I love the ability to sample sounds from deck tracks into custom sample packs, especially with Neural AI integration.
I notice however that effects, gain, faders, filter, and EQ (perhaps all the basic mixing tools) are bypassed. With the ability to modify samples while sampling, I can have more control over not only the texture but also dynamics and envelope.
Often what I want to sample is low volume (especially when using Neural AI to remove beats for a vocal sample) and I need to increase gain or I need to fade up or down on the begin/end of a sample to blend better so it’s not choppy.
Having basic mix and modulation control during sampling would make it an even stronger tools for more users.
ARCHIVE AND FILE MANAGEMENT ENHANCEMENT
I notice that all samples are hidden in the djay Media Library container file. This is an adequate route to allowing backup of raw samples but doesn’t seem ideal for identifying what the samples are and maintaining links such as renaming and which custom Sampler Pack they belong in.
Without basic file management and archiving ability, I’m reluctant to make a lot of custom sample packs that use unattainable metadata and are dependent on this closed container Media Library file.
Obviously, if I make just 6 sampler packs at 16 samples each, the archive management becomes unwieldy at 96 files with filenames like 2c7b72a63e0ed3997f9ad080bd63d947.wav and no discernible connection to custom names and packs.
Thank you for your detailed suggestion. Having further controls and mixing capabilities for Sampling is definitely a nice suggestion. We are aware of the linear implementation of Samples at the moment in our software and pushed the topic internally.
Regarding the archive management of samples, thank you for pointing that out. So in general the internal naming conventions are not as you like them? Are you navigating a lot in the “backend” of the management system or are you mainly managing samples and sample packs within the app?
Thanks for your attention on this issue. I love how your team is so active with bugs and enhancements and makes me want to stay with djay in the future.
Concerning the samples created, I only want to get into the back end in this instance to be able to back up samples. I don’t want to spend time and energy carefully creating sampler packs and have them disappear or be unusable later if djay can’t re-import them.
How about using the existing djay folder as a dynamic folder/file container? On the Mac, the Music > djay folder could work in a subfolder called Sampler.
I know there are issues with odd characters people use for folder and filenames, but could work to have djay produce timestamped file names (like when Mac screenshots are produced). Then, if a user renames samples, the associated sampler files are renamed similarly (perhaps retaining an appended timestamp). Finally, those renamed files can be organized in subfolders that reflect the custom user Pack names.
Example: I’m creating samples from an early 80s freestyle mix so I create a pack called “80s Freestyle.” Next I create multiple samples for this Pack and rename them “Freak-a-Zoid” and “Egypt, Egypt.” Here’s the resulting file structure in my Mac:
Music
-djay
–Sampler
—80s Freestyle
----Freak-a-Zoid-2021-04-13-15.31.wav
----Egypt-Egypt-2021-04-13-15.33.wav
Probably there should also be a json file or some other text file placed in the same folder as the .wav files that djay can read to know what order to place the samples or other management needs so it can utilize them in djay’s Sampler Pack area in the interface.
This way everything is obvious and can be backed up and imported later if a drive dies or I get a new computer, etc.
