ReasamplOmatic5000 is great, but perhaps not flexible enough for dynamic multi-sample mapping. Most of my drum samples consist of at least 4, maybe up to 10 samples per sound. Sometimes more.
I personally play sample-sets live and record the plugins output and/or the midi, so I experience the "touch" of the sampler when I'm playing the kit.
This way I can play with acoustic "feel" if a sample set is well composed and velocity mapped.
Percussion sampling has unique requirements in terms of flexibility:
each sample in a set must be mapped according to playback level
each sample in a set must be mapped according to MIDI velocity level
each sample in a set must be mapped according to MIDI velocity range
Previewing sample sets also has differing requirements.
The ability to:
play single samples in a set
play any velocity across a set
*the clever bit* modulate across velocity and trigger speed.
I've never seen a plug which does this, but it would be really useful.
These factors make playing a drum sampler plug live very different from simply triggering pre-processed sounds,
or using a keyboard to trigger rather than a dedicated digital drum kit.
Keyboard players: try doing a nice jazzy snare-roll on your keyboard with a single shot snare sample set and you will immediately experience this.
Then there is the issue of "how loud" in the contexts of:
realistic playability of the sample sets, very wide dynamic range.
recording level/playback level, as dynamically wide as practical.
mix level, compressed (no doubt to some degree) but lacking in dynamics.
The dynamic range of percussion sampling is much greater, the need for greater dynamic control more important.
There are 2 methods for recording percussion sample sets which need to be considered:
1. A set of samples are all recorded at comparable levels and are triggered according to MIDI velocity.
2. A set of samples are recorded at natural levels and triggered according to which sample is mapped to a particular MIDI velocity.
In practice it is usuall to use a mixture of these 2 methods to achieve a realistic output across a sample-set:
A set consisting of a single sample would utilise method 1.
A theoretical set of 127 samples would use method 2.
A "real-life" situation might consist of say 10 samples, so each sample in a set requires manipulation in terms of:
sample trigger level,
sample trigger velocity range,
sample trigger velocity curve.
and the sample set requires manipulation in terms of the trigger velocity curve.
It strikes me that the plugin I would like to see would be pretty much like ReaSamplOmatic5000, but with the additional functionality mentioned.
Practical reasons for trying to gain support for a dedicated Reaper drum-plug:
Reaper arguably has one of the best and most efficient audio engines around.
Reaper plugins are extremely light on CPU. Reasamplomatic5000 is no exception to this.
A drum sampler plugin to slot into a track channel in Reaper only needs to handle 1 drum, so 1 sample set. Constructing a whole kit just requires a project template.
It doesn't need to be a big, hungry, complicated plug. Just slightly more flexible than the present Reasamplomatic5000.
Most everything else that needs to be done to the resultant audio can be achieved within Reaper in a very logical on concise way.
In fact, with every new release of Reaper, the flexibility with which plugins can be used increases because of the improvements in Reaper itself. Audio and MIDI implementation in Reaper 3xx are outstanding by any standards and continue to improve.
This (relatively small) feature request could encourage many users to make Reaper their drum-studio DAW of choice above many others, all within the working paradigm of Reaper.
Users would not need to learn how to use another complicated sampling plug, just to understand how Reaper handles MIDI and audio.
Such a plugin would allow us to take even more advantage of reaper x64, 64bit audio engine, and all that these things imply, etc.
If drums and percussion are dealt with sensitively in a composition everything else falls far more easily into place. Obtaining realistic dynamics makes the difference between a flat, or completely lush sounding mix.
Original thread (and poll) here:
http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=26614