On a fine day, 27-05-2004, Save the Universe wrote: > > So if you're looking for a wide ranging assortment of all possible > > drum sounds, the Xtreme HipHop is definitely _not_ the thing to buy. > > I got the lib from a magazine that wanted me to do a review (which > > was cancelled for irrelevant reasons), and personally I would never > > buy it. Nice if you're into hiphop probably, but you can't even make > > a half-decent rock kit with it. > >hendrik, > >thank you for this info. from your details, i really don't think it'd be >what i'm after. > >what would you recommend instead? No idea, to be honest. I'm not into drum sampling stuff at all -- I just happen to have been given the XHH from this magazine... -- Hendrik Jan Veenstra h @ k n o w a r e . n l Omega Art: http://www.omega-art.com/

> > For acoustic kit sounds the Mixtend drums are the best I've heard. > Couldn't have put it better myself - great, great acoustic drum > samples, and as Paul mentions, having the OH and room samples > available seperately means you can "dial in" how much close > miked/ambient sound you want. A must have, IMO. thanks to everyone for their feedback so far. when putting the Mixtend Drums into EXS, will they be pre-grouped accordingly? for example, will all of the cymbals of a given kit be grouped together so that i can easily route them to different outputs when mixing? thanks again, jon z. --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.686 / Virus Database: 447 - Release Date: 5/14/04

where can I find Mixtend Drums? Is there a web site?

On 28/05/2004, at 11:41 PM, msjones4th wrote: > Another excellent site is www.hollowsun.com. They have tons of > excellent samples from classic drum machines like the CR78 (one of > my favorites), HR16, SR16, Korg DDR and DDD series, as well as the > obligatory 808 and 909 stuff. Hmmm, must be having a thick day, the files on this site are .akp which I presume are the Akai format. EXS doesn't show these files, how do I convert them? michael

At 09:46 AM 05/29/2004, you wrote: >where can I find Mixtend Drums? Is there a web site? http://www.wizoo.com/ Note that with their EXS24 bundle, you can get Mixtended Drums, Platinum 24 Latin Percussion and Platinum 24 Grand Piano for 99 Euro, which is the same price as the Drums alone. If you want only the drums, you can get them at a slight discount through House of samples and possibly elsewhere. http://www.mtlc.net/main.php?a=scd&main=1

Folks, any help to optimize my system for HEAVY EXS24 use would be greatly appreciated. I'm getting crackling and Core Audio overloads. I am running all 64 instruments which are all EX24 except for one EVB3 and one EVP88. I have trimmed my polyphony as best I can. My Logic file has 1.27GB of samples! And I'm using one instance of Space Designer. I am re-encoding the picture I'm scoring to to a smaller size. So, it's safe to say that I just might be pushing my luck, here. Regardless, here are my particulars: Sawtooth Powermac, upgraded with dual 1.3GHz G4 processors, 2GB RAM, 7200rpm (2MB cache) drives, Radeon 9000 Pro GPU, Hammerfall Light card. Panther 10.3.3 (haven't upgraded to 10.3.4 yet. Would it help??). I have killed as many processes as I can to the extent that I am able to understand their function (UNIX! WHOA!), and have disabled all third party pref panels, with the exception of my mouse driver (using USB Overdrive). Logic Pro 6.4.2. Core audio drivers configured as: Track count: only four 512 I/O buffer 64 busses OFF Software Monitoring on LARGE process buffer range Larger disk buffer enabled Rewire behavior: "Playback Mode" (less CPU load). I am not using Rewire. EXS24mkII preferences: Sample rate conversion: normal Sample Storage: 32 bit float Now, here's the one I don't know about -- and is coincidentally ABSENT from the manual: the EXS24 TDM mode setting. As I am not using TDM, what is the best setting for this parameter that would result in MORE JUICE for native EXS ? "Strong"? Also, despite me using the 32 bit float which loads all the samples into RAM, the System is STILL having to resort to virtual memory (no surprise there). In light of this, does it matter whether I'm set to 32bit float or not? Will the processor still get a little bit of a break if I leave 32 bit float ON? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated :)

On 29 May 2004, at 19:13, Sean McCoy wrote: > Note that with their EXS24 bundle, you can get Mixtended Drums, > Platinum 24 > Latin Percussion and Platinum 24 Grand Piano for 99 Euro, which is the > same > price as the Drums alone. If you want only the drums, you can get them > at a > slight discount through House of samples and possibly elsewhere. > > http://www.mtlc.net/main.php?a=scd&main=1 Thanks for the tip. Surfed / liked / ordered :) Ben Hall www.benhall.co.uk

Me, too. ;-) Peter --- http://www.merlinsound.de ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ben Hall" <ben@...> To: <exs-users@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Saturday, May 29, 2004 11:39 PM Subject: Re: [EXS] RE: The Best EXS Drum Sample CD? > > > Thanks for the tip. > > Surfed / liked / ordered :) > > Ben Hall > www.benhall.co.uk

