PG Music Home Forums General Discussion Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production is the free version of sampletank worth downloading?

Index

Print Thread

Go To

is the free version of sampletank worth downloading? #723680 07/11/22 11:31 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 2,109 Essex England Bob Calver OP Veteran
OP Bob Calver Veteran Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 2,109 Essex England	i see it comes with some instruments but it's not wildly exciting. are there many free third party instruments that play in sampletank? i use mainly RTs but sometimes fill in with midi tracks and i've got some quite nice sounds that seem ok in a mix so i'm not minded to spend a lot to get more new sounds. what's the advice? or is kontakt a better way to go?

Re: is the free version of sampletank worth downloading? Bob Calver #723683 07/11/22 11:54 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Aug 2014 Posts: 8,327 North Carolina David Snyder Veteran
David Snyder Veteran Joined: Aug 2014 Posts: 8,327 North Carolina	There is some cool stuff in Sample Tank 4. For free, what do you have to lose? I have some of their paid stuff including synths and there is more in there than I would ever use. No, they don't use third party, but their own stuff is great. Even with free you get their effects racks which are AMAZING. You can only use them with Sample tank instruments but the sound quality is superb. David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers https://davidsnydersongs.com/ https://spoti.fi/359Gigs www.davidsnydermusic.com/ www.reverbnation.com/davidpsnyder www.soundcloud.com/davidsnyderchannel https://www.songtradr.com/user/profile/david.snyder

Re: is the free version of sampletank worth downloading? Bob Calver #723688 07/11/22 12:50 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 23,145 Hamlin NY MarioD Veteran
MarioD Veteran Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 23,145 Hamlin NY	Originally Posted By: Bob Calver i see it comes with some instruments but it's not wildly exciting. are there many free third party instruments that play in sampletank? i use mainly RTs but sometimes fill in with midi tracks and i've got some quite nice sounds that seem ok in a mix so i'm not minded to spend a lot to get more new sounds. what's the advice? or is kontakt a better way to go? I have the free Sampletank but I rarely us it. Not because I think it is terrible, it is not-it has some good sounds, but because I have a ton of Kontakt patches and that is my go to program for sounds. The free Kontakt Player does accept many third party patches. You just have to carefully read the third party's information to see if it will play in the free version or if you need the paid version of Kontakt. All of the sites I have been to have indicated what version you can use. All of the versions that work in the free player will also work in the paid version so if you upgrade you will loose nothing. The main difference between the two versions is that in the paid version you can change many parameters in most all patches whereas in the free version you are stuck with what they give you. I have had Kontakt for many years and the only time I go to change a parameter is so I can use my wind controller on patches that are not set up for a wind controller. Asking what is better Sampletank and Kontakt is like asking what is better a Chevy or a Ford. Both are good programs and cars. I hope this helps and good luck. {edit} PS, why not DL both and see which one you like the best. All it will cost you is a little time and maybe you will keep both. Last edited by MarioD; 07/11/22 12:52 PM. Whenever I get something stuck in the back of my throat, I dislodge it by drinking a beer. It's called the Heineken Maneuver. 64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware

Re: is the free version of sampletank worth downloading? Bob Calver #723698 07/11/22 01:44 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 621 Hockley, TX B Byron Dickens Journeyman
Byron Dickens Journeyman B Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 621 Hockley, TX	There is next to no third-party content for Sampletank. There is some great stuff in there however. Byron Dickens BIAB. CbB. Mixbus 32C 8 HP Envy. Intel core i7. 16GB RAM W10. Focusrite Scarlett 18i 20. Various instruments played with varying degrees of proficiency. https://soundcloud.com/athanorsoundlabs

Re: is the free version of sampletank worth downloading? Bob Calver #723707 07/11/22 02:54 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Apr 2017 Posts: 1,765 Sillie Con Valley, California Mike Halloran Expert
Mike Halloran Expert Joined: Apr 2017 Posts: 1,765 Sillie Con Valley, California	Absolutely worth it. Unlike Kontakt with its free and paid versions, every version of SampleTank uses the exact same sampler/player—only difference is the amount of content. The CS (free Custom Shop) only includes 4GB. But that's not the real reason to download. There are samples folders all over the internet, many are free; others are donationware and often point you to lameware like that $9.99 AudioLayer sampler. Example: This guy wants a $1 donation for the best set of Schoenhut toy piano samples I've heard. Schoenhut toy piano samples Save your $10 and use a full featured sampler instead. Here is a video on how to create an instrument from samples in SampleTank 4. Easy peasy. I own SampleTank Max and also Komplete Ultimate Limited Edition and use both. BIAB 2024 Audiophile Mac 24Core/60CoreGPU M2 MacStudioUltra/8TB/192GB Sequoia, M1 MBAir, 2012 MBP Digital Performer11, LogicPro, Finale27/Dorico/Encore/SmartScorePro64/Notion6 /Overture5

