Pinnacle Systems Soft SampleCell Instruction Manual
Soft SampleCell
Guide
Version 3.0 for Macintosh
Digidesign Inc.
3401-A Hillview Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94304 USA
tel: 650·842·7900
fax: 650·842·7999
Technical Support (USA)
650·842·6699
650·856·4275
Product Information (USA)
650·842·6602
800·333·2137
Fax on Demand (USA)
1·888·USE·DIGI (873·3444)
International Offices
Visit the Digidesign Web site
for contact information.
World Wide Web
www.digidesign.com
Digidesign FTP Site
ftp.digidesign.com
Copyright
This guide is copyrighted ©2001 by Digidesign, a division of
Avid Technology, Inc. (hereafter “Digidesign”), with all rights
reserved. Under copyright laws, this manual may not be
duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of
Digidesign.
DIGIDESIGN, AVID and PRO TOOLS are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Digidesign and/or Avid Technology,
Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective
owners.
All features and specifications subject to change without
notice.
PN 932708602-00 REV A 05/01$
contents
Chapter 1. Getting Started With Soft SampleCell
System Requirements
Conventions Used in This Guide
Installing Soft SampleCell
Authorizing Soft SampleCell
Deauthorizing Soft SampleCell
Configuring OMS
Configuring Soft SampleCell
Testing Playback
Enabling Background MIDI Playback and Input Devices
Chapter 2. Using Banks and Instruments
SampleCell File Types
CD-ROM File Structure
Opening a Bank
Working with Banks
Multiple Banks
Alternate Data Entry Methods
Setting MIDI Channel
Assigning Audio Outputs
Instrument Panning
Instrument Tuning
Saving a Bank
Saving an Instrument
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Contents
iii
Chapter 3. Creating and Modifying Instruments
Instrument Basics
Creating New Instruments
Sample Maps
Adding/Importing Samples
Key Group Editing
Editing Sample-Specific Parameters
Loop Window
Sample Parameters Window
Misc Parameters Window
Envelopes
Matrix Modulation
Modulators
Trackers
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Chapter 4. Sample Editing and Looping
Loop Types
The Loop Window
Creating Loops
Trimming Audio
Selecting Loop Window Colors
Selecting a Different Sample Editor
Chapter 5. Advanced Techniques
Templates
Using Trackers
Filters
Ensemble Instrument Performance Ideas
Other Effects and Tricks
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Soft SampleCell Guide
iv
Chapter 6. Soft SampleCell Menus
File Menu
Edit Menu
Instrument Menu
SampleCell Menu
Preferences
Windows Menu
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Appendix A. Using Soft SampleCell with Pro Tools
Configuring Pro Tools for MIDI
Using DirectConnect
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Appendix B. Recording Samples
Sampling with Pro Tools
Using Sound Libraries
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Appendix C. MIDI Controller Numbers
Index
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Contents
v
Soft SampleCell Guide
vi
chapter 1
Getting Started With Soft SampleCell
Thank you for purchasing Soft SampleCell.
Soft SampleCell adds powerful sample editing
and playback capabilities to your computer.
You can use sounds from CD-ROM sample libraries or import your own digitally-recorded
sounds and edit them to meet your needs. You
can then control sample playback from any
MIDI device or MIDI software.
When used with Pro Tools, Soft SampleCell becomes a fully-integrated, dedicated sampler
within the Pro Tools 24-bit recording, editing
and mixing environment.
Soft SampleCell features include:
• Up to 64 voices
• Sample RAM limited only by computer RAM
(up to 1 gigabyte)
• 16- and 24-bit mono and stereo audio playback
• 44.1 and 48 kHz audio playback
• 4-pole, 24 dB per octave, resonant lowpass filter
• 3 envelopes, 2 LFOs and 1 filter per voice
• Unique modulation matrix
• Integrated loop editor
• Tracking generator
• Total setup recall when used with DirectConnect
System Requirements
To use Soft SampleCell you’ll need:
A Digidesign-qualified Power Macintosh com-
◆
puter with:
• At least 32 MB RAM; 128 MB RAM recommended
• Additional RAM is highly recommended if
you plan to use other audio or MIDI applications concurrently with Soft SampleCell;
virtual memory is not supported
◆
Apple System software version 9.0.4 or later
OMS (Open Music System) software version
◆
2.3.8 or later (included with Soft SampleCell)
◆
A 17-inch or larger color monitor; black and
white monitors are not supported
◆
A Digidesign-qualified floppy drive, along
with the appropriate driver software (included
on the Soft SampleCell Installer CD-ROM); required to authorize Soft SampleCell
Chapter 1: Getting Started With Soft SampleCell
1
MIDI Requirements
You must install and configure OMS (Open Music System) software version 2.3.8 or later to use
Soft SampleCell with MIDI devices. See “Configuring OMS” on page 4.
Both USB and serial MIDI interfaces work effectively with Soft SampleCell. Serial MIDI interfaces offer the best possible MIDI timing.
◆
Serial MIDI interfaces require either a Mac serial port or a qualified modem-to-serial port
adapter (thereby not using a PCI slot). Refer to
Digidesign's Web site for supported adapters.
