[vipaudioaccess] Re: NI Kontakt and Loading RX2, Gigastudio files

  • From: "Chris" <chris.ankin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <vipaudioaccess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2015 16:21:10 -0000

Hi Steve and all,

Whilst investigating my sample conversion issue, I've stumbled across this 
quite nice sample converter program  'Extreme Sample Converter' -it's not 
free unfortunately currently selling for 59.00 euros, there is however a 
fully functional demo that inserts white noise bursts until unlocked.

I managed to convert a test Gigastudio file quite easily, into Kontakt 
format, it seems pretty accessible, it also functions as a media browser by 
playing sample files as you browse through them something that will come in 
handy when searching for obscurely named files like 'track 1.mp3'. .

I've pasted below a review from the SOS website in case it's of interest to 
anyone...

Best,

Chris

Extreme Sample Converter

Sample Conversion Utility [Windows]

Published in SOS June 2010

Reviews : Software: Utilities
From sports to computer programming, it seems that there's an extreme 
version of everything these days. So what is extreme sample conversion, and 
how is it better than the ordinary kind?
Martin Walker
Extreme Sample Converter makes it easy to browse through folders full of 
presets, examine their sample contents, audition them in real time using the 
virtual keyboard (at bottom left) or your MIDI keyboard, and convert them to 
other sample formats.
Extreme Sample Converter makes it easy to browse through folders full of 
presets, examine their sample contents, audition them in real time using the 
virtual keyboard (at bottom left) or your MIDI keyboard, and convert them to 
other sample formats.
I
f you're about to make the switch from a hardware to a software sampler, or 
to a new software sampler, it's important to make sure that you can carry on 
using your existing sample libraries. Many software samplers will import 
other formats, but they may not support the particular format you need, or 
do a less‑than‑thorough job of conversion, leaving you with sounds that 
simply don't 'feel' right, even if all the samples end up in the right 
place.
When this happens, it's time to reach for a more comprehensive utility — 
like Wlodzimierz Grabowski's Extreme Sample Converter. As its name suggests, 
this stand‑alone application offers a wide range of import/export options, 
as well as promising more thorough conversions, but it's also capable of a 
lot more.
Browse Beater
As a sample browser and looper, ExSC rivals some fully featured stereo audio 
editors.
As a sample browser and looper, ExSC rivals some fully featured stereo audio 
editors.
When I started reviewing Extreme Sample Converter, I expected to be mainly 
using it for format conversions, but within a few days found myself relying 
on it for audio file browsing and auditioning, at which it excels. Many 
audio editors and sequencers make it a tedious process to listen to multiple 
audio files one at a time, but with ExSC it's an absolute breeze. With 
Explorer‑style navigation in the left‑hand pane to track down the files 
you're after, you just choose a Source Format from the drop‑down menu at the 
top of the application, whereupon all files of this type appear in the 
window alongside. Clicking on a file in an audio or sample format 
automatically plays back that sound, as well as displaying the sample data 
in the right‑hand Graphics panel, complete with any looping information.
Better still, if you choose one of the preset/instrument Source Formats from 
the wide range on offer, you can not only play back any of the individual 
samples within it, but also audition the entire preset across the MIDI 
keyboard range, either with your mouse and the velocity‑sensitive virtual 
MIDI keyboard, or polyphonically, using an attached MIDI keyboard 
controller.
All the sample key and velocity mappings appear in the Preset window, making 
ExSC a wonderful way to learn how designers have assembled their creations 
from a bunch of samples. Only 'protected' formats such as Kontakt's 
monolithic files (where an instrument preset and all the samples it uses are 
combined into a single file) fail to open, giving an 'unknown file' error. 
This may prevent you examining some commercial libraries, but otherwise I 
found the range of ExSC formats very comprehensive.
Those with hardware samplers can also audition sounds from proprietary 
formats such as CD‑ROMs, Zip and magneto‑optical drives, as well as virtual 
disks  hard drive files that contain raw data copied from such formats). I 
had no problems reading Akai and Emu CD‑ROMs, nor virtual disk copies taken 
from old Syquest 270MB cartridges used many years ago with my Akai hardware 
sampler. You can also create your own virtual disks and copy them onto Zip 
or MO media.
The various sample formats are also displayed with different icons, making 
it easy to see at a glance whether you're dealing with mono or stereo files 
in 16‑bit, 24‑bit or 32‑bit depth. This might sound trivial, but I quickly 
spotted some 32‑bit samples that I'd been working on and forgotten to 
convert to 16‑bit in their final versions, thus halving their file size. 
Overall, I quickly learned more about the sample libraries in my collection 
with ExSC than I had with any previous audio editor.
Going Loopy
The source (left) and destination (right) sample formats supported by 
Extreme Sample Converter.
The source (left) and destination (right) sample formats supported by 
Extreme Sample Converter.
While browsing your sample groups in preparation for converting them to 
another format, you may have a few unwelcome surprises. Not all sample 
library developers are as talented as others when it comes to finding 
glitch‑free loop points, and you might hear more obvious clicks and tonal 
jumps once sounds are stripped of the various DSP effects offered in 
soft‑sampler formats such as Gigastudio and Kontakt.
ExSC once again comes to the rescue, courtesy of its built‑in loop editor. 
Clicking on the loop button in the Sample window splits it into two, 
horizontally, adding a lower, loop‑editor sub‑panel where you can examine 
the loop point more closely. To help with this, there's a wider‑than‑usual 
range of zoom settings, an effective auto‑loop function to save you time, 
and an elegant crossfade‑looping function that can help you mask any 
remaining discontinuities. Every looping editor seems to have its own 
strengths and weaknesses, but I found this one surprisingly good, yet easy 
to use.
Loop points can be stereo linked or different for each channel (although the 
latter option isn't supported in many sampler formats), and there's also a 
useful subset of audio editing commands such as fade in and out (handy if 
you discover any clicks at the beginning or end of your samples), and 
various trim and crop options to remove extraneous silence and so on. If 
your sounds still need more work, you can export them to your choice of 
audio editor, subject them to as many arcane processes as you like, return 
them to ExSC and save the final sample data to your destination format.
Conversion Module
Extreme Sample Converter
The conversion module is ExSC's core feature. In essence, all you need to do 
is select a Source format, then the desired Destination format, and click on 
the Convert button. Multiple selections are supported, so you can convert a 
lot of instruments in one hit, and the drop‑down Settings menu incorporates 