Re: is the free version of sampletank worth downloading? Bob Calver #723713 07/11/22 03:25 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Aug 2014 Posts: 8,327 North Carolina David Snyder Veteran
David Snyder Veteran Joined: Aug 2014 Posts: 8,327 North Carolina	I would add to what Mario, Byron and Mike said with this: Kontakt-based instruments provide some REALLY cool stuff (to me) in the area of orchestral, ambient, textures and so forth. But for workhorse synths and commercial pop sounds, ST4 is a beast. At least to me. When I am ready to rock, I go to Sample Tank. Pure and simple. David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers https://davidsnydersongs.com/ https://spoti.fi/359Gigs www.davidsnydermusic.com/ www.reverbnation.com/davidpsnyder www.soundcloud.com/davidsnyderchannel https://www.songtradr.com/user/profile/david.snyder

Re: is the free version of sampletank worth downloading? Mike Halloran #723718 07/11/22 04:01 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 23,145 Hamlin NY MarioD Veteran
MarioD Veteran Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 23,145 Hamlin NY	Originally Posted By: Mike Halloran Absolutely worth it. Unlike Kontakt with its free and paid versions, every version of SampleTank uses the exact same sampler/player—only difference is the amount of content. The CS (free Custom Shop) only includes 4GB. ................................ In all due respect I believe the free Kontakt Player and the full version of Kontakt use the same sampler/player. The only difference between them is that you can not get into the inner workings in the free player while you can in the full version. Whenever I get something stuck in the back of my throat, I dislodge it by drinking a beer. It's called the Heineken Maneuver. 64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware

Re: is the free version of sampletank worth downloading? David Snyder #723720 07/11/22 04:02 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 23,145 Hamlin NY MarioD Veteran
MarioD Veteran Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 23,145 Hamlin NY	Originally Posted By: David Snyder .............. But for workhorse synths and commercial pop sounds, ST4 is a beast. At least to me. When I am ready to rock, I go to Sample Tank. Pure and simple. That is good information. I may have to look into ST4! Whenever I get something stuck in the back of my throat, I dislodge it by drinking a beer. It's called the Heineken Maneuver. 64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware

Re: is the free version of sampletank worth downloading? MarioD #723786 07/12/22 07:48 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Apr 2017 Posts: 1,765 Sillie Con Valley, California Mike Halloran Expert
Mike Halloran Expert Joined: Apr 2017 Posts: 1,765 Sillie Con Valley, California	Originally Posted By: MarioD In all due respect I believe the free Kontakt Player and the full version of Kontakt use the same sampler/player. The only difference between them is that you can not get into the inner workings in the free player while you can in the full version. In other words, they’re not really the same. It doesn’t mean that one shouldn’t download Kontakt Player but once one owns Kontakt, it’s unnecessary. Going back to the original question: Is the free version of sampletank worth downloading? Yes, it is. Downloading ST4 CS and KP will put you on email lists. Both companies offer deep discounts on additional libraries from time to time. I use a different email address that I check only once a day to keep that marketing deluge out of my normal business. BIAB 2024 Audiophile Mac 24Core/60CoreGPU M2 MacStudioUltra/8TB/192GB Sequoia, M1 MBAir, 2012 MBP Digital Performer11, LogicPro, Finale27/Dorico/Encore/SmartScorePro64/Notion6 /Overture5

Re: is the free version of sampletank worth downloading? Bob Calver #723918 07/13/22 08:01 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 10,298 Middlesex, NC Guitarhacker Veteran
Guitarhacker Veteran Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 10,298 Middlesex, NC	Yep.... I faced this years ago. I hadn't bought Kontakt yet and so I downloaded the free Player and used it. There's a lot of samples available to use with the free player. Once you buy the full player, the free player becomes unnecessary at that point. Many of the 3rd party vendors make their samples compatible with the full version. So be sure to check before you buy 3rd party sample libraries. Sample Tank is from IK media and I don't have too many things from them. But I'm thinking it's pretty similar in function to the Native Instruments synths. (regarding the free vs paid versions) Last edited by Guitarhacker; 07/13/22 08:04 AM. You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.

