Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
USER MANUAL
SampleTank 4
Table of Contents
English 1
Contents 2
License Agreement 8
Chapter 1 – Overview 12
1.1 – Introduction 12
1.2 – Interface 13
1.2.1 – Parts View 13
1.2.2 – Instrument Browser 14
1.2.3 – Edit Panel 15
1.2.4 – Effects Rack 16
1.2.5 – Player Panel 17
1.2.6 – Layer Editor 18
1.2.7 – Mixer 19
1.2.8 – Live Mode 20
1.2.9 – Upper bar additional controls 21
1.2.10 – Lower bar additional controls 22
1.3 – Features 24
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License Agreement
Please read this document carefully before breaking the seal on the media package. This agreement licenses the
enclosed software to you and contains warranty and liability disclaimers.
By breaking the seal on the media envelope, you are confirming to have taken notice of terms and conditions
of this agreement and you acknowledge your acceptance of the software as well as your acceptance of the
terms of this agreement. If you do not wish to do so, do not break the seal. Instead, promptly return the entire
package, including the unopened media package, to the dealer from whom you have obtained it, for a full
refund.
1) DEFINITIONS
“IK Multimedia Product” means the software program included in the enclosed package, and all related updates
supplied by IK Multimedia.
“IK Multimedia Product” means the software program and hardware (if any) included in the enclosed package,
the related documentation, models, multimedia content (such as animation, sound and graphics) and all related
updates supplied by IK Multimedia.
“Not for resale (NFR) Version” means a version of IK Multimedia Product, so identified, is intended for review and
evaluation purposes, only.
2) LICENSE
The “IK Multimedia Product” is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties, as well as other
intellectual property laws and treaties. The “IK Multimedia Product” is licensed, not sold. This EULA grants you
the rights as specified here below. All other actions and means of usage are reserved to the written permission
of the right holder IK Multimedia Production Srl:
Applications Software. The “IK Multimedia Product” may be used only by you. You may install and use the “IK
Multimedia Product”, or any prior version thereof for the same operating system, on up to three (3) computers,
provided that (a) each computer is owned by (or leased to) and under the exclusive control of the licensee; (b)
the program(s) shall NOT be used simultaneously on more than one machine, and (c) any computer(s) with
IK Multimedia software installed shall not be sold, rented, leased, loaned or otherwise be removed from the
licensee’s possession without first removing (uninstalling) the licensed software, except as provided in Paragraph
4 (below) pertaining to “Software Transfer”.
Storage/Network use. You may also store or install a copy of the “IK Multimedia Product” on a storage device,
such as a network server, used only to install or run the “IK Multimedia Product” on your other computers
over an internal network; however, you must acquire and dedicate a distinct license for each user of the “IK
Multimedia Product” from the storage device. Any given license for the “IK Multimedia Product” may not
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3) AUTHORIZATION CODE
The “IK Multimedia Product” only functions when you have authorized it. The “IK Multimedia Product” will be
authorized upon completing the authorization procedure. Once your product is authorized, you may use it.
You agree to follow the authorization procedure and will provide true, accurate and complete information about
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has reasonable grounds to suspect that such information is untrue, inaccurate, not correct or incomplete, IK
Multimedia has the right to suspend or to revoke the license.
The termination of the license shall be without prejudice to any rights, whatsoever, of IK Multimedia.
Limitations on Reverse Engineering, Decompilation, and Disassembly. You may not reverse engineer,
decompile, or disassemble the “IK Multimedia Product”, except and only to the extent that such activity is
expressly permitted by applicable law notwithstanding this limitation of components. The “IK Multimedia
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Copy”, then, notwithstanding other sections of this EULA, you may not sell, or otherwise transfer the “IK
Multimedia Product”.
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Software Transfer. You may not transfer, license or sublicense your rights as Licensee of the software or any
IK Multimedia product, as licensed to you under this agreement without prior written consent of the rights
owner. The carrier on which the IK Multimedia product has been distributed may be transferred or otherwise
made available to any third party only with the prior written consent of the rights owner and provided that (a) the
original media and license(s) accompany the carrier and (b) the party transferring the media does not retain a
copy of the media.
Online Purchase Withdrawal Right. If you purchase an “IK Multimedia Product” from the IK Multimedia
Production srl Online Shop, you have fourteen (14) days to withdraw your purchase from the date you receive
it. We will give you a full refund within 14 days of you exercising this right of withdrawal. You must however do
this within the fourteen (14) day period. The “IK Multimedia Product” must be returned in ‘as new’ condition.
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downloadable versions (Digital Delivery). To exercise the withdrawal right, you must contact IK Multimedia at
www.ikmultimedia.com/contact-us and confirm your wish to a refund within the fourteen (14) day period.
5) UPGRADES
If the “IK Multimedia Product” is labeled or otherwise identified by IK Multimedia as an “upgrade”, you must be
properly licensed to use a product identified by IK Multimedia as being eligible for the upgrade in order to use
the “IK Multimedia Product”.
An “IK Multimedia Product” labeled or otherwise identified by IK Multimedia as an upgrade replaces and/or
supplements the product that formed the basis for your eligibility for such upgrade. You may use the resulting
upgraded product only in accordance with the terms of this EULA. If the “IK Multimedia Product” is an upgrade
of a component of a package of software programs that you licensed as a single product, the “IK Multimedia
Product” may be used and transferred only as part of that single product package and may not be separated for
use on more than one computer.
6) DUAL-MEDIA SOFTWARE
You may receive the “IK Multimedia Product” in more than one medium. You may not loan, rent, lease, or
otherwise transfer the other medium to another user, except as part of the permanent transfer (as provided
above) of the “IK Multimedia Product”.
7) LIMITED WARRANTY
IK Multimedia warrants to the original purchaser of the computer software product, for a period of ninety
(90) days following the date of original purchase, that under normal use, the software program and the user
documentation are free from defects that will materially interfere with the operation of the program as described
in the enclosed user documentation.
8) WARRANTY CLAIMS
To make a warranty claim under the above limited warranty, please return the product to the point of purchase,
accompanied by proof of purchase, your name, your return address and a statement of the defect, or send
the CD(s) to us at the below address within ninety (90) days of purchase. Include a copy of the dated purchase
receipt, your name, your return address and a statement of the defect. IK Multimedia or its authorized dealer will
use reasonable commercial efforts to repair or replace the product and return it to you (postage prepaid) or issue
to you a credit equal to the purchase price, at its option.
9) LIMITATIONS ON WARRANTY
IK Multimedia warrants only that the program will perform as described in the user documentation. No other
advertising, description or representation, whether made by a IK Multimedia dealer, distributor, agent or
employee, shall be binding upon IK Multimedia or shall change the terms of this warranty.
You agree that any and all claims, suits or other disputes arising from your use of the software shall be
determined in accordance with the laws of Italy, in the event IK Multimedia, is made a party thereto. You agree to
submit to the jurisdiction of the court in Modena, Italy for all actions, whether in contract or in tort, arising from
your use or purchase of the software.
11) GENERAL
This Agreement contains the complete agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter
hereof, and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous agreements or understandings, whether oral or written. All
questions concerning this Agreement shall be directed to:
Chapter 1 – Overview
1.1 – Introduction
SampleTank 4 is a 16-part virtual instrument that plays samples of acoustic, electric and electronic instruments
including audio loops of rhythmic grooves and musical performances. It also includes a powerful “Player”
section that provides the ability to generate notes and musical performances with the Arpeggiator, Strummer
and Phraser. These musical performances can be initiated using the Global Play button or simply by loading
preset Instruments with one of the Players enabled.
Here is some important terminology to begin:
The Instrument is the primary object in SampleTank 4. You can think of the Instrument as a “preset,” “program”
or “patch” like “1973 Stage Electric Piano” or “Fat Synth Bass 42.” An Instrument contains multiple samples
and often multiple Elements. The Instrument has its own 5-slot effects rack, and the settings for the effects are
stored with the Instrument. Instruments are loaded by first clicking the Instrument field in each Part or by clicking
on the Instrument name if another Instrument is already loaded into the Part. This will open the Instrument
Browser where you can choose from thousands of available Instruments. Double-click an Instrument name in
the Instrument Browser to load an Instrument into the Part. To save an Instrument, use the Instrument Manager
with the 3 horizontal lines to the right of the Instrument name in the Instrument column of the Part.
An Element is a subset of the Instrument that has its own volume, tune, filter, envelopes, LFOs and other
common synthesis parameters. In the case of our “1973 Stage Electric Piano,” there is an Element for the
regular multi-velocity piano samples, and a separate Element for the release samples – the samples that are
triggered when you release a key. You can also imagine a multi-articulation Instrument like a violin that has
separate Elements for several different articulations like staccato, spiccato, pizzicato and sustain. All Element
settings are stored with the Instrument.
An Oscillator is a subset of the Element. Each Element can have up to 6 Oscillators each with their own tuning,
volume and pan settings. These are most relevant to synthesizer Instruments where the sound designer has
set up multiple Oscillators of the same basic sound to chorus and phase with each other for a fatter and more
animated sound like a classic analog synthesizer. Oscillator settings are stored with the Instrument.
