. I'm constantly searching or some hidden window that will let me see a waveform or simply change a loop point or loop direction.

This could all be due to my ignorance but I have read and re-read the very small users guide and cannot find anything pertaining to sample editing. If someone knows please contact me.

The library is ok. I'm ending up using it quite a bit. I pretty much agree with previous reviewer's assessment of it.
Orchestral samples are very useful and real sounding.

It is definitely not worth the full price. I chose Sampletank because I could convert a huge library of ASR-10 and Roland sounds into it. It has been very beneficial for this purpose.
It was probably my bad to assume that I could edit samples in Sampletank but it was a rather expensive mistake.
I love the stretch technology but if I can't create a performance what good is it? I feel like they just want me to purchase other designer's sounds instead of creating my own.
It has crashed many times and has gone through quite a few upgrades in the very short time I've owned it. I feel like a beta-tester.

I will now be purchasing Kontakt to actually do my sound design.

I've been making music as a spare time project for some years now; where i play guitar, piano/keyboard.
I'm using a Macintosh G5 currently with Cubase SL 2.0.
In the past a few months after I begun using the computer to make music; I found this program called SampleTank Free; and decided to order it; and I've been using it for almost a year when finally the long anticipated sampletank 2 was announced. SampleTank 1 worked really well for me; it has some subtle bugs but nothing that would normally interfer with my creation process.
So I decided to order SampleTank 2; the expectations was very high due to my experience with the previous sampletank product.
When I finally recieved the package I quickly installed it to try out all new neat features; that's where the happy side of this story ends. (I will tell more about it later)

The interface is OK; I don't have anything to complain about regarding the manual either, cause it's well written and most things are properly explained and documented.
I didn't have any major problems with the copy protections either.
I dislike the way midi events are attached to controls now though; I wish it could be handled a bit more inituive than it currently are.

To be honest; I expected more of the sound quality, some sounds are excellent in particular some orchestra samples; drums, bass and acoustic guitar samples are really good.
The rest is what you could expect of a middle class synth; and a few sounds are worse than the equvalients of a $99 toy synth.
I also gotta say even though I bought SampleTank XL (8 CDs of sample data) I think it has very few sounds; and considering the sound quality I can't see why they're so huge; I mean most proferssional synthesizers with a 32 Mb Rom has better samples in general.

Another thing I was anticipated to try out was the new S.T.R.E.T.C.H algorithm; a formant perserving pitch/time stretch algorithm. however to my big disapointment it's almost unusable; on some factory installed samples it works... but the sound quality is not at all that amazing or realistic as I thought it would be judging from the sound demos published at IK's homepage. I also tried to apply STRETCH on some of my own samples; but mostly it results in a useless instrument that randomly beeps and bops (also happens if you activate stretch on some of the provided instruments); to me STRETCH is very over advertised and not solid enough to be included in a proferssional product. and be aware STRETCH eats CPU like a kid eats candy; for polyphonic sounds I found I generally have to limit polyphony to 12 tones before the CPU gets overloaded on this G5 1.8 Ghz.

The insert effects included with sampletank are generally of really good quality; however most of them seems to consume a significant amount of CPU; but they do sound really good.

Also; some sounds don't load AT ALL; this has been comfirmed by IK Multimedia to be faulty instruments on the disk; so far no update fixing this problem been released though.

Ok now to the real flames;
This product is very very buggy; and lot of users been writing about that on the kvr-vst forum; however any negative posts gets deleted within a day or two; and so far it seems the company ignores complaints about the product, and the most common reply been "it works here; check over your setup", and sure if one or two individuals would have a problem with the product it's likely it's something user specific, but it's alot of users who reported problems and so far very few of the reported bugs been fixed afaik.

The product crashes quite often (I'm not kidding if I say it crashes about once every 15 minutes of use; especially when STRETCH is involved).
I also had alot of problems with notes gettings stuck once and then.

I'm terribly disapointed with this product; and it's DEFINATELY not worth it's price tag.
If this piece was released by some shareware developer selling it for $50 or so I wouldn't complain; but this is a product that's considered a proferssional tool; but according to me it's really not of proferssional quality.

IK Multimedia can kiss me as a customer goodbye; I waited more than 5 months for an update to fix problems with pops and clicks and dead sounds; but so far it has not been fixed; and I'm running out of patience. I didn't buy this product to beta test a new software sampler/synth plugin, but to have something to support my songs; but that's not what I got.
And obviously IK Multimedia is not interested about fixing these problems so I'm really not interested in dealing with them again. (also I agree with the previous review; if I had to play with a demo version of this software; I would not have bought it)
This product could been great if things was working ok; but it's not.
My advice is to skip this product and buy something else instead; from a company that cares about it's customers.
Personally I think I will go for a Korg Triton Studio instead; sure the price tag is alot higher but I also know I get a piece quality equipment.