Re: is the free version of sampletank worth downloading? Guitarhacker #723929 07/13/22 09:38 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Aug 2014 Posts: 8,327 North Carolina David Snyder Veteran
David Snyder Veteran Joined: Aug 2014 Posts: 8,327 North Carolina	You will be thinking all of that right up until the second you play the Sample Tank synth "Prog Dream." Then you'll see how it all goes down. Trust me. David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers https://davidsnydersongs.com/ https://spoti.fi/359Gigs www.davidsnydermusic.com/ www.reverbnation.com/davidpsnyder www.soundcloud.com/davidsnyderchannel https://www.songtradr.com/user/profile/david.snyder

Re: is the free version of sampletank worth downloading? Bob Calver #723944 07/13/22 11:08 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Apr 2017 Posts: 1,765 Sillie Con Valley, California Mike Halloran Expert
Mike Halloran Expert Joined: Apr 2017 Posts: 1,765 Sillie Con Valley, California	Although both IKM (SampleTank etc.) and NI (Kontakt etc.) run sales and discounts, I'll stick to IK for this one. I had bought Miroslav Philharmonik CE at a sale price and downloaded the CS versions of ST2 and Amplitude to get the freebies. Philharmonik runs in its own player or SampleTank. A few years later, IKM emails me an offer saying that if I bought/upgraded to SampleTank Max, I could get another of their premium instruments free. STMax included a few already so I decided to check it out—a bit pricy but it contained a number of VIs that I wanted including the Alan Parsons Imperial. Ok... A few days later, GuitarCenter.com sends me a sale invite. I check it out and STMax is available for $299. !?!?! I double-check with IKM and all I have to do is register my purchase to be eligible for the freebie. So, for $299, I bought STMax and chose Miroslav Philharmonik II ($499 retail) as my freebie on registering at ikmultimedia.com. STMax included ST3. I was on MacOS High Sierra at the time and everything worked great. A few months later, I had to update the OS to Mojave for another app and ST3 gave me major grief. So, I contacted IKM Support and they said I would have to update to SampleTank 4. Really? I just bought (and bla, bla, bla…). Not only that, STMax still included ST3 so what upgrade path were they talking about? I was not happy but I downloaded ST4 CS to see if it would work and that's when I discovered THE PLAYER IS FREE. Not only that, everything in my STMax and MP II bundles ran great — and still did when I purged ST3 from my system. Instant free upgrade! Support should have told me this, of course, and I blasted them (gently) on their user forum for not letting me know this. Since then, when the $99 upgrade to Total Studio and another inexpensive upgrade to Total VI came along, I rang the bells both times. I will never use everything I own, of course. The Alan Parsons Imperial VI is the main one my wife uses. Although there's a Bösendorfer in the living room, it's rare that we record it anymore. She has discovered the convenience of VIs and as her engineer, I appreciate that. BIAB 2024 Audiophile Mac 24Core/60CoreGPU M2 MacStudioUltra/8TB/192GB Sequoia, M1 MBAir, 2012 MBP Digital Performer11, LogicPro, Finale27/Dorico/Encore/SmartScorePro64/Notion6 /Overture5

Re: is the free version of sampletank worth downloading? Bob Calver #723982 07/13/22 02:21 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 621 Hockley, TX B Byron Dickens Journeyman
Byron Dickens Journeyman B Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 621 Hockley, TX	The way to get IK Multimedia stuff is on Black Friday or one of their group buys. For Kontakt, the trick is to buy a Player library that qualifies you for the crossgrade price and then wait for one of Native Instruments' periodic 50% sales. Byron Dickens BIAB. CbB. Mixbus 32C 8 HP Envy. Intel core i7. 16GB RAM W10. Focusrite Scarlett 18i 20. Various instruments played with varying degrees of proficiency. https://soundcloud.com/athanorsoundlabs