A Part is the slot in SampleTank 4 that contains an Instrument. There are 16 Parts. Each Part can be assigned
to its own MIDI channel with its own volume, pan, transpose, solo, mute and play settings. The Part settings are
stored with the Multi.
The Multi is the top level of SampleTank 4. The Multi stores the settings of all 16 Parts including the loaded
Instrument and any edits to it including the Instrument’s effects and Player settings. Multis are loaded by clicking
the Multi Browser where you will find directories for both SampleTank 4 and legacy SampleTank 3 Multis.
Navigate through the various Category directories to the Multi you want, and then simply click it to load the
Multi. To save a Multi, use the Multi Manager with the 3 horizontal lines to the right of the Multi Browser.
These 5 important objects – Instrument, Element, Oscillator, Part and Multi – will remain capitalized throughout
this manual for easy identification.
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SampleTank 4
1.2 – Interface
SampleTank 4 provides an extremely user-friendly consolidated interface that lets you browse, load, edit and mix
the sounds you want fast. There are 8 primary windows:.
This is the main interface for SampleTank 4 and the default view when the application or plug-in is launched.
Click the note icon at the top left to return to this window. Here you can load Instruments into any of the 16
Parts by clicking in the Instrument column for the desired Part, adjust each Part’s volume, panning and MIDI
channel and save the result as a Multi. Click the Instrument Manager icon at the far right of the Instrument field
in each Part to store your edits to the Instrument with Save or Save As, empty the Part or import samples to
create a new Instrument.
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SampleTank 4
To open the Instrument Browser, click in the Instrument column in the Parts View or the Layer View, or click
the top of the channel in the Mixer. Here you can browse through the thousands of available SampleTank
Instruments and refine your search using the keyword filters. Double-click an Instrument name to load it into the
selected Part.
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SampleTank 4
Click the sine wave icon at the bottom left of the interface to open the Edit Panel. Here you can edit deep
synthesis parameters of the Instrument in the current Part including the filter, envelopes, LFOs and modulation
matrix. SampleTank 3 legacy instruments are supported here in their native format.
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SampleTank 4
Click the Effects Rack icon at the bottom left next to the Edit Panel icon to open it. Each Part has 5 dedicated
effect slots presented in a 500 series-style rack. Click at the top of the slot to choose the effect for each slot,
click at the bottom of each slot to load and save effect presets. You can also drag effects in the rack to re-order
them.
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SampleTank 4
Next to the Edit Panel and Effects Rack icons is the Player icon with the triangle-shaped arpeggio steps. Click
it to see the 4 Player Modes: Arpeggiator, Strummer, Phraser and Loop Manager. The Players generate MIDI
performances based on held chords or triggered notes. The Loop Manager is a powerful tool for handling audio
loops with independent control over pitch and tempo.
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SampleTank 4
Click the Layer icon with the horizontal lines at the top left to open the Layer Editor. Here you can quickly adjust
the note and velocity ranges for each of the 16 Parts while seeing an overview of them all together. You can also
set the trigger mode for each Part.
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SampleTank 4
1.2.7 – Mixer
Click the icon with the 3 vertical sliders to open the Mixer. Here you have a DAW-style mixing board with vertical
channels for each Part plus 4 return channels for effects or bus processing along with a master channel. An icon
for the loaded Instrument appears at the top. Click this field for each Part to return to the Instrument Browser to
browse and load other instruments.
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SampleTank 4
Click the list icon at the top center left of the interface to enter Live Mode. Live Mode lets you assign Multis and
individual Instruments to MIDI Program Change numbers. Multis and Instruments can be grouped into Songs
where all of the sample data for each Song is pre-loaded for faster switching during live performance. Songs
can also be assigned to a MIDI Program Change number, and a collection of Songs can be stored as a Set List.
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SampleTank 4
The Multi Browser is at the top center of the interface. The collection of Instruments in all 16 Parts along with
their Edit, Effects and Player settings is stored as a Multi. Load Multis by clicking the Multi Browser. You can
load both SampleTank 4 and SampleTank 3 Multis here.
The Multi Manager is to the right of the Multi Selector. Click the Multi Manager icon to Save, Save As and
Delete Multis.
The Global Play button starts and stops the assigned Players for all Parts.
The Clock icon lets you sync SampleTank 4 to incoming MIDI clock or use SampleTank 4’s internal clock.
The Tempo Selector lets you set the tempo for SampleTank 4’s internal clock.
The Key Selector lets you choose the Global Key which can be used by the various Players.
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SampleTank 4
The MIDI connector icon at the lower right opens the MIDI Panel where you can view and edit MIDI Continuous
Controller assignments for each of the 16 Parts as well for the Return Channels and the Master Channel.
Next to the MIDI icon is the Panic Button, the exclamation point icon. Click this to send an All Notes Off
message in the case of stuck notes.
The gear icon opens the Settings Panel. Here you can configure the general settings of the application
including the Audio Interface, Output Channels, Buffer Size, Sample Rate, MIDI Interface and MIDI Channel.
Here you also set the disk paths for the Sound Content and scan the Sound Content database when new
content is added or any content changes are made. The Remote Tab lets you configure SampleTank 4’s
Instrument Browser for use with external MIDI controllers.
The shopping cart icon opens a web browser link to the IK Multimedia Online Shop where you can purchase
additional sound content as well as hardware accessories.
In the plug-in version only, click the icon on the left side of the bottom bar with the 3 linked lines to open the
Automation Host Panel. Here you can manage Automation Host assignments.
The very bottom of the SampleTank 4 interface has 3 views: the In-App Keyboard (default), Macros and Virtual
Pads.
The In-App Keyboard displays 88 keys which are velocity sensitive. Click the lower part of the key for harder
velocities. The In-App Keyboard is automatically opened when the Zone button is activated in the Edit Panel.
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SampleTank 4
The Macros display 8 macro control knobs for the loaded instrument. These are the most common parameters
chosen for each instrument for quick adjustments without needing to open the Edit Panel or Effects Rack. The
Macros can be re-assigned using the Modulation Matrix on the Edit Panel or the Mods View in the Effects Rack.
Click the MIDI jack icon at the lower right to open the MIDI Assignments window where you can assign MIDI
Continuous Controllers to the 8 Macro knobs to allow you control the macros from an external MIDI controller or
DAW.
The Virtual Pads view gives you 8 pads to which you can assign a Part and MIDI Note. Multiple pages are
available for pad configurations of 8 – 64 pads on 1 – 8 pages. Set the number of pads in the Setup drop-down
menu at the left, and access the various pages of 8 pads each using the Pads drop-down menu at the right.
A MIDI Learn function is available for nearly all the controls in SampleTank 4. This allows you to assign an
external MIDI controller to a SampleTank knob, button or slider. To do this, right-click the SampleTank parameter
and choose MIDI Learn. Then move the control on your external controller, and it will automatically be linked to
the corresponding SampleTank knob, button or slider.
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SampleTank 4
1.3 – Features
• Works as a multi-platform plug-in and as a Standalone application
• Content structured in Instruments, Multis and MIDI Patterns
• Fully compatible with macOS and Windows
• Supported plug-in formats: AAX, VST 2, VST 3, and Audio Units
• 16 part multitimbral
• 16 individual stereo outputs
• Info view with specific information and 3D icon for each instrument
• Mix view and full mix parameters control
• Live mode for instantaneous sounds loading, organized in set lists and songs
• Expandable instrument library
• Pad interface lets you launch patterns, loops or single notes seamlessly from iRig Keys I/O or any MIDI
controller
• 70 studio quality effects
• Layers allow for creating splits and layers
• Edit view for in depth editing of all synth engine parameters, independently for all the elements or
articulations that are included in the instrument
• Custom modulation for synth engine and effects parameters
• Advanced instrument browsing with convenient search function
• BPM syncable time-based effects, audio loop instruments and LFOs
• Four play modes including mono legato with portamento
• Zone switch allows to edit individual key-zones for the selected sound element or articulation
• Multi Articulation and Key Switch instrument control
• Easy to use assignable MIDI control to any parameter with MIDI Learn
• Compatible with all previous “Powered by SampleTank” sound modules and sounds (can import all
previous sounds and Combis)
• Import feature allows users to import .wav and .aiff samples
• 3 Synth Engines: STRETCH™, Pitch-Shift/Time-Stretch, Resampling
• 3 Play Modes: Poly, Mono, Mono Legato
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SampleTank 4
When launching SampleTank 4 standalone for the first time, you need to set the audio output and MIDI input as
well as the disk path where the library content is stored. You can also set the disk streaming settings to match
your hard drive and usage style. This is accomplished in the Settings window that can be opened by clicking the
gear icon at the top right.
There are 6 tabs in the Settings window that you must configure to use with your studio or live setup:
Audio / MIDI, Sound Content, Remote, Streaming, Info and Registration.
