Oh man, there are so many out there... these are the commercial "pro-level" offerings:
Sampletank (http://www.sampletank.com/)
Mach 5 (http://www.motu.com/)
Kontakt (http://www.native-instruments.com)
Gigastudio (http://www.nemesysmusic.com/index.php
- apparently they're updating their site - found several broken links)
Halion (http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/vst_instruments/halion_2/)
Linplug offers a couple of software samplers that are drum-oriented and cheaper than the above offerings: http://www.linplug.com/Products/products.htm
The very cheapest route is to get a Soundfont/DLS authoring tool and use it to create Soundfont/DLS banks from whatever audio files you have. If you're a Mac OS X user, Apple's DLS Synth is included with the system. I'm sure there are equivalent free Soundfont/DLS players for Windows. There's a huge selection of Soundfonts on the Net. Here's a place to start: http://www.hammersound.net/
Paolo
Yeah, if you have a VST host or a DXI one and a wrapper, the free Lin-Plug
RMF rules. It's an 18 pad drum sampler with a customizable MIDI note map and
the ability to load two wave files per sample. Here's the intro page for it:
http://www.linplug.com/Products/RM_F/rm_f.htm
Too bad the download link is down. However, Web archive should still have
it, try this link:
http://web.archive.org/web/20030720013020/http://www.linplug.de/download/rmfpac.exe
With kind regards Veli-Pekka Tätilä (vtatila@mail.student.oulu.fi)
If you're heavy into looping, join the list at www.loopers-delight.com.
They're into anything that loops, no matter what the product.
-andy
--- In handsonic@yahoogroups.com, "rqsztn" <jagray2@...> wrote:
>
> So I've been reading the recent series of posts about the EPD with
> some other input surfacing from people using various pedals and software.
>
> I've got a unique, but not exclusive, set-up that continues to build as the vision unfolds. I personally researched stand-alone hardware for several years. I finally decided that the cost of everything would be about equal to a PC set-up... especially considering that once hardware was purchased (mixer, cables, mics, loop pedals, effects pedals, stands, etc), I'd then still need either stand-alone hardware for recording (digital or analog multi-track recording device), or a PC with DAW (recording program) to record to and master (or tweak levels). So I jumped in and made the laptop purchase, running software that does it all.
...At the very least (but practically considered), hey, now I've also got a new laptop to check email and write blogs and responses to online forums/groups, right? So that's the decision background, in short.
I'm currently using Ableton. It's pretty amazing, and was created, designed, and structured for use in live situations... a main aspect of my use. I have also found as the new versions keep coming out, that it's a powerhouse for home-studio recording, tweaking, and producing.
I really want to get to this other program I found right as I'd already ordered Ableton and other gear. It's called Ambiloop. I found it to be similar to a virtual Roland RC-50, with more options. The RC-50, BTW was what I was just about sold on until I went the PC route... it was the only pedal for the price range (besides one made by Electro Harmonix) that had separate tracks for overdub. Ambiloop gives you 8 tracks to record and layer loops. It has some decent options (like effects, and "macros"-style programming... where you can route multiple commands from one keystroke or midi input, and more). Best of all, there's a new version, and it's free.
Here are two relevant links:
Home Page
http://www.ambiloop.com/index.html
Yahoo Group Page
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ambiloop/
So if you are sitting at a desktop or have a laptop and want to experiment with a decent software loop program, give Ambiloop a try. There's a lot of support with the Group. The designers contribute and are there helping with bugs and input as the new version continues to test. But it's looking pretty stable so far.
At the least, you could begin looping with the headphone out on the HPD, to your aux in on the computer. All you'd need if you don't have 1/4" inputs for your sound card is a 1/4"-1/8" connector/converter to plug into your HPD phone out, then a 1/8"-1/8" audio cable running from HPD to PC. That's one of several easy ways to get it going.
I will go that route sometimes, using Ableton. However, my main set-up involves running several devices/mics into a firewire audio interface (currently the Presonus FirePod/FP-10), which then gets tracked out on as many tracks as I desire to have open in Ableton (not limited to 3 like RC-50, or 8 like Ambiloop). Then if you want to get even more detailed, a midi foot controller is used to keep hands free and send the messages to PC for grabbing loops, adding effects, and getting deep complex grooves and melodies. But that's a way deeper discussion.
Bottom line, check out Ambiloop if you're checking things out and are looking to get into a software looping alternative for the HPD series.
James -skenos-