[linux-audio-user] Linux Soft Sampler...

Frank Barknecht fbar at footils.org
Wed May 14 17:17:00 EDT 2003


Hallo,
Jesse Ray Lucas hat gesagt: // Jesse Ray Lucas wrote:

> I have been looking around on the web for a soft sampler for Linux, but
> haven't come up with anything.  There are virtual synths galore, but no full
> featured soft samplers, ala Gigastudio, Kontakt, Halion, etc.  Am I missing
> anything?

I'd like to add two programs to the list, that you already got:
fluidsynth/swami and Pd.

fluidsynth is a sample player at heart. It expects to get its samples
in Soundfont format, which you can create using Swami (or the older
verision called Smurf). 

fluid itself cannot sample, but it is very comfortable if you want to
use sampled sound as traditional instruments (read: with MIDI)

Another solution, that is capabale of way more things (including
running fluidsynth inside) is Pd. You can think of Pd as a Csound with
graphical interface, but that doesn't really cover it. Pd is a modular
synth, that of course also can deal with samples. It is very efficient
at realtime usage. You have to build a sampler with Pd yourself, but
it also gives you the chance to build it yourself.

Pd comes with objects for all kind of sample manipulation: You get
several (looping) players, disk streaming players, granulating sample
players, fluidsynth as external and much more. 

You just need to expect a learning curve with Pd - at first it's
shallow, then can become rather steep. Granted, it's not Halion, but
depending on what exactly you want in a sample player, Pd can deliver
(as can jMax or Spiral Synth, to be fair)

ciao
-- 
 Frank Barknecht                               _ ______footils.org__



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