Click the Audio / MIDI tab to set up your audio output and MIDI input. SampleTank 4 is compatible with any
ASIO or Direct Audio audio interface in Windows and any Core Audio-compatible audio interface in Mac OS X.
Output device
Choose which available audio interface you want to use with SampleTank 4.
MIDI Input
This drop-down menu determines which MIDI input of your computer that SampleTank will respond to. Any MIDI
interface supported by computer’s operating system will work with SampleTank 4.
Click the Sound Content tab to set the disk paths for SampleTank 4. You must specify where the SampleTank
sound library content is stored on your hard disks. The hard disks may be internal or external. You may set
multiple disk paths to allow content to be spread across multiple hard drives.
The default disk path is User/Documents/IK Multimedia/SampleTank 4. Click Add to navigate to a new location.
To remove a location, select the location in the Sound Content window, and then click Remove.
The Update button lets you modify an existing Sound Content location. Select the location in the Sound
Content window, then click Update to modify the location. Once you have set all of your desired sound content
locations, click the Rescan Instruments button to scan and rebuild your sound content database. This may take
a little while if you have a large amount of sound content installed such as SampleTank 4 MAX.
2.1.3 – Remote
Click the Remote tab to assign the MIDI Continuous Controller numbers from an external MIDI controller that will
operate these tasks in the SampleTank 4 Instrument Browser:
• Browse Parts – select a Part
• Browse Sounds – open the Instrument Browser for the selected Part
• Load Selected Sound – load the selected Instrument from the Instrument Browser into the selected Part
2.1.4 – Streaming
Click the Streaming tab to adjust the way SampleTank 4 streams samples from your hard disk. Set the Preload
Buffer to match the type of hard disk on which your Samples folder is located. If you are using multiple disks for
your samples, set this to match the slowest disk. Then set the Buffer Multiplier to match the way you will most
often use SampleTank 4. The “Small” setting is appropriate if you just load one or two Instruments at a time
and do not use much polyphony (bass and lead sounds, for example). Use the “Large” setting if you plan to
load many Parts and / or play a lot of simultaneous notes such as with a complicated piano performance. The
“Medium” setting is a good all-around choice for general use. You can of course adjust this setting for specific
sessions as needed.
2.1.5 – Info
Click the Info tab to find the specific software version number of SampleTank 4 along with additional information
about the product.
Think of the Parts View as the “home page” of SampleTank 4. This is the page where you can see an overview
of all the Parts of SampleTank 4 and the Instruments loaded into each one.
There are 16 Parts in SampleTank 4. Each Part can contain an Instrument along with its associated 5-slot Effects
Rack and Player. Each Part has its own settings for the Instrument loaded along with the MIDI channel, volume,
pan, transpose value, solo, mute and play status.
The collection of all 16 Parts along with any edits to the Instruments, Effects Racks and Players is stored as a
Multi.
Load an Instrument into a Part by clicking the Instrument column. This opens the Instrument Browser. Double-
click the desired Instrument name in the Instrument Browser to load it into the Part.
Click the 3 horizontal lines to the right of the Instrument name in the Instrument column to access the Instrument
Manager. Here you can save your edits to the current Instrument, perform a “Save As” to create a new
Instrument from your edits, or remove the Instrument from the Part by clicking Empty in the Instrument Manager.
SampleTank 4 is designed to be a virtual instrument and not a sampler. However there is some basic
functionality that allows you to load a single sample or a set of multiple samples within a designated folder to
create your own new SampleTank 4 Instrument. Click the Instrument Manager to the right of the Instrument
name in the Part, and then click Import Samples. This will open the Import Samples dialog where you can chose
the disk path for the folder of samples you want to import, enter the name of the new Instrument you want
to create, select the destination for where the new Instrument will be written, the sound category and BPM (if
relevant) for the new Instrument and whether you want to map the samples based on their file name or simply
map them chromatically from a designating starting note. Once you have set all fields the way you want them,
click Import to import the samples from your designated folder and create a new SampleTank 4 Instrument and
single PAK file which contains all of your samples in SampleTank 4 format. The created PAK file will be stored in
the Imported Samples folder inside your SampleTank 4 Disk Path chosen in Settings. Do not move the PAK file
or else your created Instrument will be able not load its samples.
Set the MIDI channel for each Part by clicking and dragging on the MIDI channel value from 1 to 16. By default,
the 16 Parts are assigned to MIDI channels 1 to 16 so that you can play each Part on its own unique channel.
But this is easily changed by clicking and dragging the value to the channel you want. Parts set to the same
MIDI channel will naturally be layered and play together.
3.5 – Transpose
To transpose a Part, click and drag the transpose value. The transpose range is –60 to +60. The Transpose
setting changes incoming MIDI notes to play SampleTank Instruments lower or higher than the actual note you
are playing. It does not change the Instrument itself. The virtual keyboard will display the transposed note, not
the actual note you are playing.
You can solo one or more Parts by clicking the S button which will highlight it. This will stop the other Parts from
sounding and let you hear only the Parts in Solo. Similarly, you can mute one or more Parts by clicking the M
button. This will stop the muted Parts from sounding.
The Play button determines whether the Instrument’s Player will engage when you play notes. Think of this as an
on/off switch for the Player of each part. It performs the same function as the Play button on the Player Panel.
For Loop Instruments, the Play button determines whether the designated loop samples in the Instrument will
play when the Global Play button in the upper bar is turned on.
These sliders adjust the pan and volume settings for the Part. These settings are independent of the actual
Instrument loaded and are stored with the Multi.
Click the lock icon to the left of the Instrument name to prevent the Part from loading a new Instrument when a
new Multi is loaded. This allows you to preserve one or more Parts while loading new Instruments from a Multi
into the other Parts.
4.1 – Overview
The Instrument Browser is the place where you view and load Instruments into the 16 Parts of SampleTank 4.
You can open the Instrument Browser from nearly any page in SampleTank 4: Just click on the Instrument Name
in the Instrument column in the desired Part row. If no Instrument is loaded, click the blank area in the desired
Part row within the Instrument column. This will open the Instrument Browser. To close the Instrument Browser,
click the red X at the top right of the window under the SampleTank 4 logo.
The Instrument Browser is organized into 5 columns to help you navigate through the thousands of available
SampleTank 4 Instruments to quickly and efficiently find the sound you are seeking. The first 3 columns are
filters, and the 4th column shows the results of the filtering. For example, if you select SampleTank 4 in the
Library column, the 4th column – the Instruments column – shows only Instruments from the SampleTank 4
Library and excludes Instruments from SampleTank 3, Miroslav Philharmonik 2, any of the Syntronik Libraries
and the many SampleTank Instrument Collections like American Acoustic and Cinematic Percussion. Similarly, if
you select the Philharmonik 2 icon in the Library column, the Instrument column will only show you Instruments
from Miroslav Philharmonik 2. You can make multiple selections to display the Instruments from multiple
Libraries. Active selections are always highlighted red.
You can make multiple selections within each column and across the 3 columns to narrow your selection to a
fine point. For example, you can select “Galaxy” in the Library column, “Synth Pluck” in the Categories column
and “Modern” in the Filters column. Now SampleTank 4 will show you only Instruments from the Syntronik
Galaxy Library that are a Synth Pluck that is modern. In this example, the Instruments column will show you only
one matching result, the Instrument called “Waveterminal Pluck.”
The first column is the Library selector. Here you will see a vertical list of all the available
Libraries for SampleTank 4 including Libraries you have not purchased. These include
the SampleTank 3 legacy content, the virtual instruments of Miroslav Philharmonik and
Syntronik, and the many SampleTank Instrument Collections like American Acoustic,
Cinematic Percussion, Neil Peart Drums and more.
You can select Libraries that you have not purchased to jump to the IK Online Shop to
learn more about those Libraries, purchase and download them.
If you have purchased libraries but not downloaded or installed them, the Library will
display an arrow icon superimposed to indicate that you need to install the Library.
Click the icon to jump to the My Products section of the User Area on the IK web site to
download the content, download it, then run the included sound installer:
You can alternatively view the Libraries in the classic SampleTank “folder view” style by clicking the folder icon at
the top left of the Library column. This will hide the Category and Filter selectors and instead show you a nested
folder hierarchy of the Instruments for each Library. This configuration will be familiar to users of SampleTank 3
and earlier. But it is a less efficient way of working than the default browser column configuration. It is important
to note that the Folder View hides the Category and Filter columns. If you want to use the Category and Filter
columns for more powerful searches, click the folder icon again to de-select it and return to default Instrument
Browser configuration with the 5 columns.
The second column is the Category selector. Click one or more Categories to filter the list by specific Instrument
Categories like Drums, Bass and Synth Bass. You can select multiple Categories to list their Instruments
together and exclude the Categories not selected.
