Hi guys.

I've revised and put together all the pieces of this technique that works very well and allows for a perfect sampler integration in ITCH. What I mean for "perfect integration" is that you will have the ability to pre-listen your samples before launching them (on ITCH headphones out!) and the ability to varispeed your samples/loops to match your track's tempo. It's Mac-only, sorry PC guys. Let's go:

1) plug a USB keyboard or controller in (I use a 2 octaves Oxygen-8 music keyboard)

2) open a standalone NI BATTERY 3

3) in the preferences pane, AUDIO AND MIDI SETTINGS, select VCI-300 OUT IDLE as the output device (or "Numark USB audio device" for the NS7). Also in the Preferences pane: FILE> AUDIO AND MIDI SETTINGS>MIDI pane>set to OFF everything but your USB keyboard (must be: On), in both INPUTS and OUTPUTS (this way, the crossfader doesn't control Battery 3's volume anymore).

4) load your samples; say 12 samples, from C2 to C3 on the music keyboard

5) now the samples are playing back on the VCI/NS7 main outputs

6) but you want to pre-listen the samples on PFL before dropping them to the music, isn't it? Here comes the TRICK: copy the same 12 samples to the octave lower, head to the output channel located under the volume in the CELL pane and change the output channel of the lower 12 samples to 3-4 instead of "Master".

7) Outputs 3/4 are the headphones outs of the VCI/NS7. Now it's possible to PFL the samples on the lower octave, and drop them on the VCI outputs simply playing them on the higher octave! Using a 2 octaves keyboard like the Oxygen-8 you will want to use the OCTAVE SHIFT keys twice to switch beween 12 samples banks (left octaves, PFLs, right octaves sound to the main outs). So, OCTAVE SHIFT will become a PFL ON-OFF switch!

8) Now how to varispeed the samples to match the ITCH track's tempo: the modulation wheel on the USB keyboard could be turned into a pitch fader as on a turntable. Just detune all samples (selecting all cells) by a value, say 1 semitone, then on the modulation matrix assign the pitch of all cells to the modulation wheel, by an amount double of that value (in this case, 2 semitones). Now, centering the modwheel will result in a 0% variation in pitch; all the way down a -1 semitone variation, all the way up a +1 semitone variation. Adjust that value according to your music style (do you need big ranges of BPM?), just remember to double the value in the modulation matrix.

10) Within Battery 3 you will have access to all kind of effects and sound manipulation tools, that you would want to apply to the samples (i.e. a nice Delay) and control live via control messages (i.e. with rotary encoders on your keyboard). Apply the FX to all your performance or just to some selected samples.

Done. Much better, more versatile than a SP-6!