Why Can't I Use My Samples?

[Byron Dickens]

Well no wonder it doesn't work.

We're trying to use compressed files formated for Mac on a Windows machine.

 

Like I said: RTFM.

With less than five minutes with the documentation no doubt supplied by the sample pack's developer, along with some basic computer knowledge, there would have been no need for this thread in the first place and the OP would have been happily making music more than a month ago.

Edited September 6, 2021 by bdickens

[Xoo]

They're wav files - you can see from the screenshot in the filename box.  Media FIle is just what file explorer shows in these cases; here's an mp3 I just popped in a zip file:

File extension mp3, but explorer reports MP3 Format Sound file.

[Music Meister]

I did manage to get one sample pack working! It's one of my recent ones that I downloaded from Slate Digital which is a Synthwave pack. I got the idea from all the talk about "extract" and "unzip" and "uncompress". So what I did is simply extract the sample pack and I placed it in my sample pack folder and Cakewalk allowed it. Should I continue to extract my other sample packs or would this pose a problem in the long run? If so, propose me a new idea.

[scook]

You must install the samples before they are available to the DAW.

If they are delivered as a zip file, they must be unzipped into a folder before use.

[user 905133]

On 9/5/2021 at 2:13 PM, User 905133 said:

FWIW: Mid-2020 I downloaded some free sample packs from Cymatics.  The downloads show up as *.zip files and the extracted files are definitely *.wav files.  Lemme add them to my Cakewalk Media Browser.  Sec.

For the one pack I unzipped, the wav files showed up in Cakewalk's Media Browser once I navigated to the Cymatics folder. Both loops and stems were draggable into a track as expected.

19 hours ago, scook said:

Try putting the file in a folder that is not compressed.

15 hours ago, User 905133 said:

. . . assuming you downloaded *.zip files, what program did you use to extract them? **

11 hours ago, Music Meister said:

I did manage to get one sample pack working! . . . .  I got the idea from all the talk about "extract" and "unzip" and "uncompress". So what I did is simply extract the sample pack and I placed it in my sample pack folder and Cakewalk allowed it. Should I continue to extract my other sample packs . . . ?

11 hours ago, scook said:

You must install the samples before they are available to the DAW.

If they are delivered as a zip file, they must be unzipped into a folder before use.

  Solved yet?

Edited September 7, 2021 by User 905133
to removed extra <CR>s

[Music Meister]

14 hours ago, User 905133 said:

  Solved yet?

I seem to think so. 

 

EDIT: But I'll wait for the responses from the pros before I get into anything I can't handle.

Edited September 7, 2021 by Music Meister

[John Vere]

That must be me ?   

I think it's pretty clear what happened and some good detective work from a few of the community sorted it out. 

The files were Compressed and instead of unzipping the downloaded folder you must have tried to access that folder directly  from Cakewalks Browser.  The files were still compressed and not usable. 

And I apologize for my snarky reply at first. It's just me after replying to at least a dozen threads were the OP never returns. I sort of get grumpy about that. The Question and Answer  sub Form should be re named  Ask a Question and Never return... 

Another thing through me off is I'm used to "Samples"  being something you use in a VST instrument. I call those Sample libraries. I call audio files you drop into the project directly- "Audio loops" . So originally I thought you had downloaded a Sample Pak that would be used like say with Dim Pro, Kontak or any sample based VST. 

Anyhow glad you got it working. 

[Music Meister]

1 hour ago, John Vere said:

And I apologize for my snarky reply at first. It's just me after replying to at least a dozen threads were the OP never returns. I sort of get grumpy about that. The Question and Answer  sub Form should be re named  Ask a Question and Never return... 

It's all good. I didn't appreciate how you handled it at first but I understand that I was gone for 4 months and never said a word. Trust me, I returned everyday to check back incase anyone had a fix but no one ever did and I never got the chance to say anything because I was so busy. 

 

1 hour ago, John Vere said:

The files were Compressed and instead of unzipping the downloaded folder you must have tried to access that folder directly  from Cakewalks Browser.  The files were still compressed and not usable. 

Another thing through me off is I'm used to "Samples"  being something you use in a VST instrument. I call those Sample libraries. I call audio files you drop into the project directly- "Audio loops" . So originally I thought you had downloaded a Sample Pak that would be used like say with Dim Pro, Kontak or any sample based VST. 

Anyhow glad you got it working. 

I do think that the issue is that they weren't uncompressed or unzipped or extracted or whatever it's called because the "audio" samples seem to working fine in terms of drag and drop. The sound is indeed coming through from these files which is a good sign. So I think that the whole problem is that maybe, POSSIBLY, I should just extract the files. And as for the sampler a.k.a. Komplete Kontrol. I wound up downloading it and now I have a new plugin / interface thing that I can mess around with. I found out that Komplete Kontrol has a Synthwave pack that I must try out because I need this for my new song I'm making.

Anywho, the problem seems solved and I ended up with a crap ton of files to extract, and a new plugin. So now I have tons of sorting to do but I thank you for helping me out and the same goes for everyone else. If something goes wrong, I'll come back here and this time I won't leave you hanging. 

[user 905133]

3 hours ago, Music Meister said:

So I think that the whole problem is that maybe, POSSIBLY, I should just extract the files.

Why maybe, POSSIBLY (i.e., hesitation / reluctance)?   

Edited September 8, 2021 by User 905133

[Kurre]

What i would do is uncompress every file to folders of my choice and use those files.

Then move the original compressed files, the whole pack, to a backup harddisk. If something goes wrong you can always go back to the backup, move it back, and start over again.

[scook]

16 minutes ago, Kurre said:

What i would do is uncompress every file to folders of my choice and use those files.

Then move the original compressed files, the whole pack, to a backup harddisk. If something goes wrong you can always go back to the backup, move it back, and start over again.

Whether a simple zip file or executable installer, when possible this is always a good idea.

Some manufacturers allow repeat downloads but keeping backup copies does not depend on their continued generosity. 

[user 905133]

Maybe space is an issue?  Possibly, the OP was concerned about taking up storage space on a laptop.

On 7/27/2021 at 1:56 PM, Music Meister said:

If anyone has any idea how to help me, please do. Also some help with knowing where to store packs so they don't take up my laptops storage would be nice. [emphasis added]

But, hey, what do I know?   

[Kurre]

Why not any of these? https://www.amazon.com/usb-drive/s?k=usb+drive

Low cost. Lot of space for files. Easy to remove and put in a drawer until needed again.

[Music Meister]

On 9/7/2021 at 6:39 PM, User 905133 said:

Why maybe, POSSIBLY (i.e., hesitation / reluctance)?   

Because I don't know if this the right way to go about it but it's working fine so I think I got it fixed. 

[Byron Dickens]

That's it.