Immerse yourself in the burgeoning world of sound synthesis as we dig into the limitless possibilities of 4ms Company Sampler—a Eurorack module designed to record, play, and loop stereo .wav files off an SD Card. Boasting an array of comprehensive controls and functions, this stellar module opens doors to an extensive range of creative options, from granular sound manipulation to crafting percussive hits and extended loops.
When it comes to tweaking the finer details of your sound, the 4ms Company Sampler functions indeed leave room for exploration. It allows you to control Pitch, Start Position, and Length of the sample leading to a plethora of sonic manipulations. The control for Pitch also includes a 1V/oct jack, making it more convenient for electronic music enthusiasts.
Taking your sonic exploration to new heights, the Sampler comes equipped with a knob and CV jack that lets you determine the sample to play. The Start Position knob and CV jack pave the way for precise control over where the playback begins, while the Length knob and CV jack decide how much of the sample is played back. With this pivotal feature, you can explore everything from minute grains and percussive hits to longer loops and the entire file.
The 4ms Company Sampler is as intriguing as it is functional. Press the Play button or fire a trigger into the Play Trig jack, and the sample plays. Hold the Play button down for a second, and looping is activated, opening up a world of creative possibilities.
Adding a whole new dimension to your electronic music creation, the Sampler also offers a Reverse button and jack for seamless backward playback. The End Out jack comes in handy for syncing loops, or cascading sample playback with other events, allowing you to orchestrate intricate symphonies of electronic music.
For samples that contain cues, the Start Pos and Length knobs will snap to these cue points, offering a smooth and intuitive operation. The act of recording sample files is straightforward, too. All it takes is pressing the Play and Reverse button for two seconds. Initiate and halt recording by pressing Play again or firing a trigger into the Play/Rec Trig jack. With every recording, you create a new stereo 48kHz 24-bit .wav file in the current bank's folder, making creativity limitless.
The 4ms Company Sampler also offers free rein when it comes to bank selection. This added flexibility allows precise management of your samples, creating custom banks by simply placing .wav files into unique folders. If you give the folder a color name, the bank button will glow in that color for a simple, intuitive experience. And if that's not impressive enough, you can even select a bank with a CV jack using a sequencer or keyboard!
Understandably termed as low noise, low jitter design, the 4ms Company Sampler promises a noise-free playback experience that’s essential in electronic music creations. Also included are hundreds of samples on the microSD card, ready for you to start experimenting!
Whether you are just starting out or an experienced sound designer, the 4ms Company Sampler promises a transformative experience in electronic music creation with its features that facilitate originality and diversity. Get ready to unlock an unparalleled characteristic of creativity with this innovative modular synthesis - the 4ms Company Sampler. It truly offers an infinite canvas for your sonic exploration.
Example Usage
Imagine you're just starting to explore the world of eurorack modules, and you've just gotten your hands on the fabulous 4ms Company Sampler. Excitedly, you decide to use it to create a unique drum loop for your next music production.
First, you insert an SD card loaded with various drum samples into the Sampler module. You notice that the bank buttons light up with different colors, indicating the available sample banks. You select the green bank for your drum sounds.
To begin, you turn the Sample knob until you find a punchy kick drum sound you like. You connect a sequencer to the CV jack on the Sampler, allowing you to dynamically select different samples during playback. This way, you can create interesting variations in your drum loop.
Next, you decide to add a snare sound to your loop. You turn the Start Position knob to find the beginning of a snare sample, and the Length knob determines how much of the sample will play back. Adjusting the knobs and experimenting with different combinations, you discover a short snappy snare hit that fits perfectly with your kick drum.
Now that you have your drum samples ready, you connect a trigger source to the Play Trig jack. As soon as you fire the trigger, the Sampler module starts playing your kick and snare samples simultaneously. The Loop button is not engaged, so the samples only play once for now.
