How to use instrument samples

[Michael Martinez]

With synthesizer vst plugins I've been able to simply create an instrument track using the plugin, edit midi notes and it's ready to go. But a different procedure seems to be necessary to get sounds from vst plugins that contain samples, such as this trombone plugin: http://www.vst4free.com/free_vst.php?plugin=Sonatina_Trombone&id=2306

How do I get this work? If I create an instrument track with it, it says "no instrument is defined" and no sounds are heard from my midi notes. 

[ien]

Sounds like the VST can't find the samples. If there's no way to direct the instrument to the samples then try placing the samples in your VST folder.

[abacab]

With sampler instruments you need to do 4 things. 

Install the VST

Install the sample library

Tell the VST where the sample library is

 Tell the DAW to scan for new VST plugins

[Michael Martinez]

I gave it another try. I copied the other folder that came with the VST into the cakewalk vst plugin folder. But this ended up crashing Cakewalk, so I gave up on it, and ended up just using a brass instrument included with the Cakewalk TTS-1 instrument. Good enough for my purposes for the time being.

[abacab]

It's better to only put the plugin .dll files in the VST folder. Less for the Cakewalk VST scanner to deal with.

Any other stuff like preset folders and sample folders related to the plugin should be installed elsewhere. The best scenario is if the plugin has an installer that asks you for the paths you want to install them to.

In general, it's fairly common to end up with  a plugin .dll itself in your main VST folder, plus the plugin presets somewhere either in your documents, program files, or program data folder, and the samples in a folder on a separate drive where you store all of your sample libraries. But the plugin has to know where that all is, so it's best not to go moving things around after the install, unless you are sure the plugin can find them.

You can always keep it simple and drop everything in various folders on your system drive if you don't have other options, but that can fill the drive up quickly if you have a lot of samples, and slow your system performance down.

[ien]

There's no way to direct that instrument to the samples. The .instruments folder will have to go next to the .dll. It's working for me. Didn't crash. I'd try again. Try placing the .dll and the .instruments in their own dedicated folder, like VST>Sonatina>.dll/instruments

[Michael Martinez]

@ien

Thanks for the tips, I'll give it another try.

[scook]

I just tested the 64bit VST version of Bigcat's Sonatina Trombone.

As a rule, I install plug-ins in manufacturer folders in the default VST folder.

In this case I unzipped "Sonatina_Trombone_-_64.zip" into "C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Vstplugins\bigcat\Sonatina Trombone."  After unzipping into this folder, it contained a file called "Sonatina Trombone - 64.dll" and a "Sonatina Trombone - 64.instruments"

containing a file called "Sonatina Trombone - 64.mse"

I have CbB set to automatic background scan so, starting up CbB the scanner found the new synth.

After adding the synth to a new project, it played OK.

 

 

 

[Michael Martinez]

Thanks for the instructions and details, they will help going forward.

For now I'm just using the built-in cakewalk TTS-1 trumpet. Add some reverb and it's good enough for my purposes as a brief instrumental bridge:

 

[Michael Martinez]

Soundcloud seems to compress the crap out of stuff, which makes the cymbal sound bad. But if anything it probably makes the trumpet sound better. Anyway, the trumpet sounds decent. On sustained notes it sounds less like a trumpet but that's the case with all synthesized brass that I've heard.

Edited March 11, 2019 by Michael Martinez

[abacab]

25 minutes ago, Michael Martinez said:

Soundcloud seems to compress the crap out of stuff, which makes the cymbal sound bad. But if anything it probably makes the trumpet sound better. Anyway, the trumpet sounds decent. On sustained notes it sounds less like a trumpet but that's the case with all synthesized brass that I've heard.

Check out the free sforzando SFZ player:

https://www.plogue.com/products/sforzando.html

https://www.plogue.com/products/sforzando-banks.html

My favorite sounds for it are the free Virtual Playing Orchestra: http://virtualplaying.com/virtual-playing-orchestra/

"This is a full, free orchestral instrument sound library featuring section and solo instruments for woodwinds, brass, strings and percussion."

Virtual Playing Orchestra is a free orchestra sample library, in sfz format, that attempts to emulate multiple articulations of the solo and section instruments from a full orchestra using the best free samples from Sonatina Symphonic Orchestra, No Budget Orchestra, VSCO2 Community Edition, University of Iowa, Philharmonia Orchestra and extra free samples from Mattias Westlund, author of Sonatina Symphonic Orchestra.

The plan was to start with Sonatina Symphonic Orchestra, add new samples from Mattias Westlund and samples from newly available sources that have recently become available to create what I would like to see from a Sonatina Symphonic Orchestra 2.0.

Edited March 11, 2019 by abacab