The third column provides 5 sets of keyword filters that you can use to finely hone your Instrument selection
results. The first 4 sets are the factory keyword sets: Timbre, Style, Genre and Mood. These are essentially
directories or folders that you can collapse or expand to customize your browsing experience. For example,
if you don’t care about the musical genre reference, you can collapse the Genre tab and not be bothered with
seeing any of its keywords. The last set of keywords is the User set. When you save your edited Instruments,
you have the opportunity to apply keywords to the Instrument in the “Save As” window. In addition to choosing
from the various factory sets of keywords, you can also enter your own keywords. These will then appear in the
User keyword set so that you can use your User keywords as additional filter terms.
This is where the results of your filtering appear. Double-click an Instrument name to load it into the selected
part. Click the red X at the top right to close the Instrument Browser and return to the previous view. Use the
first 3 columns as filters to reduce and fine-tune the list of Instruments displayed. If no filters are applied –
no Libraries selected, no Categories selected, no Filter selected – then all of your available Instruments will
appear here in the Instruments column sorted alphabetically. If you have SampleTank 4 or SampleTank 4 MAX
installed, the list will contain many thousands of entries. To narrow it down, use the Library, Categories and
Filters columns to filter out the Instruments you definitely don’t want to load. For example, if you are working
on a hardcore industrial electronic track, probably you can filter out Philharmonik 2, American Acoustic and
the various piano libraries. And if the first 3 columns are not giving you the results you’re after, you can always
simply type in a search term in the search window with the magnifying glass icon. The results of the search will
appear in the Instruments column. Note that you use the search field in conjunction with the other columns. You
can type in “ethereal,” for example, and then also click Synth Pad and 99. Now SampleTank 4 will display only
the Instruments that are ethereal-sounding synth pads in the Syntronik 99 Library.
The fifth column in the Instrument Browser is the Info column. Here you can view specific information about the
selected Instrument prior to loading it. You will see a large icon of the Instrument, a star to allow you to select
this Instrument as a Favorite (click the star to make it a Favorite), a text description of the Instrument, icons of
the effects used in the Instrument’s Effects Rack, and finally, a description of the 8 Macro controls programmed
for the Instrument.
4.8 – Favorites
As noted above, you can click the star in the Info column to tag the selected Instrument as a Favorite. To view all
of your Favorited Instruments, select the star at the top of the Filters column. You can un-favorite an Instrument
simply by clicking its Info column star again. Favorites work just like the other browser filters. You can select
Favorites in addition to other keywords in the Filters, Categories and Library columns.
5.1 – Overview
Click the sine wave icon at the left of the lower bar to open the Edit Panel. This is where you edit the deep
synthesis parameters for the loaded Instrument’s Elements. SampleTank Instruments often contain multiple
Elements. Each Element is a complete “voice” with its own filter, envelope, LFO, pitch, volume and pan
settings. Imagine an electric piano Instrument where one Element is the regular electric piano samples and a
second Element is the release samples that sound when you let go of the key. Or imagine a violin instrument
with multiple articulations where one Element plays the staccato samples, another element plays the pizzicato
samples, and a third Element plays the sustained samples. For yet another example, imagine a drum kit
instrument where the kick drum is one Element, the snare drums are another Element, the toms are a third
Element, and the hi-hat and cymbals are a fourth Element. You can select the Element you want to edit from the
drop-menu at the top left of the Edit Panel. The first Element is always selected by default.
There are different Edit Panels for SampleTank 4 Instruments and legacy SampleTank 3 Instruments. This is
because of the difference between the SampleTank 4 and SampleTank 3 engines. The SampleTank 3 engine
compatibility is provided to ensure that legacy content plays in SampleTank 4 exactly the way it played in
SampleTank 3 without any conversion. In fact, SampleTank 3 Instruments cannot be converted to SampleTank 4
Instruments because of the difference in their structures. Hence the need for two different kinds of Edit Panels.
So we will necessarily address the Edit Panel for SampleTank 4 Instruments and SampleTank 3 Instruments
separately.
Many SampleTank Instruments use “round robin” samples. Round robin sampling provides multiple takes of the
same note at the same velocity to provide a more life-like and animated sound on repeated notes than just one
sample played over and over. But sometimes you might prefer the consistency of just one sample repeated for
a particular note. This can often be the case in electronic music styles. If an Element has round robin samples
available, the Round Robin button at the top left will be lit. To disable round robin playback for the Element, click
the Round Robin button to turn it off.
5.3.3 – Zones
A Zone in SampleTank 4 contains one or more samples that share a note range and velocity range. For
example, a zone might contain several bass guitar round robin samples that all play from C1 to D#1 between the
velocities of 80 and 100. By default, when you open the Edit Panel, you are editing all the Zones of the Element
together. To edit an individual Zone instead, click the Zone button, and then select the desired Zone from the
drop-down menu. Now your edits will only affect the current zone and leave the rest of the Element untouched.
The exception is the Modulation Matrix which is global to the Element and not per-Zone. See the paragraph on
the Modulation Matrix for more information.
The Amp tab is selected by default when you open the Edit Panel. Here you can adjust the pan, level and
velocity amount for the Element. Note that these controls are for the selected Element only, not for the entire
Instrument. Using our Instrument examples from above, this is where you can adjust the volume of the electric
piano release samples vs. the regular key-down note samples, the pizzicato violin articulation vs. the staccato,
spiccato and sustained samples, or the snare drum samples vs. the rest of the drum kit. Here you can also mute
and solo the selected Element.
Click the Pitch button to open the Element Pitch tab. Here you can change the pitch attributes of the selected
Element. Tune adjusts the Element tuning in cents from -1200 to +1200 (one octave in either direction) with
1/100th of a cent resolution. Bend Up and Bend Down set the pitch bend range for the Element in semitones.
To bend up by a whole step, set the Bend Up range to 2 for 2 semitones. To bend down by an octave, set the
Bend Down range to 12 for 12 semitones. Lastly, the Pitch Envelope control sets how much the dedicated Pitch
Envelope will modulate the Element pitch. Note that a positive Pitch Envelope setting will raise the pitch, and a
negative setting will lower the pitch. The Tune control will of course offset this. So you will likely want to use the
Tune and Pitch Envelope controls together to keep the resulting sound in standard tuning.
Set the sample engine type by clicking the Type tab. Resample is most commonly used. It is the method used
by conventional samplers that changes both the pitch and tempo of a sample at the same time in the way a
turntable or tape player would. It provides the cleanest possible sound since it just plays back the sample at
different playback rates depending on the desired pitch without any complex math being applied to the sound.
Resynth uses digital signal processing to give you independent control of the speed and harmonic quality of
the samples. When you select Resynth, SampleTank performs a pre-analysis on the content. Then you can
adjust both the time and the harmonic content of the sound in real-time. Resynth is often best used subtly when
Resampling sounds unnatural. But as with most tools, sometimes radical use of the Resynth engine can create
unusual, interesting and unique results.
5.3.7 – Oscillators
SampleTank 4 has up to 6 Oscillators per Element. The number of Oscillators is pre-determined by the sound
designer and is not user editable. You can, however, adjust the pitch, pan and level of each Oscillator. When
an Element uses more than one Oscillator, you will see buttons for Oscillators 1-6 at the top of the Oscillator
section. Click the button for the Oscillator you want to edit, and then move the Pitch and Fine controls to adjust
the Oscillator tuning and pan and level controls to adjust the Oscillator panning and volume respectively.
5.3.8 – Play
The Play section sets the various keyboard parameters for the Element. At the top of the Play section, set
the keyboard mode between Poly for polyphonic playing, Mono for monophonic playing with the samples
retriggering with every new note, or Mono Legato which gives a classic monophonic analog synthesizer
continuous sound to connected notes without retriggering the sample from its start. With Mono Legato, you
can also add Glide, also known as portamento. Glide only works with the Mono Legato keyboard mode. Set
the Glide mode between Absolute and Relative. Absolute is the classic analog synthesizer style of glide where
the rate of the glide stays the same regardless of the interval played. Relative dynamically changes the rate of
the glide based on the distance between the notes. Use the Polyphony control to set the maximum number of
notes that the Element can play. This is useful for complex sessions with lots of Parts when you need to watch
the impact on your computer’s processor. Finally, the Velo Curve lets you tailor the velocity curve of the Element
to match your keyboard controller or even just your specific style of playing. Once again, note that the Play
parameters are for the selected Element only. If you have multiple Elements in an Instrument, remember that you
have to adjust all of them individually.
This is where you adjust the settings of the 6 available LFOs (low frequency oscillators) in a SampleTank 4
Element. Use the drop-down menu to select which LFO you want to edit. Then select its waveform from the
choices to the right of the dynamic waveform display. Then at the bottom of the section, adjust the rate and
depth of the LFO. When you play a note, you will see the LFO wave displayed dynamically with its shape,
depth and fade in on the Zone LFOs. There are two kinds of LFOs: Element LFOs and Zone LFOs. The Element
LFOs are free-running oscillators that are used by all notes played. The Zone LFOs are “per voice,” meaning
that a new LFO is generated with every note played. This allows you to delay or fade in a Zone LFO since it is
dedicated to the played note only. For any of the LFOs, click the BPM button to sync it to the master tempo.
Then the rate knob will set the note value for the LFO instead of the usual Hertz amount.
