GAS Therapy released AASamplerPlayer, a freeware efficient and lightweight sample player for Windows, macOS, and iOS.
GAS therapy is a popular YouTube channel that provides commentary and information on better and cheaper alternatives to popular music-making gear and software. The creator, Michael, was looking for a simple and easy-to-use sample player that just worked. After plowing through all the available options, he decided that it was time to develop one himself.
He tried to hire a coder for the job, only to realize that he was better off doing it himself. So he took some time off to learn the skills needed and the first product of that effort is the AASamplePlayer.
Through this player, Michael is also expressing his philosophy of how an easy-to-use plugin should be. He made it very simple to install and remove and even chose the name so that you can quickly remember it when you need just a sample player.
Even before you see or try out the plugin, you know that this guy is really deep into the game here. He has very clear and strong opinions about this industry, and that is where his UI design and overall UX approach come from.
Watch the introductory video to get the full story.
The instrument is simplicity itself. It has four knobs and four buttons. Here’s the list:
Fourknobs:
- Start point;
- Attack;
- Release;
- Pitch.
Four buttons:
- Load file – support for audio & video file;
- Reverse;
- Mono/poly;
- Copy the file name & open the file folder.
It has great sound quality, and it can turn any audio file format into a playable sound. Pretty neat! It is made for both Mac and PC and on any DAW that supports VST, as well as AU for Mac.
It can be played using any standard MIDI device. It is free, but Gumroad has the option to pay a little something if you feel like it. Download via the link posted below the article.
It feels like Michael is just getting started with creating plugins that align with his philosophy. We will be following his journey with interest!
AASamplerPlayer is available as a VST3 and AU plugin for Windows and macOS. Also available as an iOS app.
Download: AASamplerPlayer
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21 Comments
hessei
onAnalog Obsession New Plugin COMPER ！！！
Pop
onMac users need “Metal” graphics and Windows users have a choice to use “sandboxie“ to install Comper.
I’m not sure as i don’t use windows, but i will paste the comment i read of another user on another website:
I wanted to post this before anyone tries it out. The install is buggy, at least on Windows and at least on my PC. It created a start menu group that simply points to stuff that does not exist and there is no uninstall even if the start menu has an entry for it. I wanted to leave a comment to give the author a heads up, but you have to pay to become a Patreon member for his site to be able to help out and leave a comment about it! 😒
It is unfortunate that Analog Obsession does not offer a simple zip file like they used to, from which I could simply copy the VST3 to my VST3 dir and be done with it!
But it seems like a nice idea for a double compressor with 3 types of compressors blendable.
If you do install it, you can safely delete the start menu group and you should be ok.
PureFire
onThanks Hessei & BPB, i got an email that Comper has had an update today as well, this has AAX Support, congratulations Analog Obsession 🙏
Ben Blease
onYeah I’m not surprised. Pretty sure that guy is just copy pasting code and putting the hours into the nice UI’s that’s why they all sound similar (i.e not great) and the non-linear behaviours are all similar regardless of what they look like they’re supposed to model.
Michael
onHi, I’m Michael, the developer. Actually the UI part costed me the least time for the development. This project is inherited from JUCE, and I rewrote a lot. The UI is just the default UI kit with a little bit of fine tune to my taste, usually these fine tunes are called graphic design.
What costs me the most, is learning to code so I can fix note stealing click within JUCE, solving problem on iOS file loading, making parameters work in every DAW and make them automate-able, make the project compile-able for each platform and plugin format, etc.
In short, the most time costing part is learn coding to make what I want happen. This is not some ground breakingly unique sampler, just a solution of what I think a sample instrument should be like, that’s all.
MRG
onThey were talking about Analog Obsession’s Comper.
Forums, heh. Staying on topic would be nice, but yeah, that’s how it works. :D
Numanoid
onNice freebie, but it will not replace freebies Shortcircuit or TX16Wx in my sample player “arsenal”
An important thing for me is to be able to stack samples to make a beefy sound, and I cannot see that this plugin allows for that ?
Jussi M.
onReally nice tips! I’ll try these samplers for sure. Thank you.
MRG
onIt would benefit to get at least the feature set of ReaSamplomatic 5000, but it’s a start. We gained a new plugin dev, that’s cool in itself. Looking forward to next output.
John
onI’ve just compared the subject and RS5k. When you change start time in the subject, everything plays smoothly, but RS5k starting to make some unwanted sound glitches, so for this goal AASamplerPlayer is better.
MRG
onGlitch-free automation is a plus, that’s for sure. Vade retro zipper noise!
bmovie
onIt is a nice freebie but maybe too simple, even for what it is, a simple one-sample player. Personally I would add at least a looping option with definable loop points to make it more useful. And make everything automatable. But that’s maybe too much for a simple sampler…
samuel
onso confused why anybody would need this tbh
surely “avoiding all the unnecessary controls” cannot be such an issue with an already familiar fully functional sampler every DAW has
maybe somebody that does not have a DAW, but needs a sampler? lol
Wing Yee
onBe honest, my friend. I didn’t concentrate on my finger and saw all the glory of this plugin…
Not bad for a 1st plugin, but here’s how it would compare to my current favorite sampler 3Sampler by EmRysRa.
CPU
– AA 8%
– 3Sam 6%
Root key & key range
– AA None.
– 3Sam User selectable
Loop on/off
– AA No
– 3Sam Yes
Slots
– AA One
– 3Sam Three
Volume
– AA None
– 3Sam Yes
Thanks Michael & BPB, looking forward to more great plugins.
Wing Yee
onCorrections:
CPU: 0.08 / 0.06
Root key & note range: AA is fixed at C3 and key range is not selectable
Volume (and Pan)
Angie
onfull bucket music released pecs, a free vintage string machine
fullbucket.de/music/pecs.html
rex roll
onNo Thx,FL built-in sampler already simple and clean enough
Miracledee
onNice Little Plugin. Simplicity has its own beauty :)
I’ve also enjoyed using “KEYREPEAT” by Michael Jan and “RAVE GENERATOR” by wavosaur team.
Both are simple and efficient samplers !
Jussi M.
onI like the cut of this dude’s jib. Simple is beautiful. Thank you.
MRG
onBe water, my friend.
And now a scientific paper attributes, at least partly, Bruce Lee’s death to excessive water intake.
Timing is everything.
Irony is ruthless.
Raven
onSo simple is awesome. Smooth automating of all controls is also awesome.
Feature request list that will require hidden advanced control panel to preserve simple look
1 multiple simple samplers in a stack for beefing and everyday sound design.
2 allow round robin sample selection from this stack instead of all playing at once.
3 random start set by a max and min value or lfo
4 smoothly automatable loop points or lfo to mod
5 lfo for all params with S&H waveshape
But awesome ideas and well done on all the existing features!