At last I am back from the brink of dispair. I have suffered two viruses in the last ten days, one laid me on my back for four days and the other rendered my computer unusable on the Net. Both are now recovered.

To continue with the SampleTank review:

I find that the rebuilt GUI and functions much improved at the expense of using up more screen space. The MIDI LEARN function is easy to use and does work, contrary to my previous experience, provided you are more robust in moving sliders in the RB Windows to assign the parameters.

For new and proposed users remember that at the start up, the ST3 recognises only velocity data from RealBand. It is necessary to use Midi Learn to assign, at least, CC7 Volume and CC10 Pan in ST3 to similar parameters in RB on a channel by channel basis. It is useful to set up the Midi file with Track and Channel numbers to agree. Position Channel 10 Drums on track 10 and use the Edit > Rechannel command.

Other CC parameters which are useful are:

CC1............... ST3 parameter "LFO1Depth" to control Modulation
CC64.............. ST3 parameter "LFO1 Rate" to control Sustain.

If you look in the Control Panel then all the Midi Learn assignments will be listed as well as the permanently assignments to CC12 to CC19, which are used to add continuous midi data to control the eight parameters in the MACRO display working from left to right. These are intended to be the most frequently used paramters for a specific instrument.

One is "Swell" which acts to change the Velocity of the last note varying the level of sound much like CC2 Breath or CC11 Expression, does in a Standard MIdi Synth, without affecting the CC7 Volume overall level.

You need to set up the appropriate data using the Piano Roll Window, unless you have software to emulate the instruments' playing styles. If you have this data already in a track, then go into the Control Panel and change the CC number from 12 to either 2 or 11 as appropriate.

Experienced users must have used favorite assignments in previous SampleTank versions and it would be useful to list their experiences. Please advise.

It is worth your while to create a Proforma Multi which you can load each time you have a new setup to do. Use an existing Multi which you have created fill any blank channels with instruments and set up each channel with the Midi Learn entries you want regularly.

Save As a Multi with a name such as Proforma Base File then delete all the instruments from the loaded Multi and Save As Proforma. This latter file will load very quickly and contain all the Midi Learn assigments ready for instruments to be loaded.

I uaed the Standalone version to do much of my testing but did try out the jBridge program to create a 32 bit VSTi from the original 64 bit SampTank3.dll. This has worked without a problem so far although I am still using the Test Version. The main differences are the GUI, in the pluging mode, takes up even more real estate occupying 50% of the screen.

There is a plugin problem, in my system, whereby the scroll wheel works differently to the way in the standalone mode in which the scroll wheel moves the pointer up and down in a window. In the plugin mode using the scroll wheel removes the ST3 display and you need to use the DXi/VSTi icon to restore it. A couple of times the ST3 had to be reloaded. If you look to the right of the panels in PLAY showing the lists of instruments etc, there is a light coloured column - place your pointer in the slot and this will work properly. Could be my local problem.

I think that I will use the Standalone model as lockups are less frequent and easier to clear. The screen behaviour can be improved by using a DeskPins type program to keep ST3 on top all the time. The display is smaller than the plugin model because there is no RB panel on top.

I had an impression that the sounds were better via the Standalone version, but this needs to be checked with Audio recordings.

Lyn