You have an unusual small instrument, a sound object, a percussion idea, or you would like to use my own studio piano as a sampling source. At Tonstudio Leipzig I record the sounds cleanly, edit them and prepare them as a WAV collection, a playable sample instrument or a sample library.
Many ready-made sample packs sound like the same sources that plenty of other producers use. If you are looking for a sound of your own, an individual sampling project is more personal. I record small unusual instruments, percussion, sound objects, old favourite pieces, unusual noises, or my own studio piano, and turn them into a sample pack or a playable instrument. That produces no standard sound, but material with character and recognition value. Custom sampling is the personal solution: your own sound, made usable for your productions.
I plan sampling to suit the sound source and your goal, not as a quick single recording. With velocity layers, I record every note at several dynamic levels, usually five steps from soft to loud, so the instrument sounds as alive when played as the original. With round robin, I record every note several times, so repetitions don't sound mechanical. I then map the finished material cleanly into a sampler format: Native Instruments Kontakt (the standard for commercial libraries), Decent Sampler (free), EXS24 for Logic, or the open format SFZ. What matters in the end: clean WAV files, clear naming, suitable microphone placement, and a result you can really use.
You can start small or plan a larger project, there are three packages. A sample pack, the simplest option: a WAV collection of your sounds without mapping, good for dropping straight into your own productions. A sample instrument, the most popular option: your instrument is sampled completely and mapped into a sampler format, you get a finished, playable instrument. A sample library for release: for larger sound collections or your own products for sale. My studio piano suits this particularly well. Large external pianos don't fit this scope, but small instruments, percussion and sound objects do. Everything is asked about and costed individually.
Sampling can start very small and still be very valuable. Here you find typical ideas that are realistic and sensible to do at the studio.
My studio piano, which is over 100 years old, can be used as a sampling source of its own. The sound is warm, a little rougher and more personal than many modern standard libraries. If you are looking for a particular piano character for your music, I can prepare individual samples, chords, textures or a playable instrument from it. You do not have to bring a piano of your own to the studio for that.
You need your own drum sounds, percussion hits, small rhythmic sound sources or unusual noises for your beats. I can record suitable sources at the studio, edit them and prepare them as a clearly ordered sample pack. That suits hip-hop, pop, electronic music, film music, theatre or your own sound design.
Some instruments are small, rare or emotionally valuable. An old music box, a small zither, a flute, an accordion, unusual percussion, a self built sound object or an instrument with a history of its own can be recorded at the studio and preserved as a digital sound collection. Large external pianos are not within the normal scope of this service, but smaller and unusual instruments are very welcome.
If you want not only to use your own sounds yourself but to offer them to other producers, I can support you in preparing them. Depending on the project that means clean WAV files, demo sounds, a clear structure and a description that makes your sonic idea easy to grasp. With projects like these an initial consultation makes sense, so that the concept, the scope and the later use are planned properly.
Noises, rooms, small movements, natural sounds, city atmospheres or everyday objects can be musically exciting too. I can record sources like these, edit them, name them and prepare them as an ordered WAV collection. That is sensible for your own productions, radio drama, film, theatre, meditation, sound design or experimental music.
If you need a sound for a project that should not come from a ready made library, we can develop sound sources specifically. That can be my studio piano, percussion, voice, small instruments, everyday objects or a combination of acoustic material and processing. The point is not that it becomes huge, but that it suits your idea.
Three packages from 350 euros, depending on the depth and the purpose. All packages are costed individually on enquiry. Sampling projects are too individual to standardise in the shop. For a sample pack a simple email or WhatsApp enquiry is enough, while for a sample instrument and a sample library for sale the paid initial consultation makes sense.
I record your instrument, your sound object, your percussion idea or individual sounds cleanly and deliver an ordered WAV collection. You can use these samples directly in Ableton, Logic, FL Studio or another DAW. That is the right option for beats, sound design, atmospheres, your own drum kits or small sound collections.
The most popular option when a sound should be playable later. I record several notes, dynamic levels or variations and prepare a sample instrument for your setup from them. That can make sense for my studio piano, small instruments, unusual sound sources or creative sound ideas. In the initial consultation we settle together how deeply the instrument should really be sampled.
If you want to turn your sounds into your own library or your own sample product, I can support you with the structure, the sound editing, demo material, the description and the presentation. That suits indie artists, producers and creative projects that want to work with their own sounds. I go through the exact strategy with you in the initial consultation.
My studio piano is a great sampling source (see above), particularly for particular tracks, film music, calm piano pads or singer-songwriter productions. If you are interested, simply ask about it.
I choose the microphone placement to suit the instrument. With small instruments, percussion and sound objects a clear stereo setup or a direct close position is often enough. Where it makes musical sense, some room can be recorded as well. The aim is not maximum technology but a sound that is genuinely usable later.
Alongside individual samples I can also prepare small loop ideas, rhythmic phrases or musical building blocks on request. That is especially interesting for beats, electronic music, pop productions or experimental projects. If you have an idea for that, simply describe it in your enquiry.
