Connecting vSample to DAW
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Connecting vSample to DAW
Hi! I'm thinking of getting Logic Pro to go with my vSample. Do I need a special cable / equipment to hook it up to a Mac?
The vSample has 5 pin DIN midi in socket and a 3.5mm stereo audio out - to use it with a DAW you need to be able to cable both of those to your computer.
If you have a mic socket in on your mac, then that's a basic way to get audio in. For a more advanced setup, you'll probably want a USB audio interface.
If you don't already have a 5 pin DIN midi out for your computer, then you'll need a USB midi interface which will connect to your computer via USB.
There are units readily available that combine midi and audio ins/outs in a single box eg NI's Komplete, Steinberg's UR-22 etc.
One thing to ask yourself is what the vSample will give you that can't do in your DAW. Unlike the other volcas with their analogue goodness - the vSample is playing the exact same wav files as you can play via a DAW, at a lower bit/sample rate. Once you start sequencing the vSample from a DAW you're effectively using it as nothing more than a sample player - which the DAW does better. If you like tweaking using knobs/buttons, you can do that with a controller for the DAW.
This is pretty much where I'm finding myself right now - I love the vSample as a standalone unit - and I was looking to hook this to a DAW, and settled on Ableton Live. Problem is, Ableton does everything the vSample does, in a better environment - I can't see why I'd go to the trouble to hook up midi and audio to the vSample when I can do everything inside the DAW.
If you have a mic socket in on your mac, then that's a basic way to get audio in. For a more advanced setup, you'll probably want a USB audio interface.
If you don't already have a 5 pin DIN midi out for your computer, then you'll need a USB midi interface which will connect to your computer via USB.
There are units readily available that combine midi and audio ins/outs in a single box eg NI's Komplete, Steinberg's UR-22 etc.
One thing to ask yourself is what the vSample will give you that can't do in your DAW. Unlike the other volcas with their analogue goodness - the vSample is playing the exact same wav files as you can play via a DAW, at a lower bit/sample rate. Once you start sequencing the vSample from a DAW you're effectively using it as nothing more than a sample player - which the DAW does better. If you like tweaking using knobs/buttons, you can do that with a controller for the DAW.
This is pretty much where I'm finding myself right now - I love the vSample as a standalone unit - and I was looking to hook this to a DAW, and settled on Ableton Live. Problem is, Ableton does everything the vSample does, in a better environment - I can't see why I'd go to the trouble to hook up midi and audio to the vSample when I can do everything inside the DAW.
This is where I got to when considering getting the Volca Sample, if you're driving stuff from a DAW there's no point in the device. However recently I've discovered the joy of doing things without the computer forcing myself to go back to basics, and suddenly the vSample seems a much more attractive option.volcaPaul wrote:This is pretty much where I'm finding myself right now - I love the vSample as a standalone unit - and I was looking to hook this to a DAW, and settled on Ableton Live. Problem is, Ableton does everything the vSample does, in a better environment - I can't see why I'd go to the trouble to hook up midi and audio to the vSample when I can do everything inside the DAW.