Additional Equipment
Conventions Used in This Guide
Digidesign guides use the following conventions to indicate menu choices and key commands:
Convention Action
File > Save
Session
Control+N While pressing the Control key,
Option-click While pressing the Option key,
Choose Save Session from the
File menu
press the N key
click the mouse button
Depending on your needs, the following items
may also be required:
• An audio monitoring system such as a mixer,
power amplifier, and speakers
• MIDI controller keyboard (or other MIDI con-
troller device) and MIDI cables to trigger play-
back of Soft SampleCell using MIDI
• MIDI sequencing software compatible with
OMS
If you are using Soft SampleCell with Mark
of the Unicorn’s Digital Performer or other
software that is compatible with FreeMIDI™, you must set Free MIDI to OMS
compatibility mode. For details, refer to the
FreeMIDI documentation.
Compatibility Information
For the latest compatibility information, visit
Digidesign's Web site:
www.digidesign.com/compato/
The following symbols are used to highlight important information:
User Tips are helpful hints for getting the
most from your system.
Important Notices include information that
could affect your data or the performance of
your system.
Cross References point to related sections in
Digidesign guides.
Soft SampleCell Guide
2
Installing Soft SampleCell
Authorizing Soft SampleCell
To install Soft SampleCell, use the Installer
CD-ROM. There are two install options:
◆
Soft SampleCell
Soft SampleCell.
Digi System Files
need to update an older, pre-Pro Tools 5.1 version DAE and other Digidesign System files.
To install Soft SampleCell:
1
Insert the Installer CD-ROM in your CD-ROM
drive and double-click the Installer.
2
Select the desired install option.
3
Click Install.
4
When installation is complete, click Quit.
Select this option to install
. Select this option only if you
Register and Receive a Backup Authorizer Diskette
When you send in the Registration Card,
Digidesign will mail you an additional authorization disk for Soft SampleCell. If you are an international customer, refer to the list of international distributors included with your
registration package.
When you launch Soft SampleCell Editor for the
first time after installing, you will be prompted
to authorize Soft SampleCell.
The Authorizer diskette authorizes a single system to use Soft SampleCell. This diskette also allows you to reclaim the authorization if necessary.
Do not lose the Authorizer diskette. You
will not be able to complete an installation
without it. Keep the disk in a safe place.
To authorize Soft SampleCell:
1
Launch the Soft SampleCell Editor applica-
tion.
2
Insert the Authorizer diskette when
prompted.
3
When authorization is complete, click Done.
You can use the Authorizer diskette as a
backup authorization key when you have
used all available authorizations. Launch
Soft SampleCell Editor and insert the diskette when prompted for authorization.
Chapter 1: Getting Started With Soft SampleCell
3
Deauthorizing
Soft SampleCell
If you want to authorize a different hard drive to
use Soft SampleCell, you must reclaim the original Soft SampleCell authorization key since authorization is limited to a single drive.
Similarly, if you plan to low-level reformat a
hard drive containing an authorization key, you
must first reclaim the authorization or it may be
lost.
To deauthorize Soft SampleCell:
1
Insert the Authorizer diskette into the diskette
drive.
2
Double-click the DeAuthorizer application.
3
Click Setup. From the Authorization pop-up
menu, select Remove, then select the appropriate hard drive. (The drive with the authorization
key is indicated by a “key” icon.)
4
Click Remove.
Before you begin:
■
If not yet installed, install the OMS software
included with your Soft SampleCell package.
■
If OMS is already installed and configured,
you’ll need to update your current Studio Setup
to recognize Soft SampleCell.
To update your current OMS Studio Setup:
1
Connect your MIDI interface, keyboard controllers, and other MIDI devices. Refer to their
documentation if necessary.
2
Turn on the MIDI devices and start your computer.
3
Launch the OMS Setup application.
4
Choose Studio > MIDI Cards and Interfaces.
OMS searches for and locates your MIDI devices
and the Soft SampleCell driver and displays
them in your Studio Setup document.
5
Double-click the Soft SampleCell icon to configure its MIDI Device Info dialog.
5
When deauthorization is complete, click
Done, then Quit to return to the Finder.
Configuring OMS
To use Soft SampleCell with OMS-compatible
MIDI applications, or to use the MIDI services in
the Soft SampleCell Editor, you’ll need to install
and configure the Open Music System (OMS).
OMS keeps track of how your MIDI studio is
connected and configured and stores this information in Studio Setup documents, which are
edited in the OMS Setup application. OMS also
routes MIDI between Soft SampleCell, OMScompatible sequencers, and MIDI interfaces.
Soft SampleCell Guide
4
Check that it is set it to receive on all channels
(1–16), unless you only want it to receive MIDI
on certain channels, then click OK.
6
Choose File > Save and Make Current, then
Quit.
To create a new OMS Studio Setup:
1
Connect your MIDI interface, keyboard controllers, and other MIDI devices. Refer to their
documentation if necessary.
2
Turn on the MIDI devices and start your computer.
3
Launch the OMS Setup application.
4
Choose File > New Studio Setup.
OMS searches for and locates your MIDI devices
and the Soft SampleCell driver and displays
them in your Studio Setup document.
