best sampler for windows TDM systems

[sound_music]

just hoping to inspire some dialogue on good samplers being used out there, i'm looking to further stabalize my environment and want to get away from sampletank 2. i love the interface and simplicity of sampletank but it has been getting buggy with PTHD 7.X... didn't have these problems with earlier versions of PTHD, but so be it. really getting tired of the quirks and lost production time. the stock sounds have always sucked with ST2 but i don't use many of them--i have a vast library i use with the interface only, looking for something i can load akai sets etc. into hassle free.

i recently did a project at another studio with giga studio and was pretty blown away! although it's a hog of a program (it would be back to square one in terms of workflow for awhile...), i'd be willing to put in the time if i knew for sure it was more stable than sampletank or others. GS3 can apparently be used in PT seamlessly via rewire, is anyone out there using it who can give me the lowdown on its stability in a PT7.X environment on windows?

also pretty interested in the new GVI RTAS version of gigasampler from tascam--is it just as good as the full blown GS3? assuming not but would appreciate any feedback on that one too--might meet my needs...

also interested in hearing about ANY other sampler i can integrate seamlessly into protools that is STABLE, RELATIVELY SIMPLE, and SOUNDS GOOD! bombs away....

[sound_music]

2) almost forgot to ask: what's the verdict on xpand! ? ordered it just waiting will definately give it a spin. does it import various sample formats etc? easy to use? sound good? thanks, looking forward to your thoughts on that too...

[spkguitar]

what's the verdict on xpand! ?

I use it all the time.

does it import various sample formats etc?

No.

easy to use?

Yes.

sound good?

Most of the sounds? Yes. I wouldn't say it has the best sounds on the market, but it is definitely passable, usable and functional.

[sound_music]

thanks for the lowdown spkguitar. drag xpand! doesn't allow you to import samples. you'd think digidesign woulda though of that. (in fact i'm sure have, and they're currently negotiating with development partners for content provider rights to limit the BRANDS of sample formats you will eventually be able to import into the thing or some future thing...)

anyone else out there running giga studio, GVI, or others i should check out?

[Spyda KB]

Native Instruments Kontakt 2.2 is the way to go. Suppport for almost every file format including Giga, Halion and Akai.

- KB

[sound_music]

yeah i've heard a bit about kontact, tell me more. are you running HD 7+ on windows, and is it pretty stable? can you output tracks from the sampler directly into aux channels, how are the FX in it. (i don't use the sampletank effects much--but the giga reverbs are great for example--kontact good efx too?) cheers

[3over3]

I use Motu MachFive - it works well, sounds good, is due for a free upgrade (we've been waiting 2 years for version 2 to arrive since they announced it) and imports almost everything it says it will. There's a strange PC/Mac discrepancy though - (I think) the Mac version gives multiple outs whereas the PC version doesn't. Guess what platform I'm on?

[Spyda KB]

yeah i've heard a bit about kontact, tell me more. are you running HD 7+ on windows, and is it pretty stable? can you output tracks from the sampler directly into aux channels, how are the FX in it. (i don't use the sampletank effects much--but the giga reverbs are great for example--kontact good efx too?) cheers

I'm running PTLE 7 and Sonar 4 with Kontakt. I haven't dove too heavily into the effects, but the ones I did try (chorus, stereo modeller) sound good and are very easy to use. The best feature outside of the provided library and multiple formats are the scripts to enhance playback performace. You can definitly output the channels into the AUX channels. Grab the demo from NI...I think it gives you a 15 day trial.

- KB