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In a recent post, someone shared
"Sampletank needs specific instruments to be assigned to specified channels and should be used to develop the song after all the auditioning of styles etc has ben completed. For auditioning, use a synth such as Coyote, Forte, etc which provide the standard Bank Zero sound set of 128 patches covering the majority of instruments."
...that being the case, is it possible for someone to create a mapping in SampleTank to the standard GM patch numbers, and share it with BIAB users ?
...it would be great if that 'someone' was someone Peter Gannon delegated (big light bulb - Ahhhhhhhhhh...now I see where "PG" music comes from) - and sticky posted temporarily for all of us interested in exploring SampleTank Free - or for PG sharing another great resource with all those BIAB users that don't really know what GM is (I know you're out there : )
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Not sure that can be done Joe. My understanding is that SampleTank is a synth that uses a proprietary patch system. You would need their GM patches to create this. But I do think that I recall, someone here on the forum mentioning that a GM set is available from IK Multimedia.
Win11, Intel i7 7700K 4.2Ghz, 32Gb RAM, 2x1Tb HD, 500Gb NVMe, BIAB/RB 2026, MOTU 828MK3 audio, MOTU Midi Express, Yamaha Montage 7, DX7II, TX802, Motif XS Rack, Roland Fantom XR Rack, Oberheim Matrix 1000, VoiceLive3 Extreme, Kontakt 6, SampleTank 4.3
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I purchased the software.
Have not pursued all of the voicing "yet".
Also have Forte.
I "hear" that most of Omnisynth 2 Gm voicing is very nice. Pun intended.
There are many "Extended" voices that come with the purchase.
Check out samples tab.
Don't feel the $10 was wasted.
Just went back and did bit of piano testing.
Forte Steinway and OmniSynth Grand.... Steinway probably bit better.
Forte Bright Piano and Omni Bright.... Gotta to to Omni
Electric Grand, Rhodes, EP 2 would all give to Omni.
No FX on any other than default setups.
Last edited by seeker; 12/22/12 11:54 AM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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' I am just now experimenting with the esounds/omnisynth soundset. Sounds much better than Coyote, and certainly worth ten bucks. Here is a post from another thread (see below) that explains that mapping is possible in Sample Tank. >>>... Yesterday, I decided to pick up Omnisynth 2 for it, as part of the esounds deal. I've been playing around with it this morning, and I've discovered a couple of things that help when using it in BIAB. In fact, they help enough that I'll probably go ahead and sell my SD-2 module. Since I don't play out anymore, I've been thinking about doing that for a while now. Anyways, here's the tips. (I'm assuming you have everything configured correctly except the drums keep changing, in BIAB). Hit ctrl and e, -> brings up preferences window. Click on 'midi options' button. Untic 'Drum Patch Changes' . You might check some of your other options while you are there. For example, I have 'midi thru' unticked as I don't use that. When you have all as you want it, close your windows. This next step isn't necessary, but is a time saver once done. Locate your 'Omni GMBnk2 DRY.stmp' and 'OmniSynth GMBnk1.stmp' files in your 'GM Progr Chng Bnk' folder. Copy both those files and paste them into your BB main folder. (search may locate them faster than you if you don't already know where they are ) (This next step will need to be done every time you start BIAB) Now, click on the dxi synth button in BIAB. in ST click on 'program ch' button. Click 'open map'. If the dialog button opens in one of the bb folders just hit up until you are in the BB folder, To start, let's choose 'Omni GMBnk2 DRY.stmp', and get it loaded. Now load 'SRGM KIT O1 DRY' in channel 10 of ST. And thats it. You should be good to go. Just a few things to remember: 1: You'll need to load that .stmp ever time you fire up biab. 2: Change all instruments except drums from the normal place in biab. 3: Change all drum kits via 'dxi synth' button (you can hit that even if biab is playing), and always use GM mapped kits...>>>>> Here is the whole thread: http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/showflat.p...amp;Search=true
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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.
What the previous post does not tell you is to make Sample Tank the default MIDI device. Seems to work very nicely, and the GM map seems to be sticky.
Make the change in: OPTIONS>>PREFS>>MIDI DRIVER
Last edited by flatfoot; 12/22/12 08:44 PM.
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Does that make OmniSynth 2 the best sounding GM module overall - i.e. if you were on a desert island and had to pick one ?
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Thanks for all this info about sampletank. I don't have biab 2013 I have biab ultra pak 2012.
If I install sampletank free and buy the $10 expansion pack, do the adjustments in the second last post above, them I can set sampletank as the default dxi and it will play as a general midi dxi fine without further adjustment, that I won't need to pick an instrument for each biab track, though it may be possible to do that too?
Just want a fairly simple set up.
I take it realdrums will play along with it as well, without any tweaking?
Thanks for all the work and any further info.
Musiclover
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
If I install sampletank free and buy the $10 expansion pack, do the adjustments in the second last post above, them I can set sampletank as the default dxi and it will play as a general midi dxi fine without further adjustment, that I won't need to pick an instrument for each biab track, though it may be possible to do that too?
Yes. I've just loaded worked through the above post and it's fine. Everything works as general midi (just like Coyote Forte). The only drawback is that the Omnisynth map needs loading in each time BIAB is started. Given the quality of the sound, and the fact that it takes all of 20 seconds to do, it's not an issue for me.
