How to use Simpler to play a sample in Ableton

step by step

• Create a MIDI track and drag a sample to your devices area to load it into Simpler.
• Check the waveform and starting point. Cut out the silence you don't want to hear, preserving the attack of the sound.
• Try Classic for note-controlled playback or One-Shot for easy triggering.
• Write four notes and adjust the envelope to the function of the sound. Start with a low volume and compare different note lengths.

Guided practice

Use your own or licensed short sample. Play it at three pitches and watch its character change. If you're looking for a tune in tune, identify the original note before assuming that a particular key will produce the desired pitch.

Take it to your next session

Samples are material to transform, not just drag to a track. Explore a Technopirata library and select sounds that have a useful attack or texture for your instrument in Simpler.

Choose the behavior of the sample according to the phrase

A short stroke and a sustained texture require different responses. For a line played with long notes, look at how long the file actually lasts and what its envelope does when you release the key. If the sound ends quickly, increasing the MIDI length alone does not always solve the problem.

Try a repeated note first, then a three-pitch phrase. Listen to how the character changes when transposed. A sample can sound convincing close to its original range and lose clarity at extremes; you don't need to force it to cover the entire keyboard for it to be useful in the project.

If it doesn't turn out as you expected

A percussive sample may not have a stable pitch. Not all samples tolerate large transpositions either. If artifacts appear, compare another playback mode or a more suitable source.