VCSL

[Samulis]

(06-11-2018, 03:13 PM)Michael Willis Wrote: Hey Sam, I have another sampling question. Let's say an instrument is sampled in whole steps. Do the results tend to be better if the gaps are filled in by tuning up lower notes (C -> C#, D -> D#, etc) or tuning down higher notes (D -> Db, E -> Eb, etc), or does it not really matter?

If the answer is that neither tuning up nor tuning down are inherently better than the other, then my next question is why bother sampling in whole steps? Why not minor thirds, in which case each sample can cover three notes by tuning both up and down a half step?

As BC said, tuning down is generally considered better, as it typically more closely resembles the acoustics. Keep in mind that repitching a sample is semantically the same as using a shrink/enlarge-ray on an instrument- it makes the entire instrument, including the resonant body, larger or smaller. That's why low repitched brass is all blatty like a tuba and why if you repitch a trombone by an octave it makes a rather convincing trumpet. However, no instrument in real life works like this, as they all have a constant (or near constant) size. Even trombones, which use a slide, have a consistent diameter of bore, so when the slide is farther out, the actual ratio of tube diameter to length of the air column becomes lesser, giving it a brighter, more narrow tone ever so slightly.

With minor thirds, you have three notes with identical attacks when you play a chromatic scale as opposed to just two with wholetone. Keep in mind that the advantage of chromatic sampling in playing realistic quick lines with clean attacks is quite significant, as each note you play in a quick line will be guaranteed to have a slightly different attack. Without chromatic sampling or round robins (to pick up the slack), someone playing something like 'flight of the bumblebee' is going to sound pretty bad.