Review: Magix Samplitude 10
Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Jason Blum
GIANT DAW-PLUS-MULTITRACK-EDITOR IS THE AUDIO WORLD'S UNKNOWN SOLDIER
PLUG-IN POWER
Samplitude 10's plug-in bundle is a bit lean in comparison to others, but what the program lacks in quantity it more than makes up for in quality. I was particularly impressed with Samplitude's EQ and multiband compression when I reviewed version 6 in 2002, so I was pleased that the latest version includes all of that same gear along with even more powerful and flexible tools for bending and shaping audio.
Particularly noteworthy are the Magix plug-ins, a suite listed separately in Samplitude's menus that contains nine quality tools, including compression, tape and amp simulation, modulation, delay and reverb. I wasn't particularly impressed with the somewhat thin and plastic reverb tails when compared to the older convolution reverb. However, the rest of the suite is topflight. I particularly liked Am|munition, a compressor/limiter that works wonders on main-bus compression. When coupled with a light touch on the controls, Am|munition provides a remarkably transparent volume boost that's perfect strapped across the main fader. It's also equally adept at mercilessly crushing rogue peaks and pumping hard when configured aggressively, and it even includes a sidechain input — perfect for ducking frequency-hogging instruments out of the way when you need to let another sound shine through.
Unfortunately, Samplitude 10 sorely lacks quality VST instruments. Only two are provided: a single sample playback device and a somewhat limited (but entertaining) drum sequencer. Neither are the stuff from which hit records are spawned; you'll need your own VSTi's to make Samplitude a full-fledged digital-production environment.
CD FACTORY
Samplitude gets another leg up on the competition with robust audio editing and integrated CD-burning facilities. Being deeply immersed in the Wavelab/Cubase world for quite some time, it's nice to work with a single program that brings together the capabilities of both those applications. It was especially convenient for my mastering projects, where providing a finished copy in CD format is part of the job. Burning projects straight out of Samplitude is a click-and-forget process, thanks to a handy, automated tool that inserts track indexes at object boundaries. More detailed editing is possible, including support for CD text, sub-indexes, ISRC codes and more. My mastering projects went from source files to finished, production-ready discs without ever leaving Samplitude.
BAD 'TUDE
Samplitude 10 does lack one major capability: video support. Samplitude has always been an audio-centric application, but with other programs such as Cubase, Logic and now even Ableton Live offering video capability for the same price (or less), this omission seems unusual and puts Samplitude at a disadvantage. Magix offers a video-capable version of Samplitude called Sequoia, but with its wallet-crushing $3,000 price tag, it's certainly not the most cost-effective way of getting video in your studio.
Another issue that occasionally marred my tests was unusual behavior with Universal Audio UAD-1 plug-ins. Most of the time, Samplitude handled these accelerated plug-ins without a hiccup, pre-buffering audio and calculating latencies so all tracks played back in time regardless of processing delay. However, on occasion the program would lock up tighter than Fort Knox while switching between objects that used these effects. Whenever this happened, I was forced to close the program and reload a backup session.
I also had problems freezing audio clips with UAD plug-ins. The freeze process itself worked fine, but after unfreezing I was unable to open the plug-in windows to make changes. They still showed up in the object's processing chain, but I was unable to work with any of the plug-in GUIs. Other plug-ins in the chain worked normally after unfreezing, so clearly there are some compatibility problems between Samplitude and UAD plug-ins; I'm not sure if that extends to other DSP-powered plug-ins such as TC Electronic PowerCore, but if you rely on such systems for studio work, I recommend test driving a demo version of Samplitude to make sure it's compatible with your rig.
Samplitude is certainly not an inferior program when stacked up against other popular sequencers, so the reason it doesn't have a huge following of zealous users in the States I can only chalk up to lackluster marketing on this side of the pond and possibly a professional distaste for Magix's wide selection of other low-grade consumer products. Perhaps Magix already ceded the pro market to Cubase, Logic and others with deeper pockets and heavy name recognition. It's a shame, though, because Samplitude has a unique perspective on editing and sequencing that makes it a pleasure to use on a daily basis. I really love Samplitude's object-oriented processing, and the ability to chain an endless number of plug-ins offers unprecedented flexibility that outstrips virtually every other DAW.
Another reason Samplitude probably hasn't realized heavy uptake is its hefty price. It's never been the cheapest player in the game, and with Cakewalk Sonar 7 and Apple Logic Studio clocking in at $499, Samplitude Pro's $999 street price seems stratospheric. Even the flagship version of Cubase is a full $200 less. Anyone looking to get a budget studio off the ground will be best served by one of the those other programs, all of which include a broader range of tools out of the box for less money. However, existing studios with a large library of third-party plug-ins will find that Samplitude justifies its lofty price — at least in part — by fusing a powerful sequencing and audio engine with a smooth and intuitive workflow.
MAGIX SAMPLITUDE 10 > $999 (PRO), $499 (STANDARD), $299 (MASTER)
Pros: Powerful object-based processing. Excellent plug-in suite. Great ergonomics and gentle learning curve. Customizable interface. Pristine sound quality with 384 kHz support. Integrated audio editing and CD burning.
Cons: Few bundled VST instruments. No video facilities. Expensive.
Contact: www.samplitude.com
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
PC: P4 or Athlon/2.4 GHz; 512 MB RAM; Windows 2000/XP/Vista; 16- or 24-bit ASIO-compatible soundcard
PUT IT ON LAYAWAY
Pay-as-you go software is a rarity in the pro audio world. Magix bucks that trend by allowing you to rent Samplitude 10 rather than buy it outright and potentially break the bank. Samplitude's rental scheme actually sounds more lease-like than anything. Magix offers the product for a minimum 25-month term with an option to renew or “buy out” at the end, and at $39.99 a month for the Pro version, that winds up working out to about the same price as purchasing Samplitude outright. It may seem strange to pay a monthly fee for audio software when there aren't any obvious cost savings involved, but there are some advantages to consider — not the least of which is two complimentary major version upgrades, typically priced around $250 each. If you're the kind of user who always upgrades when a new version hits the streets, that potential $500 savings might be the nudge you need to sign on the dotted line.
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