Sample Track - a missed opportunity (for now)

Cubase
#1

Sampler track is a great concept, but modestly executed.

Groove Agent 4 SE does all that sampler track does and much more (maybe except portamento).

Issues and shortcomings of the Sampler Track:

  • there is mono mode, but there no legato mode with audiowarp inactive
  • filter has no key tracking
  • no lfo’s - there should be at least one for Filter, Pitch and AMP - with delay parameter and velocity sensitivity
  • envelopes are loopable, why aren’t they syncable?
  • no midi control

If the lacking features were added, sampler track would stay simple but would become a truly inspiring musical tool.

#2

May I add not possible to use multiple samples at the same time, assigned to different keys or keyboard zones?
https://www.steinberg.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=252&t=107223

BTW isn’t the Legato function described in the manual p. 536 what you are missing? Can’t check, not switched to C9 (and ATM I think I won’t do, too little offered to justify €100 (IMO))

#3

Also… Sound quality on the sample track is… terrible (at least for percussion elements)
is there any way to change the algorithm ?

#4

There is, but it’s a part of Audio Warp section, and to be honest, doesn’t seem to be working. Strange. - Correction. I tested it with a drum loop, so the effect would be obvious and it does work, but not when monophonic mode is active - bizarre design choice.

I would like to have a “regular” legato, for use without the Audio Warp activated.

#5

I don’t think it’s a missed opportunity.

The new Sampler Track is a simple single sample playback-via-MIDI track with reasonable parameter controls. You can pass what’s in a Sampler Track track to HALion 5 or Groove Agent if you need to go beyond what’s available in its editor.

I think the point was not to compete with the HALion 5 and Groove Agent 4 products, as Steinberg would like to sell as many of those as they can, too. I think Steinberg would consider not purchasing H5 or GA4 as a missed opportunity :wink:

For quick 'n dirty way to play a single sample, it’s an OK feature IMHO. Doesn’t seem to eat CPU much.

#6

I think it was a total failure.

#7

Loving the new track-str8 outta FL studio :slight_smile: Been waiting on a simple sampler forever.
Don’t like it? don’t use it.

#8

I want to like it and I want to use it, but no legato and no filter key tracking is an big issue to me. I can live without the rest of the features.

#9

I think y’all missed a crucial part of the sample track implementation. You can send it into Retrologue 2 and have all the stuff mentioned here. And more.

And just imagine when other synth makers implement the audio-in feature. Possibilities are mind-boggling :astonished: :astonished:

#10

Sending a sample track to Retrologue 2 won’t provide me with legato or key tracking for poly sounds unfortunately.
I mean these two features are so elementary I haven’t even imagined they won’t be implemented.

#11

@torhead, how do you send audio to retrologue 2?

#12

You have to activate side-chain input in Retrologue, which makes it available as a routing destination in Cubase.

#13

For advanced sampler tasks there is Groove Agent and Halion.
Sampler is for basic sampler tasks. People asked for basic sampler track like Simpler in Ableton. Now when Steinberg implemented it they complain that it’s too simple and now they want to make it full sampler like Sampler in Ableton.
When Steinberg implement much more options then they will complain again that it’s still not the same as Kontakt.
Never ending complaint

#14

They could have easily put a simple/advance button to toggle between the two. It makes no sense to force us to switch over to GA SE4 to do advanced features when there’s plenty of room on the new Sampler GUI to add them (and allow the user to show/hide what they want just like the mixer and other windows).

#15

Well, Groove Agent 4 SE doesn’t have filter key following and legato either and I still think these are very basic and elementary features.

Without legato you can’t really make many lead and bass sounds, and without key following you can’t effectively use the whole keyboard range for musically rich polyphonic parts, because some notes will be either too dark or too bright.

I really think these are valid feature requests for a simple sampler.

#16

I love it, it’s even better than i had anticipated.

#17

And then people complain that Steinberg has put too much effort in what should be a simple sampler, and thus skipped other “very important” improvements. Trust me - They will…

Anyway - there where several threads where people where asking for a simple sampler. “Nothing too fancy or complicated, but something that would not take too much effort”, where the most heard therms. Well - Steinberg just did that. And now people complain that they got what they asked for. Sometimes I do not get it, but maybe I am getting too old for this…

Same for the mixconsole history. They got it, but it’s still not enough… Sigh…

Anyway… As far as I can see it Cubase 9 is a nice update from 8.5, but that’s a strict personal opinion (before people sable me down because I do not take part in the complaint-choir)… :wink:.

#18

Again - legato is a very basic feature. I don’t understand how, after implementing it, the sampler track would stop being “a simple sampler”. It’s like saying that a simple car is supposed to go only forward and backwards, but not turn. Turning is a crucial feature of a vehicle (even of a simple one) that’s supposed to take you where you want go - so Is legato. I appreciate Steinberg’s effort, but I don’t think that they covered all the basic uses.

Non simple samplers are Kontakt, Halion and Falcon. I don’t think the sample track will become one of those after providing us with those (basic) features.

I’m not even talking about things like multi-samples or modulation matrix here.

#19

Actually Abletons Simpler features legato, filter key tracking and LFO.

#20

Yep, the only most important feature that is missing for me is the legato/portamento ( without the audio warp).