Will somebody weigh-in on SampleTank 4?

[jude77]

How about some of you guys who have bought ST4 giving us your thoughts.  Are there  bugs (I seem to remember some problems with ST3 in the beginning)?  Are the new sounds better/worse/the same as ST3?  Are you glad you pulled the trigger?  Sorry?  If you had it to do over would you buy now or wait?  Are there alternatives you prefer?  Any thoughts at all would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[abacab]

PROS:

The new interface is resizable, so that is a huge improvement.

The new browser is much easier to use.

The on-board effects rack is very good, borrowing from T-Racks, Amplitube, and Syntronik.

The new multis page is borrowed from Syntronik. A big improvement.

The edit page has an improved layout, and additional new controls are available for the ST4 sample elements, including a new modulation section.

ST4 is compatible with ST3, Syntronik, and Philharmonik 2 content libraries.

ST4 MAX includes the entire ST3 MAX library content as separate installers.

Many of the new ST4 instruments sound very, very good. But they are not full replacements for the ST3 content library which you will still need to use to provide the core instrument collection of your SampleTank library. ST4 content is just an addition to existing content. The full comparison of the instruments included in each edition can be found here: Compare Versions

Yes I would do it again.

CONS:

Huge list of content downloads that need to be individually unzipped and executed. Over 200GB...

Bugs > Yes. Status here: https://cgi.ikmultimedia.com/ikforum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=20719

Initial release was 4.0.0, but we are currently at release 4.0.3. Progress has been made. Memory footprint has been reduced, but some folks are still experiencing random crashes. I have an open ticket with support regarding that.

We are waiting for the v4.0.4 patch to be released next week. The devs are apparently still working on additional optimizations.

[balinas]

Interestingly the Windchimes that came with v4 continues to crash on loading , but the Windchimes that comes with v3 works perfectly.  

And currently just a few others don’t work right now. No biggie. Overall I like it as I just get going with the layering and other possibilities there are. I did order the usb stick as to download the 250g would be expensive through my provided.  

[Simeon Amburgey]

There are some standout new additions to the library (The C7 in particular) and the new engine and effects are definitely bringing new life into the existing libraries especially some of the Miroslav sounds.

I think once some of the initial issues with the libraries, misc. bugs and memory management issues are addressed then I can say with confidence the best is yet to come. Looking back at where SampleTank started compared to where it is now is a very interesting journey as SampleTank pioneered the multi timbral virtual workstation plugin.

36 minutes ago, balinas said:

Interestingly the Windchimes that came with v4 continues to crash on loading , but the Windchimes that comes with v3 works perfectly.  

Just checked the Windchimes here; they seemed to load without crashing.

37 minutes ago, balinas said:

 I did order the usb stick as to download the 250g would be expensive through my provided.  

Yes, the download and installation is a herculean task to say the least. So having everything on a USB stick to start with helps a lot.

38 minutes ago, balinas said:

 Overall I like it as I just get going with the layering and other possibilities there are.

Totally agree.

Looking forward to seeing where ST4 takes us.

[jude77]

Thanks, guys!  Others?

[abacab]

It's better in the current broken state than ST3 ever was when it was working!

But if you're not in a hurry, save yourself some pain and wait at least  few more weeks. Or until the next big sale!

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

For the sounds, there's a video here that focuses on the sounds (unless you know the language, then you get some bonus information )

 

 

[jude77]

23 hours ago, Peter - IK Multimedia said:

For the sounds, there's a video here that focuses on the sounds (unless you know the language, then you get some bonus information )

 

 

This really is an excellent demo.  Thanks for posting.  Fortunately, I am also fluent in the Hachijō dialect of Japanese, so I also enjoyed the comments.

[HIBI]

24 minutes ago, jude77 said:

Fortunately, I am also fluent in the Hachijō dialect of Japanese

Wow, I'm Japanese but I can't understand the Hachijō dialect.

