Inside the evolution of orchestral sampling: an interview with ProjectSAM | Native Instruments Blog

What core philosophy has stayed the same since the days of Symphobia or True Strike, and what has changed the most about your approach?

What has remained constant since we started ProjectSAM in 2001 is our absolute focus on sound quality and articulations. Back then, industry-leading libraries were primarily recorded with close microphones, meaning you had to drench them in reverb to achieve a realistic orchestral sound. We felt differently. We believed capturing the natural acoustic perspective of an orchestra from a distance would create a much more convincing experience. We recorded a free proof of concept with local conservatory players, and the response nearly crashed our school’s server.

What has changed most dramatically is software development, user interface design, and social media. In the early days, you hardly needed a GUI. Products like SAM Horns were simply collections of presets for GigaSampler and Kontakt, and supporting multiple physical DVD installation formats was a buggy challenge. Today, modern libraries demand extensive coding, scripting, and UI design. Since 2008, we have focused exclusively on Kontakt, and Lineage Strings is our first library developed entirely for Kontakt 8. Focusing on a single platform allows us to dedicate all our energy to delivering the best possible sound and musical experience.