The Edit Panel gives you two dedicated sections to display any of the four available envelopes for each
Element. There are dedicated envelopes for amplitude, filter and pitch plus a fourth “User Envelope” for
additional modulation. You can also use the Modulation Matrix to have the dedicated envelopes modulate other
parameters – more on that in the Modulation Matrix paragraph below. Use the drop-down to set which envelope
is displayed in each section. The default is to have the Amplitude Envelope in the first section and the Filter
Envelope in the second section. But you can change this as you like. Each envelope has controls for Attack,
Hold, Decay, Sustain and Release as well as for the Depth of the envelope. Like the LFOs, the envelopes have
a graphic display that shows you the progress of the envelope when you play a note. This can be helpful when
dialing in specific envelope settings as you can see the envelope moving in real-time.
5.3.11 – Filter
Each SampleTank Element has a dedicated filter. Set the Filter Type in the drop-down menu where you can
choose from several analog modeled filters based on classic hardware synthesizers or more modern digital
filters like the Phaser and Formant filter types. Then set the Mode for the filter between lowpass, bandpass,
highpass, peak and notch. Note that not all Filter Types offer every Mode. This is due to the unique nature of
Filter Type. Next, set the Slope of the filter. This control sets how many dB per octave will be filtered out at
the cutoff frequency. Speaking of the cutoff frequency, turn the Freq knob to set the point at which the filter
will start filtering out frequencies. The Res knob sets the level of the resonant peak – also sometimes called
“emphasis” – at the filter cutoff frequency. High resonance settings can create a whistling sound as the cutoff
frequency is swept by an envelope or LFO. The Drive control sets how much you are overdriving the filter. Used
sparingly, this can simulate the warm overdrive of classic analog synthesizer filters, or it can create more modern
aggressive sounds when pushed harder. The Filter Envelope knob sets how much the dedicated Filter Envelope
will modulate the filter cutoff frequency, either positive or negative. And finally, the Key Follow knob sets the
amount that the filter cutoff will track the keyboard. A setting of 100 will match the filter scaling to the keyboard
pitch scaling with the filter cutoff frequency doubling with each octave as you go up the keyboard (or halving
with each octave as you go down the keyboard).
SampleTank 4 introduces a powerful Modulation Matrix where you can assign various sources to modulate
various destinations in a simple matrix layout. This gives you massive synthesis power and flexibility beyond
the normal “hardwired” controls in the Edit Panel. Click the Matrix button in the Modulations section to open
the Modulation Matrix. There are 32 available modulations. Each modulation has a drop-down menu where you
can set the modulation source and destination. As you move to the right in the row, you can set the amount
the modulation, the amount that the source will modulate the destination. Next are settings for the curve of the
modulation (linear, concave, convex or a simple binary switch), the polarity of the modulation (normal or inverted)
and whether the modulation is unipolar or bipolar. Modulations are unipolar by default and made bipolar when
the BIP setting is On. Next in the row, you can apply a modifier to scale the modulation. Choose a modifier
from the drop-down menu, then like the modulation itself, choose the modifier’s curve, polarity and whether the
modifier is unipolar or bipolar. At the top of the Modulation Matrix, you can load Matrix presets from the drop-
down Matrix Browser and save a Matrix using the Matrix Manager to the right of the Matrix Browser in the same
way that you manage Instruments and Multis. The Matrix Browser also lets you Initialize the matrix when you
clear the Modulation Matrix and start over.
There is also a quick view of the Modulaton Matrix in the Modulations section where just one modulation is
displayed at a time without requiring you to open the full Modulation Matrix. Use the drop-down menu to select
which of the 32 modulations to display here. This can be useful when you are dialing in a specific modulation
and want to interactively adjust the other synthesis controls like the filter, envelope and LFO settings along with
the modulation itself.
As mentioned at the start of this chapter, SampleTank 4 provides native playback and editing of legacy
SampleTank 3 Instruments in their original format with no conversion required. Each SampleTank 3 Element has
settings for its amplitude, and whether its playback type is standard resampling or more esoteric resynthesis
using the PSTS and S.T.R.E.TC.H. algorithms. The Element has a single filter than can be set to various types,
modes and slopes. It also has 3 envelopes and 6 LFOs that can be programmed to modulate the Element’s
pitch, filter and amplitude settings in the Element’s Modulation Matrix. Each Element also has its own Play
settings including the amount of polyphony it will use, the velocity curve, the keyboard mode (poly, mono, mono
legato) and glide settings. Each Element can contain up to 6 Oscillators as pre-defined by the sound designer.
Each Oscillator has its own editable pitch, pan and level settings, but the number of available Oscillators within a
given Instrument is not editable by the user.
5.4.3 – Zones
A Zone in SampleTank 4 contains one or more samples that share a note range and velocity range. By default,
when you open the Edit Panel, you are editing all the Zones of the Element together. To edit an individual Zone
instead, click the Zone button, and then select the desired Zone from the drop-down menu. Now your edits will
only affect the current zone and leave the rest of the Element untouched.
The Amp tab is selected by default when you open the Edit Panel. Here you can adjust the level and pan for the
Element. Note again that these controls are for the selected Element only, not for the entire Instrument. Here you
can also mute and solo the selected Element.
Set the sample engine type by clicking the Type tab. Resample is most commonly used. Resample uses the
standard sample playback resampling technique where the engine dynamically changes the sample playback
rate to change the pitch of the source samples from note to note and with pitch effects like vibrato and pitch
bend.
You can also choose between two resynthesis methods, PSTS and STRETCH:
• PSTS (Pitch Shift / Time Stretch) gives you separate control over pitch and time. This engine is best
suited for use with loops with multiple instruments or dense content. When this engine is selected, you
also get access to a Grain control knob that lets you work more effectively with the specific sound you are
processing.
• STRETCH (SampleTank REsynthesis TeCHnology) gives you separate control of pitch, time and
harmonic content. STRETCH is designed to shift a sample without altering its formant. It also lets you
intentionally shift the formants independent of pitch. For example, STRETCH lets you bend notes on a
saxophone sample without it sounding artificial. It can be used to make an acoustic piano sound bigger or
smaller, and it can also be used to extend vocal samples across the keyboard while sounding more realistic
than traditional resampling. For loops, this engine works best with single instruments, but can sometimes
work with more complex sonic content as well (often weird but interesting effects can be created this
way). To keep a loop in sync, SampleTank needs to know the BPM of the loop. All loop Instruments from
IK Multimedia provide the BPM in the file name and in the BPM field as a 3-digit number that SampleTank
reads. For user samples, the best practice is to simply enter the tempo in the BPM field when importing.
When you select PSTS or STRETCH, SampleTank performs a pre-analysis on the content. Then you can adjust
both the time and the harmonic content of the sound in real-time.
SampleTank 3 Instruments use up to 2 Oscillators per Element. You can adjust the level, pan, bend amount and
pitch of each Oscillator. You will see selector buttons for Oscillators 1 and 2 at the top of the Oscillator section.
Click the button for the Oscillator you want to edit, and then move the Pitch and Fine controls to adjust the
Oscillator tuning and pan and level controls to adjust the Oscillator panning and volume respectively. The Bend
controls determines the range in semitones that the pitch bender will bend the pitch up and down.
This section determines how much velocity modulates various destinations in the SampleTank 3 Element
including amplitude, pitch, filter frequency and resonance as well as LFO 1 Depth and Envelope 2 Sustain.
5.4.8 – Play
The Play section sets the various keyboard parameters for the Element. At the top of the Play section, set
the keyboard mode between Poly for polyphonic playing, Mono for monophonic playing with the samples
retriggering with every new note, or Mono Legato 1 and 2 which gives a classic monophonic analog synthesizer
continuous sound to connected notes without retriggering the sample from its start. With the Legato modes,
you can also add Portamento, also known as glide. Portamento only works with the Legato keyboard modes.
Set the Legato mode between Legato 1 and Legato 2 to determine how the Glide will behave. Legato 1 is the
“absolute” mode and the classic analog synthesizer style of glide where the rate of the glide stays the same
regardless of the interval played. Legato 2 is the “relative” mode that dynamically changes the rate of the glide
based on the distance between the notes. Use the Polyphony control to set the maximum number of notes that
the Element can play. This is useful for complex sessions with lots of Parts when you need to watch the impact
on your computer’s processor. Finally, the Velo Curve lets you tailor the velocity curve of the Element to match
your keyboard controller or even just your specific style of playing. Once again, note that the Play parameters
are for the selected Element only. If you have multiple Elements in an Instrument, remember that you have to
adjust all of them individually.
This is where you adjust the settings of the 2 available LFOs (low frequency oscillators) in a SampleTank 3
Element. Use the drop-down menu to select which LFO you want to edit. Then select its waveform from drop-
down menu above the dynamic waveform display. Then at the bottom of the section, adjust the rate, depth
and phase of the LFO. LFO 1 also lets you set its fade-in time. When you play a note, you will see the LFO
wave displayed dynamically. LFO 1 and 2 behave differently: LFO 1 is “per voice,” meaning that a new LFO is
generated with every note played. This allows you to fade in LFO 1 since it is dedicated to the played note only.
