$6K PRS Line 6 Giveaway

IK Multimedia SampleTank 3 - Upgrade from SampleTank 2 XL (boxed)

Sample-based Workstation with 33GB of Sounds - Mac/PC Standalone, AAX Native, VST, AU
Share
Item ID: ST3up

Sorry, the IK Multimedia SampleTank 3 - Upgrade from SampleTank 2 XL (boxed) is no longer available. We've left this page up for reference only.
Check out the great alternatives on this page or call toll-free (800) 222-4700 to speak with a Sweetwater Sales Engineer about similar products.

We recommend these great replacements:
IK Multimedia SampleTank 3 - Upgrade from SampleTank 2 XL (boxed)
IK Multimedia SampleTank 3 - Upgrade from SampleTank 2 XL (boxed)
Skip to Description
Most Popular Accessories & Related Items
Back to navigation

This article was Written By

Our Product Research Team

Get to know them!

A Completely Redesigned Industry Standard!

Note: This is an opportunity for owners of IK Multimedia SampleTank 2 XL and Miroslav Philarmonik (Full Version) software to upgrade to SampleTank 3 at a special price.

IK Multimedia's SampleTank 3 is a robust sample-based workstation that gives you over 33GB of samples, 4,000 ready-to-play instruments, 2,500 rhythm loops, and 2,000 MIDI files. Employing a completely retooled software engine, SampleTank 3 delivers ultra-realistic articulations, creative pitch-shift/time-stretching, and a sizable collection of filter effects - without taxing your CPU. SampleTank 3's redesigned interface makes editing child's play by putting all controls easily within your reach. Whether you're surgically retouching a single parameter or dramatically reprogramming an entire sound, SampleTank 3 makes it effortless. SampleTank has always been a top-seller at Sweetwater, so we're pretty fired-up about the newly-redesigned IK Multimedia SampleTank 3!

IK Multimedia SampleTank 3 Software-based Workstation at a Glance:
  • SampleTank is the result of more than a decade of innovation
  • Massive quantity of content provides plenty of creative options
  • Retooled software engine delivers an ultra-realistic performance
  • Built-in MIDI engine lets you build killer grooves
  • Analog-modeled and digital effects for professional-sounding sonic creations
SampleTank is the result of more than a decade of innovation

Originally released in 2001, SampleTank was the first plug-in to offer multi-part sampled sound with integrated effects. Created in collaboration with Sonic Reality, SampleTank proved immensely popular, providing DAW-based musicians with the ability to play sampled musical instruments via MIDI with built-in effects. SampleTank 2 hit the industry in 2003, carrying the torch as the industry-standard sound workstation thanks to its quality sounds, ease of use, and innovative features. Now, building up on the features of its predecessor, SampleTank 3 is here to become a staple piece in your studio's sonic arsenal!

Massive quantity of content provides plenty of creative options

Shipping with over 33GB of samples, 4,000 ready-to-play instruments, 2,500 rhythm loops, and 2,000 MIDI files, SampleTank 3 offers a plethora of pianos, drums, basses, guitars, brass, strings, vocals, and just about anything else that you can think of. This isn't just a budget collections of mediocre samples, either. Recorded using world-class musicians in world-class studios, SampleTank 3's content has a quality and character that rivals the best dedicated virtual instruments. IK Multimedia SampleTank 3 is ready to liven up your compositions with realistic, expertly-played instruments.

Retooled software engine delivers an ultra-realistic performance

Employing dozens of novel features, SampleTank 3 delivers an ultra-realistic performance, while being efficient on your CPU and fast to load sounds. SampleTank 3's new round robin sample switching activates several samples for each given note, creating an ultra-organic, hyperrealistic acoustic sound. You can even use key switch, modulation wheel, or velocity switch commands to perfectly emulate natural-sounding performances that sound incredibly lifelike. You can also use SampleTank 3's three synth engines, along with its substantial collection of filter effects, to create unique new electronic sounds.

Built-in MIDI engine lets you build killer grooves

When combined with its considerable collection of grooves and MIDI patterns, SampleTank 3 allows you to quickly and easily build out-of-this-world rhythm tracks directly inside the software and export them to your DAW. By using SampleTank 3's multi-part pattern player, you can load up to 16 recycled loop patterns or MIDI patterns with full control over transposition, intensity, and quantization. You'll be creating complex and inspiring grooves in no time by combining drums, percussion, and bass patterns - all within SampleTank 3!

Analog-modeled and digital effects for professional-sounding sonic creations

SampleTank 3 goes well beyond cheesy-sounding reverb and chorus effects. By integrating their world-renown high-end analog-modeled and digital effects, IK Multimedia has injected SampleTank 3 with unprecedented sonic flavor. You can use AmpliTube vintage analog-modeled effects like Chorus-1 or TapeEcho directly on your keyboard or bass sounds. Use can use a rotary speaker on your organ sounds, or T-RackS outboard like the Black76, White 2A, or Model670 on your drum sounds. You'll absolutely love what SampleTank 3's convolution reverb does for your grand pianos!

