| The invention of synthesizers has come almost | | | | Since a sampling synthesizer uses sound |
| as a boon for musicians. It is a wonder | | | | samples to reproduce the nuances of natural |
| instrument that can produce more or less any | | | | instruments, hence its efficiency depends a |
| kind of sound thereby making it quite easy | | | | lot on the library of sample sounds it has |
| for them to create enthralling music. Since | | | | got. In the initial days there used to be |
| its introduction in the music market, a lot | | | | comparatively fewer number of samples with |
| of developments are taking place and more and | | | | limited duration as computer memory was much |
| more advanced and sophisticated models and | | | | costly. But with the gradual fall in price of |
| versions of the synthesizer are emerging. One | | | | the memory chips it became possible to use |
| such version is the sampling synthesizer. | | | | multisampling. This paved the way to |
| | | | improvement to a large extent. It provided |
| To understand the characteristics of a | | | | the much needed flexibility and quality to |
| sampling synthesizer you need to have some | | | | the instrument. |
| idea about the features of a sampler. It is | | | | |
| an electronic music instrument much like a | | | | A sampling synthesizer has several advantages |
| synthesizer. But unlike general synthesizers | | | | over other types of synthesizers such as |
| a sampler does not start producing sounds | | | | analogue or digital ones. Compared to digital |
| from the scratch. Rather it starts with the | | | | synthesis the processing power requirements |
| multiple recordings or samples of different | | | | of a sample based synthesizer are much lower. |
| natural or instrumental sounds, and then | | | | This is due to the fact that most of the |
| plays each back based on how the instrument | | | | gradations of the sound models are stored in |
| is configured. Since these sound samples are | | | | the pre-recorded samples rather than |
| generally stored in RAM, they are easily | | | | calculated in real-time. |
| accessible. | | | | |
| | | | Unlike the analog synthesizers, a sampling |
| A sampling synthesizer is based on the | | | | synthesizer does not require its circuitry to |
| functions of a sampler. They are also called | | | | be duplicated to let more sound patterns to |
| sample based synthesizers. Sample based | | | | be played at once. Hence the polyphony of |
| synthesis is a type of audio synthesis that | | | | sampling synthesizers is usually a lot |
| stands out against subtractive synthesis or | | | | higher. |
| additive synthesis both. The major difference | | | | |
| with sample-based synthesis is that the | | | | When sampling synthesizer was first developed |
| sample waveforms are sampled sounds or | | | | it was pretty expensive. Much later in the |
| instruments instead of basic waveforms, for | | | | late eighties comparatively affordable |
| instance, the saw waves of subtractive | | | | samplers became available with the arrival of |
| synthesis or the sine waves of additive | | | | Roland D50 and the Korg M1. It is remarkable |
| synthesis. | | | | to note that Korg M1 also introduced the |
| | | | workstation concept. |