Wanting to add some variation to your loop, you decide to engage looping. You hold down the Play button for a second, and now your drum loop continuously repeats itself. This adds a groovy and hypnotic quality to the rhythm.
Feeling adventurous, you want to experiment with reverse playback. You press the Reverse button, and instantly, both the kick and snare samples play in reverse. This unexpected twist adds an intriguing edge to your loop.
Finally, you decide to sync your drum loop with other events in your eurorack system. You use the End Out jack on the Sampler module to send a synchronization signal to another module, ensuring that your drum loop aligns perfectly with other elements in your music.
With the 4ms Company Sampler, you have created a dynamic and captivating drum loop that boasts a unique combination of kick and snare samples playing forwards and backwards. The possibilities for creating distinctive and exciting soundscapes with this module are truly limitless, unlocking your creativity as you dive deeper into the world of eurorack.
Imagine you're performing live and you want to create a dynamic and evolving ambient texture using the 4ms Company Sampler. Here's an intermediate-level patch idea to help you achieve that:
- Start by connecting an LFO module to the Pitch CV jack of the Sampler. Set the LFO to a slow and subtle waveform like a sine wave.
- Load a long ambient pad sample into the Sampler's SD Card. This sample should have a gradual progression or evolving sound.
- Set the Start Position knob to the beginning of the sample, or at a point where the desired progression starts.
- Adjust the Length knob to determine how much of the sample will be played back. Start with a longer length to allow the sound to evolve over time.
- Connect the Sampler's output to a mixer or audio interface for monitoring.
- Press Play or send a trigger signal to the Play Trig jack to start playing the sample.
- Enable looping by holding the Play button down for a second. This will create a continuous loop of the sample.
- Now, as the LFO modulates the Pitch CV, the sample will play at varying pitches, creating subtle variations in the texture.
- Experiment with different LFO rates and waveforms to achieve the desired movement and evolution in the ambient texture.
- You can further enhance the texture by connecting other effects modules such as reverb or delay to the output of the Sampler.
With this patch, you can create an ever-changing ambient backdrop for your live performance or studio recordings. The combination of the long evolving sample, looping functionality, and modulation adds depth and interest to your music.
Further Thoughts
In a live performance setup, the 4ms Company Sampler can be used to add dynamic texture and variation to your music. By incorporating the Sampler's looping capabilities, you can create evolving soundscapes that capture the audience's attention.
Let's say you have a drum loop loaded onto the SD card in the Sampler. To begin, enable looping by holding down the Play button for a second. This will set the drum loop to continuously repeat, establishing a rhythmic foundation.
Now, let's dive into the creative possibilities. Take a random sample of ambient background noise or a field recording and load it onto a different bank of the Sampler. Use the Pitch control or the 1V/oct jack to modulate the pitch of the ambient sample, adding an ethereal or dissonant element to the mix.
To introduce variation, assign a sequencer or keyboard to the CV jack and program a sequence that triggers different banks of samples. As you trigger different banks, the Sampler will seamlessly transition between different loops, generating unexpected sonic combinations. Utilizing the End Out jack, you can synchronize the loops with other modular events or modules like sequencers, creating intricate and harmonious musical arrangements.
Additionally, the Reverse button and jack offer even more sonic exploration. Experiment with reversing certain samples in real-time, resulting in reversed percussion hits or reversed atmospheric textures that can add an otherworldly feel to your composition.
The Sampler's ability to snap to cue points within a sample opens up further possibilities. Load a sample with marked cue points, such as a vocal phrase or a melodic snippet, and manipulate the Start Position and Length knobs to jump between different sections of the sample. This allows for creative splicing and rearranging of audio, ultimately spawning unique and unexpected musical phrases.
With the 4ms Company Sampler, the only limit is your imagination. By incorporating looped samples, modulating parameters, synchronizing with other modules, and experimenting with reverse playback and cue points, you can unlock a vast array of creative possibilities and take your music to new and exciting heights.