plenty of conversion options covering the import, export and sample‑export 
categories.
In general, you'll probably find most of these already have the most 
appropriate settings, but apart from various options specific to certain 
source/destination formats, you can, for instance, decide whether the 
samples belonging to your new instrument files should be stored in the same 
folder, a subfolder, or together in a separate Samples folder. This is 
boring stuff, but a few clicks here can really keep your libraries 
organised.
No sample-format conversion can ever be 100 percent perfect, since each 
sampler engine offers a different set of features, and thus some settings 
from the source may have to be discarded if the destination has no idea what 
to do with them. For instance, Kontakt scripts will have to be abandoned 
when samples are converted to other formats.
This is where conversion can become frustrating, so I spent quite a few 
hours trying out conversions between Giga, Kontakt and SFZ formats in 
particular. All the samples appeared in their destination formats with 
mapping intact, and I experienced very few problems with my conversions. 
There was the odd anomaly, such as a few Akai 44.1kHz audio files appearing 
inside ExSC with a claimed 44Hz sample rate, but a couple of clicks in my 
external sample editor cured this.
As with all converters, I experienced alterations in velocity response (with 
notes of maximum MIDI velocity, the levels were always identical for each 
destination format, but quieter notes played at differing levels), but all 
my conversions nevertheless played well. I have heard of musicians 
occasionally noticing strange envelope changes, such as string attack/decay 
envelopes being converted into organ or piano shapes, or altered sample loop 
points, but I didn't suffer from anything like this.
Those who do find their conversions sound different from the source format 
have another option inside ExSC, and that's the Patch Editor, in which you 
can modify envelopes, filters, LFOs and so on before the conversion process. 
This is, in essence, a spreadsheet containing various parameter 'boxes' you 
can edit, and is no substitute for hearing the final result being played 
from your new sampler. However, it's a useful tool, especially once you've 
gained enough practical experience to know what tweaks are likely to be 
required, and could well overcome the occasional problems that other 
utilities sometimes have.
Final Thoughts
Some library developers map samples across key and velocity splits, apply a 
little filtering and enveloping to taste, and then use few, if any, of the 
more specialised features of each format. This, of course, makes it easier 
for them to convert their products to run across multiple formats, and if 
your libraries are like this you may find that the import options in your 
sampler can cope reasonably well with such conversions.
However, that's not always the case, and when things get more complex, ExSC 
is a valuable companion that should help musicians move more smoothly from 
one sampler to another. It's also the only converter I know of that includes 
hardware and VSTi converters and a decent loop‑point editor, and it's 
cheaper than the competition, which makes it an absolute bargain.
Overall, I was very impressed with what it has to offer. If your current 
sampler doesn't do justice to libraries in other formats, check out the 
current ExSC import/export options on the web site and then download the 
demo to see if it can do better. You may be very pleasantly surprised, and 
then, like me, get hooked on its other features and find that it has become 
an indispensable tool!  .
Alternatives
Since this is a PC‑only utility, there are two obvious alternatives to 
consider. Soundlib's $139 CDxtract 4 (www.soundlib.com) is good, but hasn't 
been updated for some time: for instance, it currently reads Kontakt sample 
libraries only up to version 3, and crashes if you attempt to load a Kontakt 
4 file. Its author has written a more powerful conversion engine that's been 
used inside Halion, Mach Five, Live and Stylus RMX, but the new features 
won't apparently appear in the stand‑alone version until version 5, which 
makes it hard to recommend at the moment.
Chicken Systems' $150 Translator Professional (www.chickensys.com) has been 
under continuous development for quite a few years now, supports even more 
conversion formats than ExSC if you need them (including Kontakt's 
monolithic files), and is sometimes more thorough in its conversions, but 
can be confusing at times. However, it's available in various Special 
Editions with a single destination format for about half the price, and a 
more limited free version is also available for you to try.
For automated capture of MIDI synths with advanced loop functions, PC users 
could also take a look at Soundlib's Mac/PC Samplit and Skylife's 
SampleRobot, while Mac owners can try AutoSampler, ExsManager and Keymap 
from Redmatica (www.redmatica.com).
Hardware & VSTi Converters
Despite a garish interface, the integral hardware/software converter options 
are an impressive addition to the package, which other developers might sell 
as a separate product.
Despite a garish interface, the integral hardware/software converter options 
are an impressive addition to the package, which other developers might sell 
as a separate product.
VSTi Converter, VSTi Converter Real‑Time, and Hardware Converter are three 
extra ExSC facilities that let you capture the sounds of software and 
hardware synths and convert them to any destination sampler format. You 
simply define how many key regions and velocity splits you want (up to 128 
of each are available) and then start sampling, whereupon a sequence of MIDI 
notes and velocities is automatically played while the audio output is 
captured.
Llike the export function of a sequencer, the standard VSTi Converter 
operates at the full speed of your processor, so your new preset appears 
with all its samples ready mapped in the ExSC preset window within a few 
seconds. The VSTi Real‑Time version is included to allow the experimenter to 
modify soft‑synth controls during the capture process, for the personal 
performance element. The hardware version, likewise, captures your external 
synth/keyboard sounds in real time, and also provides manual stop/start 
options so you can capture sounds with a microphone without MIDI triggering.
You might think these converters are simply designed to clone commercial 
synths, but they actually provide a handy way to assemble new creations, 
since each one also features a 16‑slot Virtual FX Rack that accepts VST and 
DX plug‑ins, so you can assemble effect chains to treat your synth patches 
while they are being captured. These options are a great resource, and 
greatly extend the usefulness of ExSC.
Published in SOS June 2010
In this article:
Browse Beater
Going Loopy
Conversion Module
Final Thoughts
Alternatives
Hardware & VSTi Converters
Extreme Sample Converter 75 Euros
pros
Competent conversion across a wide range of formats.
Excellent sample browser and loop editor.
Very handy Hardware and VSTi converters.
Excellent value for money.
cons
No Mac version yet available.
summary
With a versatile set of import and export options, Extreme Sample Converter 
does what it says on the tin, plus a lot more, for a bargain price.
information
75 Euros.
www.extranslator.com
Test Spec
Extreme Sample Converter v3.6.0.1591.
PC with Intel Conroe E6600 2.4GHz dual‑core processor and 2GB RAM, running 
Windows XP SP3.


