OT: Freeware triggered sample player for live use?

[shane]

I need some free software to trigger short audio samples live.

I'd prefer them to each be mapped to a key. I'd also prefer it to be a standalone application, but I could go with a VSTi/MIDI solution too.

Anyone know of anything like this?

[Art Evans]

http://www.baxeldata.com/freeware.html maybe. But there's another one I've had on my system that assigns audio files to keys and can I find it?? Not yet...

[Art Evans]

Got it - http://www.soundplant.org/

[LOSER]

Why not just use REAPER's built-in Virtual Piano that plays/triggers sounds from ReaSamplomatic? -- Or should the sounds get triggered by an audio signal?

Edit: Have overseen the "prefer it to be a standalone application", sorry

[shane]

Yeah, using Reaper's sampler and MIDI just seemed a little too complex for this application. I just want easy one key access to sounds.

Soundplant looks cool but I'd prefer to keep the files as mp3s and this is probably the only time I'll use it.

I put together an AutoHotKey script that meets my needs. You can run it in a folder with mp3 files, and the first characters of the filenames become the trigger key. Should make it easy to switch things around.

Thanks for the input, guys.

;
; AutoHotkey Version: 1.x
; Language: English
; Platform: Win9x/NT
; Author: A.N.Other <myemail@nowhere.com>
;
; Script Function:
; Template script (you can customize this template by editing "ShellNew\Template.ahk" in your Windows folder)
;

#NoEnv ; Recommended for performance and compatibility with future AutoHotkey releases.
SendMode Input ; Recommended for new scripts due to its superior speed and reliability.

Loop *.mp3
{
trigger := SubStr(A_LoopFileName,1,1)
Sample%trigger% = %A_LoopFileName%
}

Loop
{
Input,triggerKey,L1,{Esc}{Space}

IfInString, ErrorLevel, EndKey:Escape
{
SoundPlay,Nothing.mp3
ExitApp
}
IfInString, ErrorLevel, EndKey:Space
{
SoundPlay,Nothing.mp3
}
Else If RegExMatch(triggerKey, "^[a-zA-Z0-9]*$")
{
Sample := Sample%triggerKey%
If %Sample%
{
SoundPlay,%Sample%
}
}
}
ExitApp

[Art Evans]

Neat, Shane! I suspect one could add some bells and whisles to that and come up with a globally useful app.

[chip mcdonald]

I'd just like to add I've used Soundplant, and I wish every program worked as obviously straightforward as it does.

I can't imagine an easier way to trigger samples from a computer keyboard, live. A friend used it in a project I did covering Pink Floyd's _Dark Side of the Moon_ to trigger the miscellaneous foley sounds, and it worked flawlessly:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...=chip+mcdonald

[doclike]

Hm it seems to be way too slow.
wasnt able to trigger a Double Bass.

doc

[zendar]

Originally Posted by doclike

Hm it seems to be way too slow.
wasnt able to trigger a Double Bass.

doc

yep i can see it working for long slow ambient pieces, but not percussive stuff - needs to use ASIO imo