Freesound Forums

hello,
i've uploaded a few hundred sounds that are grouped in several packs. many of the sounds in each pack are to have the same tags and discriptions (for instance, there's a large number of vocal syllables for which i do not wish to choose unique tags/descriptions). i don't see how this can be done; it seems that i have to type stuff (or cut paste) for each sound, even though i wanna give them all the same tags. that is, in the 1st step of the description process, i have to check off each sound, one by one (a "select all" or "mark all" option would be nice), and in the next step i have to put in the descriptions one by one.

naturally, one concern is that perhaps we don't WANT many many sounds to have the same descriptors, but then again, in some cases (like 200 little samples of isolated vocal syllables) don't need to have unique descriptors...

anyone have any ideas?

thank you,
a

I started opening "notepad" and copying and pasting redundant descriptions since I find that If I try to upload more than 6 sounds a time my PC freezes up. I do a lot of multisamples so the descriptions are essentially the same. I sometimes put a reference line in the description that says "file name indicates" ____. So if you are downloading "snareverb.wav" or "crash.wav" from a drum sample pack it's obvious.

I see some people put 1 of 20 in samplepack "*", and what the format is, but that stuff is right there when you hit the sound link. So I don't see the point in saying this file is a 16bit wav in 44.k format when you can already see it below the wave form...

I'd like to be able to upload a sample pack in one shot and put the tags and description on the samplepack itself. If there is something unique about a particular sample, you can always go back and edit the description... what do think?

i have no trouble uploading multiple files at a time.
i'm using an FTP client on Mac OS X, and i've successfully uploaded about 600 samlples in the last few days, many more to come. however, none of thm are available to all yet cuz i haven't tagged them. and yes, like you, i'm uploading a lot of multisamples with very very descriptive files names. so i'd like to describe the whole multisample in one go.

incidentally, what's the difference between "multisample" and a "sample pack" ?

a

You guys also have to remember you're putt'n a beating on the site too. Within a short few days the site sees a shitload of files. I have a large library of drum kits that I've been putting up but no other large amount of files like that. I find it's a slow and tedius process, bypasses the descriptions which I actually read and if someone looks at my sounds all they see is 600 bleeps and blobs. I'm going to try to keep my stuff within reason. Just my 2 cents.

> You guys also have to remember you're putt'n a beating on the site too.

with all due respect, as far as i can tell, the entire freesound project's success depends on the size/quality of the library, the quality of the analysis and the quality of the descriptors provided by hand. we can't do much about the analysis, but the size/quality of the library and the hand-written meta data is what we CAN help.

now if you mean that the particular server that the freesound project is running on right now is going to have trouble with an addition 2-3 thousand files, then 1) what do you think bram?, and 2) one day, sooner or later, there'll be a bigger better server. presently, i believe it's imperative to make the database as rich as possible.

a

I was encouraged to upload as much as possible. I don't upload 30 minute recordings of my backyard and shit like that, mine are usually a few seconds long and in the case of drums should be mono to be panned as needed in a sampler or tracker. All multisamples should be mono in most cases unless a seperate waveform on each channel make the sound what it is. A snare sounds the same in my left ear and my right ear, so I want them mono and pan them in appropriately to the actual position they would be in a kit that I build in my software or on my Alesis sound cards.

Multisample= individual samples of deifferent notes from the same instrument as apposed to stretching the same note over the keyboard. It makes the sampler sound more realistic as it has to do less work to make the different sounds.

Samplepack= group of samples, could be multisamples or just similar sounds.

I believe my descriptions and tags are adequate... although I should add the word "thunder" or "prac" to my tags to get more downloads!

thank you noisecollector; we're on the same page, upload as much as possible, short sounds, properly labled, ready to put into large sampler instruments. and thanks for the clarification of multisample v. sample pack; i thought the terminology was something particular to freesound, but your description is what i understood from the words.

a

thanks... but also I do similar to what some call field recording as well... recordings of phone calls things like that. I wouldn't go so far as to say the only reason for anyone to use this site is for sampling. I like some of rbh's weather sounds and other stuff I can use for soundscapes in my songs without getting sued or paying through the nose for a damn sound of a pigeon or something. I think as long as you clearly describe the sounds pasting is no roblem. Another point in favor of labeling the sample packs. You could browse the description to see if it's worth looking into further. Another consideration is the fact that although English is the primary language of the site, it is not nessesarily the primary language of the user. I can read and speak a few languages but I'm not so sure my descriptions would make as much sense in the translation. I recomend for any non english speaking people to use the google language tools... they do a fairly decent job if you limit it to 2- 3 word phrases. I just added about a hundred more samples to burn up the server too... sizzzzle....

batchku
now if you mean that the particular server that the freesound project is running on right now is going to have trouble with an addition 2-3 thousand files, then 1) what do you think bram?, and 2) one day, sooner or later, there'll be a bigger better server. presently, i believe it's imperative to make the database as rich as possible.

The server can handle over 50.000 samples without too much trouble.

You are 100 right about the meta-data / descriptions. If they aren't good, all hope is lost.

Even MORE when you're uploading "packs" as there needs to be ways to differentiate between these samples. Say you upload a bassdrum pack and you describe all of the samples with just "bassdrum". If someone is looking for "bassdrum" he will fiond ALL of the samples. If he looks for "boomy bassdrum" he will find... none. That's pretty bad.

NoiseCollector, please stop trying to tell people descriptions aren't that important, becuase they really are! Remember that even I once in a while slap you on the wrist for not-too-good descriptions <grin>

I think Multisamples can be describes in same wording, as long as the note-name is in the description:

"Multisample of my guitar. Dark sounding tone, quite noisy, recorded with XYZ and effects UVW, this one is D#4"

- Bram

Bram,

I agree, Descriptions are important. I meant "aif, 44100kHz, 705kbps, 16 bit, Mono" are included when uploaded and were not as crucial as subject matter, recording technique etc...

Multisamples should have a clear description and tags. Naming each note in the description seems redundant if the sample names indicate frequency and the tags and description clearly indicate that each file is a seperate note. Would a line like "filename indicates frequency" suffice in the description? What if I'm not sure about the tuning?

Uploading sounds is not the problem, it's the spell check and describing that slows down my PC. So I dare not attempt to describe more than 6 files at a time. Which makes cutting and pasting the only efficient way to get consistant descriptions on sounds that are virtually identical.

A tag and description on sample packs that applies to all sounds in it would resolve that. And then just a simple tag/description on individuals would differentiate them. Example:

Sample Pack: tags= electric guitar chord multisample distortion

Description: Power chords from a '71 Strat recorded onto dat through ABC this and XYZ that.

Sounds could include the tag and description from the sample pack template and then you could easily add details to each one. But do people really search tags and descriptions for individual note name? Just curious, anyway. Sorry if you thought I was downplaying descriptions... just takes me forever to do. Will send you another 45,000 sounds with good descriptions

mmhm, my samples were from the lists remotely because of a too rough paraphrase...i knew that one of this topic appears once again...it should hand a single basic description for a primary detail the recorded sounds anyway...I think people would also rather otherwise participate here...
i don't hope to have strayed from the topic too much ...cu

tro