Setting EXS24 mkII Sampler Preferences
The EXS24 mkII Sampler Preferences window provides access to sample-related preferences, such as sample rate conversion quality, velocity response, sample storage, search-related parameters, and so on.
In the Parameter window, open the Options pop-up menu and choose Preferences.
In the Instrument Editor, choose Edit > Preferences.
- Sample Storage pop-up menu: Determines the sample format handling method used by the EXS24 mkII.
- Original: Loads samples into RAM at their original bit depth. These are converted to the internal 32-bit floating point format of the host application on playback.
- 32 Bit Float: Samples are stored and loaded in this format. This eliminates the need for any real time conversions, meaning that the EXS24 mkII handles samples more efficiently and can play back more voices simultaneously.
Note: This requires twice as much RAM for 16-bit samples, and a third more RAM for 24-bit samples.
- “Search samples on” pop-up menu: Determines the locations that the EXS24 mkII will search for instrument samples. You can choose from:
- Local Volumes: Storage media (hard disks and optical mechanisms) attached to or installed in the computer.
- External Volumes: Storage media accessible over a network.
- All Volumes: Both internal and network media are scanned for appropriate data.
Note: Choosing External Volumes or All Volumes may result in a dramatic increase in the time required by the EXS24 mkII to find and load sampler instruments and files.
- “Read root key from” pop-up menu: Sets the method used by the EXS24 mkII to determine the root key of loaded audio files. You can choose from the following:
- File/filename: Initially reads information about the root key from the audio file itself (in the header of the AIFF or WAVE file) when loading it into a zone. If no information of this type exists in the file header, a smart analysis of the filename may detect a root key. If this second method doesn’t provide any useful results, C3 will be used as the default root key in the zone.
- Filename/file: As above, but the filename is read before the header.
- Filename only: Reads from the filename only. If no root key information exists, C3 will automatically be assigned to the zone as the root key.
- File only: Reads from the file header only. If no root key information exists, C3 will automatically be assigned to the zone as the root key.
- “Root Key at File Name Position” pop-up menu: Normally, the EXS24 mkII intelligently determines the root key from the file header of the loaded audio file. On occasion, you may want manual control over this parameter, if you feel that the root key is not being properly determined.
- Auto: Provides a smart analysis of numbers and keys from the file name. A number in the file name can be recognized, regardless of its format—60 or 060 are both valid. Other valid numbers can range between 21 and 127. Numerical values outside of these are generally just version numbers. A key number is also a valid possibility for this use—C3, C 3, C_3, A-1, A-1 or #C3, C#3, for example. The possible range is C-2 up to G8.
- Numeric value: There may be cases where a sound designer has used multiple numbers in a filename, which is common with loops, with one value being used to indicate tempo—“loop60-100.wav,” for example. In this situation, it isn’t clear which, if either, of the numbers indicates a root key or something else: 60 or 100 could indicate the file number in a collection, tempo, root key, and so on. You can set a value of 8 to read the root key at position (letter/character) eight of the filename—namely, the 100 (E6). Alternatively, setting a value of 5 will select the 60 (C3) as the root key position.
- Previous Instrument and Next Instrument: Determine which MIDI event type and data value will be used for selection of the previous or next instrument.
Important: These commands are unique to the EXS24 mkII and are separate from the global Previous/Next Plug-In Setting or EXS Instrument commands. Therefore, you should make sure that you do not assign the same MIDI event for both. If you do this, both commands will execute, which may result in unexpected behavior.
Choose the desired MIDI event type in the Previous Instrument and Next Instrument pop-up menus. Choices include: Note, Poly Pressure, Control Change, Program Change, Channel Pressure, and Pitch Bend. In the field next to each pop-up menu, you can enter either the note number or the value of the first data byte. When Control Change is chosen, the number field determines the controller number.
- “Ignore release velocity” checkbox: Also refers to the release trigger function of the Gigasampler format, and it should always be selected for this purpose. Regardless of whether or not your keyboard is able to send release velocity, you would want your samples played by the release trigger function to be louder or softer than the original sample, or at the same volume, regardless of the initial velocity. When playing with release trigger, you would want the release velocity value to have the same value as the initial velocity value. To accomplish this, you can switch off release velocity.