Koala Sampler sound quality as compared to hardware samplers

wim

@HotStrange said:

@wim said:

@HotStrange said:

@wim said:

@mistercharlie said:

@wim said:

@mistercharlie said:
I think I read in another thread that Koala records 16-bit audio, not 24-bit, if that makes a difference to you.

I don’t know what it records at, but it can export at 24 bit.

I remember asking about here it a while back and the answer was 16 bit for recording. Or maybe that was Drambo? Now I'm confused. Still, Koala always sounds amazing.

Or maybe it was 4Pockets Multitrack Recorder? That one is 16 bit only for sure.

Oh is it? I bought it a long while back because I got it for like $1 with the bundle pricing but I’ve yet to really use it. Is it still viable and worth using?

IMO, yes.

Are you using it as a replacement for recording the stems in AUM? So you record it all directly into the recorder instead? I never figured out a proper use for it.

I'm not using it any more since Loopy Pro came along. No need any more. I was only answering the question of whether or not it's viable and worth using.

db909

@MrSmileZ said:

@db909 said:
I think my mpc one sounds better than the iPad in general so it’s another case of it being subjective. Haven’t tried the iPad with a headphone amp maybe that would do something, it’s hard to say

In your opinion, it sounds good. You are definitely entitled to your own opinion. In reality and to a music engineer, it is probably not so much the case. I mean a company literally exists on the fact that Akai mpcs sound less than stellar. I won’t even mention blown sound boards (common if you use the mic preamp) oops I mentioned it. Laughing out loud. I think you are being fooled into thinking louder sounds better…because akai’s outputs are that…LOUD. This is why you mentioned the headphone amp.

Now because I really really want to help you…I will make a suggestion.
Never listen to music in headphones or near fields at high levels for very long…unless you want to harm your hearing.
Maybe try a woojer vest or subpac…and keep the hearing you have as long as you can. I went deaf on the right side a couple of years ago, and after going through that ordeal as a musician…I never want to see it happen to anyone else. Take care of your ears my friend, for without them the music becomes a tragedy.

I never listen to music loud for more than a minute or so…I use a bass vest like I suggested above, because now…I have to.

Thank you I appreciate your concern regarding my hearing and I do take care to listen at reasonable volumes for reasonable amounts of time. I use sennheiser hd 260 headphones. I think most things sound accurate in them ( I could be totally stupid and ignorant and wrong though). I’m not super well educated on headphone impedance and such. Perhaps if I had a headphone amp, the iPad would sound better to my silly little ears. But I don’t have a headphone amp sadly 🙁. So if I had to take a blind stab in the dark, (could be totally wrong), perhaps the mpc drives my headphones better, thereby contributing to my foolish opinions on what sounds good to me. The truth is I just won’t know for sure until I can get my hands on a headphone amp and test myself or until some person way smarter than me can educate me as to how wrong I am.

db909

To the topic of Koala though, yea I’m sure a wav file imported and played back as is is going to sound identical. But Koala has a particular sound to the way it re-pitches things. So if you’re altering your samples in that way a lot, that could certainly and rightfully contribute to the perception of “a sound”. Try the same pitch adjustments in Drambo or elsewhere and you can hear a difference. I’m not talking about time stretch either, just regular pitching. Personally I like the way Koala pitches things, it’s a bit grimey sounding but in a good way.

HotStrange

@tyslothrop1 @espiegel123 thanks both you! I agree Loopy Pro seems way better for simply capturing audio. I use AUM more than I use LP which is why I got MTR in the first place but I found the UI cumbersome and just resorted to recording stems or screen recording jams.

Is it possible to send each output if AUM into Loopy Pro?

HotStrange

@wim said:

@HotStrange said:

@wim said:

@HotStrange said:

@wim said:

@mistercharlie said:

@wim said:

@mistercharlie said:
I think I read in another thread that Koala records 16-bit audio, not 24-bit, if that makes a difference to you.

I don’t know what it records at, but it can export at 24 bit.

I remember asking about here it a while back and the answer was 16 bit for recording. Or maybe that was Drambo? Now I'm confused. Still, Koala always sounds amazing.

Or maybe it was 4Pockets Multitrack Recorder? That one is 16 bit only for sure.

Oh is it? I bought it a long while back because I got it for like $1 with the bundle pricing but I’ve yet to really use it. Is it still viable and worth using?

IMO, yes.

Are you using it as a replacement for recording the stems in AUM? So you record it all directly into the recorder instead? I never figured out a proper use for it.

I'm not using it any more since Loopy Pro came along. No need any more. I was only answering the question of whether or not it's viable and worth using.

