SampleTank 4 [and 4.0.8] Now Available!

[T.Schimmack]

Hi,

I startet with the initial release of ST4, right when it came out, with all it's problems in the beginning.
In the following days/weeks, I installed every ST4 updater, Library Updater, Instrument Installer 1.1, etc.

Still, until today, I have some problems.
I found out, some samples (from the ST4 synth, maybe some more, I haven't found yet) were not installed.

So I downloaded the whole 6 parts of the synth again.
That solved the problem.
I also found out that those 6 parts change a lot from the initial release (Mac installers).
Still 6 parts, but all different in name, size, content. So I started downloading the whole package of all installers again, to be sure having the latest installers on my drive for backup.
After installing this new synth pack, do I need to run the library updater 1.3 again?
Do I have to run the instrument installer 1.1 again?

Should I install everything again, to be 100% safe?
Should I run the Library updater after that?

What is the proper sequence of (re)installs I should make?

Right now, I installed 4.0.4, than ran the Instrument installer 1.1 once, and after that I re-installed just the synth (all 6 parts).
Some of the presets are still double (like some violins, but sometimes with different effects applied, some others are different in size, but same name). What's wrong there. I came from ST3, if that matters. And I had Syntronik and MP2 installed before, now installed CE in addition to that?
What does the instrument installer 1.1 actually do? I don't find the software anywhere?
Can I find out, if the integrity of everything is intact, without having to install it all over again?

Thank you for your help!

PS: I'd love to see an installer app, like many other manufactures have (Arturia, Native Instruments, UVI). Please!

[Peter_IK]

You shouldn't have to install everything again. However, I'd recommend working directly with IK Support who can take a deeper look into what's happening and your setup and get you the right advice and get you up and running quickly.

[artemX]

deleted

[halfcack]

I would definitely wait and think.

One poster told me about an ssd hard drive would most probably be able to hold all the content so I went to talk to the Apple/Mac guys, out of four guys, the one who stays knows the most, the other three walk away.

I told him the size of the little SE. His eye opened wide. Obviously he was a musician, had high end programs and enormity of the little guy kind of set him back.

I was going with a poster that said a fast hard drive would hold the material but .....

I asked him about SSD's. He said a lot more expensive but a lot faster. I told him I thought it was the opposite. He said the SSD is a lot faster than a hard drive.

I went on about how to prepare. He said as long as it says Apple ready I was almost there.

I plugged it in and the hard drive immediately appeared on the desktop. I was chastised for not ejecting properly so I think I’m set.

I wanted to he able to preserve the sounds and program before the license runs out.

I have one problem I’m looking around for today. How to download everything directly to the SSD. There was no choice of drives.

There is something called dashboard software on the drive, My Passport, WD but I was hesitant to open it up until I know what it does.

At 4.04 already I am going to opt for waiting. I received an answer from support that extra drive will hold all content. Am I right to think that content means all sounds and not the program or otherwise.

The reason I said to wait is I never did anything drastic in my installs but I think I would rather start from a reset MackBook Air. I made the mistake of ordering only 128 gig.

[Peter_IK]

There is no need to wait if you have proper storage. The USB versions that were shipped should not have installation issues, and if you have questions about the USB installation, IK Support will happily assist you further. The downloads and sound library updates available in your IK User Area will work very well. I have had a full SampleTank 4 MAX installation running smoothly since soon after release, and I downloaded all of the files - twice for two different machines - and each install went smoothly. It is a lot to keep track of but this is IK's largest release.

If you are waiting for a download manager, that is something discussed but will not materialize overnight. You can, however, now choose multiple files to download from your IK User Area. This works very well too.

The 4.0.4 update fixes issues that were reported where some users experience crashes, and it optimized resource usage.

In short, you are fine to install now and SampleTank 4.0.4 is smooth and full of amazing sounds. Don't miss out.

[halfcack]

Thank you Peter.

My problem is being stupid ordering 128 gig for the first time.

On me. Is there a way to download all to the ssd and run it from there, if so, how do I get it to the ssd.

Sorry, not computer oriented. With the size I agree an installer would be sort of out of the question and I don’t want to miss out plus I ordered an ik 49 I/o.

Thank you.

[praisetracks]

I agree things are getting better in some areas but there is still room for improvement.

* It Was The Buffers All Along *
So the past few days I have been really going through it.
- I spent so much time using Latency Monitor to troubleshoot
- Unplugging USB drives, trying to make sure my audio interface was allocated to its own USB lane
- Transferred everything to a new 1TB SSD (for samples)
- Even reseated my CPU cooler with new thermal paste
- Checked BIOS for CPU throttling
- and so much more

After each change or adjustment I tested with the same project just so things would be consistent and it would be easier to determine the cause.

I also created an additional project based on my SampleTank 4 test project using multiple virtual instruments that were heavy on memory usage (Trillian, Kontakt, HALionsonic, etc.) and did not get the random crackles and such at the same buffer size.

DISCOVERY: SampleTank 4.04 still seems to have issues with buffer sizes. I am using a newer PreSonus Studio 6|8 and progressively adjusted buffer sizes until I could play the project without the crackles. I had to go up to 1024 in order for things to sound as I would expect them to using the SampleTank 4.04 test project.

I tested this both in Cakewalk by BandLab and Cubase Pro 10 with similar results.

Just wanted to share my experience and also will submit a ticket just to officially document this. I am hoping things can continue to be optimized so we can truly enjoy SampleTank 4 as it was originally envisioned to be used.