For $10, this is a stunningly brilliant synth.
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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.
>>>...If I install sampletank free and buy the $10 expansion pack, do the adjustments in the second last post above, them I can set sampletank as the default dxi and it will play as a general midi dxi fine without further adjustment, that I won't need to pick an instrument for each biab track, though it may be possible to do that too?...>>>
Don't know yet in detail. I have only had the Omnisynth for a clouple hours and I got holiday stuff going on...
In General the Omnisynth sounds great. Better than Coyote definitely, but I have not been aboe to get it to default in a fully automatic way. Its looking like the GM map has to be loaded every time, and just now I am getting crashes. Also the balance is not right in default mode; Piano is too soft and strings are too loud.
So I will most likely keep Coyote as default for when I need MIDIs and BiaB files to come up quickly and reliably, and use Omnisynth on those songs when I am more willing to take the time to tweak.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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MAPPING IS NOT WORKING
I can select the voices from the Omnisynth set individually. But I get a crash when I call the GM MAP posted above and then press GEN PLAY.
The error has to do with "Sampletank2.x.vpa." Anybody else getting this?
I think this will be OK. The Omnisynth voices volumes are not balanced by default, so it looks like I will be tweaking them individually anyway.
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Hi Flatfoot,
It works fine for me. Are you using the "Default Synth" slot at the bottom of the VSTi dialogue box? I suspect if SampleTank was installed on individual tracks, the problem you describe might exist.
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Yup I tried it this way. Sampletank works fine as long as I dont load the Omnisynth GM Script. It seems to be the script that crashes it.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Interesting. Everything works fine for me. What is your operating system?
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
.
MAPPING IS NOT WORKING
I can select the voices from the Omnisynth set individually. But I get a crash when I call the GM MAP posted above and then press GEN PLAY.
The error has to do with "Sampletank2.x.vpa." Anybody else getting this?
I think this will be OK. The Omnisynth voices volumes are not balanced by default, so it looks like I will be tweaking them individually anyway.
Everything works fine with no crashes here. The drums on channel 10 always defaults to piano as already stated. I agree with you on the volume levels are not adjusted correctly, the strings are very much louder.
The movie strings that came with the BIAB collection sounds better to me than the Omnisynth 2.
Brian
BIAB 2026 Ultrapack- Fender Studio Pro 8, Windows 11, Mac Mini M4 with Logic Pro 11, Melodyne Studio, Luna Pro
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Since the script has to be loaded each time perhaps PG would build in some kind of option for a batch file load with BIAB. Because the files are spread out it would be useful to be able store all the file locations for simple access.
I downloaded OmniSynth for $10 and was pleased. They also have great sounding Latin percussion samples and loops that are very tempting for the same price.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Really? I would be very surprised if a synth that comes with BIAB does not work as General MIDI right out of the box, that the patches need to be mapped to GM, etc. Most of us have different softsynths, high quality sounds, etc., but one saves those for the last stages, after a song is in one's DAW. For BIAB everything needs to be GM-mapped, and it woudl really surprise me if PG Music included a softsynth with the program, that is not already GM-mapped/ Quote:
In a recent post, someone shared
"Sampletank needs specific instruments to be assigned to specified channels and should be used to develop the song after all the auditioning of styles etc has ben completed. For auditioning, use a synth such as Coyote, Forte, etc which provide the standard Bank Zero sound set of 128 patches covering the majority of instruments."
...that being the case, is it possible for someone to create a mapping in SampleTank to the standard GM patch numbers, and share it with BIAB users ?
...it would be great if that 'someone' was someone Peter Gannon delegated (big light bulb - Ahhhhhhhhhh...now I see where "PG" music comes from) - and sticky posted temporarily for all of us interested in exploring SampleTank Free - or for PG sharing another great resource with all those BIAB users that don't really know what GM is (I know you're out there : )
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Hi maiki, SampleTank is not a GM synth. Its functionality is far superior and it's not restricted to the GM bank of sounds. The loading of the general midi mapping that's mentioned above, takes me about 30 secs (probably less) and I do not find it a hassle. However, if it were a problem, I'd use the Roland VSC softsynth for my song creation and then use SampleTank at a later stage when I'm looking for higher quality sounds for finishing a song. For example, below is an image of some of the pianos that came with the "Piano Collection 2" sounds I recently purchased. (Given that there are so many choices, GM just doesn't do the job.)  When a BIAB song is saved, the sounds loaded into SampleTank on the different midi channels are also saved. Regards, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Crap, I need more midi sounds like I need a hole in the head. When do you have too many? Answer: When you no longer know how many you have! Thats where I am at. When it comes to BIAB Coyote Forte is completely satifactory. The sounds have always been the best available and it works seamlessly in BIAB - no adjustments needed. So now this comes along. And for days I stare at it. And I see all the problems folks are having (it needs to be configured each time?). But even still I am drawn like a mouth to the flame. What is it about these things? I know it will only cause me distress but wait, you say it sounds good? better than Coyote Forte? and it only costs $10? and the sale is over tomorrow? Here I go again. But tell me one more bit of info to push me over the edge. Will I be able to run it on my laptop and desktop? or will the registration and security prevent this? Becareful how you answer, as my fate is in your hands.  Dan
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