Re: is the free version of sampletank worth downloading? Byron Dickens #724052 07/14/22 05:52 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Apr 2017 Posts: 1,765 Sillie Con Valley, California Mike Halloran Expert
Mike Halloran Expert Joined: Apr 2017 Posts: 1,765 Sillie Con Valley, California	Originally Posted By: Byron Dickens The way to get IK Multimedia stuff is on Black Friday or one of their group buys. Pay attention to resellers. They often offer prices unavailable at IKM Quote: For Kontakt, the trick is to buy a Player library that qualifies you for the crossgrade price and then wait for one of Native Instruments' periodic 50% sales. Yes. Developers pay a license fee for a library to rin in Kontakt Player (not a requirement if full version of Kontakt is required). Downloading Player puts you on NI’s radar. Reseller deals often match but never undercut NI pricing — doesn’t mean you won’t go there if you have someone you like or can pay over time with 0% interest . Sweetwater or GuitarCenter credit cards offer such deals from 4 months to 3 years depending on the purchase. Unfortunately, NI’s last 50% sale ended June 30. The current sale is now 30% off through July 31. Generally, NI offers the 50% off deal twice a year except when there’s a version upgrade (Komplete 12 to 13, for example), when they wait over a year. Now that they are partnered with iZotope, Bitwig, PluginAlliance and others, no one knows how this will play out in the future. With K13 not being Apple Silicon Native except for Kontakt, many are expecting K14 soon. I’ve no problem running over Rosetta 2 while waiting for the 50% sale on upgrades whenever that happens—I’m mostly using Kontakt anyway. BIAB 2024 Audiophile Mac 24Core/60CoreGPU M2 MacStudioUltra/8TB/192GB Sequoia, M1 MBAir, 2012 MBP Digital Performer11, LogicPro, Finale27/Dorico/Encore/SmartScorePro64/Notion6 /Overture5

Go To

Moderated by Andrew - PG Music, Callie - PG Music, Catherine, PeterGannon, pgmoderation

Link Copied to Clipboard

ChatPG

Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.

ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.

PG Music News

July 01, 2025

Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: VST3 Plugin Support

Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® now includes support for VST3 plugins, alongside VST and AU. Use them with MIDI or audio tracks for even more creative possibilities in your music production.

Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Macs®: VST3 Plugin Support

Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: Using VST3 Plugins

Join the conversation on our forum.

June 30, 2025

Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac Videos

With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll also keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.

From overviews of new features and walkthroughs of the 202 new RealTracks, to highlights of XPro Styles PAK 8, Xtra Styles PAKs 18, the 2025 49-PAK, and in-depth tutorials — you’ll find everything you need to explore what’s new in Band-in-a-Box® 2025.

Reference this forum post for One-Stop Shopping of our Band-in-a-Box® 2025 Mac Videos — we’ll be adding more videos as they’re released!

June 28, 2025

Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac is Here!

Band-in-a-Box^® 2025 for Mac is here, packed with major new features and an incredible collection of available new content! This includes 202 RealTracks (in Sets 449-467), plus 20 bonus Unreleased RealTracks in the 2025 49-PAK. There are new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 4, two new sets of “RealDrums Stems,” XPro Styles PAK 8, Xtra Styles PAK 19, and more!

Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac with savings of up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special—available until July 31, 2025! Visit our Band-in-a-Box^® packages page for all the purchase options available.

2025 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
We've packed our Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK with some incredible Add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is automatically included with most Band-in-a-Box^® for Mac 2025 packages, but for even more Add-ons (including 20 Unreleased RealTracks!) upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for only $49. You can see the full lists of items in each package, and listen to demos here.

If you have any questions, feel free to connect with us directly—we’re here to help!

May 21, 2025

Band-in-a-Box 2025 Italian Version is Here!

Cari amici
È stata aggerate la versione in Italiano del programma più amato dagli appassionati di musica, il nostro Band-in-a-Box.
Questo è il link alla nuova versione 2025.

Di seguito i link per scaricare il pacchetti di lingua italiana aggiornati per Band-in-a-Box e RealBand, anche per chi avesse già comprato la nuova versione in inglese.

Band-in-a-Box 2025 - Italiano
RealBand 2025 - Italiano

April 15, 2025

Band-in-a-Box 2025 French Version is Here!

Bonjour à tous,

Band-in-a-Box^® 2025 pour Windows est disponible en Français.
Le téléchargement se fait à partir du site PG Music

Pour ceux qui auraient déjà acheté la version 2025 de Band-in-a-Box (et qui donc ont une version anglaise), il est possible de "franciser" cette version avec les patchs suivants:

BIAB 2025 - francisation
RealBand 2025 - francisation

Voilà, enjoy!

April 14, 2025

Band-in-a-Box 2025 German Version is Here!

Band-in-a-Box 2025 für Windows Deutsch ist verfügbar!

Die deutsche Version Band-in-a-Box^® 2025 für Windows ist ab sofort verfügbar!

Alle die bereits die englische Version von Band-in-a-Box und RealBand 2024 installiert haben, finden hier die Installationsdateien für das Sprachenupdate:

https://nn.pgmusic.com/pgfiles/languagesupport/deutsch2025.exe
https://nn.pgmusic.com/pgfiles/languagesupport/deutsch2025RB.exe

March 19, 2025

Update Your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 to Build 1128 for Windows Today!

Already using Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Windows®? Download Build 1128 now from our Support Page to enjoy the latest enhancements and improvements from our team.

Stay up to date—get the latest update now!

More News