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Can anyone tell me when a listing says "No uncleared samples" is that referring to short drumloops, and similar items? I've got lots of rex files that people had posted on the web and gave permission to download and use for free, but then I have some stuff I don't know where it came from. OR does "No uncleared samples" mean music lifted from music cd's etc...? Thanks

I'm pretty sure it specifically refers to music lifted from CDs. Without permission from the copyright holder, the piece of music that contains that sample cannot be used in a commercial context.Personally, I'm wary of using any loops (REX, Acid, etc.) downloaded from the web for free, permission or not. You may have no way of knowing if they embedded some copyrighted material in their loop until some lawyer shows up at your door. I use loops from libraries that I've bought and that have stated in their materials that it is OK to use in any productions, even music libraries. Some loop makers don't let you use them in libraries so read the fine print.I'm not being paranoid or trying to scare you but if you think you're going to get some music played on TV or film (and I hope you do), then you need to make sure you are totally above board with your samples.This is just my experience and opinon. This is not legal advice, I'm not an attorney.Good luck,Mazz

Hi fretnoise,I wouldn't use anything that's not from commercially produced sample CD's that you own, where the written license specifically allows you to use the samples for the purpose that you're using them.Most music libraries require that you guarantee them that you have written permission for all samples you're using, some even want a copy of the sample library licensing agreement. Either way you could find yourself in serious legal trouble if it later turns out you didn't have permission for anything you are using in your compositions.It's okay to use stuff you've downloaded from the web as long as you have written permission from the creator that you can use the samples for commercial applications. But definitely stay away from anything you don't know "where it came from".matto

Hey Mazz and Matto I am looking at buying East West Colossus as an addon for my studio. do they allow you to use thier material in productions and music libraries. I thought I read on thier website it was ok to use but I don't want to purchase it if i'm going to be kept from using it in my productions for film and TV.Thanks Jafo37

East West allows you to use their samples and loops in Film/TV and Libraries. The loops have to be combined with other elements, at least two other instruments.http://www.soundsonline.com/End-User-Li ... 9.htmlThey are nice folks and they make excellent libraries.Have fun!Mazz

Hi, backtalkunlimited (Alan) here.I'm pretty much in the same boat as jafo37. Mazz, Matto, and others have convinced me that the sound quality of my recordings needs to be taken "to a whole 'nother level", as they say. At present, my sample library consists pretty much of General Midi, which simply doesn't cut the mustard.EastWest's Colossus appears to offer an impressive range of instrument samples at an almost-affordable price (almost!). The few reviews of this software that I've seen seem to be strongly positive. My questions are as follows:1. To someone with hands-on experience with Colossus: Is the sound quality of most (if not all) of the samples up to your expectations (and up to production music library standards)?2. Can this software be used in conjunction (i. e., compatible as a plug-in) with SONAR 5 or SONAR6? Are all samples VST? Other?3. Does anyone have experience with the Kontakt interface (which, I assume, is provided as part of the Colossus package)? If so, have you used the "streaming" feature, which spares one the ignominy of devoting 32 GB of hard drive space to sample-storage?4. Are there other questions that I ought to be asking, if only I knew enough to be able to ask them?Thanks in advance for your help.

@alan: I don't know colossus, but think about that: having good sounding sample is one part. knowing how to handle them a completely diffrent part.what I try to say: vst-i X, sequencer Z or whatever equipment you use won't "make it sound good" - you (the engineer, producer, composer & arranger) make it sound good. the samples/equipment are tools to achieve our goals - but without know-how and investement of time & energy it won't work.bottom line (at least my personal): well-choosen equipment is an important part, but often overestimated (...to be honest: who wouldn't it find comfortable to buy product X and that just make it happen..?).btw the same goes for taxi (as a service): just joining won't make you able to make a living with music - it's a tool to achieve that goal.cheers,martin

To Martin (gitarrero) from Alan (backtalkunlimited): Yes, indeed. Buying the most expensive set of Callaway Big Bertha golf clubs does not a Tiger Woods make.Nevertheless, the would-be Tiger has a better chance of making a hole-in-one with something approaching a Callaway golf club than trying to hit the ball with a hockey stick.And, believe-thee-me, General Midi is a hockey stick!Nevertheless, your point is well-taken. It's just that I receive positive reinforcement when I try to do something and the result turns out to be appealing. Once again, Callaway is more likely to give me an appealing result - in finite time - than the hockey stick.At this juncture, I've run out of metaphors.Ah, well. We persevere. Thanks again for advice and succor.-Alan

Alan,You keep mentioning the sound quality of General MIDI and I wanted to clear something up in case there was still some misunderstanding about what we've been talking about.General MIDI only refers to the subset of the MIDI spec that specifies actual program names. This was created so a person receiving a MIDI file from someone else could play it back and the "piano" patch would play back as a "piano". Now, the sound quality of the "piano" patch is dependent on the instrument that is playing it back, not the MIDI information itself. If I create a song using Colossus as a General MIDI module and take great care to edit the MIDI data to make it sound fabulous, and I send just the MIDI file to someone else, if they play it back on a 99.00 Casio keyboard, it's probably going to sound like re-warmed crap.By the same token, if I create a highly quantized, not very edited General MIDI file on my 99.00 Casio and then import it to my computer and use Colossus as my playback sounds, it's still gonna sound pretty much like crap too because the MIDI data hasn't been worked with enough to make the samples sound their best.So, once you decide on your new library, you'll still have to learn how to use the MIDI data to trigger the samples. A set of repeated 8th notes at velocity 100 is still gonna sound "MIDI" on a 5000.00 sample library. Every library has it's quirks, strengths and weaknesses. It's like practicing an instrument, it takes time to get up to speed.As an example, on my recent classical submission, I was playing lines on a solo cello and every other note had a different keyswitch trigger, I drew in detailed controller 11 curves to change the timbre slightly on every note, I edited the velocity on a note by note basis and I made sure the notes had just the slightest amount of overlap. A 4 bar passage of only quarter notes could take upwards of 2 hours of editing (and I still wasn't 100% satisfied, I just ran out of time!). And I feel like I'm still just scratching the surface of my library (EWQLO Platinum). Go swing that Big Bertha, man!Mazz

Mazz: It's like I sed on another post in another proboards thread: "Ve get too soon oldt und too late schmardt".What I'm learning is that musicianship is not the same as "winning" was to Vince Lombardi - - musicianship is NOT the only thing!The problem, of course, is that my background is that of a musician, and now I find myself functioning 99% of the time as an audio engineer. The situation reminds me of a reasonably competent swimmer who is told that in order to compete he must learn to skydive.Go figure.So, now I'm trying to learn how to skydive. It's a slow and rather painful process; fortunately, there are some parachutes out there, yourself included.Now, where is Big Bertha when I need her?* * *