How I make sample libraries - 2020 Edition (Kontakt, SFZ, Decent Sampler, REAPER)

Really very interesting indeed, I am new to this and was looking for a way to import samples into a Plugin in Reaper but this has opened my eyes, thanks

I've been searching for how to create perfect seamless loops in Reaper for so long. And finally that's it. I'm so so grateful!

Thx for sharing the workflow. Very relaxing to watch too

Can you please help me out with the looping problem I have sent you several messages and emails but get no reply

THANK YOU this comprehensive tutorial finally taught me what i needed!!

very interesting to see how capturing a real instrument is actually done. although there are many helpful tools, this still looks like a very tiring process. i can understand now, why most sample libraries are rather expensive!
i don’t think, i will ever try to put together a complex instrument instrument like this, but also for a few samples your tuning and looping tricks should be quite helpful.
thanx for all the effort you put into decent sampler, looks like this will be the new, big thing in the sampling realm.

I downloaded a couple of your FREE offerings, however I don't use software to play samples, I use hardware. Is there a place I can find (even single velocity strikes) of your sample instruments, as a collection of INDIVIDUAL .aif or .wav files? Thanks for your time and all your wonderful insights......

Daivid, just found your videos, thank you! Curious what you think about changing the velocity range from dynamics to some other parameter, say stereo imaging or something like that? Or maybe even articulation, like a range of smooth attack to harsh attack, but not really dynamics?

That loop trick is dope. Thank you!

Sorry for the noob question, but what is "round robin" in this context?

I love the hair

There's Something About David Hilowitz

How and where i can sell my own library?

whats a round robin lol

Is the MIDI instrument you created not available for download anymore? I don't see the link you mention, unless I'm trippin...

Great! Would love to see your NI Kontakt libraries on Roqstar!

Python code

The clapping to identify mistakes in the recordings was a little gem. Thanks.

Hey David✌️, are you going to develop some way to change the timbres or groups of instruments using the keyboard keys like kontakt does? that would be very useful!

Dave, your content has been amazing. I've started sampling my synths but since Ableton doesn't have an automated sampler I almost gave up. I found out that you can use the free MPC beats software (DAW?) which has a really powerful built in autosampler and you can pull that into kontakt and have it work pretty much without any adjustments. Might be something you could add to a new video. Having a free option for autosampling midi instruments is really useful for beginners like me.

In my career round Robbin has a meaning… I can’t figure out how to make it apply to what you guys are talking about. I’m seriously asking, what do you guys mean when you say round Robbin?

Would this be an ok thing todo: "when You're recording using multiple microphones: Recording the room for 30 seconds as separate files would be created for each mic at the sametime. Then recording each instrument with different velocities and notes. In RX, Learning Voice Denoise from the room silence and from that batch processing Voice Denoise for all of the recorded files on different instruments velocities and notes."
Other info:
My main DAW is Ableton Live 11. I do have Cakewalk by Bandlab, but haven't dig into it much (lack of basic knowledge on the shortcuts for basic editing etc). I cannot select nonadjacent clips and do the fadeouts. Tedious timeconsuming process.

Great insight into your process and inspiring. But, I'm struggling with all the sampled instruments in different formats. I'm a Logic guy, and have NI Komplete/Kontakt and I've tried Decent Sampler, and a few others. From a user point-of-view, it's getting impossible to remember which format and where some of my sounds came from!!! I can't remember.... was it in Kontakt? Logic? Decent? There are commercial forces at odds with the open sharing of Decent / Pianobook concept. I wish I could just stick with one sample player. Any advice?

This is a really useful video - thank you! One day I'd like to make a sampled instrument from my tin whistle, but I know it will be a tough challenge, so I'm going to start simple...

It would be nice, to have a video in which you explain the procedures as shown in this video, but then understandable to beginners in this kind of work.
I find it very interesting (and have been a composer and musician for many years, both professional and amateur), but 3/4 of the tasks you do and the terms you use while explaining the process in this video, are completely Chinese to me as it all is very advanced technical jargon.

Super Typ

thx work

Does anyone else have a problem with Creator Tools recognising the groups in Kontakt? I hit a rock at the moment when I want to run the script but the instruments and groups in Creator Tools simply don't show up. Any input would be much appreciated.

All great, But I was here to know how to create the library, basically I do not want to have the recorded .wav files and create a library pack that can be sell and people can use without having all the .wav files and the paths

It’s been 8 years since I made sample libraries.
I had recently returned to Kontakt for the first time in forever.
I was looking at it like a cat trying to learn a stick shift on a school bus. 🙀
This video brought it all back.
Thank you so much.🥳
This channel is the best I have found all year.
Joining patreon for sure.

Amazing Video! Still a very complicated process...

This is insane! You are brilliant and creative man!

Thank you David! Fantastic video. I am currently falling down the rabbit hole of sampling pipe organs for the Hauptwerk platform. There are many elements of your workflow which are very elegant and I plan to study more! (I am relatively unfamiliar with Reaper but am very impressed) thank you again!

Dave, your videos are super clear and go just at the right speed. And you're a great musician. I'm a classical saxophonist and Reaper user in UK and have been trying to make realistic Kontakt saxophone samples. Getting there with the legato and velocity layers thanks to you. I want to access smoothly different velocity layers using my ae30 wind synth (breath control) when the brath increases in value. Have you done this? really happy to collaborate if it's of interest! Keep up the great work.

Appreciate the tutorial, that was greatly useful and very cohesive, thanks very much ! Could you elaborate on how you've determined you cent calculation in your script?

I had better results with Acon Digital than with RX. You might want to try that out.

I have a question.. I just started making my own sample and still in the learning stages but how do I create a preview audio when I’m done with my samples. I have a few samples already and they don’t do a preview before selecting a sample. Thanks for your videos.

hey man it would be dope if you could make a 1950s terz guitar or a 1958 swingmaster or a 1959 thunderstick with looser strings as a library! Thanks for the content man.

When recording velocity layers, how do you ensure the performer is playing notes at the correct volume? How many velocity layers would you expect for a high quality instrument?

Hi, David. In the part of looping I did it exactly like you did but it didn't work at all. I can hear always a click 😔.
**Edited**: Now I realise that it was because I changed de shift of the item. If someone has this problem too: you have to consolidate the items after tune them but before split them

I’m Dave Hilowitz

If you zoom in and make sure that the waveforms overlap as well as possible, you can make the crossfade very short without any audible effects. I wouldn't use the method mentioned in the video (in the section about removing re-bows), which has two violins playing during the crossfade, and also the big potential of phasing issues. The important thing (apart from volume and tone differences, of course) is to keep the phase of the audio consistent in a crossfade.
This is also important for loop points. You need to be aware of volume, tone, and especially phase.

how to do pitch bend in decent sampler?

Hi David! Thanks for the inspiration and valuable tips. I bought a Kontakt 7 sampler and recorded the first samples of my 13-string Koto - demo on my channel. Greetings!

It sound like a horn of a bus when you play chords . .

Perfect thanks 🙏💖🙏

this is so nerdy and amazing. thank you for this.

this was a very informative video as im beginning my decent into VST creation. made things easier to understand on the sample creation side for me, ill watch this video again once my samples are ready.Thanks

Отличная работа, интересный рассказ! Большое спасибо и творческих успехов!)

Excellent, thank you for making this. How did you become as proficient as you are, with Reaper? If you don't mind sharing, I'd love to know what your favorite resources, "penny dropped for me" tutorials were, that helped. Thanks!