which software sampler for keyboardist

[becky]

hi

i'm the keyboardist in my band (we play rock, pop ...) and right now i'm using a synthesizer to play all the sounds.
but i'm planning to use a midi keyboard together with a software sampler to replace my current synthesizer. i'm going to use the midi keyboard for EVERYTHING (live performance + recording).
most of the time i use sounds like grand pianos, rock pianos, strings, synth strings and some synth leads.
i ABSOLUTELY need the ability to set up different key zones in the soft sampler, as well as to be able to change the instruments for the next song.

so here's my question:
which software sampler suits best for my needs?

i've tried ableton live, which seems to be great! would the included sounds in ableton suite 8 (EIC 2 for example) be good enough for my needs?

i've heard that reason seems to be very good as well. but AFAIK reason is more on the synth lead side (so it's not so good for grand piano, brass sounds ...).

i also read about NI kontakt. but some people say it's quite unstable and a massive resource hog (so maybe not so good for live performances).

i've also tried sampletank 2.5, but it somehow appealed to be more like a toy. moreover it hasn't got many features (in comparison to ableton live).

so what do you think would the best choice for my needs?
or is there even another better soft sampler i haven't mentioned here?

thanks in advance!

 

[ds21]

you might want to check out the "EMU Proteus VX", thought it's only a sampler player (as most are) it comes with lots of sound and it free.

 

[kcearl]

"Sampler" in ableton* is the best software sampler by a long shot...but the sounds in suite will not be all you need by all accounts..professionals that use it back this up


imho (and those professionals) of course

*I pay a monthly subscription to puremagnetik (about $5 a month) and for that I get 2 live sets a month...some are great, some not so great...but still a superb company that has its business plan working right...again imho

 

[noisewreck]

most of the time i use sounds like grand pianos, rock pianos, strings, synth strings and some synth leads.
i ABSOLUTELY need the ability to set up different key zones in the soft sampler, as well as to be able to change the instruments for the next song.

So, then why go the sampler and even more specifically soft-sampler route? Just wondering, because from your description you need a keyboard workstation (Kurzweil PC2/PC3, Korg M3/Triton, Yamaha Motif EX, Roland Fantom, etc.) rather than a soft-sampler. So, I am a bit confused.