On 30/05/2004, at 4:13 AM, Mac Duff wrote: > Folks, any help to optimize my system for HEAVY EXS24 use would be > greatly > appreciated. I'm getting crackling and Core Audio overloads. Start freezing are even bouncing your tracks to file... michael

> as for your offer matt, that would actually be very very nice of you, > if > you can be bothered doing this. > thanks so much for your kind offer!! If I get some time tomorrow, I will record it for you. Cheers, Matt _____________________________________________________ MATT MCKENZIE-SMITH MUSIC • AUDIO DESIGN • PRODUCTION PO Box 10395, Adelaide 5000, South Australia. Ph.+61 416 197 883 _____________________________________________________

On 29/05/2004, at 6:15 PM, Save the Universe wrote: > thanks to everyone for their feedback so far. when putting the > Mixtend Drums into EXS, will they be pre-grouped accordingly? > for example, will all of the cymbals of a given kit be grouped > together so that i can easily route them to different outputs > when mixing? > Don't know even though I use and love Mixtend. I personally find it hard to believe that so many people seem to want to use the multiple outputs feature in EXS. For these hard hitting kit sounds don't you all want to add compression and EQ sound by sound when you mix, and if yes why bother with multiple out? Why not use as many instances of EXS as you need outs and simply add the plugins on the instruments themselves? You get the benefit of delay compensation doing this. I also find that having multiple EXS instances all holding the same kit uses hardly any extra CPU and uses no extra ram than to hold one instance of the kit. Is there a drawback I'm not aware of in working this way? ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Paul Najar Jaminajar Music Production www.jaminajar.com

Paul Najar wrote: > > Don't know even though I use and love Mixtend. I personally find it > hard to believe that so many people seem to want to use the multiple > outputs feature in EXS. For these hard hitting kit sounds don't you all > want to add compression and EQ sound by sound when you mix, and if yes > why bother with multiple out? Why not use as many instances of EXS as > you need outs and simply add the plugins on the instruments themselves? > You get the benefit of delay compensation doing this. > > I also find that having multiple EXS instances all holding the same kit > uses hardly any extra CPU and uses no extra ram than to hold one > instance of the kit. Is there a drawback I'm not aware of in working > this way? Hi Paul, It's just a question of personal preference. You can do it 3 different ways. 1. Use multiout kits and apply your compressors and Eq on the Aux objects where your additional outputs are routed 2. load kit parts (Snare, Hats, Kick etc) into separate instances and contol the kit with a single midi sequence. Any pre-programmed kit can be easily broken down into components by selecting out all of one group with a key command ( eg the snare group) and pasting it into a new instrument. If you have a lot of snare instruments like this you can put them in a folder and step through them with a key command while the song plays. 3. You can also load the whole kit into multiple instances and send only Kick midi parts to one and only Snare midi parts to the next etc - ie multiple midi sequences - not so great for hyperediting. The additional instances of the kit use no additional RAM but the extra instances of the EXS24 do I believe. I tend to use the first two options. I set up a folder full of about 50 kits with the same multiout configuration (eg Snare routed to Alt 3-4 etc). I have an autoload that has the Aux objects configured and the compressors and Eq and FX sends set up and I can step through the kits with a key command while the tune plays. Regards, Murray

> I personally find it > hard to believe that so many people seem to want to use the multiple > outputs feature in EXS. For these hard hitting kit sounds don't you all > want to add compression and EQ sound by sound when you mix, and if yes > why bother with multiple out? Why not use as many instances of EXS as > you need outs and simply add the plugins on the instruments themselves? > You get the benefit of delay compensation doing this. i've noticed a significant difference in CPU load by using multiple outs. plus, it is easier to have one track in the arrange window with all of the sequenced objects together. realisticly, if a song takes advantage of 10 drum sounds, using multiple outs with only 1 instance of EXS (one kit for the whole song) would be 1/10th of the CPU load. perhaps it's just my machine, but for me, every bit of CPU power i can save is precious. any chance someone could check to see if the Mixtend drums are pre-organized in groups? thanks, jon z. http://www.jonzaremba.com --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.686 / Virus Database: 447 - Release Date: 5/14/04

I wrote: >2. load kit parts (Snare, Hats, Kick etc) into separate instances and contol >the kit with a single midi sequence. Sorry - for this to be true you need to copy that single sequence to all drum parts. I do it this way when I program with one whole kit and then split the parts for greater control. Working with a single sequence is one obvious advantage of working with multi-out kits. Regards, M

