Yes, this is one of the two (major) "letdowns" I still see in OpenMPT as a user(tracker) at the moment, the other one being the pattern selection logic, where the cursor is a 1x1 field selection itself.

At the moment I create instruments with numerous multisamples in another sample editor where it's easy to do, then convert the finished mapped instrument to Soundfont (SF2) format, so that OpenMPT can read it, and work from there. Works fine, but it's still a quite time-consuming or lets say cumbersome workaround.

The sample mapper in OpenMPT is ugly and non-practical. This needs a major overhaul and update in some time.

Any recommendations (e.g. also how other applications do it) are welcome.
My biggest concerns at the moment are: How should samples be spread across the keyboard when there is no metadata known, e.g. let's say I have just loaded three samples that should be put in an instrument, what would be the most simple way for the user to say what the root note of every sample is? Optimally there should probably be a a fast-lane like "sample 2 is middle-C, and the other sampels are spaced 6 semitones apart" or something like this.

Hey Saga,

I use the NI Kontakt Sampler for all my multisample instrument undertakings. I don't exactly know how they set the root-key when you insert a new sample, but it works breathtakingly fast and easy, I'm at loss for words there really! I can create one multisampled instrument there in 10-30 seconds (and it sounds great and everything is correctly set). In OpenMPT, I'm sitting there for like hours and can't figure it out, for the same thing. ^^ ;)

If you want, I can explain and show it to you in RL when we're meeting again in some time, how it works in Kontakt. It's a lot easier to show than to explain it in written form.

All I can say is it's a breeze to do (Ok, there probably went countless hours and manpower into the Kontakt Sampler, so of course it's a breeze). ;)

You can drag'n drop as many samples as you want into Kontakt, and the way where you put them into the sampler and the horizontal "pianoroll", defines the size and position of the zones. Bam, basically done. Changing the root key is done easly, as well. But as said, I can show it to you at my place in some time, if you want, or via desktop share in Skype, if you have an account there.

We don't need to make another Kontakt sampler here, of course (Kontakt is far more complex than creating multisampled instruments), but this way you can get an idea and inspiration, how this could be somehow done in OpenMPT. Then we can sit down and brainstorm if and how the coders could implement it at least similarly, into the tracker.

For multisampled instruments produced with e.g. Extreme Sample Converter, reading the root key information from the WAV "smpl" chunk may improve automatic creating of instruments. Currently there is code path in OpenMPT which could help with this, so we will need to do some refactoring.

Sounds good! Tell me when there is anything new on the sample editor and multisample instrument creation front on OpenMPT, would be nice to know.

There won't be anytime soon, otherwise this issue would already be marked as "assigned". ;)

Haha, ok, agreed, this is a thing not really quickly done casually. It's a bigger thing and needs quite some redesigning etc.

While it doesn't solve the problem at hand, OpenMPT can now (as of r7312) import (basic) SFZ instruments, which adds another choice of format for importing multisampled instruments.

I agree, a convenient sample mapper is one of those things MPT really lacks and i'd love to see it coming some time in the future. My suggestion is to make it more visual, while showing all the precise, editable numerical information at the same time, with ability to just drag needed samples from the list into the main field, thus creating new zone for every sample, which can be further resized and repositioned to cover desired note range. Something akin to DirectWave, a sampler that comes with FL Studio, would be really nice (of course in very simplified form initially, and without some features (like velocity mapping, since MPT doesn't even support that), just to apply the general idea).

Example images attached (my quick idea sketch and DW screenshot for comparison and inspiration)

I dont know if i get it right
but to play more than one sample with one note of one instrument would be awesome.
this would be very usable.

what i dream of is to hit some note and it will play some samples 3-5 would be cool
each sample with own envelopes
but all in one instrument pitchable

so a user can play a melody (pitchable) with let us say 3 samples but each sample could have its own envelope and looppoints.

sounds silly but i would like it

i would stick some different samples together with different envelopes
so i could play one note and it will hit 2 samples and one of them will just play as normal but the other sample with a looppoint and after some time maybe the envelope of a third slope would start
actualy i split such asembled noises on to different chanels
but if i could hit such a multi sample/multi envelope instrument all in one ..... i think it would be very cool
in the other hand it maybe gets totaly confusing because it is a bit like loading instruments into instruments... i realy dont know if this is even possible