Sample Tank is a tool for musicians and music producers that contains a huge variety of sounds and possibilities of editing and modifying them, so the possibilities are truly endless.
It has a deceptively simple main interface from which you can choose the instrument you want to use. The program has almost every conceivable instrument, from the most common such as piano, guitar, and drums, to other less-known or exotic ones, such as tin drums and different types of horns.
The editing part of the program is extremely interesting since it includes many preset configurations derived from the sounds obtained by using different amplification systems such as tube amps, British-style amps, and so on. Of course, you can modify these configurations according to your needs and tastes to obtain exactly the sound you are looking for.
The program has some 4,000 sounds available, which are really a lot. Nevertheless, if you need more, you can upgrade it easily to the Max version, containing all the instruments available.
The only drawbacks I found were that the program does not include a Help file, so if you are a total beginner in using this type of programs, you may have some difficulties during your first use. Nevertheless, you can refer to the videos that are available at the developer's website.
Another disadvantage is the program's cost. It is not very affordable, so you may want to check if you really need such an advanced program before purchasing it.
You can try the shareware version during 9 days. If you like the program and want to use it longer, then you will need to purchase a license.
v3.0 [Aug 8, 2014]
Sounds
- Over 33 GB of included sounds
- Over 4,000 new instruments with 21 instrument categories covering the entire span of acoustic, electric and electronic sounds
- Over 2,500 drum, percussion and full construction-kit loops played by world-renowned artists
- Over 2,000 MIDI files in all categories
Program
- Completely redesigned interface with 3 main environments: Play, Mix and Edit that retain SampleTank’s legendary ease-of-use and fast operation
- 16 channel multi-part Play interface with easy layering and an integrated MIDI player and mixer
- All-in-one sound Edit page with 3 sample engines (including formant preserving pitch-shifting and time-stretching engines), 10 filter types and 8 macro controls per instrument for quick multi-parameter editing
- "Round robin" and multiple articulations that are triggerable via key switch, modulation wheel or velocity
- Multi-channel mixer-like Mix interface with 5 insert effects per channel, 4 stereo effect returns (with 5 insert effects each) and a master channel with 5 insert effects that allow for up to 30 effects per instrument
- 55 high-quality integrated effects, including 22 new effects for mixing, mastering and more creative applications derived from IK’s studio-grade T-RackS and AmpliTube production software
- Live mode lets you organize sounds for setlist and song for instant recall during performance
- Accurate 3D renderings of instruments for easy identification and recall
- Available as standalone and 64-bit plug-in for AAX, VST and Audio Units platforms on Mac OS X and Windows
- Compatible with all previous “Powered by SampleTank” sound modules and sounds (can import all previous sounds and Combis)