5
Double-click the Soft SampleCell icon to con-
figure its MIDI Device Info dialog.
Check that it is set it to receive on all channels
(1–16), unless you only want it to receive MIDI
on certain channels, then click OK.
6
Choose File > Save and Make Current, then
Quit.
In Soft SampleCell:
1
Launch Soft SampleCell Editor.
2
Choose SampleCell > OMS Input Devices.
3
Select the MIDI controller and other devices
that you will use to play Soft SampleCell.
4
To improve MIDI performance, disable any
devices that you will not use for MIDI control of
Soft SampleCell.
Configuring
Soft SampleCell
Before you can use Soft SampleCell, you must
configure several parameters such as voice polyphony, sample memory and sound output using the Soft SampleCell Setup dialog.
Following are descriptions of these parameters
and instructions for configuring them.
Soft SampleCell Setup dialog
Using Free MIDI
If you are using Soft SampleCell with software
that is compatible with Mark of the Unicorn’s
FreeMIDI™, you must set Free MIDI to OMS
compatibility mode. For details on configuration, refer to the FreeMIDI documentation.
Sound Output
There are three sound output options:
DirectConnect
Digidesign audio hardware and want to use
Soft SampleCell within Pro Tools or another
DAE-compatible digital audio application such
as Logic Audio or Digital Performer. In this case,
you will use your Digidesign audio interface for
audio connections. DirectConnect allows up to
32 independent Soft SampleCell outputs to be
routed within DAE-compatible applications.
Chapter 1: Getting Started With Soft SampleCell
Choose this option if you have
5
Direct I/O
Digidesign audio hardware but wish to run
Soft SampleCell as a stand-alone application.
You will still use your Digidesign audio interface
for audio connections. Direct I/O allows up to
16 analog or digital outputs for Soft SampleCell
using Digidesign hardware.
Sound Manager
have Digidesign audio hardware. In this case,
you will use the sound output jack of your Macintosh for audio connections. The Macintosh
Sound Manager allows a maximum of 2
Soft SampleCell outputs.
Choose this option if you have
Choose this option if you do not
Soft SampleCell defaults to Sound Manager
output when first installed. Use the
Soft SampleCell Setup dialog to change to a
different sound output option if desired.
Audio Latency
Because Soft SampleCell uses the processor in
your computer for audio tasks, a small amount
of audio delay, or
on the sound output option you choose. The
lower the latency setting the higher the load on
your CPU.
latency
, will occur depending
Sample Memory
The amount of RAM available for sample playback is limited only by the amount of RAM in
your computer. You can set a memory allocation limit using the Sample Memory pop-up.
Avoid setting this limit too high or other applications (including Mac OS) may not have
enough memory to function properly.
Setting Sample Memory to “All” allocates
all memory in your computer to sample
playback, leaving none for other applications. This may result in system performance problems. It is recommended that
you leave a least 10% of total system RAM
free for other applications.
To check available RAM:
1
Open Soft SampleCell Editor and all other au-
dio applications you’ll be using simultaneously.
2
Go to the Finder and choose About This Computer from the Apple menu. The amount of
available RAM is shown as “Largest Unused
Block.” For reliable system performance, set
Soft SampleCell’s Sample Memory allocation
limit well below this amount.
You can set the latency to Low or High. Selecting Low latency reduces the amount of audio
delay, but may also reduce Soft SampleCell
voice polyphony. Selecting High latency increases the amount of audio delay, but allows
maximum Soft SampleCell voice polyphony.
When DirectConnect is chosen as the
sound output option, you cannot manually
set audio latency. DirectConnect manages
audio latency automatically. See the
Pro Tools Reference Guide for more information.
Soft SampleCell Guide
6
Checking available RAM
Voice Polyphony
Soft Sample provides a maximum of 64 voices of
sample playback. However, maximum polyphony depends on the of speed of your computer.
Slower CPUs may provides fewer than 64 voices.
For optimum system performance, allocate only
as many voices as you need.
To configure Soft SampleCell:
1 Launch Soft SampleCell Editor.
2 Choose SampleCell > Soft SampleCell Setup.
3 Choose the appropriate Sound Output option.
Testing Playback
You can use the Soundcheck demo Bank included
with Soft SampleCell to do a quick check of your
audio and MIDI connections.
If you have chosen DirectConnect as your
sound output option, set it to Direct I/O or
Sound Manager for this test. After the test,
you can reset it to DirectConnect.
To test your audio and MIDI connections:
1 In the Soft SampleCell Editor application,
choose File > Open.
If you choose Direct I/O, click Hardware Setup
and configure output options for your particular
Digidesign card and interface, then click Done.
If you choose Direct I/O or Sound Manager, select either High or Low latency depending on
your performance needs.
4 Using the Sample Memory pop-up, set the de-
sired memory allocation limit for sample playback.
5 Using the Number of Voices pop-up, set the
desired number of voices.
6 Click OK.
Allocating more voices than your CPU can
power may result in pops and clicks during
playback. Choose SampleCell > Soft SampleCell Setup and if Soft SampleCell is using more than 50% of the CPU, use the
Soft SampleCell Setup dialog to reduce voice
polyphony.