On 5/29/04 5:50 PM, "Michael Scheurer" <lists@...> wrote: > On 30/05/2004, at 4:13 AM, Mac Duff wrote: > >> Folks, any help to optimize my system for HEAVY EXS24 use would be >> greatly >> appreciated. I'm getting crackling and Core Audio overloads. > > Start freezing are even bouncing your tracks to file... Yeah. That's a bit of a hassle as one is trying to write the music, though :( A workaround I have found that reduces the occurrence of crashes is to play (just bash some cluster chords) on a bunch of the instruments while stopped to "prepare" Logic for the task ahead of it. Doing this seems to cause Logic to load the samples out of OS X's virtual memory and into RAM. I think that is my problem, because I'm not talking about DENSELY programmed sequencing; it's just that the sound template I have assembled in RAM is HUGE. You can see how much virtual memory I am being forced to use in the screenshot, below. And THAT's with 2 gig of RAM installed! So, when I do bash the keys around, the program plays all crackly at first and my CPU meter jumps to life. After a few seconds, however, things settle down and the program becomes fully usable. Doing this across several instruments can't prevent some Core Audio overloads, but at least the crashing has been reduced (not eliminated). http://members.rogers.com/dropzone/2gigLOADED.jpg

>> >> >> For acoustic kit sounds the Mixtend drums are the best I've heard. > Up >> to 12 velocity layers deep per sound and phase coherent overhead > > Couldn't have put it better myself - great, great acoustic drum > samples, and as Paul mentions, having the OH and room samples > > How does mixtend compare with DFH superior?

On 30/05/2004, at 8:41 PM, Murray McDowall wrote: > It's just a question of personal preference. There are functionality questions involved with the different methods also. > You can do it 3 different ways. > > 1. Use multiout kits and apply your compressors and Eq on the Aux > objects where > your additional outputs are routed The big crunch with this way is that you loose your plugin delay compensation. This is a real pain when using the Mixtend drums since the ambient drum versions rely on sample accuracy for phase alignment. > 2. load kit parts (Snare, Hats, Kick etc) into separate instances and > contol > the kit with a single midi sequence. Any pre-programmed kit can be > easily > broken down into components by selecting out all of one group with a > key > command ( eg the snare group) and pasting it into a new instrument. > If you > have a lot of snare instruments like this you can put them in a folder > and step > through them with a key command while the song plays. A little better than # 1 IMO but still pretty boring for me. This comes down more to how you like to organise your library. With acoustic kits I almost always use the Mixtend series since I got it because of it's ambient choices so there is a real benefit in not breaking up complete kits since you'd have to do the same to the overhead and/ or room mic variants. As for the 808/ 909 kicks and hats etc I almost always use the Wizoo Electronic drum series since my Novation Drumstation died. Even these are 7-9 velocity layers deep. > 3. You can also load the whole kit into multiple instances and send > only Kick > midi parts to one and only Snare midi parts to the next etc - ie > multiple midi > sequences - not so great for hyperediting. The additional instances of > the kit > use no additional RAM but the extra instances of the EXS24 do I > believe. This is my preferred method. Even way before EXS when using hardware multitimbral drum boxes I preferred to have each drum sound on it's own midi channel so it was always quick to globally edit one sound - either in the box or the midi data. It also allows me to use the EXS filter and amplitude envelope - which is also a time saver in that you don't need to save edited versions of a stock kit. It's all done when you save the song. > I tend to use the first two options. > > I set up a folder full of about 50 kits with the same multiout > configuration > (eg Snare routed to Alt 3-4 etc). I have an autoload that has the Aux > objects > configured and the compressors and Eq and FX sends set up and I can > step > through the kits with a key command while the tune plays. This is a clever way of doing it once you've gone through and set it all up the way you want - which for me would take a long time since my library is pretty darn big. There's no doubt that it's vital to actually KNOW what's in your library otherwise it's all but useless unless you're prepared to step through and listen to every sound EVERY time you need a sound. But having had to organise sample libraries as far back as when they were a box of 3.5" floppies I try to avoid like the plague spending any more time in this type of activity that I have to - and I don't think my drum productions suffer as a result. YMMV

On 30/05/2004, at 11:18 PM, Save the Universe wrote: > any chance someone could check to see if the Mixtend drums are > pre-organized > in groups? > Just had a look. Each sound is in a group including separate groups for open and closed hats. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Paul Najar Jaminajar Music Production www.jaminajar.com

--- In exs-users@yahoogroups.com, Paul Najar <paulnajar@j...> wrote: > > On 30/05/2004, at 11:18 PM, Save the Universe wrote: > > > any chance someone could check to see if the Mixtend drums are > > pre-organized > > in groups? > > > > Just had a look. Each sound is in a group including separate groups for > open and closed hats. Where can I find the Mixtend Drums? I have looked around to no avail. I am in the process of loading up samples for Logic and am sorely in need of accoustic drums. thanks

