“Can GigaSampler or GigaStudio load and play Akai samples or do I need a SCSI CD ROM drive?”
GigaSampler and GigaStudio will read Akai CD-ROMs. The GigaSampler includes S-Converter, an Akai CD-ROM reader. You don’t need a special SCSI CD-ROM drive for this to work. The converter works on standard PC CD-ROM drives. The sounds are converted to the GigaSampler format and saved to the hard drive. You can do 3 types of conversion. You can convert a single program to the GigaSampler format. The GigaSampler file includes the sample mapping and stretching, loops, envelopes and filters. You can also extract wave files from the Akai program. The loop, fine tune and unity note will be in the wave files. You can use these to design your own custom instrument. Last of all you can combine several Akai programs into a single GigaSampler file. The velocity splits will be accurately mapped and the mod wheel will switch between the different instruments. The process is very quick. The GigaSampler can convert and play an Akai program much faster than an Akai can load it. You can also batch convert a whole disk at once.