[Linuxsampler-devel] LinuxSampler & sample library producers NAMM report

[<be...@ga...>]

Hi,
just back from NAMM where I met lots of sample library producers:

I've met people from the following companies:

- Garritan (orchestral strings)
- Post Musical Instruments (pianos like the high quality Bosendorfer 290)
- SAM Project (Horns)
- Bela Media (Vocal samples)
- Vienna Symphonic Library (produces giant orchestral samples taken from
  the Vienna philarmonica orchester etc)
- Sonic Implants
- Dan Dean  (orchestral samples)
- Scarbee (Bass samples)
- Chickensys (produces Translator, a tool that converts between many sample formats)

I explained the concept of LS, where we currently are, and what's our 
shor tterm and long term roadmap.
To some I showed LS running on the Mediastation (which contains an Athlon Linux
box), to others we showed LS running on the Laptop of Paul Davis (he was at NAMM
too, really a great person :-) ).

The sampler producers are very enthusiastic about LS, because the technology is
open, free and scalable and will be able to integrate their own stuff they need
to provide superior sample playback experience.

Most of them already donated sample CDs (in GIG format) that we can use
for development purposes (we will share then among selected and trusted
developers that contribute to the codebase and to testing like Mark does).
Most of those that have not yet donated CDs said they intend to.

The feature they are most excited about is networked LS clusters with a VSTi
frontend on Window PC (or Mac using audiounits), because most of them
produce large orchestral libraries which are impossible to run on a single
machine. (the Vienna guys produce libs of 200GB and more !).

So I think the VSTi networking support in LS will be very important
for adoption in large scale enviroments.
Christian said we want to make it to Hollywood studios and I think if we 
do it right this goal will not be too far away :-)

On the other hand sample library producers have concerns about piracy, so
they are interested if sample content can be protected while keeping
the sampler open. We should think about those issues over the long term.

Anyway I must say I did not expect such a positive response.
They are all very friendly people, mostly 1-4 man based companies and you
know it's easier to talk to such companies than to big companies.

A few of the guys expressed ideas about doing a sampler module based on
an embedded PC (like the VIA) running LS and their sample libraries.
One guy said LS could be turned in a high quality organ with dozen
of registers (which would require 20-30voices (RAM voices) per midi key).

I think sample producers are often dependent on softsampler companies and
often their creativity is limited by those commercial softsamplers because
 the commercial softsamplers often do not implement stuff that is needed
only for certain libraries because it does not pay off to them, plus
they try to keep their engines/sample formats as closed as possible
in order to stay ahead of competing companies.


Regarding distributing the sampling CDs, we should decide who will get
 access to them.
I propose only people that have shown active contribution to LS.
Be it in form of code or in form of testing like Mark does.

People that comes to mind: Christian, me, Mark, Vladimir, Rui, Tobias E.
others ?

PS: some of the companies said that once LS gets a bit usable they will
try it out and give us feedback if their sound libraries are played back
 correctly.

thoughts ?

cheers,
Benno
http://www.linuxsampler.org





-------------------------------------------------
This mail sent through http://www.gardena.net