The provided source material details a selection of free software and online tools that function as samplers or sample players for music creation. These resources enable users to manipulate audio samples without incurring costs, though they are focused on digital audio production rather than physical consumer goods samples like beauty products or pet food. The available options range from downloadable VST plugins compatible with various operating systems to web-based applications that operate directly within a browser. Key examples include Decent Sampler, which supports specific file formats across multiple platforms, and a variety of online tools such as Sampulator and the Infinite Drum Machine that allow for beat-making and audio editing without software installation.
Decent Sampler Plugin
Decent Sampler is a free sample player plugin available for Windows (32/64-bit), Mac (Intel and M1), Linux (x86_64/ARM64), and iOS. It functions as a standalone application and supports VST, VST3, AU, and AAX plugin formats. The software is designed to play .dspreset and .dslibrary format files. It offers cross-platform compatibility and includes features such as microtonal scale support, custom UI controls, and animation capabilities. Linux users have access to both static and dynamic builds. The development is active, with regular updates and bug fixes provided.
Online Sampler Websites
A collection of free online sampler websites allows users to play and edit sample files without installing software. These tools are compatible with Windows, Mac, and some mobile devices. They are divided into two categories: online samplers for beat-making using sliced samples (drums, instruments) and online audio editors for trimming, fading, and adding effects to audio files.
Beat-Making Samplers
- Sampulator: An online beatmaker offering 46 samples, including vocal stabs, keys, guitars, and percussion instruments.
- Online Sampler: A web-based drum sequencing tool. Users click steps to add drum sounds and play the pattern. It supports up to 8 drum patterns and includes drum kits from various cities such as LA, Detroit, New York, Madrid, and Berlin. An "example" button loads drum rhythms for inspiration.
- Infinite Drum Machine: A creative sequencing tool that uses a library of sounds from around the world, including percussion, animal noises, sound effects, and vocals. It features four tracks for pattern creation and a sequencer where sounds are added or removed by clicking dots. Sounds can be previewed by dragging circles over coloured dots.
Audio Editors
The second group of tools listed are web-based audio editors. These allow users to edit files in a browser, useful for slicing samples, trimming audio, fading sections, or applying audio effects. The list includes: * AudioMass * TwistedWave Editor * Bear Audio Tool * Sodaphonic * Beautiful Audio Editor * Audio Trimmer * Hya-Wave * Audio Sample Editor * Probe Audiotool * ALOOPER * Super Looper * Launch Pad Intro * Sample Stitch
Free Sampler VST Plugins
Several free VST plugins function as samplers or contain sampling capabilities. These are downloadable software instruments for music production.
Percussion and Drum Samplers
- Poise by One Small Clue: A percussion sampler featuring 16 drum pads. Each pad can hold up to eight samples with switching modes including round-robin, random, layered, and velocity split. It includes a sample browser with preview, amplitude and pitch envelopes, and supports drag-and-drop loading for 8-, 16-, 24-, and 32-bit WAV, AIF, and SND files. The interface is described as simplistic.
- Groove BPB: A free drum sampler derived from a premium VST. It features six dual drum slots, each holding two drum samples. Controls include volume, pan, pitch, sample start, and length per sample. Each slot has a built-in LFO to modulate filter cutoff, resonance, volume, pan, mix, pitch, sample delay, fade in/out, and sample start/end times via MIDI note velocity. Available in VST2, VST3, and AU formats for PC and Mac.
- AFX by beatassist.eu: A drum sampler designed specifically to work with .sf2 files.
- RPS-1: A tool described as not bad for making beats. It is available as a 32-bit Windows VST via PLUGINS 4 FREE.
Specialised and Synth-Based Samplers
- sforzando by Plogue: A simple SFZ 2.0 compliant sample player. It provides one instrument slot and lacks effects or mixers.
- Simple Microtonal Sampler by BipTunia: A microtonal WAV sampler featuring eight presets, two samples, and 5,376 microtonal tunings. It has a barebones interface and is available as a 64-bit VST for Windows via PLUGINS 4 FREE.
- Scylla by de la Mancha: A multi-layered synthesizer that combines synthesized audio with custom sample and waveform playback. It includes three oscillator types and three built-in samplers for WAV files. It also features LFOs, ADSR and filter envelopes, ring modulation, and granular synthesis. It is available as a 32-bit Windows VST via PLUGINS 4 FREE.
Conclusion
The available free resources for sampling include both web-based applications and downloadable VST plugins. Decent Sampler offers a versatile, cross-platform sample player, while online tools like Sampulator and the Infinite Drum Machine provide accessible beat-making environments directly in the browser. For desktop music production, free VST options range from straightforward percussion samplers like Poise and Groove BPB to more complex instruments like Scylla, which blends synthesis and sampling. These tools cater to various needs, from simple drum sequencing to advanced microtonal and multi-layered audio manipulation.