SKYLIFE has announced a comprehensive version 2.0 update for SampleRobot, including an integrated version of their new WaveRobot software for loop editing. They also announced SampleRobot Essentials, a reduced feature version of SampleRobot.

New in SampleRobot 2:

• WaveRobot (fully scalable wave editor for loop editing).
• Improved interface design (colouring, workflow, hide-panels).
• MIDI capture function (With this function activated all played note velocities and all incoming MIDI controller information will automatically be captured in the Multi-Sample section allowing perfect MIDI remote control of all sound sources).
• MIDI Note In display (All played notes are now displayed on SampleRobot's virtual keyboard).
• Comprehensive copy functions for Multi-Samples (Now it is possible to combine Multi-Samples from different projects to create huge layer sounds and velocity-splits).
• ChessRobot (This game makes waiting during recording a lot easier since you can play a nice game of chess in the meantime. ChessRobot runs independently and offers different challenge levels).
• New additional display resolution 1280x1024 supported.
• Minimize display option (450x300 pixels) with full editing capabilities.
• Optimized Note-In recognition.
• Optimized ASIO playback (no more clicks when stopping wave or tuning oscillator playback).
• Optimized VSTi recording (secondary audio buffer implemented).
• Optimized Autoloop recognition (now usually about 15 times faster).
• Numerous additional improvements in detail.

Users who bought SampleRobot after April 1st, 2006 can update free of charge, all other SampleRobot version 1.x users can upgrade for ~€40 (incl. VAT). The MSRP for the SKYLIFE SampleRobot Box is €299 (incl. VAT) / £199 (incl. VAT) / $299 (plus VAT where applicable). The download version will cost €289 / $329.

SampleRobot Essentials offers many of the auto-sampling features from SampleRobot for a cheaper price. The following SampleRobot features are not included in SampleRobot Essentials:

• 24 bit resolution (SampleRobot Essentials supports 16 bit resolution and up to 192 kHz sampling rates).
• MIDI monitor.
• MIDI controller support.
• Release-Sample support.
• Function "Create Projects from Soundnames" (sample whole synthesizer bank in one go).

Cross-grading to SampleRobot full version is possible at any time; the cross-grade fee is the price difference between both products. The MSRP for the boxed version of SampleRobot Essentials Box will be announced soon. The download version will cost €99 / $119.