OK kiddo, it's bedtime now......come on, let's brush those little teeth of yours.....
Well..........you did say talk to you as if you were a two year old !
OK, joke over, onto the serious stuff. What I'm about to say is by no means exhaustive and might cause you further confusion so bear with me. I don't know the technical ins and outs as I've approached all this through a combination of trial and error, rather like you. Back in 2004/05 when I was new with all this and I asked people to explain it the way they would to a 9 year old, only one person ever did. Hopefully those with greater in depth knowledge will add to this.
1. The difference between a DAW and a software sampler is that a DAW is a digital audio workstation, which is a total recording package. Whether it's a
standalone machine with fixed and virtual tracks or a software one { Cubase, Sonar, Logic, Pro~tools, Reaper, Ableton, Audacity, whatever} with almost unlimited tracks that works via the computer and an interface (the stuff you plug your leads and cables into to get to the computer).
As far as I'm aware a software sampler can't do this (although this could be wrong). The software sampler enables you to play samples and even create your own. When you do this, generally you would play those samples with a MIDI keyboard. These usually don't make their own sounds. They only make the noise of whatever they are connected to. But some keyboards with MIDI can be used as a controller keyboard, even though they have their own sounds.
So you could say the software sampler is for creating, housing and playing various instrument/sound effect sounds while a DAW is for recording and mixing voices and instruments in order to make songs.
2.This one has never been clear to me because to me, essentially, they're the same thing. For example, I have the software sampler
Sampletank 2. It comes with more instrument sounds than even Quincy Jones and Queen could use in a lifetime. These sounds are actual samples of actual instruments, rather than synthesized versions of instrument sounds that didn't really sound accurate. When you play the sounds on Sampletank you're getting those sampled sounds. Now, to me, they
are VSTis, which I understand to be virtual instruments. I have other VSTis such as
Celtic Instruments,
Danny Thompson double bass and
Zero G harmonica which I have loaded into Sampletank. They contain single notes so you can play whatever melodies or notes you want to play. They also contain riffs and melodies that I suppose you can work into whatever song you're recording, if you are that way inclined (I tend not to be). On the other hand I also have Cubase 5 loaded into my recording computer (I used to have Cubase SE) but because I use a standalone DAW, I use Cubase to house my other VSTis. So loaded into Cubase is
First call horns,
MTRON (a mellotron),
Lounge Lizard (electric piano),
B4 (Hammond organ),
Miroslav Philharmonik (orchestral instruments) and
Swar systems (Indian instruments). These give me a range of colours to add to my recordings. They vary in quality, but again, to me they are VSTis (virtual instruments), though they are referred to as samples and sometimes sample sound libraries.
3. Basically, if you see the terms 'vsti', 'samples', 'sample sound library', 'virtual instrument', 'sample based' ~ investigate ! I made the mistake of buying
this, which I thought would be a great addition. They said it had samples of Indian instruments etc but when I got it, it wasn't quite what I thought. It was mainly loops and melodies and though I was able to load the instruments I wanted into Sampletank 2, the range was only about 15 notes. Usable, but harder work, than say, Swar systems which, for most of the melody instruments gives at least 3 octaves.
But some DAWs come with VSTis. Cubase 5 came with hundreds of sounds from Halion. But I personally thought they were all fairly lame except for some of the synthesizer and sound effects sounds. So I don't use them. It's hard to say "this sound is better than that sound" because it's really so much down to personal taste. I know what I like. For instance, I used to use the violin and viola sounds in Sampletank 2 until I got Celtic Instruments and Miroslav philharmonik. They're so much better that I'd never use the Sampletank ones on their own again. There's so much variation.
Bear in mind that there are also loads of free samples and VSTis on the net and there are lots of people on this forum with invaluable information on them and where to get them and how to load them.
4. When you put your sample CD/VSTi into the computer, a menu should appear or something that asks you if you take on board all their terms and conditions. As long as you say yes or "I agree" then it should take you to the installer. Basically, most of the ones I have moreorless load them for you. The ones that go into Sampletank 2 are a little more complicated but believe me, I'm technically challenged to the max and I've managed to figure it out.........eventually ! Sometimes, it's taken me months.
Anyway, once loaded, they should show up in Cubase. If you press F11 on your computer keyboard, the list of instruments that have been loaded should show up. As long as your MIDI/controller keyboard is properly connected, just click on the instrument you want to play and the menu of
those instruments should appear. As an example, say I click F11 and a whole list of programmes (MTRON, Lounge Lizard, Miroslav etc) comes up and I want to play some mellotron. I click on MTRON. Then all the different mellotron sounds come up. Say I want the half speed Hammond mellotron, then I click on that and Bingo ! Whatever you're monitoring through (headphones, speakers, whatever), you should now hear loud and clear whatever you play.
I have no idea how to do the MIDI thing where you put in just the notes and then after, apply the instrument you want to play those notes because I play in real time. Go to the
Cubase forum for that. Also, there, someone will tell you how to connect your keyboard so it "speaks" to your virtual instruments/ samples. And importantly, read the manuals. They make bits of sense that help you to join the dots !
I hope that's a useful start.
