Ableton has released Sampler, an advanced sound-design and sound-sculpting instrument available as an upgrade within Live 6.

Sampler integrates perfectly with Live. Its GUI will be instantly familiar to users accustomed to Live's look and feel. It offers short loading times and efficient handling of large-volume libraries. Each instance of Sampler can host any number of sample zones. Key and velocity ranges as well as crossfades can be defined using a graphical editor. Numerous playback and looping options can also be set up for each zone. Sampler helps with mapping and also helps find appropriate loop points.

As with any Ableton instrument, users can modulate Sampler's controls with clip envelopes, stack Samplers, attach effects and save projects including all samples used by Sampler to send to a colleague for collaboration.

Sampler avoids RAM shortages and loading-wait times by employing Live's disk preloading technology. Sampler also imports common sample formats, including AKAI S1000, S3000, GigaStudio, EXS, SoundFont and (non-encrypted) Kontakt. Sampler can also access and edit Ableton's own Essential Instrument Collection shipping with each boxed version of Live 6.

Processing and Modulation:

• Modulation. A dedicated oscillator can modulate samples by frequency or amplitude, enabling selective harmonic or disharmonic enrichment of the original timbres.
• Morphing. Every voice is processed with a "morphable" multimode filter and polyphonic saturation stage. Each aspect of the original sample, including sample start and loop position as well as loop length, can be polyphonically modulated.
• And More Modulation. Three LFOs, five multimode envelopes and various MIDI inputs serve as modulation sources.
• The ability to modulate not only post processing but also the sample playback characteristics extends the instrument's functionality in the direction of wavetable and granular synthesis.

Sampler is available for $199 / €169 to Live 6 users via the Ableton web-shop.