Before you begin
- Pro for Sampler.
- A local audio file you are allowed to use, or a recording made in the app. Keep a separate copy of the original audio.
Samples and supported imports
- Tap Import Audio to add a local sample.
Choose Sampler as a channel source and open its editor. Classic follows held keys; One Shot plays to the end after release; Slice maps segments to neighboring notes; Recorder captures a new microphone source. Import Audio uses Android’s document picker; supported source formats include WAV, AIFF, MP3, M4A, FLAC and OGG. The Sampler’s Recorder mode captures an input source into its library. To reuse a full-mix take, save/share its WAV to an accessible folder, then Import Audio.
The Sample library lists imported audio and lets you rename or remove entries. Removing a file can affect sounds that reference it, so preserve an external copy. Sample audio remains local; exporting a preset is not a full sample-library backup.
- Open Sampler’s Sample page and choose Import Audio.
- Select a local supported file in the Android picker and wait for analysis/loading.
- Select the sample and play a key before building zones or slices.
Key and velocity zones
- Drag a zone edge to set its key boundary.
- Set Root Key to the sample's reference pitch.
Choose Zones in the sampler’s page rail. The small landscape layout dedicates the pane to the map.
A zone maps a sample to a key range and velocity range. Drag the zone to move it, drag its sides to change keys, and drag its top or bottom to change velocity. Tap a key or drag the root dot to set the sample’s reference pitch. Scroll the map keyboard to reach a different register.
- Root key
- The note at which the sample plays at its reference pitch.
- Low / High key
- The inclusive key span that triggers the zone.
- Velocity bounds
- The note-strength range accepted by the zone.
- Zone selection
- Chooses which sample mapping you are editing.
Slice playback
- Find Transients places slices around detected attacks.
- Equal makes evenly spaced slices.
Choose Slice in the mode control. On phone, use Sample for the waveform and Slices for detection/playback controls; on tablet, the waveform sits above the Slices control card. Use Equal Slices for uniform segments, or Find Transients and Sensitivity for detected attacks. One-Shot plays a slice to its end after release; Choke lets a new slice cut the previous one. On the waveform, drag markers to move slice boundaries, double-tap to add or remove a marker, and tap a slice to audition it. Fit shows the whole file; Zoom inspects a smaller region. Use Start/End to trim the played region.
Slice mode uses Sample, Slices, Tone and Env; zone mode also provides the Play page. Keep this distinction in mind when a tab disappears after changing mode.
- Choose the slice mode for the imported sample.
- Create or adjust slice boundaries in the waveform controls.
- Play the mapped notes and check the start/end of each slice before saving.
Playback behavior
- Choose No Loop or Forward to set playback repetition.
- Enable Choke to stop the previous note when a new one starts.
In Classic mode, use Play on the phone or the Playback card beneath the waveform on tablet. Choose Direction and Loop behavior. Crossfade smooths loop transitions (0–500 ms); Choke lets a new note cut the previous one. One shot plays to its natural end after you release the key; release shaping then affects retriggered or stolen notes rather than cutting every one-shot short. Use a gated behavior when note release should end the sample.
Tone and envelopes
- Key Tracking lets notes change pitch across the keyboard.
- Normalize peaks each sample at −1 dB.
- Set Attack to control how quickly the sound begins.
- Set Release to control the fade after note release.
Tone provides Tune (fine pitch), Gain, Pan and Normalize. Key Tracking determines whether different played notes change sample pitch in zone mode; Normalize peaks each sample at −1 dB. Recheck the zone’s root key before compensating a wrong pitch using tone controls.
Env provides Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release. Enable shaping and compare short and sustained notes. Long release times create overlap; shorter attacks retain the transient of percussion.
- Attack / Decay
- Controls the rise and settling time of the sample’s amplitude.
- Sustain
- The level while a gated note is held.
- Release
- The fade after note release, subject to the selected playback mode.
- Tone / tuning / filter controls
- Shapes the selected sample; keep source pitch, root note and playback mode in mind.
Expected result
What you should have now
You can import a real audio file, map it to keys or slices, adjust its response and keep the original audio available for later imports.
Common problems
- A sample plays at the wrong pitch
- Check its root key, zone mapping and tuning.
- Releasing a key does not stop playback
- One-shot mode intentionally plays to its natural end.
- A transferred preset has unavailable sounds
- Move the original audio file separately and import it into Sampler on the destination device; preset exports do not bundle sample audio.