Gotcha. Definitely seems LP is the way to go for capturing audio. I love LP but I’ve always been curious about MTR because of seen some demos of people using it quite well but I could never get along with it.

tyslothrop1

@HotStrange said:
@tyslothrop1 @espiegel123 thanks both you! I agree Loopy Pro seems way better for simply capturing audio. I use AUM more than I use LP which is why I got MTR in the first place but I found the UI cumbersome and just resorted to recording stems or screen recording jams.

Is it possible to send each output if AUM into Loopy Pro?

I don't have AUM and I never used it to record more than one track simultaneously.

I use it to record in the master track in Drambo, like that I can solo any element from any track and record it. I guess that works with any host.

espiegel123

@HotStrange said:
@tyslothrop1 @espiegel123 thanks both you! I agree Loopy Pro seems way better for simply capturing audio. I use AUM more than I use LP which is why I got MTR in the first place but I found the UI cumbersome and just resorted to recording stems or screen recording jams.

Is it possible to send each output if AUM into Loopy Pro?

Yes. As an AUv3, Loopy is multi-in/multi-out. You can use it to capture and sequence stems you capture in AUM without leaving AUM

MrSmileZ

@db909 said:

@MrSmileZ said:

@db909 said:
I think my mpc one sounds better than the iPad in general so it’s another case of it being subjective. Haven’t tried the iPad with a headphone amp maybe that would do something, it’s hard to say

In your opinion, it sounds good. You are definitely entitled to your own opinion. In reality and to a music engineer, it is probably not so much the case. I mean a company literally exists on the fact that Akai mpcs sound less than stellar. I won’t even mention blown sound boards (common if you use the mic preamp) oops I mentioned it. Laughing out loud. I think you are being fooled into thinking louder sounds better…because akai’s outputs are that…LOUD. This is why you mentioned the headphone amp.

Now because I really really want to help you…I will make a suggestion.
Never listen to music in headphones or near fields at high levels for very long…unless you want to harm your hearing.
Maybe try a woojer vest or subpac…and keep the hearing you have as long as you can. I went deaf on the right side a couple of years ago, and after going through that ordeal as a musician…I never want to see it happen to anyone else. Take care of your ears my friend, for without them the music becomes a tragedy.

I never listen to music loud for more than a minute or so…I use a bass vest like I suggested above, because now…I have to.

Thank you I appreciate your concern regarding my hearing and I do take care to listen at reasonable volumes for reasonable amounts of time. I use sennheiser hd 260 headphones. I think most things sound accurate in them ( I could be totally stupid and ignorant and wrong though). I’m not super well educated on headphone impedance and such. Perhaps if I had a headphone amp, the iPad would sound better to my silly little ears. But I don’t have a headphone amp sadly 🙁. So if I had to take a blind stab in the dark, (could be totally wrong), perhaps the mpc drives my headphones better, thereby contributing to my foolish opinions on what sounds good to me. The truth is I just won’t know for sure until I can get my hands on a headphone amp and test myself or until some person way smarter than me can educate me as to how wrong I am.

Somebody took me wrong. I gotta find more cuddly words to use and embed an emotional music clip. Sheesh.
Maybe it’s just the fact that my personal iPad Pro is super loud, so I thought you were wanting an amp…to amplify that even more. Sorry if I misunderstood you. I will NOT however say the MPC sounds better than the iPad Pro, because that would be untrue. I’m also sorry Akai made the MPC audio and converters and preamps like sh*t…even though I had no role in it. I wish my MPC and my Force had better sound but they don’t. It is what it is, hope you figure out your path. I never said your ears were silly btw.

wim

jwmmakerofmusic

I love the way Koala sounds but never stacked it up against a 404, One Live plus, Maschine, etc as I've never used those (yet?).

I will say regarding Koala, it's what you put into it that counts. (Yeah I know @michael_m is gonna post that in that thread lol.)

HotStrange

@espiegel123 said:

@HotStrange said:
@tyslothrop1 @espiegel123 thanks both you! I agree Loopy Pro seems way better for simply capturing audio. I use AUM more than I use LP which is why I got MTR in the first place but I found the UI cumbersome and just resorted to recording stems or screen recording jams.

Is it possible to send each output if AUM into Loopy Pro?

Yes. As an AUv3, Loopy is multi-in/multi-out. You can use it to capture and sequence stems you capture in AUM without leaving AUM

I always forget Loopy can be loaded into an fx slot to record audio into. Thanks for the reminder. I known what I’m doing tonight.