One things for certain, the recently updated Impact XT, and Sample One XT instruments in Studio One Version 4 are extremely powerful - and in many cases can easily replace your previous ‘GoTo’ 3rd party VST’s. (No need to name any name's here, but I'm sure you know which I'm referring to.)
To make things even more enticing, they also have a handy feature built right in that allows users to easily export and share their own custom virtual instruments with others!
Now I know what some of you may be thinking - "Why would I need to do that?" Well the simple answer is, when you are working on one system, or sharing a song file, it's not that big of a deal. BUT, the minute you need or want to use the same instrument on another song, or more importantly another system, you may run into problems.
Presets created in Impact XT, or Sample One XT need to reference the location (file path) of any samples used. The minute you accidentally move or delete those samples, you may find yourself out of luck. This becomes even more apparent if you are working on another system all together.
Now before I go any further, there's one thing that I want to point out. the absolute BEST way to create virtual instruments that can be shared or used in multiple systems - is to use the Sound Set Builder which is available as a free download in the PreSonus Exchange / Extensions. This is the proprietary format that PreSonus uses for all of their content, be it Loops, Kits, or Presets.
But having said that, it does take a bit of getting used to the proper workflow. BUT if you're just wanting to quickly share some cool presets, or export some of your instruments to archive - then using a Sampler File is a super convenient feature. The result is a simple encapsulated file that can be dragged and dropped into any Studio One Song, and your Instrument preset, and samples are all retained!
In the above video, I'll show you how to save and package your custom virtual instruments, so that they can be shared with others, and/or recalled on other systems.