IK Multimedia SampleTank 3 Software-based Workstation Features:
  • NEW - Over 33GB of never released sounds provide plenty of creative options
  • NEW - Over 4,000 new instruments in 21 instrument categories for easy composing
  • NEW - Redesigned interface retains SampleTank's ease of use and fast operation
  • NEW - Multichannel mixer for straightforward effects routing
  • NEW - Round robin sample switching delivers ultra-realistic performance
  • NEW - 64-bit architecture allows access to more RAM for better performance
  • 16 parts multitimbral with layerable parts allow for creative flexibility
  • STRETCH, Pitch-shift/Time-stretch, and Resampling synth engines for creating unique sounds
  • Built-in MIDI engine lets you build killer grooves and rhythm tracks
  • Analog-modeled and digital effects for professional-sounding sonic creations
  • Fast-loading and efficient CPU taxing for trouble-free live performances
  • Memory-management feature loads sounds in RAM together for instant availability
The redesigned IK Multimedia SampleTank 3 sample-based workstation will make your compositions come alive!

Resources

Back to navigation

Tech Specs

  • Manufacturer Part Number: ST-300-UCD-IN

What Makes Our Sales Engineers Great?

Sweetwater Sales Engineers are a world-class team of experts dedicated to you. Hand selected from across the globe, each brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the world of music gear to provide you with unparalleled service completely free of charge. Friendly relationships, real trust, and the right gear are only a call or a click away!

Back to navigation
Hear from a Sales Engineer
What Do Our In-house Gear Experts Think?
IK Multimedia's SampleTank has been a great choice as a software sample playback engine for more than thirteen years. It's always been easy to learn, easy to operate, and it came with a great library; and several great expansion modules gave it even more versatility. Now, IK has released version 3 of SampleTank. I installed it on my Mac to take it for an extended spin in my studio. PC is also supported; plug-in formats include Audio Units, VST, VST 3, and AAX, and SampleTank 3 can run standalone as well. WHAT YOU GET SampleTank 3 has been fully redesigned with a new user interface, new mixer, creative effects, and more. The SampleTank 3 package comes with over 33GB of sample library. I didn't count them all, but according to IK that includes 4,000 instruments in 21 instrument categories, 2,500 rhythm loops, and 2,000 MIDI files. The arsenal is comprehensive: acoustic and electronic drums, acoustic and electric pianos, basses, organs, guitars, a wide range of orchestral instruments, synth leads and pads, special effects, percussion, vocal instruments; it's all there. The library is uniformly excellent in quality. The best part about it is that all the sounds are useful; there's no fluff here. You can easily assemble an ensemble for any genre, cover EDM, do acoustic mockups, and create release-quality productions. If you want to go beyond the included instruments, editing is a breeze in SampleTank 3. SampleTank doesn't attempt to pursue tweaky-deep editing; the options are straight-ahead and practical, mainly in synth-parameter territory. This means that you can quickly dial in the changes you want and customize the response and tone of instruments easily. But this doesn't mean that you can't twist and turn sounds using powerful pitch-shift and time-stretch capabilities as well as resample sounds. Ten filter types are available and each instrument gets eight "macro" controls for fast adjustments on the fly. You can also quickly and easily create split and layered instruments. Then there is the new mixer. Each instrument you load (16 multitimbral parts can be loaded on separate MIDI channels at a time) gets a channel in the mixer. You can load up five insert effects per channel and also bus to effects using aux sends and four stereo returns (which can also have five insert effects each). The stereo master outs also support five insert effects. The whole thing works just like a hardware analog mixer. A range of 55 analog-modeled AmpliTube and digital effects are included so you can shape the response exactly how you like it. Convolution reverb, rotary speaker, tape echo, chorus, and much more are all available for processing sounds in the mixer. The final part of the puzzle is control. You can, of course, play the sounds in SampleTank 3 using a controller keyboard, pad controller, MIDI guitar...any MIDI source, and you can also, of course, sequence MIDI parts for SampleTank using your DAW. But an additional feature is that SampleTank 3 has a built-in MIDI engine and can play back MIDI files — in fact, you can load up to 128 MIDI patterns for each multitimbral part. A Global Play button starts and stops playback for all 16 parts at once. This is especially useful when SampleTank 3 is running standalone. And, you can export SampleTank's MIDI files into your DAW. Pretty cool. IN USE The word for SampleTank 3 is "fast." It's easy to find sounds, they load up quickly, and the controls are laid out in such a way that no manual is required for most operations. SampleTank 3 utilizes 64-bit architecture, so it can take full advantage of the RAM in your computer to load large sounds (and lots of them) and to operate efficiently. This makes SampleTank 3 well-suited for studio use and for composers and songwriters, as you might expect. But it also pays huge dividends when you take SampleTank 3 onstage for a live gig. This is where the fast loading and the ability to have a set list-worth of instruments and effects pre-loaded comes in handy. There's even a "Live" tab in the software that's designed specifically to facilitate performance onstage. If you're looking for a killer sampled library driven by a powerful synth engine that operates efficiently and loads quickly, with tons of effects and processing capabilities, then SampleTank 3 deserves your attention. Pile on the MIDI file playback and other extras, and you've got a package that rocks both stage and studio!
read more