Akai conversion of great value guitar samples

[carlmsmith]

There is a thread running on the Sample Libraries Discussion section of the forum with regard to low cost, great sounding guitar samples from Indiginus.com (5 bucks an instrument!). Sadly, they are only available in Kontakt 2 or Akai. I thought I could download the Akai, and convert it in my GS3. The Akai is the S5000 format by the way.

I downloaded, but am not sure which files I need to go on a "Akai CD" disk, which GS can supposedly read.

I encourage any fans of high value sampled electric and acoustic guitar, and electric piano, and drums, etc. to go to that site. If you download and are successful in converting, I would very much like to know the details of how you did it.

This is not an ad for Indiginus. I'm simply a frustrated would-be user!
Carl

[scope4live]

Good Luck.

Tascam should have never advertised GS3 as a converter. Page 48, I believe spoke it's " power " in a paragraph.

It has never worked, and they do not reply to emails, etc. in regards to that either. It was something I needed, as I also have some samples which work great under 2.54 from Sonic Reality, but I ended up buying ESC to get that to work.

Those guitar samples from INdi, are very good considering their limitations.

35 bucks gets alot of good content.

[carlmsmith]

Ah, that's disappointing to hear. Anyone else agree with that? I noticed that there is rather short shrift given to conversion in the manual.

What they do say is pretty incomprehensible.

Carl

[scope4live]

Try it and see if you agree.

I was furious that my Blue Tubes VST FX wouldn't work, PoCo cards, PSP FX, etc.,etc.

The Akai " conversion utility " really jacked me off too.

However, once I started using GigaPulse as an early reflector engine, w/ external Lexicon hardware FX, and routed these into my DSP projects w/o any problems, and used it live for 2 years w/o one single hiccup..................I quickly got over it. It was a fierce performer, and still is, even though GVI has turned my Scope GS3 DAW into an LSAD DAW, due to it's multi-core compliancy, and sheer ability to load twice the GSI's of GS3.

So yes I love Giga through and through, but always take pleasure in maliciously feeding on it's vulnerablities when oppurtunities arise. :samurai:

[carlmsmith]

"So yes I love Giga through and through, but always take pleasure in maliciously feeding on it's vulnerablities when oppurtunities arise". -scope4live

Oh, absolutely, that's my attitude, too! I have been a big fan over the years and have followed the progression from gigasampler to gigastudio and from Nemysys to Tascam. As for tech support, you could always get more and better help right here in this forum than from Tascam. The least pleasing feature of GS ownership to me is the awful time when you have to re-install the program and the registration file has been misplaced, or, when you have to replace the hard drive and have to fight the re-registration battle.

Forgive the rant. Anyway, I'd like to get these indiginus samples to play on GS. I don't understand Akai samples at all. Is there somewhere in the beginning some raw wav files, uncompressed ,that could be forged into a gig file? I dunno.

Carl

[scope4live]

You could try the Distributed Wave Instuments approach, but that is way too time consuming for me.

I did that just to have a good Gibson Organ ( Doors )and though it works fine, it is quite fatigueing.

As a last resort I guess you could break into the vault and get the ESC app. It will convert in a breeze.

I still have several libraries I use where the memory footprint is small, and when converting the sample to GS3 actually gives them a nicer quality also.

Lead guitars, organs, ARP Strings, Melotrons, and all of the Sonic Reality stuff, which is suprisingly playable. I actually use an ASIO 2 64channel driver now. Half of the sounds are of older vintage. I really don't need a 16 layered Gibson Organ, or Melotron anyway. :D

[belbin]

Interesting Ideas, Carl. Your comments on these sounds have prompted me to download and test the blue ridge fingerpicked martin.

I also have no clue how to use the akai converter, but I'm going to spend some time editing these samples (you can grab some release samples from the mutes, and possibly make some legato transitions out of the slides), and see what I can put together in GS edit. Of course, I won't be able to share the resulting files, but if the results seem useful, I'll be happy to describe the methods.