2 Select the Soundcheck demo Bank and click
Open.
3 Double-click the Basic Left Instrument to open
the Sample Map window.
4 In the Sample Map window, click on the key-
board to hear sample playback.
5 Play your MIDI keyboard controller and con-
firm MIDI communication.
6 Make sure the right and left channels of your
audio outputs are correctly connected by clicking the Solo button and playing the Basic Left
Instrument. Repeat for the Basic Right Instrument.
Chapter 1: Getting Started With Soft SampleCell 7
Enabling Background MIDI Playback and Input Devices
Soft SampleCell Editor routes MIDI (via OMS)
from your keyboard controller to any Instruments assigned to the channel sent by your keyboard.
You can also trigger Soft SampleCell Instruments from a MIDI keyboard when
Soft SampleCell Editor is not the current applica-
tion by enabling background MIDI operation in
OMS MIDI Setup. This option also allows an
OMS-compatible sequencer to continue MIDI
playback when it is no longer the current application—thereby allowing you to audition
changes in Soft SampleCell Editor while the sequencer continues playing.
Enabling OMS Input Devices
If you are using Soft SampleCell as a stand-alone
application, you will need to enable your MIDI
controller and other MIDI input devices so that
you can use them with Soft SampleCell.
To enable MIDI input devices:
1 In the Soft SampleCell Editor application,
choose SampleCell > OMS Input Devices.
Keep in mind that when Run MIDI in Background is enabled, and both the Soft SampleCell
Editor and your sequencer are echoing MIDI
thru to the same Instrument, double-notes will
occur.
To avoid this problem, make sure the Pass MIDI
Thru in Background option is deselected in the
Soft SampleCell Preferences dialog if you have
enabled MIDI in Background in OMS MIDI
Setup.
To enable background MIDI:
1 In Soft SampleCell Editor, choose SampleCell
> Preferences.
2 Choose SampleCell > MIDI Setup.
3 In the OMS MIDI Setup dialog, select Run
MIDI in Background.
4 Click OK.
Enabling OMS input devices
2 Select the devices that you want to use and
click OK.
Soft SampleCell Guide8
chapter 2
Using Banks and Instruments
This chapter covers the fundamentals of using
Banks and Instruments in Soft SampleCell Editor.
For information on creating Instruments and
Banks from scratch, using your own samples, refer to Chapter 3, “Creating and Modifying Instruments.”
SampleCell File Types
Samples
A sample is the raw waveform data of a sampled
sound.
Sample file
SampleCell has no direct provision for recording
digital waveforms, or samples. A great number
of samples are available from third party sound
developers.
Instruments
An Instrument consists of one or more samples
that are assigned to different ranges of keys and
velocities.
Instrument (top) and sample files
Many modulation options such as envelopes
and LFOs can be employed at the Instrument
level.
Banks
Instruments are combined into performance
groups called Banks.
Samples can also be recorded with
Pro Tools. See Appendix B, “Recording
Samples.”
Samples cannot be directly played with
Soft SampleCell—they must be loaded into an
Instrument.
Bank (top), Instrument and sample files
Chapter 2: Using Banks and Instruments 9
Banks are where various Instruments are assigned to outputs, panned, and attenuated.
Each Instrument in a Bank can be assigned to respond to a different MIDI channel and range of
notes for use as a multi-timbral sound module
with a sequencer (or other device capable of
transmitting multiple MIDI channels).
Instruments cannot be opened into multiple
Banks, open at the same time, but can be copied
and pasted.
Banks are good for organizing all the Instruments needed by a song or MIDI sequence into
a single document, or for putting all the elements of a submix (different stems or music/effects instruments) together on one screen view.
To avoid stuck notes, stop your sequencer
when opening Bank or Instrument files, or
while opening the Edit Loops window.
A Samples folder typically contains only raw
samples, organized according to their Instruments.
File hierarchy
When you work with your own samples, it is a
good idea to create folders for Banks, Instruments, and Samples in the same manner, to
keep everything organized.
Opening a Bank
CD-ROM File Structure
The file structure on many third-party sample library CD-ROMs reflects the hierarchy outlined
in the previous section. Samples, Instruments,
and Banks are all kept in folders that bear those
respective titles.
A Banks folder typically contains Bank files,
each of which generally contains one or more
Instruments.
An Instruments folder typically contains Instrument files, each of which is linked to its associated samples.
These nested folders make it easier to keep track
of the Instruments stored on the CD-ROM by
category, such as Guitars, Synths, or Woodwinds.
Soft SampleCell Guide10
To open an existing Bank, follow the instructions.
To load an existing Bank:
1 Choose File > Open.
Opening a Bank
2 Select the Bank and click Open.
Finding Files
All selected instruments will be loaded. To skip
specific instruments, deselect them.
Select Instrument dialog
If you are using Soft SampleCell in addition
to a Digidesign SampleCell II card, you can
use the SampleCell pop-up menu in the dialog to choose where you want the Instrument loaded.
3 Click OK.
Insufficient RAM
If there is not enough RAM available to load all
samples for one or more Instruments in a Bank,
Instruments will be loaded without sample data.
