Samples. Love them or hate them they get the job done. But i’ve been receiving Sample from Mars ads and others saying things like
Oberheim and Polysix synths manipulated through 1/4" Otari tape and Echoplex tape echo feedback loops.
They sound great but… I have Oberheim and Polysix vsts and Echoplex plugins that sound… well exactly the same.
Which makes me think that anyone can say they are using the real stuff and creating samples online for sale. But are just as likely to be using vst’s. Not that it matters in the end. Its just in the write up to entice you in. It sounds better if its the original gear. Dont know why. Maybe nostalgia i guess.
Sure, everyone could do that. The better known sample companies usually have pictures of their studios/gear on their website and possibly posted on social media, they also enjoy what they’re doing I guess. Probaply all gear nerds. But yeah…I thought about that recently…if the samples are good it just doesn’t matter anyway?
Probably to practical of an answer to a speculative question, but Samples From Mars actually has a really fun Instagram account where he quite playfully shares bits of him messing around, sometimes unexpectedly live for a couple of minutes when he’s excited from stumbling into something cool during the recording process.
To return to the general question, I think makers like Samples from Mars are not just respected from individual packs of samples, but from structural quality of continuous output. So however they make them, the esthetic of the body of work and quality control of it makes you trust the genuity of sound. However it’s made. Maybe something like that?
Never been anything less than thoroughly impressed with SFM stuff. I got the full collection a few years ago when it was in a ridiculous sale and it’s immense. Them and Puremagnetik always get my money.
Got to admit to really not enjoying vst syths - all those little knobs on a small laptop screen just makes me turn off. I think I’d rather play with the sampleS
I’ve just learned to accept that there is an element of placebo involved in music production. I might favour some gear, thinking it clearly sounds better than the alternatives, when in reality it might actually be the aesthetics of the device that appeals to me. And that is OK. Music isn’t science, and if that gets me inspired, fine.
So what I’m getting at is that I would be fine with sample pack providers being «dishonest» about how their products were made as long as there are sound demos, etc. to judge how it actually sounds. If the product sounds good, the rest is about presenting it in an appealing way for the musician.
VST plugins with vintage knobs and glowing tube gfx is kind of similar, I guess.
Yeah, I guess playing a bit detective on website and social media should give a good overview of the gear. Take for instance the Goldbaby website and Youtube page - lots of gear and there´s even a studio tour video, although a few years old.
You could also just write an email if you´re curious (or suspecious) about the gear used and the process of sampling for a particular sample pack.
So basically anyone can be a sampling company and use old photos of vintage equipment then use plugins. Sample from Mars are established so dont need to but its a bit of a grey area if you cant tell the difference.
I think Vsts have got to the point where there is no difference aurally. I have the Binson Echoplex(software version) used in the example and theres no difference to me anyway.
Its funny when you put it that way. Ive never bought samples that came from Vsts because i think its cheating. Maybe im old fashioned and remember the gear with fondness too much. I dont know its very subjective.
