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Sample support in Equator

I'd like to start using my seaboard and equator for sound design, but would require the ability to custom import my own samples.

44 people like this idea

This could make Equator reach a whole new level, even if it doesn’t become a full-featured sampler.


Great minds think alike! ;-)

(The forum software didn’t catch the fact that we were making the same request. Guess we can’t rely on this to avoid duplicates.)




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Actually I found reviews indicating that it's possible to import SFZ sample packs into Equator, eg this one that is pretty current (Jan 2018): https://www.emusician.com/gear/review-roli-equator.
Via a reddit page I even found an Equator manual with an appendix that explains the procedure of creating and importing such an SFZ  file. Weird enough, the original reddit link to that manual is dead, but an alternative link was posted:
http://questmktg.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Equator-Creator-Manual-Release-v1.7.2-Rev-C.pdf
The appendix is (no surprise) at the very bottom of the document.

Seems like Roli pulled this feature for whatever reason, which is sad, but here is hoping that it will be re-added.
My attempts to import an SFZ anyway failed so far.

 


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Hi there Frank,


Thanks for bringing that up! Indeed, while technically it is possible for creators to import samples into Equator (and the directions for doing so in the version of the manual you linked to are still valid), this process requires quite a bit of technical know-how and is not particularly creator-friendly. If you're feeling intrepid, please feel free to go through the process described in the manual appendix to import your own samples. (Note that we aren't able to provide support on it.)


We do want to make this more creator-friendly in the future, though, so please feel free to share this feature request if you'd like to see more votes for it!


I hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any questions.


Red


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Yes, this does help. Without this comment, a cynic (i.e., a Redditor) would say that ROLI took away the feature to restrict what musicians, users, creators could do. Very nice to realize that there’s an internal roadmap for this.


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Very interesting! Much of the explanation is about creating the .sfz file, which presumably isn’t necessary when you already have SFZ soundfonts (say, from a sample library). Otherwise, the instructions make it sound like it’s just a matter of putting the soundfont folder in the right place (`Documents/ROLI/Equator for RISE/Samples`, which is visible, unlike library folders).

While it’d be nice to have an even easier method, this really doesn’t sound too difficult, assuming you do have soundfonts in SFZ format (same as Sforzando/ARIA).


Tried it with a couple of SFZ soundfonts lying around my computer and got the exclamation mark indicating a problem. But at least Equator does find these files. There’s an instance where it says it “downloads” those samples. This hasn’t worked either, but it’s also intriguing.


So there‘s hope!


By the way, Red, really nice job with this forum and with user “creator” feedback. Dunno if ROLI changed your role, recently, but you’ve been upping the company’s community engagement game over the past few days.


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I'm glad to hear that this is useful, and we do want to make sample import in Equator easier to do. 


We certainly want to continue strengthening community engagement. In addition to this forum we just introduced the "Share your ROLI setups" forum, and we'll add more forums over the comings days.


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The ability to easily load my wav files into Equator would be incredibly useful.  I am touring with my ROLI and having to trigger samples from ProTools or an iPad app which could easily be played by the ROLI.  I've had no luck getting the SFZ method to work.  PLEASE make this a priority!

 


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I'd like to thank Frank for providing a link to the instructions for adding one's own samples using the SFZ method. After reading this comments here, I just initially tried this with a single sample and very quickly and easily got it to work properly!  It sounds fantastic. The next step for me is to create more complex sample "packs" so I can get more out of Equator.  But... I'm kind of miffed that ROLI has withheld those simple instructions for "creators" like me who have paid a whole lot of money for ROLI products, and that I had to find out about this from 3rd parties!


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Hey Steffen,


I'm glad to hear you were able to get this working! Initially these instructions were in the manual, although it turned out that creators were confused more often than they were empowered by them, hence their removal. In any case, we do want this process to be easier in the future, and have fun in the meantime!


Red


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I just finished creating more SFZ files with more complex multi-samples. Very quick and easy. Everything worked first try! I created some nice expressive patches within Equator using my custom samples, including samples from a Prophet T8 that I used to own (using oscillator sync, a feature which is conspicuously missing in Equator), as well as some interesting sounds from acoustic sources. I wish I'd have known about this possibility a year or two ago! The instructions are clear and easy to understand,  so I don't really understand why so many others were having problems with this.

 


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That's awesome news! I'm glad I could be of help. I only tried some free SFZ i found on the net. I guess I know what I'll be doing this weekend :).


I find the decision to take the feature instruction out of the manual odd as well. Why not just add info instead, like which opcodes are supported exactly? It could be marked as preliminary feature about to change in the future and for the adventurous mind. There could also be a few examples of simple sfz available as download to look at and try/tweak.


It would most certainly be good for this community if users started to share their own libraries with other equator owners.


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To increase the chances of this working for those of you having trouble, I think one of the main issues might be getting Equator to find the sample(s). If you see an explanation point, or a message saying "downloading sample", then Equator is not locating the sample. I suggest keeping it simple. Ignore the instructions about the possibility of creating sub-folders (even though that would probably work if implemented correctly). With the SFZ document command 'sample=', use only the (exact) name of the sample, without it being preceded by any directory information. Make sure that the samples and it's related  SFZ file are in the same directory level, which is to say- have them both only in one folder,  which is placed inside the "Samples" folder.  And wherever you find the "Samples" folder, don't move it!

 


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Announcing sucess :)

I managed to import some instruments from the free Sonatina Symphonic Orchestra library into Equator. Those are quite simple but very nice sounding. Just a few samples each instrument, spread across the keys, no velocity layers, no round robin in those I tried so far. It went pretty smooth, but I had to edit the sfz files, insofar as they use note names, not note numbers as described in the instructions. As soon as I had that changed (eg 36 instead of c2) and restarted Equator they worked fine.

The library does use a subfolder hierarchy for the sample files, the samples are adressed as for example:
sample=Samples\Celli\celli-sus-c2.wav

 

Mind that the directory called "Samples" in that line is not the same as Equator's "Samples" directory! It is at the same level as the sfz file adressing it, together with the other sfz's of that library.  It contains all samples of the library within subdirectories (such as "Celli", "Trombones", etc).
The structure is:
Documents/ROLI/Equator/Samples/Sonatina (this is where all the sonatina sfz's are)/Samples/Celli/

That part seems to be working nice and smooth.
Good times :D Thanks a lot for encouraging people to try, Steffen!

Now I need some application to comfortably find good loop points and embed them in the wav files, I can't find my old Sound Forge I used back in the days anywhere on my backup discs (and don't know whether it would even install on win 10).

 


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Literally the only thing keeping me from buying the full version of Equator is the simple fact that you can't import your own samples like you can in 99% of modern software. Get with the times Roli, Soundfonts are so 1997. Really?  Get something like Audio Damage Quanta if you want a REAL modern sample player with granular weirdness. 


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