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

SampleTank 4.0.4 is now available in your IK User Area

Changes from version 4.0.3:

• Optimized RAM / Virtual Memory Usage.
• Fixed several crash issues on Studio One.
• Fixed a crash when playing notes after loading several large sized Instruments.
• Fixed a UI issue in FL Studio Mac when removing SampleTank 4 from a project.
• Fixed a crash when loading instruments with corrupt sample (.pak) files.
• Fixed Multis (combis from SampleTank 2 imported via SampleTank 3) not loading Instruments.
• Fixed SampleTank 3 Instruments with Stretch Engine which caused glitchy audio on upper note ranges.
• Fixed SampleTank 3 Edit Panel not applying PSTS/Stretch engine on all selected zones.
• Fixed London Grooves Instruments crash.
• Fixed corrupted Instruments switching between Resample and Resynth engine.
• Fixed a sporadic crash when playing Arpeggios.
• Fixed an issue with onscreen Pitch Bend not matching set values on Edit Panel.
• Fixed concurrent Preanalysis tasks resulting in parts muting.
• Fixed significant volume difference in SampleTank 3 and SampleTank 4 Instruments Accordion LH Mellow and Accordion Musette.
• Fixed a feedback loop caused by Compressor.
• Fixed trigger behaviour playing with Strummer .
• Added scrollbar to Mod Matrix.
• Added scrollbar to Mixer page.
• Added Instrument size in the Browser INFO panel.
• Updated Authorization Manager version 1.0.24.

Edited April 11, 2019 by Peter - IK Multimedia

[ZincT]

Thanks Peter!

For me 4.0.3 has been pretty stable and with 4.0.4 the memory footprint is now also vastly improved. 

Overall it's a big improvement on ST3 but I wish the standard version (that I own) didn't have so many synths as I already have more than I know what to do with including Syntronik.

Really love the pianos, guitar, brass and voices though.

It looks like the MAX version will be a must at some point although ideally I would prefer a way of trading some of the synths for other acoustic instruments.

[abacab]

2 hours ago, ZincT said:

Overall it's a big improvement on ST3 but I wish the standard version (that I own) didn't have so many synths as I already have more than I know what to do with including Syntronik.

Really love the pianos, guitar, brass and voices though.

It looks like the MAX version will be a must at some point although ideally I would prefer a way of trading some of the synths for other acoustic instruments.

Agree on the over-abundance of synth presets. They do seem a bit of over-kill! I have noticed that the majority of the factory ST4 multis are combinations of these synths.

I changed my mind at the last minute, and ordered the MAX version instead of the standard. I think it was a good call, as it ended up being only about $35 more for me, with the included maximum jam points discount of 30% off ($199 minus 30% vs. $149 minus 30%).

Even with the full MAX version, you will still want to keep your ST3 library handy, as the ST4 library does not replace all of the instruments that ST3 has. It is more of an enhancement to the collection. What ST4 MAX does add is very good, but is actually limited in the variety of instruments.

[ZincT]

Hey abacab,

I had the same deal for MAX but knew it would overfill my 1Tb "sample SSD" which I only bought in November to replace a 512Gb one.

Of course I then wished I had gone for a 2Tb SSD but maybe that and the upgrade to MAX  will happen at some point in the future.

I also still have shed loads of ST3 libraries installed and full Miroslav Philharmonic (the ST3 folder alone is currently 172Gb!). 

What you say is true about the limited variety of instruments (even more so in the standard version) which is why I still have all that ST3 stuff installed.

[abacab]

33 minutes ago, ZincT said:

Hey abacab,

I had the same deal for MAX but knew it would overfill my 1Tb "sample SSD" which I only bought in November to replace a 512Gb one.

Of course I then wished I had gone for a 2Tb SSD but maybe that and the upgrade to MAX  will happen at some point in the future.

I also still have shed loads of ST3 libraries installed and full Miroslav Philharmonic (the ST3 folder alone is currently 172Gb!). 

What you say is true about the limited variety of instruments (even more so in the standard version) which is why I still have all that ST3 stuff installed.

Yes, enjoy the new interface, it's miles beyond the old one!

And since they actually included the ST3 engine in ST4, the old ST3 library formats are 100% compatible as is, including Syntronik and Philharmonik.  So legacy content should play exactly as it did in ST3.

There are 2 different edit pages now, depending on whether the part is in ST3 or ST4 format. There are additional modulation  controls and mod matrix  available and enhancements to the element structure for the new stuff.

 

Edited April 15, 2019 by abacab