TAL-Sampler

TAL-Sampler is probably my favourite virtual instrument. I have a strong preference for synths over samplers, yet TAL-Sampler is the big exception because I can approach it like a synth.

I record samples of my hardware synths (usually with the filter open and/or through various distortions) and I load them into TAL-Sampler as if they were complex oscillators, then I can mangle them by pitching them up/down the keyboard (like in the past, when multisamples were not common because of memory limitations), I can make delayed layers to build complex sounds, I can pre-filter (low and high pass) those layers, I can add the layers using the modulation wheel (by routing it to the layer gain in the modulation matrix)...

I have a lot of fun with it because I can do things I can't do with my synths (or they would sound differently).

The interface is quite simple (compared to the big software samplers) and it's quite fast to use. The only thing that takes a while is working on loop points (to be honest, finding the perfect loop points has always been a consuming task with every sampler), but once the loop is perfect you can save the sample as sfz and load it later already mapped across the keyboard with the correct loop points (I always do this when I record/import a new sample, so I can use it again later on other patches).

I really love it this plugin.