sample length/release loop

[Hirundo]

I'm considering buying a Prophet X, and I love long, ambient/atmospheric pads. I've read that there's no release loop for the samples, so they can cut off on sounds with long releases. How often does that come up for you all? Are most of the samples long enough that they don't require release loops? Thanks!

[Lady Gaia]

I'm considering buying a Prophet X, and I love long, ambient/atmospheric pads. I've read that there's no release loop for the samples, so they can cut off on sounds with long releases. How often does that come up for you all? Are most of the samples long enough that they don't require release loops? Thanks!

Samples can be played back with arbitrarily long release times, but it's true that the Prophet X will currently use the sustain loop during the release portion of the envelope.  There is no support for multiple loops in a single sample, or for playing any portion of the sample that follows the loop used for sustain.

Voices will only cut off if you have a short release, or if you exceed the polyphony limits of your current mode (eg: trying to pay a ninth note while eight voices are sounding in the 8-voice stereo mode will result in voice stealing, which will cut off one of the notes currently sustaining or decaying due to a long release.)

[Hirundo]

So any sample that can loop indefinitely during the sustain phase will continue using that loop during the release phase? That sounds fine with me, except I read this in its Sound on Sound review: "you can only loop during the Sustain phase of a sound; looping during the Release phase in not possible so you have to be careful not to design a sound that’s curtailed unnaturally when you release the key."

So when will and when won't a sample work for sounds with long releases?

[Lady Gaia]

So when will and when won't a sample work for sounds with long releases?

I'm a good 2600 miles away from my Prophet X right now so I can't confirm anything for certain, but I've used a number of very short looped samples before and I've never noticed any problems with long releases.  Someone else might be able to confirm this experimentally for you.

[Hirundo]

I bought the PX I was looking at and I love it. I too have come across no instance where the sustain loop cuts off during the release stage. Maybe SOS just read "no release loops" in the manual or literature, and extrapolated (incorrectly) from there? Anyway, thanks!