CDxtract or Translator?

[vash]

What\'s the difference between these two. I want to convert various formats to either giga or kontakt. Which one should I get? Is there a conversion difference between the two?

Thanks.

[FV]

Hi,

I own both. They essentially do the same thing and both are pretty good. There are some different features in each though and their interfaces are different. Some like one or the other and others don\'t mind either one.

For formats, you\'d be best to check out each site to find out if your main formats are handled by both. Translator can write in some hardware-sampler specific formats such as Akai and E-mu. So, you can create a virtual drive in Akai or E-mu format and move or convert other samples to it and then take that image and burn it to a CD.

I have found that for some titles, it is best to use both. I recently bought QL Brass in E-mu format and used CDXtract to convert the bulk of it. Some of the presets did not convert correctly (they generated an error when loading into the new sampler) and I had to use Translator
to do the ones that did not work. I\'ve also had situations (with other libraries) where Translator crashed and I had to finish them with CDXtract.

I would recommend that you decide on them based on which sampler formats you need to convert and which interface you like the best. Neither of them is 100% perfect but they are both pretty good and both companies support their product very well, responding to emails quickly.

I know that this does not tell you which one to get but I think that they are both pretty good. I think that, as long as each handles all of the sampler formats that you are looking for, you can\'t go wrong with either of them.

HTH,
FV

[vash]

My apologies, I thought I mentioned it. images/icons/blush.gif I am mostly looking to convert giga to kontakt, and supplementally akai to either giga or kontakt.

[FV]

Hi vash,

Sorry - you did mention it. I simply misunderstood what you wrote. I haven\'t spent any time with those converting to Giga. I also haven\'t spent much time with the Kontakt conversions either. If they are anything like they are for exs-24 (which is my main software sampler), then both do a pretty good job.

HTH,
FV

[vash]

Thanks FV, I appreciate the info!