You can set LFO 1 to reset with every note played or “freerun” by clicking the Free button. LFO 2 is always a
single free-running oscillator that is used by all notes played. For either of the LFOs, click the BPM button to
sync it to the master tempo. Then the rate knob will set the note value for the LFO instead of the usual Hertz
amount. For both LFOs, you can set how much they will modulate various destinations with the Amount knobs
to the right of the dynamic display. Set the modulation amount for the destinations of Pitch, Filter, Level and Pan
for each LFO.
A SampleTank 3 Element has two envelopes. Envelope 1 is assigned to modulate amplitude, and Envelope 2
can modulate the filter cutoff and pitch. Use the sliders next to each envelope to set how much each envelope
will modulate its available destinations. Each envelope has controls for Attack, Hold, Decay, Sustain and
Release. The envelopes have a graphic display that shows you the progress of the envelope when you play a
note. This can be helpful when dialing in specific envelope settings as you can see the envelope moving in real-
time.
5.4.11 – Filter
Each SampleTank 3 Element has a dedicated filter. Set the Filter Type in the drop-down menu where you can
choose from several analog modeled filters based on classic hardware synthesizers or more modern digital
filters like the Phaser and Formant filter types. Then set the Mode for the filter between lowpass, bandpass,
highpass, peak and notch. Note that not all Filter Types offer every Mode. This is due to the unique nature of
Filter Type. Next, set the Slope of the filter. This control sets how many dB per octave will be filtered out at the
cutoff frequency. Turn the Freq knob to set the point at which the filter will start filtering out frequencies. The Res
knob sets the level of the resonant peak – also sometimes called “emphasis” – at the filter cutoff frequency. The
Drive control sets how much you are overdriving the filter.
Each of the 16 Parts in SampleTank 4 has a dedicated 5-slot Effects Rack. The 4 Return channels and the
Master Channel also have their own 5-slot Effect Racks. This means that you can actually run up to 105
simultaneous effects if you are so inclined! Load an effect by clicking at the top of an effect slot and then
choosing from the several available categories. You can load any SampleTank 4 effect into any slot of the Effects
Rack, and the Effects Rack does not care whether the source Instrument is in SampleTank 3 or SampleTank 4
format. So you can apply the latest SampleTank 4 effects to Syntronik or Miroslav Philharmonik 2 Instruments
just like they are SampleTank 4 Instruments. Change the order of the effects in the rack by simply dragging an
effect to a new slot. You can load or save Effect Presets from the drop-down menu at the bottom of each effect
slot. Effects can also be modulated using the 8 Macro controls by clicking the Mods button at the right of the
Effects Rack. Bypass individual effects by clicking the power button icon at the top of each effect slot. Bypass
the entire Effects Rack by clicking the power button icon at the left of the rack. You can also lock the Effects
Rack using the lock icon at the left of the rack which will preserve the contents of the Effects Rack when new
Instruments are loaded into the Part.
Based on Fender® Twin Reverb® Silverface that went into production in 1968. It included a spring reverb and
was equipped with 2x12” J.B. Lansing® speakers.
6.1.3 – Cabinet
This processor emulates with great accuracy the frequency response of some of the best guitar cabinets. This
effect is extremely useful when you need to add a ‘mid-range’ character to any kind of sound, to give a more
realistic character without using an equalizer.
This processor emulates with great accuracy the some of the best guitar amplifiers and cabinets with lower CPU
usage. This effect is extremely useful when you need to add overdrive, tonal color or even just an additional
midrange character to any kind of sound for a more realistic quality without using a traditional equalizer.
6.1.7 – Preamp
This analog modeled processor emulates the first stage of some of the most acclaimed classic tube guitar
amplifiers.
A classic tube tone control that recreates the tone shaping stage found on the best tube amplifiers. The Tone
Control effect can deliver incredible presence and warmth to the sound.
6.2 – DISTORTION
6.2.1 – Crusher
This model alters the sound of the input signal by changing the sample-rate, cutoff frequency and by distorting
it. This effect can produce very aggressive distorted sounds, more pronounced than overdrive stompboxes. The
Low pass filter is very creative when combined to high distortion levels.
6.2.2 – Distortion
This effect simulates the distortion occurring as you raise the gain of an amplifier.
6.2.3 – Lo-Fi
Lo-Fi degrades the audio quality to simulate a “Lo-Fidelity” sound. In SampleTank, this effect is designed to be
used as a speaker and cabinet simulator, too.
6.2.4 – Overdrive
This entirely analog modeled Overdrive recreates the tone of one of the best overdrive stompboxes.
6.2.5 – Overscream
6.2.6 – Phonograph
This effect adds disk noises to simulate the sound of music played by vinyl records on old record players.
6.2.7 – Saturator X
Saturator X delivers that classic analog saturation and takes you on a trip back in time to the birth of “modern”
recording before computers and opens your recordings to the mysterious, elusive and warm world of analog
saturation.
6.3 – EQ + DYNAMICS
The Channel Strip effect is a full recording channel equalizer and compressor with clean, uncolored processing
along with additional “Sub” and “Air” program EQ bands that have a vintage tube flavor.
6.3.2 – Compressor
This is an ultra-smooth compressor, modeled after a classic tube compressor. It can be very soft and gentle on
all types of material.
6.3.3 – Black 76
The Black 76 Limiting Amplifier is modeled after what is probably the most used, most known, most wanted,
and most universally recognized compressor / limiter in the audio industry. There are probably no professionally
created records without tracks using this unit. This FET-based compressor is a true legend and a piece of history
with a unique sound largely thanks to its input transformer and class A output stage.
Modeled after one of the most widely used and acknowledged pieces of hardware in the music history.
Countless hit records around the world have been produced on this large format British mixing console since the
’80s making it a true staple of the music production technology for its ultimate flexibility and trademark sound.
Based on the mix bus VCA-type compressor of a worldwide known and acknowledged British large format
mixing console from the ’80s. It was used on practically every hit record and major production from the ’80s to
present days, so much that its sound has almost become a trademark. This compressor was so widely used
that it later became a stand-alone rackmount unit so that it could be used separately from the large format
console.
6.3.6 – EQ 81
The EQ 81 delivers that legendary British warmth and tone with a few twists.T he key here is in the versatility
of the EQ section sporting four independent bands rounded out by high and low pass filters. This effect is
particularly useful when a more precise intervention on a track is needed, still maintaining tone and organic,
analog warmth in the signal path.
6.3.7 – EQ Comp
This effect features a semi-parametric EQ and an easy-to-use compressor. Both units are very high quality,
giving a very musical sounding equalizer and an “analog-style” compression.
6.3.8 – EQ PG
Originally designed as a variation to the standard three and four band console EQs, it uses an all-discrete signal
path and proportional Q design with a ten-band graphic approach instead of the semi-parametric three and four
band design of other modules.
6.3.9 – Limiter
This is a multi-band analog modeled limiter. Inside there are three separate hard knee compressors for the low,
mid and high bands. It can deliver a very powerful compression to drums kits and loops. The controls of the
three compressors are linked on the interface for simplicity. Compared against the Compressor, the Limiter can
deliver a far more aggressive compression effect.
6.3.11 – Parametric EQ
An equalizer with separate bands where you can dial in not only the frequency to boost or cut but also the width
of the bell shape.
6.3.13 – White 2A
The White 2A Leveling Amplifier is based on a legendary vintage unit that is entirely tube-based. It’s a totally
different device in terms of construction where all the compression magic happens inside an optically coupled
element formed by a fluorescent panel and some photocells: the famed T4A element. There is no electronic
circuitry involved with the compression itself. It’s just a tube amp with photo-resistors, lighted by a fluorescent
panel driven by the output signal. At the time of this invention, there were not many ways of making an audio
compressor: only variable-mu and optical. Optical was the simplest one, and if proper elements for both the light
emitting panel and the photocells were matched, magic happened.
6.4 – MODULATION
6.4.1 – AM Modulator
This effect is designed to produce a tonal character totally different from the original when applied to a complex
sound by using the carrier frequency to modulate the volume of the sound. You can click the From MIDI button
to set the effect’s carrier frequency to be controlled via incoming MIDI notes.
6.4.2 – AutoPan
6.4.3 – Chorus
A classic stereo chorus which adds space and depth to the sound.
6.4.4 – Chorus C1
6.4.6 – Ensemble
Based on the Roland® Juno and string synth (Synth I, Synth II) and the Solina® / ARP® String Ensemble
(String) ensemble chorus effects.
This module contains three distinct chorus effects that recreate the ensemble effect from the most iconic 70s
string machines used for everything from pop to disco to Berlin School electronic music along with the analog
chorus of one of the most famous synths of the 80s. A subtle overdrive control simulates the saturation of the
original bucket brigade circuit, and a powerful pre-emphasis EQ control adds presence to the sound which can
otherwise get reduced with deep chorus effects such as these. You can even de-select the chorus modes to just
use the overdrive and pre-emphasis alone if you prefer.
