Sample Randomizer

Sample Randomizer is a 16-Voice Polyphonic Randomizing Sampler with "Taste Recognition".

• Specify a source folder by dragging it and dropping it onto the device and it will be scanned (including subfolders, up to the chosen depth) for .wav and .aif files to be used as samples, whether drum or otherwise. Once there are some such files to choose from, MIDI notes entering the device will play either a random sample, if it had no prior associations or, if it did, the sample already assigned to it, in 16-voice polyphony. Because the device utilizes a queueing method whereby only a handful of samples are preloaded at a time, the source folder may contain a very large number of them without any delay experienced at the time they are played (preloading them all at once could cause Live to go unresponsive.).
• Maximum subfolder depth is 9.
• Valid files found within the source folder will fill the drop-down menu. Select one to hear it play.
• The grid in the center represents the full MIDI range. Rows are octaves and columns are notes. The corresponding cell will flash when a MIDI note is received by the device.
• The grid functions in one of two modes, 'Auto-Swap' or 'Assign'. The default is 'Auto-Swap' which means that clicking on a cell will swap out any sample already assigned to that particular note for a new one at random. Select 'Assign' to manually assign samples to notes. In this mode clicking on a cell will do nothing until a sample is selected from the drop-down menu, assigning it accordingly.
• Click 'Swap Out Last Note' to assign a new sample at random to the last played note, which is displayed in the box to the left of this control. This control can be MIDI-mapped.
• With the 'Swap Out Next Note' check box selected, the next note received will be assigned a new sample regardless of whether or not it had already been associated with one. The check box will then deselect itself. This control can be MIDI-mapped.
• 'Clear All Assignments' clears all assignments made and is MIDI-mappable.
• Clicking 'View Assignments' will cause a text box to appear listing assignments numerically by note, in the format. [MIDI note number 0-127], [sample position on the drop-down menu beginning with 0] [full sample file name and location];
• Every time a sample is swapped out or cleared as an assignment, it will be given a sort of black mark against it. This means that the next time it would be chosen at random it will instead be passed over for a different random sample. A second "black mark" means it will be passed over the next two times, and so on. In this way the device is, in a sense, able to learn the user's taste and stay away from samples which have been rejected previously, as well as incorporating a generally wider range of samples overall. This taste is saved with the Live set and so is maintained for the life of (the iteration of) the device. This is true for the assignments themselves, as well as the source folder and subfolder depth, so everything will remain exactly as it was every time the user saves and later comes back to work on their set. Of course, the device can always be reset to its original state by deleting it and re-placing it into the track. Multiple iterations of the device placed in different tracks will not interfere with each other and will maintain all their own data.

This is a Max for Live device. It requires Ableton Live 8.3 or newer and at least a trial of Max/MSP 5.1 or newer, which can be downloaded from http://cycling74.com/downloads