Apple Logic Pro /LogicExpress Discussion

--- In Logic_Cafe@yahoogroups.com, "kirallenpdx" <kirallen@...> wrote:
>
> I just got Logic Studio and am working on a project that calls for
> various Mellotron sounds, but I could not find any such sounds in 
> Logic's vast library. So, I managed to download some but I cannot find
> any instructions in the manuals or on the internet explaining how to
> install them. Many of the files I downloaded have .exs suffixes, but
> others are contained in folders containing numerous .wav files and a
> single .exs file. Still others are in folders with a single .dll file
> and a correlating text file. How do I import these so that Logic will
> recognise them? Thanks for any advice!
>

Hi, I don't know how much you know about samples/samplers so I'll start at the top. 
Typically (but with some commercial exceptions) samplers store the files needed as two 
types, you get one (or many thousand more!) wav/aiff/other audio files which are played 
by the sampler. The other type of file (for logic, .exs) is generally called an instrument or 
program file which contains the info about which sample is played over which note, tuning 
etc.

For the EXS24 (built in logic sampler) the two types of file are either wav/aiff for the sound 
and a .exs file which is the instrument file. Typically you'll have several wav/aiffs and a 
single .exs file (per instrument).

Logic/exs24 doesn't really mind where the audio files go, as long as it can find them to 
load them. On the other hand, the .exs file has to be in one of two locations, either;

'yourHD'/Users/'yourusername'/Library/Application Support/Logic/Sampler instruments. 
This is where the 'user' instruments are kept. Ie non-standard, user added instruments, 
such as what you're adding.

Or;

'yourHD'/Library/Application Support/Logic/Sampler instruments. This is where the 
default instruments are stored. Ie those that are installed with logic as standard.

You can put your instruments in either, but for standard use its best to keep them as 
intended. You can put aliases to other folders in these folders so you don't have to 
navigate deep into the library to add files.

If you do get some soundfont files (a different/3rd party sample format that is compatible 
with exs24) put these into the sampler instruments folder and the next time you use 
exs24 (you may need to 'refresh' if you haven't quit/restart logic after adding them) they 
automatically convert and add the audio part of the instrument (wav/aiff) to a 'soundfonts' 
folder and the instrument (exs) file(s) to the sampler instrument folder.

In your case I'd suggest putting the .exs file in a sub-folder in;
'yourHD'/Users/'yourusername'/Library/Application Support/Logic/Sampler instruments

and the wav/aiffs in a sensible folder alongside any other samples you've added. You may 
be prompted through a series of search dialogues to re-link the audio files the first time 
you load it. You may find it useful to take advantage of the spotlight box in the top right 
of the search window, just start typing in the file name and OSX will find it for you.

The .dll files you've found won't work with exs24, these are dynamic link libraries for 
windows/pc and typically would be used by a pc application, not mac/osx.

Hope this helps, Mike