For now, you can audition the wav's that came with your instruments, and rename them so that they end in the MIDI note name that they'll be assigned to. Sort them into folders by articulation, and then it's just a matter of drag'n'drop into GSEdit, with some envelope tweaking.

I think I'll actually try applying some DEF for dynamics, and sucking out some resonant body frequencies and applying an acoustic guitar body impulse while I'm at it.

This is exciting:)

Belbin

[carlmsmith]

I'll have to go back and look at the wav samples. My impression is that there wasn't that many of them. If the articulations ARE there, and a decent number of samples in each, then it ought to be possible to make a .gig. Or, as the joke goes, easy for you, difficult for me!

Anyway if you are successful, let us know.

Carl

[tcollins]

Belbin,

In the Blue Ridge Lt download, the samples are
arranged into 8 keygroups:

E1 samples from E1 to F#1
A1 samples from G1 to B1
D2 samples from C2 to E2
G2 samples from F2 to G#2
B2 samples from A2 to C#3
D3 samples from D3 to E3
G3 samples from F3 to A3
B3 samples from A#3 up

There are up to 4 velocity layers, depending on the program:
Mutes contain "MT" near the end of the sample name
(like MFNG3MT1).
Slides contain "SL"
Harmonics, "HR"
Sustains have no such notation, other than S for soft
or H for hard. "MFND2S2" means Martin FiNgerpicked D2
Soft (the 2 at the end means second take).

Velocity groups:
Mutes velocity levels 0-60
Sustains 61- 127 or 61-110 when used in a 'slide'
program (except E1, where there is no slide).
Slides 111-127

The harmonics overlap part of the mutes, playing in the 30-59 vel range.

Hope this info saves you some time.

Also, I like your idea of using edits of the mutes for release samples. Never thought of that!

TC

[scope4live]

I will let you know how well they convert when I get mine. I also ordered these, but don't have the kind of time to do what you guys are trying.

I prefer the conversion approach first. If I don't like the sound, I can move on quickly. But from other members who first guided me to this it sounds to be real good bang for a buck.

Glad to hear Belbin is on top of this. :D

His knowledge is DEEP.

The SR Guitars are small in memory, but sound quite good, so these were definately worth the 30 USD I spent. SR Amer. Hrtlnd, and other cd's are 200 USD apiece.

[carlmsmith]

I talked to TC of Indiginus (see above post) and he now believes that the newer Akai format (S5000/S6000)may not convert to .gigs. But don't let that stop anyone from trying.

I bought his acoustic guitar Cd that has a lot more on it than the $5 download and got it in "classic" i.e. old Akai format.

I was able to convert a good portion of the material, almost two dozen files in all representing not only several sampled guitars, but mandolin, harmonica, dobro, lapsteel, and a lot of other stuff as well. I was NOT able, for some reason, to convert 12 string guitar or slide versions of guitar, but I'm still working on it. All in all, I still consider my $59.95USD well spent. The dobro was a very pleasant surprise. It is simple, but still has a couple of side by side articulations on the keyboard- straight tones and slides. I've been thinking about sampling my Dobro for a long time, but now the pressure is off!

Belbin,we're still anxious to hear if you are successful in creating a .gig from your download. I'd still like to get the electric guitars, drums, and electric piano and I don't see that they are available in the old format. We'll have to learn to create .gigs from the samples.

Carl

[scope4live]

Learngigastudio DVD's.

Larry Seyer, and Dave Govett.

A video and audio of the two using the app in it's splendor.

Funny thing they don't show the Akai conversion utility.

They don't get very excited and remind me of Alfred Hitchcock kinda, but the knowledge and tutoring are top shelf.

[kitekrazy]

Good Luck.

Tascam should have never advertised GS3 as a converter. Page 48, I believe spoke it's " power " in a paragraph.


Unfortunately this is where Giga takes a back seat to other samplers. Kontakt does plenty of formats.

[scope4live]

That's why I use both apps.

One apps strengths are the other ones weaknesses.

Plus you get twice the amount of developers. )(~