This particular kind of flanger has its feedback parameter, which is internally controlled by the envelope of the
audio signal.
6.4.8 – Flanger
The Flanger creates a sharper sound by adding a metallic resonance to the sound (like a jet airplane taking off
and landing).
6.4.9 – FM Modulator
This effect is designed to produce a tonal character totally different from the original when applied to a complex
sound by using the carrier frequency to modulate the pitch of the sound.. It can replicate the sounds of some
synthesis systems like FM or ring modulation. You can click the From MIDI button to set the effect’s carrier
frequency to be controlled via incoming MIDI notes.
This is a special type of chorus effect with a random pitching character. It is designed to be less regular and
noticeable than a classic chorus.
6.4.12 – Phaser
This entirely analog modeled Phaser recreates the sound of one of the best known classics of the past.
Thanks to IK’s VRM technology, the Rotary Speaker model uses samples from a real unit to create the authentic
vibe and musicality of a classic Leslie® 147 for a 3D-sounding, spinning modulation effect unlike any other.
6.4.14 – Slicer
This creates the effect of the audio being cut up into small slices for rhythmic grooves.
6.4.16 – Tremolo
6.4.16 – Uni-V
6.5.1 – Ambience
This effect produces a very short reverb, very useful for emulating the typical ambience of small closed spaces,
like studio rooms or little concert suites.
6.5.2 – ConvoRoom
This is a convolution reverb that processes the incoming signal with real sampled spaces providing the ultra-
realistic sound of the actual rooms recorded.
This classic digital delay is an effect that adds echo to the sound.
This classic digital reverberation effect simulates the sound of rooms and other spaces.
This effect combines reverberation with delay mixed in for a spacious effect.
This effect is modeled after a high-end studio hardware reverb unit to create backwards reverb effects.
This effect is modeled after a high-end studio hardware reverb unit to create the effect of smaller-sized rooms
and spaces.
This reverb sounds very close to a real mechanical spring unit, featuring their signature warmth with that typical
metallic and resonant vibe. This reverb is mono.
This effect adjusts the stereo image from 0 (mono) to 200% ultra-wide stereo. Note that values over 100% start
to lose mono compatibility due to the phase manipulation used, so be sure to check your sound in mono if that
is a concern.
A spot-on emulation of one of the classic tape echo units of all time. To go along with its cool vintage sound,
we added some great modern features, like stereo operation, separate delay times on L&R, and syncing to host
tempo.
This effect is modeled after a high-end studio hardware reverb unit to create the effect of hall-sized rooms and
spaces.
This effect is modeled after a high-end studio hardware reverb unit to create the effect of spaces generated by a
mechanical plate.
This effect models the soundboard and body resonances of our sampled pianos and guitars.
6.6.2 – Filter C
This effect models the sound of the famous Curtis® CEM3320 filter chip (found in the Prophet-5 and Oberheim
OB-Xa synthesizers).
This effect generates the resonances of the human vocal tract for vocal-like timbres.
6.6.4 – Filter M
This effect models the sound of the legendary Moog® transistor ladder filter (found in the Minimoog and
Modular Moog).
6.6.5 – Filter O
This effect models the sound of the iconic Oberheim® state variable filter (found in the Oberheim SEM).
This effect is a variable all-pass filter in the style of classic phase shifter stomp boxes and rack units.
6.6.7 – Filter R
This effect models the sound of the famous Roland® IR3109 filter chip (found in the Juno-60 and Jupiter-8).
In this filter effect, the Cutoff frequency can automatically sweep by the effect of the envelope of the audio signal
passing through it.
In this effect, the Cutoff frequency can automatically sweep by the effect of a built-in LFO. The LFO can sync
with the song’s BPM.
This is a particular kind of filter where instead of selecting the type of filter (LPF, BPF or HPF) you can use them
all together with independent levels.
This effect simulates the closing of the lid on an acoustic piano by darkening and muting the sound with
specifically designed curve.
6.6.12 – Wah 47
This effect is modeled after the classic wah pedal used often in the 60s and 70s.
Each of the 16 Parts in SampleTank 4 has its own dedicated Player. There are 4 different types of Players:
Arpeggiator, Strummer, Phraser and Loop Manager. When a loop Instrument is loaded into the Part, the
Player automatically becomes the Loop Manager. For conventional “playable” Instruments, you can choose
between the Arpeggiator, Strummer and Phraser. Click the third icon from left in the lower bar to open the
Player Panel. Note that the icon changes depending on the type of Instrument loaded. When a conventional
playable Instrument is loaded, the icon represents an arpeggio with a triangular shape of blocks. When a loop
Instrument is loaded, the icon changes to a stylized loop icon – like a recycle symbol – to indicate the loops. For
conventional playable Instruments, use the drop-down menu at the top of Player Panel to select the Player you
want to use. For loop Instruments, the Loop Manager is selected automatically.
Select the Arpeggiator from the Player Selector drop-down menu at the top of the Player Panel. An Arpeggio is
a succession of notes in a chord. The Arpeggiator generates arpeggios based on incoming MIDI notes. Rather
than all notes being played at one time, they are played one after the other as steps in a pattern in a specified
direction. Once all notes are played, the pattern returns to the start and cycles again.
If you play just a single key, the note will repeat. If you play multiple keys, the held notes are played one after the
other. If additional notes are played while the first notes are still held, the new notes will be seamlessly added to
the Arpeggio. When notes are released, they are removed from the Arpeggio. When all notes are released, the
Arpeggio stops unless Latch mode is turned on.
The Arpeggiator will continue through all of the steps in the pattern as long as notes are played legato. The
pattern will restart from the beginning every time a new note is triggered after the last note is released or when
the song on the external host starts to play.
Each note is assigned to a position in the Arpeggio in the order in which they are played. These position
positions are associated with an event, such as a note, rest or a tie with a particular step.
7.1.3 – Latch
The Latch function allows an Arpeggio to run without holding any keys. When Latch is on, incoming MIDI notes
are automatically held until Latch is turned off. You can change the latched notes by simply playing new notes
while not physically holding down any of the current notes on your MIDI controller. The new notes will create a
new Arpeggio and the old notes will be released. Alternatively, you can add new notes to an existing Arpeggio
only if the original notes are still being physically held down.
Note that the selected Trigger Mode also affects LFO, Envelopes of the Synth and Effects. These will also be
delayed until the note itself is triggered.
velocities override the velocities set in the steps of the grid (velocities “As Played”). With the knob at the far left
position (0%), the velocity values of each step will determine the dynamics of the arpeggiated notes. You can
mix between the extremes to blend the information from incoming MIDI notes and the velocities set for each
step. The default value for this parameter is 50%.
Select the Strummer from the Player Selector drop-down menu at the top of the Player Panel. The Strummer
mimics the strumming of guitar strings where the notes of a chord are played within a time interval between
each string on the guitar. The Strum has a direction to determine whether the notes of the chords are played
upward or downward. Different than the Arpeggiator, the Strummer triggers whole strummed chords instead of
individual notes.
7.2.3 – Latch
The Latch function allows a Strum to run without holding any keys. When Latch is on, incoming MIDI notes are
automatically held until Latch is turned off. You can change the latched notes by simply playing new notes while
not physically holding down any of the current notes on your MIDI controller. The new notes will create a new
Strum and the old notes will be released. Alternatively, you can add new notes to an existing Strum only if the
original notes are still being physically held down.
For all 3 notes, the velocity determines how many strings will be played. Fewer strings are played with
lower velocities.
• Strum Pattern Play: D#4 automatically plays the strum Pattern Set, and E4-B4 selects specific strings to
play.
• Single String Triggers: E4-B4 – the six natural keys only – represent the six individual strings of a guitar.
Here you can play the individual strings based on the chord defined and selected in the C2-B2 range. This
lets you arpeggiate the selected chord with the E4-B4 notes and mix in strums with the C4-D4 notes.
• Beat: This option delays playback to the next full beat or quarter note. If incoming MIDI notes arrive ahead
of the next beat, the maximum delay is one beat. The Beat Mode makes it very easy to trigger rhythmic
patches in perfect sync, and when used together with Latch Mode, for layering phrases that are quantized
to the beat in real-time.
• Bar: This mode delays playback until the start of the next bar. If MIDI messages arrive ahead of the next
bar, the maximum delay is one bar. This mode is especially useful if you want to synchronize phrases on
the downbeat of a measure. You can press a note anytime in the previous bar, and it will wait until the next
bar to play.
Note that the selected Trigger Mode also affects LFO, Envelopes of the Synth and Effects. These will also be
delayed until the note itself is triggered.
The Intensity knob scales the velocity values of all the steps from -25% to +25%. The default is 0, no scaling.
Use this control to affect the overall velocities of the steps of your Strummer for the Part.
This control adjusts the amount of time between strumming the individual six strings when the Strummer is
playing upstrokes. A higher setting creates a slow strum, a lower setting creates a fast strum.
