Sound quality of CD sampling function

Started by DaveM, January 22, 2009, 05:16:50 PM

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DaveM

I really don't know if it is true. But I think the sampling from an audio CD is not so good as it could be by working on a PC Software. The makers of Music 2000 say you can load them in the samplelist with CD quality. But I don't think this is really possible.

I made a good snare track und thought by myself most of the snares of Music 2000 are not good for a real Rock - Song! Often they alone sound like electronic nintendo game sounds or cheap shynthesizer. I guess, the best snare for a acceptable Pop Rock- Sound is really "Short Hiss". The rest I just can't hear or use for Rock.  But let me tell you:

I wanted to take a fantastic snare sound from a cd. I loaded it of course in best quality and then I tried to cut it right. The cutted new snare I copied and wanted to put it in the samplelist to the "old" snare of my snare track. Then I listened to the snare track and was dissapointed. The track was much worst than before, although the new snare from the CD sounds much better and more realisitc, than the snare from the Music 2000 files. What happened?

Something happened to the quality I guess. It is no good compressing or converting, could that be? The Playstation 1 has a small sound harddisk. How could it be, that we can record many seconds in real CD quality? I think it could not me possible. So I learned, never use a sample from a cd.

What would you say?


And VERY bad is what I also found out. If you cut samples the quality will be destroyed. If you cut them more and more, you will hear bad sounds in your samples. By working on a pc with cut programms and converting to wavs, it would not be like that! That are some contras, we have to handle with.

JCW

The best rock ones are Rock Hat, but I use that for Drum and Bass. Maybe if you spliced that with a wooden/metal sample though.

Irndemon

#2
I use imported samples often,you are right that sampling using the MUSIC software does not give the same results as sampling using pc software,But i have learned a few tricks that will help enhance the quality of the imported samples when trimming/cutting.

I've noticed that when you import single hit samples such as kiks,snares hi-hats etc that are very short,When you trim them to size you lose the quality.Its almost as if you have lost the attack that the sample had originally,Makes it sound less crisp/punchy,I havent found this to be too much of a problem when using longer samples.(Although if you set the sample rate to 44khz it sounds nothing like it)

I always trim any sample before increasing the volume in the ADSR envelope because i've noticed that if you increase the volume first then trim/cut the sample,You will most likley be left with horrible clicks,crackles & pops.

A good tip for trimming and setting a loop point of any sample is zoom in to the wave pattern as far as you can and cut the sample at a point where the squiggly line of the waveform meets the central horizontal line of the sample editor,This will make the sample end in a neutral position and will get rid of the click that you might otherwise have had.

I use this same tecnique to set a loop point.For example if you trim the end of the sample so that the wave line comes from above the central line and is trimmed so that it meets the central line,Then i would set the loop point at a position where the wave line also comes from above and meets the central horizontal line of the editor,Thus creating a continuous wave,if done right it should not snap,crackle,pop or anything like that.

But it can depend on the sample,For instance if the nature of the sample changes from where the loop point is set,To where the sample ends it might be difficult to make the end blend with the loop point.

Trust me this works :)

stonecold

The playstation DOES sample at 44.1(cd quality). The problem i think is the ad-da converter. Older ps1's (made in the first year of production) have far better sound chips than the later ones.Ps1's with serial no scph-1001 had audiophile sound quality that matched high end cd players costing lots more! I have 2 ps1's. The one with the phono's at the back is far better for sampling a cd than the multi pin later version. Hardware changes over the years to cut costs etc.. and to fit in the slimline psx.My early ps2 is the best for sampling. What i put in is what i get out.
I have used a whole mem card on many occasions on one sample. Thats 4 seconds to fill 1 meg! Thats .wav size! (which is 44.1/16 bit). As for trimming,iv never had a prob. Iv sampled a drum loop then cut it back to get just one kick and it sounded fine.
Check:- http://www.mtv-music-generator.com/index.php?topic=1172.0  This is a track i used a very long sample in.It sounds exactly the same as the cd original. I trimmed it to.
It is interesting to hear people having these probs. What ps are u using?
I'd rather be a nobody, than a somebody who 'nearly' made it.
http://uk.youtube.com/user/wdivi

Irndemon

I use the playstation with the multi pin out on the back,same as the ps2.

stonecold

Yeah,they are the same connection. I used that as an example of how to age the ps1. The ps2 (imo) has the better sound quality when sampling. The ad-da(analogue to digital, digi-ana) converters are higher spec. Just like a soundcard on a pc. You would use an expensive pro one over the cheap built in one anyday right? Yet if both sample at the same rate,the pro one sounds better (mainly)because of the quality of the converters. Also better chips to cut down on noise/interferance and hiss, latency issues,and signal path. All have a factor in how the final output will sound.
I'd rather be a nobody, than a somebody who 'nearly' made it.
http://uk.youtube.com/user/wdivi

stonecold

Yeah, bit of a killer when you've got a really cool sample but no space left to put anything else in! lol. My mem card collection 27. Im waiting for 2 more to come through the door before i make another tune.Ebay's great!I dont delete anything,u never know when u might use something u thought sounded crap at two in the morning :)
I'd rather be a nobody, than a somebody who 'nearly' made it.
http://uk.youtube.com/user/wdivi

stonecold

Agggrrhh feel ur pain on that one nak. I had a tune,only about 4 blocks big but it took ages to save. Got impatient with the 'varyfiing'(spell?) mem card bit and clicked cancel. It looked ok but the next time i loaded it was gone! That happend a few times. I now just leave it to do its thing. sometimes it can take 20 mins to save a complex tune. worth it though.
I'd rather be a nobody, than a somebody who 'nearly' made it.
http://uk.youtube.com/user/wdivi

Irndemon

#8
As for memory cards,I have had problems more than once with the original grey playstation one cards,Sometimes they wont read and i have had to wriggle them about in the slot to get them read(doesnt always work though :( )
Havn't had a problem with those joytech cards that go quite cheap in job lots on ebay.