You can check for unloaded samples by opening
the Sample Map window for a specific Instrument. (See “Sample Maps” on page 25.) Unloaded samples are indicated by italics.
If Soft SampleCell cannot locate an Instrument
or sample needed to load a Bank or Instrument,
the Find File dialog appears.
To locate missing files:
■ Choose the search destination in the pop-up
menus at the bottom of this dialog and click
New Search.
Find File dialog
If the “Preview Using Sound Manager” preference is selected in the SampleCell Preferences dialog, you can audition samples in the Find File
dialog by selecting a sample file’s name and
clicking Play. Click the button a second time to
stop playback.
Sample Loading Priority
Once a Bank of Instruments is open, you can
control the order in which their samples are
loaded in the future by rearranging the Instrument order of the Banks. Instruments (and their
samples) are loaded in left-to-right priority
when in full height view and in top-to-bottom
priority when in small height view. (See “Bank
Views” on page 12.)
Chapter 2: Using Banks and Instruments 11
Working with Banks
When a Bank opens, the Bank window appears.
you will use this window to set Instrument levels, panning, outputs and other parameters.
Bank Views
SampleCell offers two Bank views, large Bank
view and small Bank view. Large Bank view displays a full height channel strip for all Instruments in the Bank. Small Bank view displays all
Instruments in a compact, row-style view.
To change Bank view:
■ Choose Windows > Switch Bank Size or press
Command+B.
By default, Soft SampleCell displays Banks in
large Bank view. To conserve screen space, you
can change this default to small Bank view.
To set the default Bank View to Small Bank View:
1 Choose SampleCell > Preferences.
2 Select Default to Small Bank View and click
OK.
Creating a New Bank
You can create your own Banks to group frequently-used Instruments or together.
When working with Instruments and samples
from multiple sources (multiple CD-ROMs, for
example) you may want to organize the files
from each volume into their own Bank. This can
greatly simplify things when you save a Bank
that contains Instruments and/or samples from
multiple CD-ROMs.
Large Bank view
Small Bank view
Soft SampleCell Guide12
To create a new Bank:
1 Choose File > New.
Select Document Type dialog
2 Select Bank, and click OK.
You can now add existing Instruments to the
Bank or create your own new Instruments from
scratch. (See Chapter 3, “Creating and Modifying Instruments.”)
Choose File > Save Bank As. This lets you batchsave samples and Instruments to new locations,
such as when saving from CD-ROM to hard disk.
Loading Instruments into a Bank
You can add Instruments to a new, empty Bank
or add additional Instruments to an existing
Bank, RAM permitting.
To load Instruments into an open Bank:
1 Choose File > Open.
Samples can also be selected and loaded using
this dialog box. The selected sample will be
loaded into a new, single-sample Instrument in
the current Bank, or into a new Bank if there are
no open Banks
If any of the samples used by an Instrument are
already in memory, they will not be reloaded.
2 Select an Instrument and click Open.
3 Repeat for any additional Instruments.
You can also open instruments by dragging
and dropping their icon on the
Soft SampleCell Editor in the Finder.
To avoid stuck notes, avoid opening Banks,
Instruments, or SampleCell Editor’s Loop
window during sequencer playback.
Opening an Instrument
Instrument as it appears in a Bank
Chapter 2: Using Banks and Instruments 13
Multiple Banks
Multiple Banks can be open and active at the
same time. For example, different Banks could
contain Instruments for different songs or sets.
Or, one Bank might contain a rock drum set,
while another contains a jazz set. You will probably find that this modular approach makes
configuring Banks and Instruments easier across
a variety of songs and sources.
Unless you have copied the samples to your
hard drive, avoid putting files from more than
one CD-ROM into the same Bank or you may
have to repeatedly swap discs to load all of the
files.
Controlling Samples Used in Multiple Instruments
When you copy and paste to duplicate an Instrument, some Sample Parameters such as Panning can be edited independently for each Instrument.
Other Sample Parameters, including Sample
Start Coarse/Medium and Loop Detune are global adjustments and will affect all Instruments
that use that sample. This is because copied Instruments reference the same samples. This allows Soft SampleCell to conserve RAM.
Deleting Instruments From a Bank
Instruments can be removed from Banks.
Using More Than One Copy of an Instrument in a Bank
A common production technique entails using
two identical Instruments slightly detuned from
each another to fatten their sound. To implement this type of effect, you’ll need to create
two identical Instruments in a Bank.
However, since Soft SampleCell will not allow
you to load the same Instrument into a Bank
twice, you’ll need to copy and paste the instrument to duplicate it.
To duplicate an Instrument in a Bank:
1 Select the Instrument to be copied by clicking
its Name.
2 Choose Edit > Copy Instrument.
3 Choose Edit > Paste.
To delete an Instrument from a Bank:
1 Select the Instrument by clicking its Name in
the Bank window.
2 Choose Edit > Clear Instrument or press the
Delete key.
Soft SampleCell Guide14
Alternate Data Entry Methods
Most Soft SampleCell Instrument and Bank parameters are controlled by on-screen sliders and
buttons. You can also use your MIDI keyboard
controller or computer keyboard to enter parameter values.
