The best way to understand the IK Multimedia virtual instruments is in terms of a playback engine (SampleTank) and a set of sampled sound libraries, where there are (a) 5 primary sets of sampled sound libraries (Miroslav Philharmonik, SampleTank 2.5 XL, Sonic Synth 2, SampleMoog, and SampleTron), (b) 15 sets of multisampled instrument collections, and (c) 15 sets of loops . . .
Explained another way using an example, Miroslav Philharmonik basically is a set of sampled orchestral sounds that comes with a standalone user interface which is tailored for orchestral instruments but behind the scenes actually is the SampleTank engine, hence instead of conceptualizing it as a player and sampled sound library, conceptualize it as a
sampled sound library designed specifically for use with the SampleTank playback engine . . .
There are separate customized standalone user interfaces for each of the 5 primary sets of sampled sound libraries, and they are tailored to their respective sampled sound libraries, but the underlying playback engine is SampleTank, and you can run all 5 of the primary sets of sampled sound libraries with the SampleTank engine, which incidentally is available for free, where it is SampleTank FREE and is the full SampleTank engine with no restrictions on functionality and so forth, and the free version includes approximately 500MB of selected sampled sounds from the various primary sets of sampled sounds . . .
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NOTE: The information on SampleTank FREE is found at the following link . . . ]
SampleTank 2 (IK Multimedia)This is the official information from IK Multimedia at present regarding the various sets of sampled sound libraries and SampleTank 3, which will be the 64-bit version of SampleTank:
SampleTank 3 will be released in 2013 but not just around the corner. This is a good time to get the VI libraries that will work in it for very good prices but it won't be out right after this sale is over for sure.
[SOURCE:
Peter_IK, one of the IK Multimedia FORUM moderators in the US ]
The multisampled instrument collections are very useful, and they are focused on various instruments, where for example there is a collection of basses that has Hofner Beatle Bass samples that I like, and I like the world instruments collection . . .
For a while, IK Multimedia focused primarily on computer products and hardware controllers for electric guitars, which included AmpliTube and various MIDI pedals, but when it became obvious that the iPod touch, iPhone, and iPad were going to be virtual goldmines, IK Multimedia expanded its focus to include mobile computing products, as did Notion Music . . .
The focus on computer products and hardware controllers continues, but the mobile platform has been very productive for IK Multimedia, and they recently built a new manufacturing facility in Italy where they manufacture various mobile hardware devices, which is fine with me, since some of the revenue most likely is used to fund continuing work on the computer products and hardware controllers, which is the case because IK Multimedia recently released T-RackS CS Grand, which is the new version of T-RackS and includes new signal processors as well as being 64-bit, where "CS" is an abbreviation of "Custom Shop" and is the concept IK Multimedia created for AmpliTube, where there is a Custom Shop that sells specific emulations of various types of amplifiers, loudspeaker cabinets, and effects which are separate from the various AmpliTube packages or collections of amplifiers, loudspeakers, and effects. And this is the concept used in T-RackS CS Grand, where there are individual signal processors sold as custom units in addition to the packages or collections . . .
My best guess is that SampleTank 3 will use the same "Custom Shop" model, where the will be new sampled sounds, but as indicated in the aforementioned quote from one of the IK Multimedia FORUM moderators, SampleTank 3 will support the existing SampleTank 2 sampled sound libraries . . .
Regarding pricing, it always is a good strategy to examine the entire IK Multimedia product line and every discount promotion currently available, because it often is the case that by understanding everything you will find an attractive way to get the most stuff at the lowest price . . .
For example, the Total Workstation XL Instruments bundle has all 5 primary sets of sampled sounds and all 15 of the multisampled instrument collections, and it costs $300 (US), where if you do the arithmetic this maps to $60 (US) per primary sampled sound library, except that you get the bonus of all 15 of the multisampled instrument collections . . .
However, for another $100 (US), you can get the Total Studio 3 bundle instead, which adds AmpliTube 3, T-RackS 3 Deluxe, and CSR Classik Studio Reverb to everything that comes in the Total Workstation XL Instruments bundle, which makes it the most cost effective if you do not have any of the IK Multimedia computer products, and for reference AmpliTube 3, T-RackS 3 Deluxe, and CSR Classik Studio Reverb are 64-bits, where the upgrade to 64-bits for CSR Classik Studio Reverb is done via the free version of T-Rack CS, and there is an upgrade from the free verson of T-RackS CS to T-RackS CS Grand if you have T-RackS 3 Deluxe, which basically is the most affordable way to get the five new signal processors that are added to T-RackS CS . . .
It takes a while to make sense of bundles and discount promotions, but it always is a smart strategy to take the time to understand everything, because IK Multimedia tends to have nearly absurd discount promotions and if you make sense of the various rules, requirements, and so forth, you can get a lot of stuff at an overall discount of 75 percent, where so far the most absurd and vastly complex discount promotion was the 15th Anniversary Group Buy extravaganza last year, which took me approximately a week to understand, with the result that by purchasing selected products in a specific sequence someone who had no IK Multimedia products could get everything IK Multimedia makes for computers, including the hardware pedals and other hardware devices, for approximately $750 (US) as contrasted to the MSRP of $3,500 to $5,000 (US), where the key was understanding that physical hardware products did not count as free or bonus products, so the strategy was to buy the hardware products and then after registering them to use them to qualify for downloadable free products of equal value, which in some respects is like clipping grocery store coupons, but it works . . .
And it depends to a certain degree on the types and genres of music you are doing, where the IK Multimedia products are especially useful for popular music (
DISCO,
Pop,
Rock,
Heavy Metal,
Country Western,
Jazz,
Rhythm and Blues,
Hip Hop,
Electronic, and so forth), but for a bit of contrast if you listen
Classical,
Orchestral,
Symphonic, and other genres on FM radio, then the music probably is run through the one of the physical units that is emulated in T-RackS, so there are good reasons to get some of the IK Multimedia products even when you are doing more orchestra based music, since what happened is that due to various Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and its European counterpart rules regarding broadcast radio, overall signal levels, and so forth various companies created signal processors which primarily ensured that broadcast radio signals always were within FCC and other specifications, but some of these signal processors happened to do some extra stuff that makes recorded, mixed, and mastered music sound better in melodic ways, and record producers and audio engineers discovered this and then started using the signal processors as special effects on songs, which is the case with the T-RackS 3 Deluxe Vintage Program Equalizer EQP-1A which is a very accurate emulation of the vacuum-tube based Pultec Program Equalizer EQP-1A and is used in music production for its unique melodic equalization characteristics, and I use it specifically to reveal and to enhance the deep bass tone of electric basses, including string bass and cello, so it is not just a
Rock and Roll thing or whatever . . .
Lots of FUN!