-----Original Message----- 
From: Steve S
Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2015 1:21 PM
To: vipaudioaccess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [vipaudioaccess] Re: NI Kontakt and Loading RX2, Gigastudio files

Yep, good luck Chris. The celtic library is great, especially those wind bag
things lol...I'm gonna compose my own version of brave Heart for sure!
Steve.

-----Original Message-----
From: vipaudioaccess-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:vipaudioaccess-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Chris
Sent: 12 March 2015 09:24
To: vipaudioaccess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [vipaudioaccess] Re: NI Kontakt and Loading RX2, Gigastudio files

Thanks Steve and Jean-Phillip,

That's spooky Steve, as it's the Zero G 'Celtic' library I'm considering as
it's on offer for $29.00!

Ok, I'll drop them a line and see what can be done - thanks as always for
your help,

Best,

Chris


-----Original Message-----
From: Steve S
Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2015 10:54 PM
To: vipaudioaccess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [vipaudioaccess] Re: NI Kontakt and Loading RX2, Gigastudio files

Hi Chris. I did this not that long ago with a Zero G library called
something like "Celtic", trouble is I can't remember how I did it! If you're
interested, I'd drop them a line, as they are always very accommodating and
they will give you the steps to do it.  I was very happy with the result
after conversion. Good luck and if I remember how I did it,I'll be sure to
let you know, best steve.

-----Original Message-----
From: vipaudioaccess-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:vipaudioaccess-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Chris
Sent: 11 March 2015 18:10
To: vipaudioaccess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [vipaudioaccess] NI Kontakt and Loading RX2, Gigastudio files

Hi All,

I was looking at a couple of titles on the Zero G website, and was intrigued
to learn that you are apparently able to load RX2, REX files and also
Gigastudio samples into NI Kontakt.

However looking at the usual load menu there doesn't appear to be a 'all
files format' option in the file types available, so I'm intrigued as to how
you do this, can anyone help?

Kind regards,

Chris

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