Using MIDI Continuous Controllers
You can adjust an on-screen control using a
MIDI continuous controller such as a mod
wheel, joy stick, or MIDI data slider.
2 Play the desired note on your MIDI keyboard
controller.
Using a Computer Keyboard
You can also use your computer keyboard for
quick entry of parameter values.
To adjust a value with a computer keyboard:
1 Control-click the parameter’s text box. A MIDI
icon appears.
2 Press the up arrow, right arrow, or plus (+) key
on your computer to increase the value.
To adjust a control using a MIDI controller:
1 Control-click the control you want to adjust.
A MIDI icon appears.
Mapping a Pan control to an external MIDI controller
2 Move the MIDI continuous controller. The pa-
rameter value is adjusted accordingly.
To unmap the MIDI controller:
■ Click anywhere on screen.
To reset an on-screen control to its default value:
■ Option-click the control.
Using MIDI Note Numbers
Some parameters use MIDI Note Numbers for
their values. For these parameters, you can enter
a value by playing the corresponding note on
your MIDI controller.
3 Press the down arrow, left arrow, or minus (-)
key on your computer to decrease the value
4 To exit keyboard-entry mode, click anywhere
on screen.
To enter a MIDI note number using a MIDI device:
1 Control-click the parameter’s text box. A
small MIDI icon appears.
Chapter 2: Using Banks and Instruments 15
Setting MIDI Channel
The MIDI channel of existing Instruments can
be set with the MIDI channel pop-up menu on
the Instrument strip.
To set an Instrument’s MIDI channel:
1 Click the number above the MIDI Chan indi-
cator. A pop-up menu will appear.
Setting the MIDI Channel (Small Bank View shown)
To change the lowest MIDI note an Instrument will
respond to:
1 Click the small keyboard icon to the right of
Lo. A pop-up keyboard will appear.
Setting the Lo MIDI Note
2 Drag along the keyboard until the desired
note is highlighted. The Instrument will no
longer respond to notes below the one you have
selected.
2 Drag until the desired channel number is
highlighted.
When creating new Instruments,
Soft SampleCell can assign a unique MIDI
channel automatically to each new Instrument. For details, see “Instruments Preferences” on page 81.
Setting MIDI Zones
When an Instrument is first loaded into a Bank,
it responds to the entire range of MIDI notes.
This response range can be changed for each Instrument. For example, to create a split keyboard you might want a bass sound to respond
only to notes below C2 and an organ to respond
to notes C2 and above. The Hi/Lo Note pop-up
keyboards provide quick ways to define split
points by setting the lo and hi note range for the
Instrument.
To change the highest MIDI note an Instrument
will respond to:
1 Click the small keyboard icon to the right of
Hi. A pop-up keyboard will appear.
2 Drag along the keyboard until the desired
note is highlighted. The Instrument will no
longer respond to notes above the one you have
selected.
You can also Control-click the Hi/Lo value and
enter a new value by playing a note on your
MIDI keyboard.
MIDI Channel and MIDI Zones can be
saved as Instrument defaults. For information on the Set Instrument Default command, refer to Chapter 6, “Soft SampleCell
Menus.”.
Soft SampleCell Guide16
Assigning Audio Outputs
Only one output pair can be selected for any Instrument at one time.
It’s no coincidence that the Instrument control
panels bear a strong resemblance to a mixing
console. The functions are almost identical,
with each Instrument acting much like a channel on a traditional console.
Each Instrument can be routed to any one of the
Soft SampleCell audio output pairs. The number
of outputs depends on the sound output option
chosen on the Soft SampleCell Setup dialog. See
“Sound Output” on page 5.
Just as you might have piano, bass, and drums
receiving on separate MIDI channels, their respective audio outputs could be routed to three
different stereo outputs. These could, in turn, be
routed to three separate stereo pairs on a mixing
console for submixing.
Similarly, each output pair in a film or video
post session might be dedicated to a different
stem (such as music and effects, Foley, atmospherics).
To assign an Instrument to an audio output pair:
■ Click the Output button associated with the
desired output pair. The Instrument’s audio will
appear only on the corresponding outputs.
If you are using Soft SampleCell with Pro Tools
and DirectConnect, changing these analog output assignment controls also changes signal
routing.
Audio Output can be saved as an Instrument default. For information on the Set Instrument Default command, see “Set Instrument Defaults” on page 77.
Instrument Panning
Panning determines the balance of the Instrument within the selected stereo output pair. For
example, if Output 1-2 is selected, panning all
the way to the left sends a Mono Instrument
only to Output 1; panning all the way to the
right would send the Instrument to Output 2
only.
Stereo Instruments output odd numbered channels to hard left, even numbered channels hard
right.
The Instrument Pan slider shifts the center of
the Instrument’s stereo image. Negative values
weight the sound toward the left output, positive values weight the sound toward the right
output.
Setting the Output Channels
To change the panning of individual samples
within the Instrument’s stereo image, see “Key
Group Panning” on page 34.
Key group panning mainly works as an offset for an Instrument’s main Pan control.
You cannot use it to pan one sample hard
left and another one hard right in the same
instrument.