Good sampling is more than pressing record once. What matters is that the sounds are recorded cleanly, sorted sensibly and musically usable later.
I play the piano myself, work with music every day and listen not only technically but musically. That matters especially with my studio piano, small instruments and unusual sound sources, because not every note has to be treated the same way. I pay attention to what makes the character and to what really works later in a production.
Not every project needs hundreds of individual recordings. Some ideas work as a small WAV collection, others need several dynamic levels, repetitions or playable mapping. I do not decide that in a blanket way but to suit your goal. That keeps the project realistic and still sounding high quality.
Depending on the project I can structure the sounds as WAV files, for a sampler or as a prepared library. What matters is that you can work with the files in the end. So we go through beforehand whether you need Ableton, Logic, Kontakt, Decent Sampler, SFZ or simply audio files.
This mixture of musical listening, realistic planning and clean preparation turns individual recordings into material you will genuinely enjoy using later.
Your own samples can become a personal tool. They store sounds, ideas and small peculiarities you can use again and again.
When a real sound becomes a playable instrument, something special happens. You are not hearing just any library but a source of your own. That can be my studio piano, a small instrument, a sound object or a personal recording. It is exactly that personal connection that makes sampling so interesting.
Across several projects, your own sound keeps showing up, that's what sets your music apart from productions built on standard libraries.
Some sounds are personal. A small old instrument, a music box, a particular piece of percussion, a favourite object or a familiar room sound can be lost later. Through sampling that sound is preserved digitally and can go on being used.
If you want to sell your sounds later, a small product of your own can come out of it. What matters is a clear idea, good naming, clean files, a fitting presentation and a sound that stands apart from standard material.
For film music, theatre, radio drama and media projects, sound sources of your own can be a strong stylistic device. A particular sound can shape a scene, a character or a mood and so do more than an interchangeable standard sound.
With every further project your personal sound collection grows. Step by step you build a library of your own out of sounds that suit your music, your story and your style.
Good preparation makes the difference between an efficient sampling process and chaotic rounds of correction. Six points to settle before your enquiry.
Your own piano, a particular guitar, the family cello, a drum kit, a prepared instrument, voice, a synthesizer, field recording material, everyday objects for foley? The more precise the description, the better the planning. With several instruments in one project the scope changes considerably: a complete piano library is more extensive than a one shot drum sample pack.
The intended use affects how deep the library needs to be. For purely personal use a leaner library with fewer velocity layers is often enough. For a commercial release the full depth becomes important (several microphones, all velocity layers, complete round robin, several target formats). When preserving something for the family the emotional value comes first, and sampling on site at the original instrument matters more than maximising the technology.
Native Instruments Kontakt (the professional standard, with a licence), Decent Sampler (freely available), EXS24 or the Logic sampler (for Apple Logic), SFZ (an open format)? With a commercial library, delivery in several formats is often sensible, so that buyers can use it whatever their setup. For purely personal use, choose the format you work with yourself. If you are unsure which format to choose, there is advice in the initial consultation.
With large, heavy or emotionally valuable instruments (a family piano, an inherited cello) sampling on site makes sense. The instrument stays at home and mobile recording equipment comes to you. With smaller, transportable instruments, or when you want maximum recording quality, sampling at the studio makes sense: controlled acoustics, a professional studio setup. If you are unsure about the acoustics of the room at home, describe it briefly (the size of the room, the furniture, the floor) and you get an assessment.
As with mastering and mixing, references help with sampling too. Name 1 to 3 existing sample libraries that go in the sonic direction you have in mind. Spitfire Audio Albion, Native Instruments Noire, Output Analog Strings or others. That helps when developing the concept together and makes expectations clear. With plans for a commercial library it also means looking at the competition: what already exists on the market, and where your niche is.
Sampling projects take time. A sample pack 1 to 2 weeks, a sample instrument 3 to 6 weeks, a complete piano library 2 to 4 months, a sample library for release 3 to 6 months. If your plans are time critical, ask early. For family occasions (a wedding present, a birthday, preserving an heirloom) name the occasion with the date, so that the schedule fits. For a commercial library release, name the planned sales start.
Four structured steps from the first enquiry to the finished sample library with delivery in your format.
You write me a short note about what you have in mind. What matters is the sound source, your goal, the format you want and whether it should be more of a small sample pack or a playable instrument. With larger ideas I recommend an initial consultation, so that the scope is planned realistically.
With a sample instrument or a larger library we settle together how deep the project should really go. We go through the sound source, the scope, the formats, the microphone placement and the sensible steps of work. For small instruments and unusual sound objects the studio is ideal. Large external pianos are not within the normal scope. My own studio piano, on the other hand, works very well as a sampling source.
The sampling phase itself depends on the project. With small sound sources it is often about clean individual recordings. With a playable instrument, several notes, dynamic levels and variations can be recorded. After that I cut, name and sort the samples and prepare them for the agreed use.
