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Sample-based synthesis
Sample-based synthesis is a form of audio synthesis that can be contrasted to either subtractive synthesis or additive synthesis. The principal difference with sample-based synthesis is that the seed waveforms are sampled sounds or instruments instead of fundamental waveforms such as sine and saw waves used in other types of synthesis.
Before digital recording became practical, instruments such as the Welte Lichttonorgel (1930s), phonogene (1950s) and the Mellotron (1960s) used analog optical disks or analog tape to play back sampled sounds.
Early sample-based instruments were the Computer Music Melodian, the Fairlight CMI and the New England Digital Synclavier. These instruments were expensive, up to $250,000.
More affordable[peacock prose] sample-based synthesizers available for the masses with the introduction of the Ensoniq Mirage (1984), Roland D-50 (1987) and the Korg M1 (1988), which surfaced in the late eighties.
Sample-based synthesis is featured in sound cards for the multimedia PC, under the names such as wavetable card or wavetable daughterboard.[citation needed] (See Wavetable synthesis § Background)
The principal advantage of sample-based synthesis over other methods of digital synthesis, such as physical modelling synthesis or additive synthesis, is that processing power requirements are much lower. This is because most of the nuances of the sound models are contained in the prerecorded samples rather than calculated in real time.
In contrast to analog synthesizers, the circuitry does not have to be duplicated to allow more voices to be played at once. Therefore, the polyphony of sample-based machines is generally a lot higher. A mitigating factor is, however, that in order to include more detail, multiple samples might need to be played back at once (a trumpet might include a breath noise, a growl, and a looping soundwave used for continuous play). This reduces the polyphony again, as sample-based synthesizers rate their polyphony based on the number of multi-samples that can be played back simultaneously.
A sample-based synthesizer's ability to reproduce the nuances of natural instruments is determined primarily by its library of sampled sounds. In the earlier days of sample-based synthesis, computer memory was expensive and samples had to be as short and as few as possible. This was achieved by looping a part of the sample, and then using a volume envelope curve to make the sound fade away. An amplifying stage would translate key velocity into gain so that harder playing would translate into louder playback. In some cases, key velocity also modulates the attack time of the instrument, leading to a faster attack for loud passages.
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Sample-based synthesis AI simulator
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Sample-based synthesis
Sample-based synthesis is a form of audio synthesis that can be contrasted to either subtractive synthesis or additive synthesis. The principal difference with sample-based synthesis is that the seed waveforms are sampled sounds or instruments instead of fundamental waveforms such as sine and saw waves used in other types of synthesis.
Before digital recording became practical, instruments such as the Welte Lichttonorgel (1930s), phonogene (1950s) and the Mellotron (1960s) used analog optical disks or analog tape to play back sampled sounds.
Early sample-based instruments were the Computer Music Melodian, the Fairlight CMI and the New England Digital Synclavier. These instruments were expensive, up to $250,000.
More affordable[peacock prose] sample-based synthesizers available for the masses with the introduction of the Ensoniq Mirage (1984), Roland D-50 (1987) and the Korg M1 (1988), which surfaced in the late eighties.
Sample-based synthesis is featured in sound cards for the multimedia PC, under the names such as wavetable card or wavetable daughterboard.[citation needed] (See Wavetable synthesis § Background)
The principal advantage of sample-based synthesis over other methods of digital synthesis, such as physical modelling synthesis or additive synthesis, is that processing power requirements are much lower. This is because most of the nuances of the sound models are contained in the prerecorded samples rather than calculated in real time.
In contrast to analog synthesizers, the circuitry does not have to be duplicated to allow more voices to be played at once. Therefore, the polyphony of sample-based machines is generally a lot higher. A mitigating factor is, however, that in order to include more detail, multiple samples might need to be played back at once (a trumpet might include a breath noise, a growl, and a looping soundwave used for continuous play). This reduces the polyphony again, as sample-based synthesizers rate their polyphony based on the number of multi-samples that can be played back simultaneously.
A sample-based synthesizer's ability to reproduce the nuances of natural instruments is determined primarily by its library of sampled sounds. In the earlier days of sample-based synthesis, computer memory was expensive and samples had to be as short and as few as possible. This was achieved by looping a part of the sample, and then using a volume envelope curve to make the sound fade away. An amplifying stage would translate key velocity into gain so that harder playing would translate into louder playback. In some cases, key velocity also modulates the attack time of the instrument, leading to a faster attack for loud passages.