Chapter 2: Using Banks and Instruments 17
To pan an Instrument within the selected output
pair:
■ Drag the Pan control in the desired direction.
The number inside the slider indicates the exact
amount of panning.
Instrument Pan control
For information about modulating panning
with LFOs or other modulation sources, see
“Matrix Modulation” on page 43.
Instrument Panning can be saved as an Instrument default. For information on the Set
Instrument Default command, see “Set Instrument Defaults” on page 77.
To solo an Instrument:
■ Click the Instrument’s Solo button.
To return to normal operation, click Solo again.
Option-click to unsolo all Instruments.
Instrument Volume
An Instrument’s master volume is attenuated
with its Volume Fader.
To change the volume of an Instrument:
■ Drag the Instrument’s Volume Fader to the de-
sired level. A numeric readout is provided for exact measurement.
Muting and Soloing an Instrument
Like a mixing console, muting silences the associated Instrument, while soloing ensures that
only the selected Instruments are heard.
More than one Instrument can be muted or soloed at the same time. Soloing an Instrument
mutes all other Instruments in all open Banks.
Solo and Mute buttons
To mute an Instrument:
■ Click the Instrument’s Mute button.
To return to normal operation, click Mute again.
Option-click to unmute all Instruments.
Soft SampleCell Guide18
Instrument’s Volume Fader
Control-click the Volume Fader to temporarily map
a MIDI controller (mod wheel, etc.) to Instrument
volume.
Instrument Volume can be saved as an Instrument default. For information on the Set
Instrument Default command, refer to
Chapter 6, “Soft SampleCell Menus.”.
Comments for Instruments and Banks
SampleCell lets you enter comments about Instruments and Banks. Comments are displayed
in the Open File dialog when you select a particular Bank or Instrument.
Instrument Tuning
SampleCell has no global Bank tuning controls.
Instead, each Instrument has its own individual
tuning parameters. These controls are found in
the Misc window of each Instrument.
To enter or edit comments for a Bank:
1 With a Bank file open and no Instruments se-
lected, choose File > Get Bank Info.
2 Enter or edit comments as desired.
3 When you close the window, your comments
will be stored in the current Bank file.
To enter or edit comments for an Instrument:
4 Select an Instrument within a Bank and
choose File > Get Instrument Info or click the
Info button.
info button
5 Enter or edit comments as desired.
6 When you close the window, your comments
will be stored in the current Bank file.
Comments associated with Instruments are also
entered in this window. These comments remain associated with these Instruments when
they are used in other Banks as well.
To access the tuning controls for an Instrument:
1 Select the Instrument in the Bank window.
2 Choose Windows > Misc Parameters or click
the Misc button in the Bank toolbar.
Misc button
Misc Window
To transpose the Instrument’s octave:
■ Drag the Pitch Octave slider to the appropri-
ate position. The range can be adjusted up three
octaves and down four octaves from the original
pitch.
To transpose an Instrument in half-steps:
■ Drag the Pitch Semitone slider to the appro-
priate position. The range can be adjusted ±12
semitones from the original pitch.
Chapter 2: Using Banks and Instruments 19
Fine-tuning is extremely valuable when a chorused or detuned effect is desired between two
identical copies of an Instrument.
If you use extreme transposition, you may
begin to hear adjacent samples in the Sample Map. For better control over the pitch
range for a single sample, create a new instrument for the sample and use the Hi/Low
key controls to specify the desired pitch
range within which the sample can be
played.
To fine-tune or detune an Instrument:
■ Drag the Detune slider to the appropriate po-
sition. The range can be adjusted ±1/4 tone from
the original pitch.
Each sample can be individually tuned
from within the Sample Parameters window. See “Sample Parameters Window” on
page 33 for details.
Equal Detune
The Detune controls respond differently in different ranges of an Instrument, depending on
the Equal Detune setting in the Misc window.
in Equal Detune mode, the two samples will
“beat” against each other at the same rate across
the entire range of the keyboard.The amount of
pitch shift varies with frequency:
◆ If a sample is played at its MIDI Root Note, the
Detune slider has a range of plus or minus one
semitone (half step).
◆ If a sample is played one octave below its
MIDI Root Note, the Detune slider has a detune
range of plus or minus one whole step (two
semitones).
◆ If a sample is played one octave above its
MIDI Root Note, the Detune slider has a detune
range of plus or minus a quarter tone.
Experiment with the Equal Detune option on
non-western Instruments or early Instruments.
Or, use it when trying to match loops to other
beats. It could provide the subtle change in
speed (playback speed/pitch) you need to lock
down a groove.
Equal Detune Off When Equal Detune is off,
Soft SampleCell playback is based on equal-tempered (exponential) tuning and the Detune
slider changes the tuning of all notes by the selected number of cents (a cent = 1/100th of a
semitone). In other words, a minus 5 cents detuning will have the same perceived effect
throughout the entire range of an Instrument.
A1 will sound “as flat” as A6, or D7. This is because the offset in cents is logarithmic.
Equal Detune On When Equal Detune is on, the
frequency is detuned by a constant Hz value
across the whole scale. If you have two samples,
and one is very slightly detuned from the other
Soft SampleCell Guide20
Saving a Bank
Once you have configured a Bank with Instruments and their basic settings, you’ll want to
save the Bank so that it can be retrieved for future use.
