Creating GIGASTUDIO Sample Sets

In this tutorial I provide steps on how to create Gigastudio sample sets from the Redford Barton Hauptwerk/GrandOrgue sample set wave files. The tutorial is presented in two parts:

• 1. Preparing the wave files,

  2. Using LinuxSampler/Gigedit to create the Gigastudio file

I have chosen to only use free software within this tutorial, but the principles explained within the steps can be performed using commercial software like Sony Soundforge and Gigastudio Editor.

Preparing the Wave Files

Create a new folder on your harddrive and copy over the sample folders from your Hautpwerk/GrandOrgue sample set. This tutorial is written for Theatre Organ samples which will have a non-trem folder and and a tremulant folder for each rank, but th one can do the same for a classical organ sample set - just with the tremulant folder and the modulation controller ignored.

The Gigastudio specification uses a separate wave file for the release portion of the sample, and can only address a single loop portion within the sustaining wave file portion. The first step to creating the Gigastudio sample set file is to examine the samples for multiple loops and select/save the best one. The next step will be to create the separate wave files containing the attack/sustain portion and the release portion.

Selecting The Single Loop Portion

Download and install the open-source LoopAuditioneer application from http://sourceforge.net/projects/loopauditioneer/?source=dlp

In LoopAuditioneer, load the rank's folder to populate the right hand column with the list of wave sample files (File -> Choose Folder). Double click on the first wave file to load it into the preview window within the bottom portion of the LoopAuditioneer screen. You will now see the loop markers (the red lines) and the release marker (the green line).

(Click on the image to view it in full size)

Some wave files may have two or more loops. You can click on the loop row in the loop table and then use the Play button (arrow) to preview what the loop sounds like. If there is only one loop you may proceed to the next wave file by double clicking on it. If there is more than one loop, the save the best sounding loop by deselecting the other loop(s) and clicking on the Save button. Then proceed to the next wave sample. In general you should be selecting the longest loop or the loop closest to the end of the sample, as this gives the greatest amount of 'original sample' material and adds to the authenticity quality of the resulting sample set. Do this for both the non-trem and tremulant folders of the rank.

Create Separate Attack/Sustain and Release Wave Files

Now that we have just a single loop in each of the sample wave files, we can proceed to the next step, which is creating a separate wave file for the attack/sustain portion of the sample, and a separate wave file for the release portion of the sample.

Create a second copy of the non-trem rank folder and rename it to include a 'Rel' suffix (i.e. Diapason and DiapasonRel). We are going to use the release portion from the non-tremmed sample for both the non-trem and the tremulant definitions within the Gigastudio sample set.

Attack/Sustain Portion

Download and install the free Tiny Wave Editor (TWE) from Yamaha: http://faq.yamaha.com/us/en/article/musical-instruments/keyboards/synthesizers/ex5/725/1430/downloading_tiny_wave_editor_software .

In TWE open the first wave file from the non-trem non-release folder (i.e. 036-C from the Diapason folder). Select the attack and loop portions of the wave file and trim the wave file to just include that portion (Ctrl-T). You can use the Zoom + and - buttons to better fit the view into your screen to make it easier to select the attack/sustain portion of the file.

(Click on the image to view it in full size)

Once you have trimmed the wave file, save it (Ctrl-S) and close it (Ctrl-F4), and then open the next file in the folder and do the same until all the files in the folder have been trimmed.

Release Portion

In TWE, open the first wave file from the release folder (i.e. 036-C from the DiapasonRel folder). Select the release portion of the wave file and trim the file to include just that portion (Ctrl-T). As the release portions of most of these samples were processed differently to the attack/sustain portion you will sometimes find a discontinuity within the wave file where the release marker would be seen (TWE does not display the release marker)