Refills OR ROM based samplers?

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RobC
Posts: 1833
Joined: 10 Mar 2018

01 Oct 2019

Not sure about current policies, but in the Prop. era, there were no refunds for Refills, but ROM based samplers could be tried for 30 days (if I'm not mistaken). While that ensured that Refills can't be financially ripped off (but they easily can be sample-wise ripped, I'm afraid); with a little work, ROM based samplers can (or could) be ripped without paying anything. Of course, Refills can be more flexible (using in NNXT and alike), and a RE ROMpler can have a certain appeal to it, maybe some fancy features, etc, but as-is, samples stay in the box.

So yeah, piracy is still an issue. Question is which one is a better solution? Or should one not care about it all, and simply release both a RE and a Refill combination?

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MrFigg
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Joined: 20 Apr 2018

01 Oct 2019

I say release what they want. One thing i do know however is that I will never, ever, ever (uh...ever) buy a rompler again. But sure...whatever they’re happiest doing. I
like refills.
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RobC
Posts: 1833
Joined: 10 Mar 2018

01 Oct 2019

MrFigg wrote:
01 Oct 2019
I say release what they want. One thing i do know however is that I will never, ever, ever (uh...ever) buy a rompler again. But sure...whatever they’re happiest doing. I
like refills.
Refills wouldn't be bad, but their copy protection is insufficient. Then again, ROMplers can be ripped, too.

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moneykube
Posts: 3447
Joined: 15 Jan 2015

01 Oct 2019

refills get my vote... yet I imagine they both take up similar space on drives... refills easier to move about through in my limited knowledge of the magic of where things live lol :lol: :lol:
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RobC
Posts: 1833
Joined: 10 Mar 2018

01 Oct 2019

moneykube wrote:
01 Oct 2019
refills get my vote... yet I imagine they both take up similar space on drives... refills easier to move about through in my limited knowledge of the magic of where things live lol :lol: :lol:
Yep, but it's also a question how well the majority of people can work with samples.

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moneykube
Posts: 3447
Joined: 15 Jan 2015

01 Oct 2019

RobC wrote:
01 Oct 2019
moneykube wrote:
01 Oct 2019
refills get my vote... yet I imagine they both take up similar space on drives... refills easier to move about through in my limited knowledge of the magic of where things live lol :lol: :lol:
Yep, but it's also a question how well the majority of people can work with samples.
true
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jlgrimes
Posts: 661
Joined: 06 Jun 2017

01 Oct 2019

RobC wrote:
01 Oct 2019
Not sure about current policies, but in the Prop. era, there were no refunds for Refills, but ROM based samplers could be tried for 30 days (if I'm not mistaken). While that ensured that Refills can't be financially ripped off (but they easily can be sample-wise ripped, I'm afraid); with a little work, ROM based samplers can (or could) be ripped without paying anything. Of course, Refills can be more flexible (using in NNXT and alike), and a RE ROMpler can have a certain appeal to it, maybe some fancy features, etc, but as-is, samples stay in the box.

So yeah, piracy is still an issue. Question is which one is a better solution? Or should one not care about it all, and simply release both a RE and a Refill combination?
It is probably a mixed bag.

A refill would give you probably more control but at the same time the work to achieve the realism could get overwhelming and might even require using more powerful samplers (or alot more creativity using the reason devices).

I think the ROM devices might have a basic level of scripting which could mean more realism. Also the effects tend to be better but Reason effects have gotten better overtime as well but certain things like filters and even nicer GUIs add alot.


If you don't find yourself needing to use the actual samples and just need a Rompler, I would definitely say the ROMPLer, but if you want to manipulate samples, the Refill might have more value.

RobC
Posts: 1833
Joined: 10 Mar 2018

01 Oct 2019

jlgrimes wrote:
01 Oct 2019
RobC wrote:
01 Oct 2019
Not sure about current policies, but in the Prop. era, there were no refunds for Refills, but ROM based samplers could be tried for 30 days (if I'm not mistaken). While that ensured that Refills can't be financially ripped off (but they easily can be sample-wise ripped, I'm afraid); with a little work, ROM based samplers can (or could) be ripped without paying anything. Of course, Refills can be more flexible (using in NNXT and alike), and a RE ROMpler can have a certain appeal to it, maybe some fancy features, etc, but as-is, samples stay in the box.

So yeah, piracy is still an issue. Question is which one is a better solution? Or should one not care about it all, and simply release both a RE and a Refill combination?
It is probably a mixed bag.

A refill would give you probably more control but at the same time the work to achieve the realism could get overwhelming and might even require using more powerful samplers (or alot more creativity using the reason devices).

I think the ROM devices might have a basic level of scripting which could mean more realism. Also the effects tend to be better but Reason effects have gotten better overtime as well but certain things like filters and even nicer GUIs add alot.


If you don't find yourself needing to use the actual samples and just need a Rompler, I would definitely say the ROMPLer, but if you want to manipulate samples, the Refill might have more value.
I'm looking at this from a sound designer point of view, too ~ cause I was thinking about creating for either format. Refills do seem to be more interesting to musicians who get into designing themselves, but then again a unique device with a GUI does have an appeal to it.
I also kind of worried about piracy, but the thing is, they always find a way. Tops syntesizers, utilities and effects are so to say, truly safe with the RE format.
So, all in all, perhaps the best way is indeed providing both a Refill, and an RE.

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Oquasec
Posts: 2849
Joined: 05 Mar 2017

02 Oct 2019

They'd have to make a RE with different or more features than nnxt basically.
If they were to make a RE instead of a refill it'd need to be unique
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RobC
Posts: 1833
Joined: 10 Mar 2018

03 Oct 2019

Oquasec wrote:
02 Oct 2019
They'd have to make a RE with different or more features than nnxt basically.
If they were to make a RE instead of a refill it'd need to be unique
I do have the same feeling that a ROM sampler should be a different category from REs.
I understand the point of refills, but it kind of feels like a little extra is missing. That's why I thought that an optional bonus RE that handles the samples and has an appealing design, might be neat.
But another important thing is, whether Refill or RE - I think there should be some free samples and/or demos - but since it's so easy to save samples, these types shouldn't have a refund option (unless the customer has a fair reason).

HeresJohnny312
Posts: 45
Joined: 26 Feb 2020

27 Feb 2020

Romplers 100%, the quality exceeds most of the refills(not always) but there is always a playback engine with a rompler that is sometimes is creative and exciting as well as pleasing gui and intuitive ux design. Refills are nice but we need a combinator update imo.

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