Paul Najar wrote: > > The big crunch with this way is that you loose your plugin delay > compensation. This is a real pain when using the Mixtend drums since > the ambient drum versions rely on sample accuracy for phase alignment. I am using Logic PC so I think the PCD thing is moot for me. > > > 3. You can also load the whole kit into multiple instances and send > > only Kick > > midi parts to one and only Snare midi parts to the next etc - ie > > multiple midi > > sequences - not so great for hyperediting. The additional instances of > > the kit > > use no additional RAM but the extra instances of the EXS24 do I > > believe. > > This is my preferred method. Even way before EXS when using hardware > multitimbral drum boxes I preferred to have each drum sound on it's own > midi channel so it was always quick to globally edit one sound - either > in the box or the midi data. It also allows me to use the EXS filter > and amplitude envelope - which is also a time saver in that you don't > need to save edited versions of a stock kit. It's all done when you > save the song. Yes - if you want to use the filters and envelopes this is the best way (filter offsets etc are less powerful). This is the most compelling advantage of splitting to separate instances. I like to see the whole pattern in the hypereditor when I am programming so it is a bit fiddly in that I need to edit one pattern and copy the sequence to the other instrument channels. It is a shame Logic has not followed Cubase/Nuendo in offering presets for sections of the mixer so that you can set up a complete multi-instrument set with all FX and sends and recall it. Regards, Murray

On 31/05/2004, at 3:55 PM, blearyeyes2004 wrote: > Where can I find the Mixtend Drums? I have looked around to no avail. > I am in the process of loading up samples for Logic and am sorely in > need of accoustic > drums. www.wizoo.com ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Paul Najar Jaminajar Music Production www.jaminajar.com

Murray McDowall wrote: > I am using Logic PC so I think the PCD thing is moot for me. No, it's not. Virtual instrument tracks + plugins on them are delay compensated (since quite some time allready) while plugins on aux objects aren't. For me the convenience of having all my drums in one single instance of an instrument (I'm not using the EXS btw, for drums there's nothing worse) usually outweighs the need for sample accuracy though. Sure, using plugins such as some Waves compressors on an aux object would not exactly work, so, in such a case I may just copy the instrument. The bad thing here is that extracting MIDI notes by pitch from a single MIDI drum sequence is still working in a way that would make me laugh if it wasn't that sad... Sascha

--- In exs-users@yahoogroups.com, "blearyeyes2004" <dan@i...> wrote: > Where can I find the Mixtend Drums? I have looked around to no avail. > I am in the process of loading up samples for Logic and am sorely in > need of accoustic > drums. www.wizoo.com - check out the "cd rom" on the left sidebar, it'll be in there somewhere. they also do "acoustic drums" which sound pretty cool in the mp3's. yellowtools also do "pure drums" which have been around a copule of years - 24 bit, all dry samples, and exs ready. http://www.yellowtools.de/index2_e.htm on a budget? how about a full 200mb stereo kit for free? http://www.natural-studio.co.uk/ns_kit.htm

On 31/05/2004, at 8:04 PM, Sascha Franck wrote: > For me the convenience of having all my drums in one single instance > of an > instrument (I'm not using the EXS btw, for drums there's nothing worse) > usually outweighs the need for sample accuracy though. If I'm not using instruments that require many samples to be phase aligned I'm almost inclined to agree here. But I still find it more of a hassle having to save song specific drum instruments than I do to have multiple EXS instances and have immediate access without thinking if I choose to the EXS filters and envelopes on a per sound basis. Perhaps if DSP resources were an issue I might feel different. But they're not on my Quicksilver Dual 1GHZ G4/ UAD-1/ RME Multiface/ OS 9.2.2. And I've also got to say that I LOVE knowing, for sure, that if I go and check the sample start in the audio editor and put the midi event on the beat that that sound is TRULY on the beat. I know, "use your ears" and all that, and I do, but having a true point of reference reduces mental clutter or doubt, and this, I must say is usually my ultimate criteria. YMMV > Sure, using plugins > such as some Waves compressors on an aux object would not exactly > work, so, > in such a case I may just copy the instrument. > The bad thing here is that extracting MIDI notes by pitch from a > single MIDI > drum sequence is still working in a way that would make me laugh if it > wasn't that sad... What's your gripe about it.? Agreed it could be better but it's way from unusable.... ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Paul Najar Jaminajar Music Production www.jaminajar.com

On a fine day, 30-05-2004, Save the Universe wrote: >realisticly, if a song takes advantage of 10 drum sounds, using >multiple outs with only 1 instance of EXS (one kit for the whole >song) would be 1/10th of the CPU load. That shouldn't be true. What counts is the number of voices and not the number of instances (minus a possible very slight overhead per instance). So a 10 voice sequence played by one EXS should take up as much CPU as 10 1-voice sequences played by 10 EXS's. -- Hendrik Jan Veenstra h @ k n o w a r e . n l Omega Art: http://www.omega-art.com/