SampleBot is a macOS utility designed to automate the process of sampling hardware synthesizers. It sends MIDI Note On/Off messages to your external gear and simultaneously records the audio output, creating perfectly named and organized sample files.
- Automated Sampling: Automatically triggers notes across a specified range and records the audio.
- Velocity Layers: Supports sampling at multiple velocity levels (Soft: 64, Medium: 100, Hard: 127).
- Flexible Configuration: Set start/end notes, step size (stride), and note durations.
- Audio Processing:
- Normalization: Automatically normalizes recording levels.
- Trimming: Option to trim silence/latency from the start of the sample.
- Stereo/Mono: Choose between stereo or mono recording.
- Audio Unit Hosting: Host AUv3 instruments directly within the app for purely digital sampling (no cables required).
- Computer Voice (TTS): Generate high-quality vocal samples from text using macOS system voices.
- Organization: Custom filename prefixes for easy sample management.
- MPC Keygroup Export: Generates a ready-to-load
.xpmprogram file for Akai MPCs (supports both Keygroup and Drum programs). - DAW Connectivity: Dedicated "DAW" MIDI mode for internal routing.
Important
Audio Device Selection: For traditional sampling, SampleBot uses the system default audio input. Please ensure your audio interface is selected as the Input device in System Settings -> Sound before launching the app. This is not required for the TTS Sampler or Hosted Plugins.
- Select Output Folder: Click "Select Folder" to choose where your
.wavfiles will be saved. - MIDI Settings:
- Choose your hardware synthesizer from the "Destination" dropdown.
- Select "DAW" to route notes to the virtual "SampleBot MIDI" source (for sampling VSTs/DAWs).
- Click "Refresh Destinations" if your device isn't listed.
- Audio Settings:
- Input Source:
- Hardware Input: Use your audio interface (select Device and Channel).
- Hosted Plugin: Load a software instrument (AUv3) directly.
- Hosted Plugin Mode:
- Select your instrument from the dropdown (e.g., Kontakt, Serum).
- Click "Show Plugin Interface" to open the plugin window.
- Use the Preview (►) button in the window's toolbar to audition sounds.
- Use the Note dropdown next to the button to select the prediction pitch (Default: C3).
- General: Toggle "Stereo Recording" if needed (Default: On).
- MIDI Channel: Select the MIDI channel (1-16) to match your hosted instrument's receiving channel.
- Architecture: SampleBot uses a dedicated recording mixer to ensure pristine audio capture from plugins.
- Input Source:
- Configuration:
- Range: Set the Start Note and End Note (MIDI note numbers).
- Step: Set how many semitones to skip (e.g., 1 for every note, 12 for octaves).
- Velocity: Select which velocity layers to capture.
- Keyswitch: Toggle "Send Keyswitch" to trigger an articulation change before sampling. Select the keyswitch note (e.g., C-1) to be sent 1 second before the recording starts.
- Timing: Adjust "Note Duration" (how long the key is held 8C71 ) and "Tail Duration" (how long to record release tails).
- Normalization: If enabled, use the slider to set the Peak Level (e.g., -3.0 dB) to prevent clipping.
- MPC Keygroup (Optional):
- Create MPC Keygroup: Generates an
.xpmfile for instant use on MPCs. - Playback: Configure One Shot, Loop, and Release time (for note-off fade outs).
- Create MPC Keygroup: Generates an
- Start Sampling: Click the "Start Sampling" button. The app will iterate through your settings, recording each note automatically.
- Open Tool: Click the "TTS Sampler" button in the Tools section.
- Voice Selection: Choose a voice from the dropdown. Use the Play button to preview how the voice sounds.
- Configuration:
- Enter a Program Name for your MPC Drum Program.
- Click "Select..." to choose an output folder for the samples.
- Input Text:
- Banks A-D: Use the segmented bank picker to navigate 64 phrases across 4 banks.
- Manual Entry: Enter text directly into any pad slot.
- Import Text File: Click "Import Text File" to load a newline-delimited list of phrases (up to 64).
- Generate: Click "Start Sampling (64 Pads)". The app will generate up to 64
.wavfiles and a matching.xpmDrum Program file.- Naming: Files are organized by bank and pad (e.g.,
Program_BankA_Pad01_Hello.wav). - Note Mapping: Phrases are mapped to MIDI notes 36-99 (Banks A, B, C, and D).
- Auto-Close: The window automatically closes upon successful completion to release file handles.
- Naming: Files are organized by bank and pad (e.g.,
- Built with: SwiftUI, AVFoundation, CoreMIDI.
- Format: Records 16-bit PCM Interleaved WAV files, ensuring maximum compatibility with hardware samplers and DAWs.
- Download the latest release zip file.
- Unzip the file.
- Drag
SampleBot.appto your Applications folder. - Double-click to launch.
(Since the app is signed and notarized, it should open without security warnings.)