I’ve always wanted to try to record a sample library.

Since I have little to no experience in recording and only cheap equipment, I did not expect great results on a technical level. So instead, I was looking for an idea that would set my project apart in a different way.

The Instrument I sampled is the first guitar I ever bought with my own money. That was around 18 years ago. Today, I rarely play acoustic anymore, but I am glad this guitar found a way back into the spotlight, since it really sounds amazing.

I tuned the guitar to an open D tuning and deliberately did not mute any strings when I sampled each note. I also used a capo to ensure that all the sympathetic vibrations could resonate freely for each note. I then recorded seven ascending flageolet tones for every note I sampled. For the higher notes, this was not easy to do. I ended up using a Q-tip to find the correct positions on the fretboard, which worked out well.
These overtones get cumulatively triggered in ascending order with increasing MIDI velocity.
To contrast the harsh attack of the guitar pick, I also recorded me smacking my guitar with a ball of whool. That sound can be dialed in separately.

The result is an instrument that sounds like a mix between a guitar and a steeldrum and feels pretty dynamic, despite having recorded only a single velocity layer.

I would like to encourage anybody to turn up the distortion, as it will turn this instrument from something benign and meditative into a real beast. Make sure to try some power chords and the remaining effects offered in the UI.

Speaking of the UI, it is a little barebones. I got lost in lots of ideas for what functions to incorporate and ended up ditching most of them to make room for some essential things that would provide a lot of sound design options at the same time.
I started working on an overhaul with custom graphics, but my life is pretty busy with work and family, so I have no idea if and when I will release it.

This is my first practical step into the world of sampling and I am sure that I made a lot of mistakes, but it was a very fun learning experience. Please don’t hesitate to give feedback!

I hope you enjoy!

Contributors

Prehm