You can save all Instruments and samples associated with a Bank by using the Save Bank As
command.
Saving a Bank and Instruments
Soft SampleCell doesn’t automatically distinguish between samples, Instruments and
Banks, making it possible to overwrite a
sample if you accidentally save an identically named Instrument to the same location. For safety’s sake, create separate folders for Banks, Instruments, and samples.
To save the current Bank with its original name
and destination:
■ Choose File > Save Bank.
If the Save Bank command doesn’t appear
in the File menu, it is because an Instrument is currently selected on screen in the
Bank window. Deselect the Instrument by
clicking an empty area in the Bank window
before saving a Bank.
To save a Bank with a new name or destination:
1 Choose File > Save Bank As.
2 Enter a name and choose the destination for
the Bank.
3 Select “Save all instruments to a new location”
if you want to save new copies of the Instruments associated with the Bank.
4 Select “Save all referenced samples to a new lo-
cation” if you want to save new copies of the
samples associated with each Instrument.
To save all changed Instruments and Banks:
■ Choose File > Save All Changed.
Closing a Bank
To close an open Bank:
■ Click the Bank window’s Close Box or choose
File > Close.
For more information on closing
Soft SampleCell Banks, see “Automatically
delete unused samples” on page 80.
Chapter 2: Using Banks and Instruments 21
Saving an Instrument
Most parameters discussed in this chapter are
saved as part of a Bank, as well as with the Instrument. If you change the Instrument Comment or any parameter associated with an Instrument, however, the Instrument must be
saved in order to preserve those changes.
While you will be automatically prompted to
save these Instrument changes if you close a
Bank, you can also save an Instrument manually.
To save an Instrument with its original name and
destination:
■ Choose File > Save Instrument.
If the Save Instrument command doesn’t
appear in the File menu, it is because the Instrument is not currently selected on screen
in the Bank window. Select the Instrument
by clicking it before saving.
To save an Instrument with a new name or
destination:
1 Choose File > Save Instrument As.
2 Enter a name and choose the destination for
the Instrument.
3 Select “Save all referenced sample to a new lo-
cation” if you want to save new copies of the
samples associated with the Instrument.
To save all changed Instruments and Banks:
■ Choose File > Save All Changed.
Soft SampleCell Guide22
chapter 3
Creating and Modifying Instruments
This chapter explains the Instrument editing
features of Soft SampleCell.
Soft SampleCell controls for Instrument Volume, Pan, Audio Output, MIDI Channel and
Range are associated with Banks. Banks group
these controls together with performance parameters. For more information on Banks, see
Chapter 2, “Using Banks and Instruments.”
Instrument Basics
An Instrument is a group of samples mapped to
specific keys so that it can be played using a
MIDI controller or sequencer. Instruments can
be loaded from CD-ROM and edited, or new Instruments can be created and configured with
custom samples, key maps, and modulation settings.
Each Instrument has its own customizable parameters that are accessible by clicking the following buttons on the Edit toolbar:
Sample Map Window
The Sample Map window has controls for mapping samples to various ranges of MIDI notes
and velocities.
Misc Parameters window
The Misc Parameters window has controls for tuning, priority, overlap, velocity response, pitch
wheel, and filter amount. In addition, there are
checkboxes for Instrument Crossfade, Monophonic, Key Track, Equal Detune and Disable
MIDI Volume/Pan.
Envelope Window
The Envelope window provides 3 four-point enve-
lopes with additional controls for Key Track, Envelope Amount and Gate Time.
Chapter 3: Creating and Modifying Instruments 23
Matrix Modulation Window
The Matrix Modulation window is a modulationmapping tool that lets you create a mapping between a large number of modulation control
sources to destination parameters.
Modulators Window
Creating New Instruments
There are two basic instrument types: singlesample Instruments and multi-sample Instruments. Instruments can be either mono or stereo.
Single-Sample Instruments
Single-sample Instruments have a single Key
Group, a single Velocity Zone, and no modulation paths (sound effects and loops are often
single-sample Instruments). Because of this, Envelope, Matrix, Modulators or Trackers are not
available for single-sample Instruments.
The Modulators window provides 2 LFOs with
variable speed, amplitude, shape and trigger
mode. In addition, a Ramp Generator and 2
variable MIDI Controllers are provided.
Trackers Window
The Trackers provide a nine-break point graph
for plotting custom response curves for any parameter.
Multi-Sample Instruments
Multi-sample Instruments can have multiple
Key Groups, multiple Velocity Zones, and many
modulation paths. Multi-sample Instruments
can also be edited using any of the Instrument
editing windows. Soft SampleCell can open a
maximum of 60 mono or 30 stereo instruments.
Mono or Stereo Instruments
Instruments can be mono or stereo. The
mono/stereo characteristic of the samples you
plan to use in the Instrument will determine
how you should define the new Instrument itself. Soft SampleCell can open a maximum of 60
mono or 30 stereo instruments.
When mono samples are loaded into stereo
Instruments, the mono sample will use up 2
voices.
Soft SampleCell Guide24
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