This controls offsets the velocity played on the C4-D4 keys for manually playing single strums.
The Rate drop-down at the lower right sets the note subdivision for each step relative to the master tempo. The
default is 1/16 – each step is a 16th note based on the master tempo. You can change the Rate to make faster
or slower Strum Patterns within the same tempo.
Click the lock icon next to Strummer in the Player Selector at the top center of the Player Panel to prevent
another Strummer Preset from loading if it is part of an Instrument. This lets you maintain the current Strummer
settings while still loading new Instruments that have Strummer Presets saved with them.
Select the Phraser from the Player Selector drop-down menu at the top of the Player Panel. The Phraser plays
MIDI sequences that are triggered from specified notes.
Assignment window. This allows several Patterns to be launched at once without needing the press their
assigned keys.
7.3.3 – Latch
The Latch function allows Phraser Patterns to run without holding any keys. When Latch is on, the Pattern will
continue to cycle until its note is played a second time or until Latch is turned off.
The beginning of the file name is the Pattern name that will appear in the Pattern Browser. Leave a space after
the Pattern name, then enter the tempo followed by a space followed by “bpm” as in the above example.
Finally, type an underscore followed by the number of bars that will loop, “_2bar” as in the example above. The
naming must be done exactly this way in order for the Phraser to load the Pattern and play it back correctly. Be
sure to rescan your library any time you make a change to your Sound Content disk paths.
At the left of the Phraser is the Library Rescan button. Click this to update your database of SampleTank
Patterns whenever you make a change to your Sound Content disk path. For example, if you add a user Pattern
or install a new Library, you must rescan in order for SampleTank to see the new content.
At the left of the Phraser is the Automatic Pattern Preview button. Click the Auto button in order to let
SampleTank play each Pattern in the Pattern Browser as you select it. This way you can audition many Patterns
in the Browser without needing to assign them to a note.
Patterns will be previewed at their native root note. This root note may in a much different register than you
want. Use the Octave buttons to shift the preview up or down by one octave so that you can tailor your audition
to a more desirable range for the loaded Instrument.
Note that the selected Trigger Mode also affects LFO, Envelopes of the Synth and Effects. These will also be
delayed until the note itself is triggered.
7.3.15 – Transpose
The Transpose control at the lower right of the Phraser lets you transpose the selected Pattern in semitones.
Click and drag to set the Transpose amount or double-click the field to manually type in a Transpose value in
semitones.
7.3.16 – Quantize
The Quantize drop-down menu at the lower right of the Phraser lets you re-quantize the selected Pattern to a
different note value. Choose the note quantization amount you want from the drop-down menu.
7.3.17 – Speed
Use the Speed control to change the playback of the selected Pattern to ½, 1x or 2x the master tempo. This
allows you to put the selected Pattern in half time or double time.
The Player Panel automatically becomes the Loop Manager when an audio loop Instrument is loaded into
the Part. The Player icon with the blocks in a triangular shape turns into a recycling-style loop icon. The Loop
Manager gives you note-by-note control over samples in audio loop Instruments with independent control over
pitch, speed and timbre per note as well each note’s Global Play assignment.
7.4.1 – Latch
The Latch function allows triggered loop notes to run without holding any keys. When Latch is on, the loop will
continue to cycle until its note is played a second time or until Latch is turned off.
7.4.2 – Sync
The Sync button determines whether the Loop Manager uses SampleTank’s own tempo or synchronizes
with the host tempo or other external tempo. When Sync is off, the Loop Manager will play the loops at the
SampleTank Global Tempo indicated in the upper bar. When Sync is on, the Loop Manager will instead follow
the host or external tempo, and the Global Play button will follow the start and stop transport commands of the
host.
Note that the selected Trigger Mode also affects LFO, Envelopes of the Synth and Effects. These will also be
delayed until the note itself is triggered.
Click the icon with the 4 horizontal lines at the top left of the upper bar to open the Layer Editor. The Layer
Editor lets you view 8 Parts at time with their note and velocity ranges. For Loop and Player Instruments, you
can also see the Latch status and the Trigger Mode. This page is ideal for setting up performance-oriented splits
and layers with multiple Parts assigned to the same MIDI channel.
Note that the selected Trigger Mode also affects LFO, Envelopes of the Synth and Effects. These will also be
delayed until the note itself is triggered.
Click the Mixer icon with the 3 vertical sliders at the top left of the upper bar to open the SampleTank 4 Mixer.
The Mixer is where you adjust the volume, pan and effects for the Instruments loaded into the 16 Parts. Each
Part is represented by a mixing board-style channel numbered from 1-16. As with the Part Viewer, the Part
Channels on the Mixer each hold one SampleTank Instrument and its 5 possible insert effects. To the right of
the 16 Part Channels are 4 Return Channels where you can load more global-style effects like reverbs and
delays that can be fed by multiple Instruments via the effect sends on the individual Part channels. Each Return
Channel also has 5 effect slots just like the Part Channels. And then at the far right is the Master Channel which
processes the master output. The Master Channel also has 5 effect slots. The 21 total channels of SampleTank
4 give you the flexibility to load as many as 105 simultaneous effects. Your computer’s CPU power is the only
limitation.
Selector. The standalone version also has an output assignment field where you can set each Part to its own
output of your sound card.
Click the arrow to the right of the Effects Lock to open the Effect Editor for a Channel. The currently selected
effect will then open to the right of the channel so you edit its parameters from the Mixer and not need to go to
the dedicated Effects Rack screen. Here you also get the Effect Rack Manager where you can save your whole
5-slot effects chain as an Effect Rack Preset and also load presets into the current Part.
Click the list icon in the upper bar immediately to the left of the Multi Browser to enter Live Mode. Live Mode is
where you assign Multis and single Instruments to MIDI Program Changes so that they can be quickly recalled
from an external controller during live performance. You can group sets of Multis and Instruments into Songs
where all of the samples for the Song are pre-loaded to facilitate faster switching. Then save a collection
of Songs as a Set List that you can use for specific performances. Save multiple Set Lists for different live
performances.
Chapter 11 – Troubleshooting
IMPORTANT: the number zero can easily be identified in your Serial Number because it is crossed by a line.
Suggestions:
• If possible, please copy and paste the information.
• Cut off all the leading and trailing spaces.
• Please type all codes in UPPERCASE during the installation and registration process.
• Check that the Serial Number that you are entering is in correlation with the product installed.
I need to log in into the User Area but I forgot my User Name and Password. What should I do?
You can retrieve your User Area login details in two different ways:
• Run the Authorization Manager and follow the steps until you reach the login page. Here you just have to
click on the ‘Forgot password?’ button and submit your email address. Your login details will be sent to
your email account. In case you have checked the ‘Remember me’ checkbox before and are not able to
access the login page, just click on the LOGOUT button.
• Go to www.ikmultimedia.com, click on ‘I forgot my username and/or password’ and submit your email
address. Your login details will be sent to your email account.
163 11 - Troubleshooting
SampleTank 4
I just bought an IK Multimedia software. What should I do to register and authorize my new product?
Just run the Authorization Manager and follow the instructions.
In case you don’t have the Authorization Manager, you can download it for free from the Products page of our
website at:
www.ikmultimedia.com/am
164 11 - Troubleshooting
SampleTank 4
Chapter 12 – Support
For any questions you may have, please refer to the FAQ webpage at: www.ikmultimedia.com/faq
Here you will find answers to the most commonly asked questions.
For other requests such as Product, Sales, or Web info, please go to: www.ikmultimedia.com/contact-us
To access your User Area, please login with your User Name and Password created upon registration and
emailed to your registered email address. If you need to update your Password, you may do so at the User Area
login.
165 12 - Support
IK Multimedia Production Srl IK Multimedia US, LLC IK Multimedia Asia
Via dell’Industria, 46, 590 Sawgrass Corporate Pkwy. TB Tamachi Bldg. 1F, MBE #709
41122 Modena Sunrise, FL 33325 4-11-1 Shiba
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www.ikmultimedia.com
SampleTank® is a registered trademark property of IK Multimedia Production. All other product names and images, trademarks and
artists names are the property of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with IK Multimedia. Product names
are used solely for the purpose of identifying the specific products that were studied during IK Multimedia’s sound model development
and for describing certain types of tones produced with IK Multimedia’s digital modeling technology. Use of these names does not imply
any cooperation or endorsement.
Fender® is a registered trademark of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Marshall® is a registered trademark of Marshall
Amplification Plc. Roland® is a registered trademark of Roland Corporation. Mesa/Boogie® is a registered trademark of Mesa/Boogie
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LLC. LA-2A and 1176 LN are registered trademarks of Universal Audio, Inc. IK Multimedia’s products, specifically, the T-RackS Black
76 Limiting Amplifier and T-RackS White 2A Leveling Amplifier, are manufactured and developed by IK Multimedia based on its own
modeling techniques. Universal Audio has neither endorsed nor sponsored IK Multimedia’s products in any manner, nor licensed any
intellectual property for use in this product
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