by Steve Cunningham
Here’s one we haven’t checked on in a long time. To be precise, it’s been since May of 2008 that we’ve looked at the Samplitude product (specifically, Samplitude 10) from Magix in Germany. While the Samplitude range of multitrack software editors is seldom seen in the US, it does command a respectful market share in Germany and other parts of Europe, where it enjoys a reputation as a feature-rich recorder and editor for PCs running on Windows. As we noted back then, Samplitude is extremely flexible, highly customizable, and the new version runs in full 64-bit mode to take advantage of multicore processors and large quantities of memory.
In an effort to increase their market share in the US and elsewhere, Magix have reorganized their Samplitude line of editors in such a way that they now include two versions of their flagship Samplitude line; the “Pro X” which we’ll examine this month, is most suitable for radio promo and imaging work and is priced appropriately for radio (see below), while their “Pro X Suite” is aimed at music studios and carries a much higher price.
So why would anyone even look at a multitrack editor that was well off the beaten path? Let’s find out.
DA SPECS
Samplitude Pro X runs on Windows 7 and Vista in either 32- or 64-bit modes, and on Win XP in 32-bit mode. It requires a CPU that runs at 1.5 GHz or better, and really thrives with a multicore processor like a Core2 or i7 (up to 8 cores total). It wants to see at least 1 GB of memory for 32-bit operation and 4 GB for 64-bit operation, although more is more, so you will want to double those amounts to really get it to sing. With memory as cheap as it is (I just bought another 8 GB for well under $50), you’ll want to add some anyway. Supported sample rates go up to 192 kHz, with bit depths including 16, 24, and 32-bit float. It will import files in formats including WAV, ACC, Broadcast WAV, MP3, CDA, OGG Vorbis, AIFF, FLAC, MOV, and AVI (audio only), and will export files as WAV, ACC, Broadcast WAV, MP3, CD-A, OGG-Vorbis, AIFF, WMA, and FLAC.
Unlike previous versions, Samplitude Pro X abandons the use of a hardware dongle. Existing users can still choose this method of authorization, but new copies of Pro X are activated using a simple Web-based procedure based on a serial number. You are allowed to activate a single licensed copy of the program on up to three machines, which is a significant benefit for those who regularly move between laptop and desktop computers. I’m especially gratified to see the end of the specific dongle used in previous versions; the CodeMeter was not only a USB pain, but deposited a couple of boot-time apps that proved difficult to remove from my systems. Good riddance.
HERDING THOSE WINDOWS
Previous versions of Samplitude were notable for the abundance of floating windows, which demanded a large monitor and intimidated the new user. Samplitude Pro X has greatly reduced the number of these windows by introducing various ways in which they can be parked. The most important change is the Docker, which in its default mode, divides the screen in half horizontally, and displays in the lower half the Object Editor, Routing Editor, or any of nine other windows that were floated in previous versions. If you insist, they can still be detached from the Docker and made to float, or docked in other places, such as adjacent to the transport bar at the bottom half of the screen.
So while Samplitude’s interface is far simpler and less cluttered than in previous versions, it still provides you with multiple ways to perform the same action. For example, the mouse can be switched between no fewer than fifteen different tools, and it seems that there are at least twice as many menu and submenu items as there are in Pro Tools. Many things that are handled using drag-and-drop interfaces in other editors bring up dialog boxes in Samplitude. For instance, rearranging the plug-ins on a mixer channel’s inserts is handled via a dialog rather than a drag-and-drop. It’s not that Samplitude is awkward or difficult, although there is a learning curve and you will want to rely on keystrokes (completely customizable, of course) to maximize your productivity. It’s just that there are so many features and options available here that you will want to pick and choose those that fit your task, and will find yourself ignoring many of them. The upside to this is that there’s almost nothing that you cannot do in Samplitude Pro X, and there are likely multiple ways to do it.
One distinctive aspect of the user-interface design is the way in which the right mouse button is employed. Sometimes it brings up a contextual menu, as in other applications, but often it’s the means by which important dialog boxes are accessed. For instance, left-clicking on an insert slot in the Mixer bypasses a plug-in, but it’s right-clicking that opens the plug-in window for editing. This is logical and it’s implemented consistently throughout the program, but rather different from other editors, and means you absolutely need a two-button mouse, preferably one with a roller ball.
OBJECTS -- WE GOTZ ‘EM
Samplitude Pro X uses the term Object to refer to what other editors call ‘regions’, ‘clips’ or ‘events’, which are the playable portions of audio files positioned on a track in the arrange window. One of Samplitude’s key features is the extent to which these Objects can be manipulated independently of the track to which they’re assigned. Most audio packages let you apply fades and overall gain on individual clips, as well as non-real time effects processing that writes new files, but Samplitude’s audio Objects go beyond that. They can have their own real-time insert effects and aux sends -- all of which, along with the Object’s output level and pan position, can be graphically automated and stored as presets. They can be pitch-shifted and time-stretched, and you can even set an existing Object to refer to a completely different source audio file. It is entirely possible to mix an entire multitrack recording using only Object-based processing, using the mixer only for subgrouping and bus processing.