All the best,
Simeon

[dlgebert]

Is there a way to download all to the ssd and run it from there, if so, how do I get it to the ssd.

halfcack,

Are you using Safari for your browser? If so, I can create blank virtual drive and see what the process is to change the default download path.

Dave

[dlgebert]

Is there a way to download all to the ssd and run it from there, if so, how do I get it to the ssd.

halfcack,

I created a small 2GB virtual drive on my iMac and I was able to change a Safari setting, and then login to my user area and download directly to my virtual drive. You should easily be able to do the same to your SSD. Below is the process I followed:

Before starting, create a "Download" folder on your SSD drive to keep all your downloaded files in, then continue.

Open [Safari]

From the Safari menu, select [Safari] and then [Preferences]

Toward the bottom of the small window that pops up, change [File download location:] to [Other...]

A new window will pop up and in the column on the left, click on the icon that has your computer's name. From there, find your SSD drive and select it.

Choose the "Download" folder you created on your SSD drive.

You can close the small window and download files from your User Area.

The downloaded files will now go to the "Download" folder on your SSD drive.

I downloaded "The Grid Sound Content" as a test, and the file went to my virtual drive instead of the default Download folder.

You should be able to install software directly to your SSD drive, but I've never done that myself, so I can't comment on that process.

Dave

[halfcack]

Thank you for that. I really appreciate it. It will leave some space to work with.

Thank you so much.

[praisetracks]

* What A Difference A Day Makes *

Ok so my last post might have been a little dark and gloomy but remember the sun is still shining even above the clouds.

So one thing we all tend to forget at one time or another (especially on the Windows platform) is that over time Windows somehow just seems to get weirder as updates come and go and especially prone to having issues when we are connected to a network.

While I still tend to believe SampleTank 4.04 still can be further CPU optimized the issue forced me to take a deeper dive into the overall performance issues and bottlenecks I had on my individual machine and it revealed some issues that not only improved my SampleTank 4.04 experience but also my overall Windows performance.

The usual suspects were at play;
* Driver updates (USB, Network adapters, Logitech SetPoint (possible high CPU idle usage), just going through and checking for the latest.
* Audio interface USB exclusive ports
* Non Essential Startup programs and services disabled (that seemed to be a big one)
* CPU power saving features (meaning turning them off)
* DAW optimal settings (in my case sync was coming from the Steinberg Generic Low Latency Driver instead of the PreSonus 6|8 ASIO driver)

The Latency Mon program was a great help as well as seeing how my USB devices were connected to what in Device Manager to isolate things to eliminate conflicts. More info here:
https://www.resplendence.com/latencymon

Here is the USB Device Tree Utility for an easy way to view your connected USB hubs and devices.
https://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbtreeview_e.html#download

So today running 512 buffers and the glitches have seemed to be virtually gone.

Thanks so much to the IK Team for their continuing work on this.
Joyfully,
Simeon

[halfcack]

Excellent.

Sometimes the smallest issue can solve a person's whole problem.

I’m a geezer and it’s sometimes hard to see what’s in front of me.

Above are three posts that solved all the problems.

I was fortunate that the My Passport WD SSD appeared on the desktop as soon as I plugged it in. I haven’t used a PC in 9 years. I forgot all the tricks.

The transfer of files was ignorant. Meaning I had forgotten the facts how easy this was.

There are two ways to download the program and files above to the SSD. Support made it simple, all content can be transferred. Two ways to use Safari to download to the SSD.

Thank you all. With this knowledge I will most probably reset to factory. Everything looks ok but I did not gain as much as I thought I would but enough memory to not have full drive pop up.

It looks like that I didn’t hurt anything by transferring. I was surprised that both SE and SP3 worked normally.

So, someone may be able to answer this. I transferred the content and sounds to the My Passport WD, I deleted those files in trash permanently but SE4 still pulls up sounds.

It’s not possible for them to have the drive location so they must be on the main drive too, right ?

The last question is if I successfully download all SE4 programs and files, will I be able to open them and use SP4 on the My Passport drive with nothing on the computer drive.

I doubt this will work but it’s worth asking.

Thank you.

Every detail helps. One nice thing is I hear lag at 5 milliseconds instead of the normal 15, most equipment is not useable for me. I haven’t noticed any lag at all from midi le, WIDI bud or any wireless Bluetooth from 3.1 to 4. Either from overdubbing to recording vocals or midi boards.

Nothing is too small to mention for those of us who have been away from a PC.

Thank you.

[dlgebert]

With this knowledge I will most probably reset to factory.

Great news! I reset my iMac at least twice after ST4 MAX was released. Not because of ST4 itself, but after I discovered some new techniques I wanted a fresh start.

If you hold down [Option-Command-R] while powering up your Mac, you can install the newest version of MacOs directly from the internet.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904

That worked well for me. Good luck, and great music!

Dave

[halfcack]

Thank you for that. Every time it’s such a project to do it.

Appreciation.

[praisetracks]

Well after working through some of my issues I thought I would have some fun and put a short demo/preview together. I want to do a more in depth playthrough/review but thought this would get the ball rolling.

You can check it out here:
https://youtu.be/uf_H2XXV_T8

Looking forward to being able to make lots more music and inspiration with SampleTank 4.

Thanks everyone and have a most Joyous Easter (Resurrection) weekend!

All the best,
Simeon
PraiseTracks.com