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Confusing sample names in the waverom

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I have noticed that there are some samples in MOTIF's waverom which are not properly named. This confuses me as I cannot say for example what Jazz_Guitar sample really represents?!

Are the new samples in Montage named this way too?

As an example, what Jazz_Guitar samples represent? Is it a semi hollow guitar? Is it a Stratocaster? what was the pickup settings for this specific sample? Which, in my humble opinion, is really important! Knowing it makes me feel confident about my work and I can choose samples super quick.

Is it impossible to use meaningful names (should I say professional?) for samples like Strat_Neck rather than confusing ones like 60s_Clean etc?

 
Posted : 07/02/2018 6:19 pm
Bad Mister
Posts: 12303
 

In a perfect world...

But they are not going to tell you they sampled a Gibson ES335 or an Ibanez LGB30, if you know those guitars you'll recognize them.
They don't even call the electric pianos "Rhodes", if you know what a Rhodes sounds like you'll recognize them, if you know what Wurlitzer sounds like you have no problem picking it out. Nothing says "Hammond B3", if you know what it is, you have no problem finding it. There are certainly iconic instruments that are researched, restored, and then sampled, but remember, we're Yamaha.

We do actually make just about every musical instrument (both student and professional instruments where appropriate) almost every one you can think of... (no ukeleles, no bagpipes, no accordions, no banjos...) so you can bet a lot of them are Yamaha instruments (particularly the brass and woodwind, toots and flutes) it only makes sense.

Now, honestly, I don't know if it is just an unspoken courtesy between manufacturers or it's because some company got snippy and sued another company... but to avoid all that noise, in general, the names only hint at what was sampled. ...Weighing your 'need to know' versus a possible legal hassle, well, that's a no-brainer.

Whether they sampled a Fender Strat for the '60's Clean, is of little importance other than the curiosity value (really), in fact since the Strat has been around previous to the 1960s right up to today, the name "'60's Clean" is probably more helpful... as it describes an era and a common sound for the guitar in that era. And the fact that it was a sea foam green Strat is of even less importance. (Other than the curiosity factor, we get it).

I thought it was a little over the top to identify the wood in the Drum Kits... Oak versus Maple versus Birch ... you still basically pick the kit by ear.
We used to make a big deal out of the fact that we sampled such and such a person or group (and people were impressed)... but at the end of the day it's a sample, not a musical performance. The fact that we brought Sergi Rachmaninoff back from the dead to hit and hold middle "C" would make a great story, but at the end of the day, the machine they program to hit the keys precisely calibrated in per pounds per square inch, is probably better in reality.

It's going to be all about what *you* do with it.
We identify the specific Yamaha pianos sampled (mostly because of the curiosity factor, everyone asks)... we identify the Bosendorfer because again, it is in the Yamaha family, even though, if you play acoustic piano, it's easily identifiable.

I mean you could say you had the string section of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra on your recording, but you would be stretching it, n'est pas?

 
Posted : 08/02/2018 5:29 am
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