How to Use C700: Sampler Features Pt. 1
Now that we know how to load samples and scroll through them, it's time to dig into the settings and features available in the Sampler! We'll start on the left side:
Bank, High Key, Low Key
These are only used in conjunction with the "Multi Bank" feature covered in section B; otherwise they will have no effect. Samples may be assigned to one of four different banks, A through D; all samples are in bank A by default. With Multi Bank enabled for that bank, a single channel can access multiple samples at once (for example as a drumkit with multiple drum sounds).
When Multi Bank is enabled for a bank, the values for Low Key and High Key determine the range of notes where the sample will play. To get a kick drum to play on just one note, for example, you could set both values to 66. If you then set a snare to 67, the next note above the kick would trigger the snare instead. Continuing this pattern, you could set a small range of 68-74 for a tom sample and hear it at a few different pitches. This is a useful tool for sequencing drumkits or SFX, but can also be ignored entirely.
Root Key
Root Key is C700's root pitch setting; changing the value offsets the pitch in semitones. If you press the "Auto" button, C700 will attempt to automatically tune your sample to the correct note. (It doesn't tune to the nearest octave, so you may end up with something much higher or lower, depending on the sample.)
Loop Point
The Loop Point value, if "Loop" is ticked, determines where the beginning of the loop is (in samples, a tiny data-point unit of digital audio with a confusing name). This number must be a multiple of 16, as you will see if you try scrolling. Loop start points will be imported if they were stored in the sample. However, C700 will do some resampling to ensure this value is a multiple of 16 if you import a sample with different settings. Data after the loop end point will be truncated (if there is any). See "Loop Points" in the "Preparing and Optimizing Samples" section for more information.
Sample Rate
Lowering the Sample Rate will lower the pitch of your sample. This does not seem to actually reduce the quality or sample size, as one might expect, but it can be useful to lower the Sample Rate if its value is very high when imported (above 60,000 or so), because C700 has an upper limit of 120,000. Wherever that limit is reached, that's the highest note you can play using that sample (higher value = higher pitch).
Similarly, if the Sample Rate value is quite low (below around 8,000 or so), it may need to be raised. Doubling the value will raise the pitch by one octave.
If you press the "Auto" button, C700 attempts to tune your sample and place it in an optimal range. This behavior is always the same regardless of where the Sample Rate was previously set, i.e. it doesn't tune to the nearest octave (much like Root Key).
Despite the presence of these settings, I recommend preparing your samples' tuning and loop points outside of C700 in a more thorough sampler such as OpenMPT's.
Priority: NoteOn, Release
This setting allows you to choose the priority of a sample in the event that the sequenced notes would break the 8-sound polyphony limit. By default, all samples are set to a NoteOn priority of 64. Lowering this value will make the selected sample the first to be cut in the event you exceed maximum polyphony. Conversely, increasing this value will ensure the sample isn't considered for polyphony cuts (until all lower-priority samples have been considered). This setting is helpful if you find yourself brushing up against the limit and want to ensure your most important elements are never cut, or if there is a part of lesser importance you'd rather be cut first.
There is a separate value for Release priority - by default it is set to 0, meaning samples that are only still sounding due to a release envelope (SR2) will be the first thing to be cut for polyphony reasons. Raising this value above the NoteOn priority values will give the release envelope a higher priority, ensuring it won't be cut so quickly if polyphony is exceeded.
Use these settings in conjunction with the VoiceAlloc (voice allocation) global setting to further tweak how C700 handles priority. (See section B for more info on that feature.)