When is it worth considering a 3rd party sampler?

[Nunstummy]

Logic’s Quick Sampler and Sampler have always done what I need, but is there a reason to use any 3rd party samplers?

It’s probably common that we use 3rd party sample “players” for their instruments like Kontakt, Spitfire or Decent, but what about chopping, slicing and modifying samples for compositions?  I got Serato Sample LE for free, used it once, then jumped back to Logic Sampler, as I usually do.  Now I see there’s Momentum sampler from Big Fish audio, for free.  I also just realized I can drag a loop into Kontakt, slice, chop, auto-map, time stretch and add FX.

Are folks using 3rd party samplers instead of Logic’s samplers?  Serato Sampler is $99. When is it necessary to consider a 3rd party sampler?

[des99]

For working with your own samples, I'd stick to Logic's tools (which are much improved these days), unless a third-party tool offers you something unique that you can't do with Logic's tools. QuickSampler is awesome, imo, for working with single samples.

14 minutes ago, Nunstummy said:

I also just realized I can drag a loop into Kontakt, slice, chop, auto-map, time stretch and add FX.

Sure, Kontakt offers a lot of functionality, but it's interface is old, small, and annoying, compared to QuickSampler, which can do all that a lot more comfortably.

For working with commercial libraries, you need a plugin that supports the libraries you want, whether it's Kontakt, UVI, EastWest, SoundPaint, Spitfire Audio or whatever. Most of the tools that are commercially used for libraries aren't really that well optimised for working with your own samples anyway, so there's not much overlap.

Edited January 25, 2023 by des99

[Nunstummy]

3 minutes ago, des99 said:

Sure, Kontakt offers a lot of functionality, but it's interface is old, small, and annoying, compared to QuickSampler, which can do all that a lot more comfortably

Agreed!  The small screen size drives me crazy, throughout the NI products and instruments. So far, I haven’t found anything in Kontakt that I can’t do in Logic Sampler, but this is new for me.
 
Serato has a feature that lets you time-stretch or re-pitch each chop or slice individually, whereas in Logic Sampler you can only flex-time the entire loop.  Similarly, Serato allows you to apply different FX to each slice and Logic FX are applied to the entire track. However, I think I can do the same in Logic in 2 steps or multiple tracks.

Frankly, I haven’t needed to flex-time individual slices or chops, but I only occasionally work in the EDM and Hip Hop genre. When I slice/chop loops I need all the parts in the same key.

[des99]

6 minutes ago, Nunstummy said:

I haven’t found anything in Kontakt that I can’t do in Logic Sampler

Well, there is quite a lot actually, especially when you get into instrument design with your own custom interfaces and scripting - but that's more involved stuff of course.

7 minutes ago, Nunstummy said:

Serato has a feature that lets you time-stretch or re-pitch each chop or slice individually, whereas in Logic Sampler you can only flex-time the entire loop.  Similarly, Serato allows you to apply different FX to each slice and Logic FX are applied to the entire track.

Serato Sample is quite nice in some regards, and has some more "MPC"-workflow like features. It doesn't currently work well on modern ARM Macs though (the controls don't work). If you like the workflow, and it's ability to locate slices in audio randomly, it offers a few extra features that might be worth paying for it for (might be worth waiting on a sale - they do sales on it for about $50 from time to time).

[fisherking]

i use new sonic arts nuance 2 (have for years). love it for simple things, like cycling easily thru samples while running a project. for me it's an essential tool...

[onewave]

Quote

is there a reason to use any 3rd party samplers?

Yes, Biggest reason ever, the use of Hardware Analog VCA's and Analog Filters!

Although the only sampler I would ever want is the E-mu Emulator III, way too expensive to consider btw... unless you find one at a bargain price?

[grumblepig]

Not a software sampler, but I really love my Digitakt. It's mainly a drum machine, but it's been a source of much creative amusement for me. I wanted the Digitakt to be something I'd really lose myself in, and that's exactly what it's been. I use it all the time, just as I use the sampler in Logic. I mean, I was making records in the early 90s, but nearly all my use of samplers back then was for repair work. It's only recently that I've found sampling to be a musical wonderland. Logic's sampler is fab, far as I can tell.

[Nunstummy]

4 hours ago, grumblepig said:

Not a software sampler, but I really love my Digitakt.

Good point.  I forgot a lot of people like hardware like the Digitakt.

[Nunstummy]

6 hours ago, fisherking said:

nuance 2 (have for years). love it for simple things

I’ll take a look.  There was a time when the Logic EXS24 was fading - overtaken with newer, more feature rich samplers, but then QuickSampler (v10.5 I think?) restored a lot of the Logic faithful.

[Nunstummy]

11 hours ago, des99 said:

offers a few extra features that might be worth paying for it for (might be worth waiting on a sale - they do sales on it for about $50 from time to time).

For sure.  I’ve seen it offered for 50% off.

11 hours ago, des99 said:

Well, there is quite a lot actually, especially when you get into instrument design with your own custom interfaces and scripting - but that's more involved stuff of course.

Good point.  I haven’t considered instrument design, even though that IS a use case for many who are reselling instruments for Kontakt, or Decent or contracted by Spifire audio.

[FLH3]

I bought Kontakt for the only reason of the available free libraries.

I never program any sample in Kontakt because of its GUI (we all know how tiny-crappy it is), when I make sampled instruments I use Sampler/EXS or my old ensoniq EPS "classic" when I need a vintage vibe and I resample the result in Sampler for easy access.

I rarely use my old Akai S1100, for a clean sound what I've in my computer is perfect.

And I use Decent, Sfrozando or TX16Wx as players.