An instrument that randomly loads samples from a folder on your HDD into a sample player

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daveybfire
daveybfire Member Posts: 5 Member
edited October 2024 in Building With Reaktor

I'm exploring the possibility of doing this - there are many random sample players - but those that i have seen randomly select samples from pre-loaded lists - usually for Drums.

I'm looking for creating a device that can play samples that are randomly loaded from a HDD from folders i can choose. I'd like to have creative control about what i do with those samples once playing. perhaps i can load multiple samples into multiple players.

I have searched for commercial tools that can do this on my own sample collection but I have not found any. The closest tool is ADSR Sample manager VST which allows you to randomly load samples that have been tagged and loaded into its database. However it is slow, crashes a lot and is limited in its configuration. I have also tried using Max for Live on Ableton and have had some success but the approach I have found is largely a hack and based on other user creations which are very complex and difficult to unpick.

If this can be achieved in Reaktor - does a device or example of that feature already exist? If it doesn't exist, is the ability to load random samples something a novice builder like myself could attempt or does it require more advanced understanding of Reaktor and/or 'workarounds'?

I'd like to randomly select multiple samples from my own HDD on a windows PC, loop them and play them at the same time. I'd like to have control over the search criteria e.g. search terms, sample size, file names, folders used for the search.

Any help appreciated!

Comments

  • Studiowaves
    Studiowaves Member Posts: 752 Pro

    There is an indirect way to do this but it can be done using core. There are modules in core that can be loaded with a sequence of numbers like wave files. After loading the module with your wave data you'll need to save it on your hard drive. One of the best attributes of good samplers is the ability to rotate between samples each time you play the same note. There's a term for it but basically it removes the monotonous feel of repeating the same exact sample. It's the kind of thing where the more work you put into it the better it turns out so be prepared to spend a lot of time making a decent instrument. That's about the only professional use I can think of that makes it worthwhile to access random samples. Kontakt might be a better choice for playing random sounds of your hard drive. There's a forum for Kontakt too.

  • daveybfire
    daveybfire Member Posts: 5 Member
    edited September 2023

    Thanks for getting back to me - that's really helpful - I re-read my original post and wanted to double check that it came across correctly - I may have left out some important info. I need to continuously select random samples from my hard drive during use - so nothing is pre-loaded or configured in advance - I just point the device at my hard drive and random samples are played live until i switch it off. It looks like your suggestion with core still requires some preparation - some advanced loading before it can work?

    And thanks for pointing out Kontakt - I hadn't thought of that. The use case here is not the 'round robin' approach but the dynamic continuous selection and playing of samples from a hard drive - without any advance preparation or playlist. So if I have 1000 samples in several folders the device will keep loading and playing random samples when I press a button, forever - or until it is stopped. Ideally I'd like to have multiple sample players all playing at the same time.

    Thanks again for getting back to me!

  • Studiowaves
    Studiowaves Member Posts: 752 Pro
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/95373#Comment_95373

    That might be too high level for reaktor. The sample player won't scan your hard drive, you have to load a file into it. Kontakt might be a better forum because the instruments do access files within folders. You could generate some random midi file notes and access 128 different files for a single velocity. Not sure if Kontakt allows 127 on velocities but if so you could randomly play 128 time 127 different samples. That should kill a horse. lol Have fun.

  • daveybfire
    daveybfire Member Posts: 5 Member

    LOL that's certanly food for thought - thanks for the ideas - someone on the Kontakt forum suggested Playbox. I belive you can load 450 of your own samples into that. Certanly lots to think about!

  • Studiowaves
    Studiowaves Member Posts: 752 Pro
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/95575#Comment_95575

    I like that one music player, I think it was called Winamp. It's got some cool visuals. I think it plays most audio file formats. VLC is another one...

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