A sampler instrument is the file type that is loaded into the EXS24 mkII. You load sampler instruments using the Sampler Instruments pop-up menu directly above the Cutoff knob in the EXS24 mkII. When you select a sampler instrument, the associated audio files are automatically located on the hard disk (or disks), and are loaded into your computer’s RAM.
A sampler instrument tells the EXS24 mkII which samples—audio files—to use, and how to organize them into zones and groups. You play and record with the loaded sampler instrument in the same way as any software instrument. See An Overview of EXS24 mkII Zones and Groups and Differences Between EXS24 Sampler Instruments and Settings.
A sampler instrument consists of zones and groups:
A zone is a location into which a single sample—an audio file—can be loaded from a hard disk.
Zones can be assigned to groups, which provide parameters that allow you to simultaneously edit all zones in the group. You can define as many groups as desired.
For information about zones and groups, see An Overview of the EXS24 mkII Instrument Editor and subsequent sections.
The EXS24 mkII is compatible with the following audio file formats: AIFF, WAV, SDII, and CAF. Each audio file is loaded into the EXS24 mkII as a separate sample. Each audio file is then automatically assigned to a zone in the EXS24 mkII Instrument Editor window. These zones can be edited and organized into sampler instruments. For more information about using audio files in zones, see Editing EXS24 mkII Zones and Groups.
Important: The actual audio files themselves are not contained within a sampler instrument. The sampler instrument only stores information about audio file names, parameter settings, and locations on the hard disk. If you delete or rename an audio file, any sampler instrument that makes use of this file will not be able to find it, so take care when performing these operations on audio files. You are free to move audio files to another location on your system, however. The EXS24 mkII can find moved files when sampler instruments are loaded.
Sampler instruments are distinct from plug-in settings, which are loaded and saved in the plug-in window header. Each has advantages and disadvantages for handling parameter values in the Parameter window.
Typically, you will store the current Parameter window settings into the loaded sampler instrument. This overrides the settings currently saved in the loaded sampler instrument. Alternatively, you can save a new sampler instrument.
A plug-in setting, by comparison, stores all parameter adjustments made in the Parameter window, but these settings are discrete from the sampler instrument being loaded. A plug-in setting merely contains a pointer to an associated instrument, which means that loading a setting also loads the assigned sampler instrument.
So why have plug-in settings if you can store Parameter window values in sampler instruments?
The separation between plug-in settings and sampler instruments allows you to use sampler instruments as you would use waveforms in a synthesizer. For example, you could create a plug-in setting with guitar-like envelope, modulation, and filter parameter values. You would then use the Sampler Instruments pop-up menu to load an instrument (without any existing settings), such as a Flute, to create a plucked or strummed flute sound.
Important: Using sampler instruments as described requires that they contain no settings.
First, create a copy of the desired sampler instrument by using the Options > “Save instrument as” command (see Using the EXS24 mkII Options Pop-Up Menu Commands).
Remove the settings from the copied instrument by using the Options > “Delete settings from instrument” command.
Note: All of the sampler instruments supplied with MainStage contain settings, so you need to follow the steps above if you wish to use these instruments as discussed.