The finished material is prepared in the agreed form. That can be a WAV collection, a sampler format or a playable instrument. Then I check whether the samples start cleanly, are named sensibly and work in musical use. The handover happens in a structured way through a cloud link.
Six important points about the studio, sound sources and the workflow. Small instruments, unusual objects, percussion and my studio piano are easy to plan and record at the studio.
The studio is at Bernhard-Göring-Straße 17 in 04107 Leipzig. For sampling you bring smaller instruments, sound objects or particular sound ideas with you. My studio piano, which is over 100 years old, is available as a sampling source as well. That creates a controlled setting with clear planning for the recording.
Large external instruments, above all a piano of your own, are not within the normal scope of this service. If you have a particular idea you can still ask about it. As a rule, though, this page is about smaller instruments, sound objects, percussion, unusual sounds and my own studio piano at the studio.
My studio piano is also available as a sampling source (details further up with the packages). If you are interested, simply ask about it.
The schedule depends heavily on the scope. A small sample pack is finished considerably faster than a playable instrument with several dynamic levels and clean mapping. If you have a date in mind, name it directly in your enquiry. Then I can judge realistically what is sensibly possible.
If you are coming from another city, it is worth preparing the recording well. With smaller instruments or sound objects a studio appointment in Leipzig is easy to plan. With larger or very delicate instruments we go through beforehand whether the project makes sense in this setting.
With sample instruments, particular sound ideas and larger libraries a paid initial consultation makes sense. You tell me what you have in mind, I check the realistic scope, and together we settle which sampling depth, which format and which process fit. For small sample packs a short enquiry is often enough.
The most important answers before your sampling enquiry. For short questions you can reach me by email or WhatsApp. For a sample instrument and a sample library there is the paid initial consultation in the shop.
Sampling means turning acoustic sound sources into playable digital instruments.
Depending on the project with:
• velocity layers (pp, p, mf, f, ff)
• round robin for natural sonic behaviour
• mapping into a sampler format
The result: sounds of your own for your music.
1. A sample pack: a WAV collection as one shots without mapping.
2. A sample instrument: playable with complete mapping in Kontakt, Decent Sampler, EXS24 or SFZ.
3. A sample library to sell: complete preparation for release with a cover, demos and a description.
All projects on enquiry, so that the scope and the effort really fit.
Large external pianos are not within the normal scope.
With acoustic pianos, often use it as a sampling source. The instrument stays at home.
Simply ask if you have a particular idea.
Important: the setting has to suit the project.
With unusual instruments often the right choice despite compromises in the room, because of the emotional value.
Four main formats:
• Native Instruments Kontakt. the professional standard for commercial libraries
• Decent Sampler. a freely available sampler
• EXS24 / Logic Sampler. built into Apple Logic
• SFZ. an open format supported by many samplers
With commercial libraries, often delivery in several formats.
The difference in quality between a cheap and a professional library.
Velocity layers: every note at several dynamic levels (pp, p, mf, f, ff). The character of the sound changes authentically.
Round robin: every note recorded several times (3 to 5 repetitions), which avoids the machine gun effect.
Both standard with sample instrument packages.
The studio piano is a particular sampling source.
The character of the sound: warm, woody and not sterile.
Possible uses:
• a custom sample instrument based on the studio piano
• a sound design source for prepared piano sounds
If you are interested, simply ask about it.
With a playable sample instrument:
• All several notes as needed
• several dynamic levels per note (pp, p, mf, f, ff)
• several variations per velocity
• clean namingand editing
• a fitting handover
In total: depending on the project.
It depends heavily on the scope:
• A sample pack: 1 to 2 weeks
• A sample instrument of medium depth: 3 to 6 weeks
• A complete piano library: 2 to 4 months
• A library for release: 3 to 6 months
A realistic assessment when you ask.
Yes, both are possible.
Custom drum kits: for hip-hop, pop and electronic music.
Sound recordings: noises, atmospheres and sound objects.
With both, often planned to suit part of the workflow.
Included in the sample library for release package:
• cover design through cover production
• demo tracks with your library
• a description for sales platforms
• platform recommendations: Splice, Loopcloud, Bandcamp
• Advice on legal matters
WAV files at 24 bit.
Sample rate: depending on the project.
What matters is a clean recording, good naming and usable files.
Microphone placement to suit the sound source:
• The studio piano: planned to suit
• small instruments: close or with some room
• percussion: depending on the idea
This page is written for private artists, indie producers and families.
For sample library labels, software makers, commercial sample pack providers: separate business site at unternehmen.leipzig-tonstudio.de.
With indie self marketing you are in the right place here.
Sampling projects aren't offered off the shelf in the shop, because every instrument and every idea is different. Write to me about what you have in mind: a small instrument, percussion, a sound object, a noise, voice, your own sample pack, or my studio piano as a source. With simple ideas, a short enquiry is enough. With bigger projects or a library of your own, an initial consultation makes sense, so we can plan scope, format and effort together.