It is a very different way to work, but there are significant advantages to it, once you’ve wrapped your head around the concept. If you decide to pick up an Object and move it to a different track or time position, all of its associated Object-based effects and automation simply come along for the ride. So if you’re building a monster promo or imaging piece with thousands of sound effects, just a few actual tracks may well do the job. And Object-based effects are only active when the Object is actually being played back, which makes it a very CPU-efficient way of doing things -- and if you do run out of CPU cycles, you can always render them on a track.
Object-based processing is handled in the Object Editor window found in the Docker, which can be resized and displayed in various formats. The Object Editor follows selections made in the main arrange window, and will display the parameters of whichever Object is clicked. Rather than using Copy and Paste to transfer settings from one Object to another, there are now four snapshot ‘slots’, each of which stores an entire configuration of effects, EQ, gain and so on. To transfer one Object’s settings to another, you just Shift-click on one of the slots to store the settings, select the new Object in the arrange window, and click on the slot. You can also use the four slots to audition different processing chains. And Object settings can be saved to disk and recalled for future use, allowing you to build up a library of settings for different types of recordings, or to share them across multiple mixes from the same recording session. It’s a bit difficult to describe, but once you’ve tried it you may well be hooked.
MIXER AND PLUGS
If all the Object business gives you the willies, you can work with a very well-specified mixer, with inserts, aux sends, panners and so on, not to mention nice touches such as a Mono button in the master section and a gain pot at the top of each channel. Samplitude’s routing is reasonably flexible, with the usual limitation that you can’t send or output a channel to itself, but there are a few quirks that bear watching. While the automation in general is sophisticated, for some reason it will not allow you to use automation to switch plug-ins in and out of bypass, which seems a strange omission in a program that is otherwise so powerful.
As well as saving Object snapshots to disk, Samplitude can also store effects chains and channel routing presets, and these can be loaded in either the Object Editor or in Mixer channels. And I am happy to report that it is simple to set up an Aux channel to use as a pre-disk fader when recording with a microphone. A bonus is that the Aux can then be saved as an Object, making it a snap to set up a new project with that pre-disk Aux channel.
While some of the plug-ins lack the under-hood control of parameters available in the pricier “Suite” version, Samplitude Pro X includes a nice collection of very good-sounding plugs, across all categories. In particular, the very useable Vintage Effects Suite is included in its entirety, as are reverbs, distortion plugs, plenty of EQ, filters, modulators and dynamics, and even some de-noising plugs. There are also quite a few software instrument plugs, since Samplitude Pro X does MIDI.
DOCUMENTATION AND SUPPORT
Samplitude Pro X comes with a full printed manual, a rarity with software products these days. Having been translated from German, its occasionally an awkward read from time to time, but an integrated online help system works rather well. It’s an HTML system, so the text is not as stylized as one would see in PDFs, but the search function works very quickly, and I was able to find the information I needed in short order.
Tech support is available, of course, via email; you can also speak to humans, who are located in various countries, during normal business hours. In the US there’s an office in Nevada which accepts calls from 9am to 4pm EST, Monday through Friday. The support section of the Magix website has all the particulars, and I really did get a knowledgeable human when I called Nevada.
WRAP THAT OBJECT
As mentioned above, Samplitude has until now been a pricey editor, but that has certainly changed. Samplitude Pro X lists for $499, which is literally half the price of the full version 10 we reviewed back in 2008. I got an email quote from an online merchant of $325, which is reasonably close to the pricing of Adobe Audition and Sony’s audio-mostly, lower-end Vegas product. Yet it contains even more features and a re-designed user interface suitable for working advanced imaging projects. Their “Pro X Suite” product continues to hold its kilobuck retail price, but is aimed more at record mastering with features seldom used in radio.
Should you try it? Of course, as there is a free 30-day demo available from the website. Should you switch? That depends on what sort of free-thinker you believe yourself to be. The entire Object-oriented business will either thrill you or frustrate you. In any case, this is a very deep piece of software that will handle anything you throw at it, so long as your workflow is not completely calcified. Yes, it’s not one of the Big Three (or four or whatever), but it’s stable, it works and sounds good, and you might just like it. Steve sez check it out.
For more information in English, visit www.samplitude.com/en/. For German, www.samplitude.com/de/. For support and sales in the US, visit www.magix.com/us/.
ERRATA
Last month’s look at Avid’s Pro Tools 10 generated several questions from readers regarding how PT uses over 4 GB of RAM, given that it is still a 32-bit application on either Mac or Windows.
The answer is that strictly speaking, the program itself cannot access more than 4 Gigs. However, if one is running either Pro Tools 10 HD, or Pro Tools 10 with the Complete Production Toolkit, then one can adjust the size of the Disk Cache from the “Normal” setting to one that uses available RAM beyond 3 Gigs on a Mac, and 4 Gigs on Windows. In other words, if one has 12 GB of RAM, then one can assign up to 9 GB to the Cache on a Mac, and 8 GB to the Cache on Windows. What’s the benefit of doing that? The Disk Cache function loads as much of the current project’s audio as possible into the memory set aside in the Disk Cache value. In practice, this makes PT far more responsive than it otherwise would be. The small delays that occur when starting playback of large projects, especially those with lots of edits, are reduced to near zero, and locating from the beginning of a session to near the end feels truly instantaneous. The entire system feels much faster overall.
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