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Solved: app & technique to run random triggering of a half dozen to a dozen samples?
Hi all,
As part of my latest project, I want to trigger a selection of six to twelve different, short (1 second or less) vocal samples randomly, or at least, quasi randomly. I can think of a few possible ways to do this, and ‘container’ apps which might help (e.g. Segments), but I am not sure which will be a) easiest to set up and b) easiest to randomise, and vary the playback. The ideal combo will probably let me set different probabilities for each sample separately, as well as potentially randomising the whole set each loop/cycle/whatever.
Any suggestions/explanations appreciated. Thanks! 
Comments
Have you considered Grooverider?
@FordTimeLord : Hi (great name, btw
) No. I’ve got it, know it can load samples, don’t know it well enough to understand how it would go about shuffling and rearranging a set of samples.
I’m not looking for the kind of regularity you’d get from a resliced drum loop, something much more...
well, random, broken, glitchy, unpredictable. Also, Grooverider seems a bit overkill, I don’t need a full on Groovebox, this is for a single vocal track.
I’m getting something like it with Sector, but It can only slice one sample at a time, and as it is IAA, I can’t run multiple instances, which maybe means making multiple File Player loops from individual Sector runs, then cutting between them using MM1 - but that’s a lot of work (!) and doesn’t give me interactive tweakability of probability at the sample level.
Otherwise, it would have been perfect for the feel I’m after.
The step editor in grooverider is really powerful, I reckon it could do what you’re after. You can slice samples however you like and have them triggered using a variety of different step conditions. It’s well worth having a look if you already have the app. There’s a reference in the manual for all the different step conditions it offers.
Riffer by Audiomodern might do what you’re after. I don’t have it, but it’s described as a randomising midi sequencer so presumably you can set it up to trigger a sample player.
@FordTimeLord : hey, thanks for pointing me at the right bit. I may give it a go, and see how it works out. (Tbh I was sort of intimidated by Gr16, and not having a background in grooveboxes, never really got into it. I didn’t even know it could do that!)
@Oblique : that’s a thought too. I have Riffer (I am embarrassed to say I have most apps, at this point), use it often to trigger notes, hadn’t really thought of trying to use it to trigger samples. My prime option would be a player/sequencer/randomiser combined which just let me drag the samples in direct from AudioShare and then hit a random dice button to let it take care of business, but I don’t know anything that immediate. Drum Computer, maybe? But I find its’s random and probability settings still a bit too structured and, well, drum orientated.
@Svetlovska No worries! I felt exactly the same way about the app for a long time. It wasn’t until I started exploring the step editor that it began to click. Well worth a try 👍
Egoist?
One idea would be to try Egoist.
The samples should be in the same file and you can close the bass and beat modules and even the effects to hear only the vocal samples.
@lukesleepwalker @Artioc : now that sounds like a plan! I will definitely try that.
Here’s one for Drambo
Here’s the project if you’re interested: https://www.dropbox.com/s/iigt7huets38gy4/Drambo random slicer.drproject?dl=0
Maybe six or 12 different instances of Reslice?
Although I am a bit biased towards Reslice since it's my favorite vocal resampling app.
I would divide my thinking between sequencing and sample playback.
EGPulse is a good place to park your samples. There are others.
Autony Unreliable Sequencer is a good tool to trigger notes randomly to trigger the samples. There are others.
Wiring apps together is sometimes to be avoided if possible, but in this case you have two components that aren't likely to be combined very well in a single app. You broaden your choices by splitting the tasks up.
On the other hand ... Egoist.
@xor : downloaded. That looks very interesting. I think it’s a toss up between Drambo and Egoist at this point. I’ll try it each way tomorrow. @wim: yep, that’d,work too.
And @seonnthaproducer : Reslice? Yep. The tyranny of choice, eh? I think the Drambo and Egoist options offer the most variability for the least effort, which is what I’m aiming for, because I am lazy. This ambient crap doesn’t just write itself, you know. Oh, wait... 
Drambo is the most flexible by far. It already starts with being able to record each vocal sample by just hitting a keyboard key to sample to that key in Sampler. Even during a live performance, you can overwrite and re-record any sample again by just hitting a specific key as long as you want to sample.
Using scenes, you could have up to 16 different randomisation patterns or even crossfade between prepared/sequenced and different degrees of random sample triggering.
You can't do that with Egoist.
Absolutely true. The fact that what you describe genuinely appeals to me and i own drambo and i know the basics of the tools in drambo—and still don’t use it says everything about my relationship with drambo. Maybe someday!
@Svetlovska What about using miRack? Bidoo''s Canard sampler module is one of the best samplers I've discovered recently. Almost everything can be modulated. Plus it's lighter weight when used on its own, vs Drambo or EG Pulse, which are good but more complex than what you are looking for.
Here, in video 2, I'm using a drum sampler with multiple instances. You could set up similarly and trigger them randomly with midi, or using clocks as I'm doing here.
Poly 2. Imports samples and you can set the probabilities for each.
AUM with File Player, midiGates, and two Piano Roll clips
Sample preset attached - it uses 'play enable' for the players which restarts the audio at the beginning. In order to keep the files looping, one could use 'Mute' instead.
@Svetlovska If you want more manual control of the playback in Drambo I’ve added a bunch of different tracks with examples but I think this one is the most useful. One thing I rediscovered is that Drambo isn’t really meant for real-time control. It’s too easy to make Drambo think you want to drag a module, assign modulation or plock a control. It really needs a performance mode.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/we9cikq854qnt26/Drambo random slicer v2.drproject?dl=0
I think Patterning would be easier than any of these.
@Tim6502 : as I am most familiar with AUM, FilePlayer, MIDIgates, and Atom , this one is tempting. I’ll re record the Atom clips into Atom 2 (which has its own probability functionality of course) and give it a go. Thanks! @rottencat: yes, interesting. Might save that to try with another project as I want to keep the state saving aspect of AU. @Philandering_Bastard : yup, I’ve got Poly 2 but it’s another of those apps I haven’t given enough attention to yet. Ditto, Mirack, @auxmux , especially as I am now getting into actual modular...
... Well! Thanks all, I knew this community would have some cool ideas. Just didn’t expect to see so many! I’ll take my top three - Drambo, the Atom/File Player option and Egoist for a spin today, see which most readily gives me the flavour I’m after. I’ll file the others to try with other projects soon. Thanks again!
I hope to post some more Ambient Muck ™️, featuring Persistent Thunk Noise soon 
@svetlovska Out of interest, how would you expect the probability/random adjustment to work?
Should the triggers of different samples be exclusive or can all 12 be triggered simultaneously in the worst case?
Should they trigger within some rhythmic grid or at totally arbitrary timing?
Should the random triggers focus on certain beat positions or be placed anywhere?
@rs2000 : I’m running about a dozen ‘lanes’ of various recordings of people making short breathing noises, inhalations, gasps etcetera simultaneously. Each lane runs from under a second to about six seconds, depending. It doesn’t matter where I ‘drop in’ to any given ‘lane’ (the whole point is to capture random starts, ends, and mid sections of the sounds, or even the silence between sounds), but it’s helpful if each can sound out without being overlaid by another, like choke groups. The aim is to create a sort of round robin chorus of gasps and intakes of breath, which has no discernible pattern. So: totally arbitrary at all levels.
I'd use either Drambo or Audiolayer+script.
Because I know Audiolayer better, I'd personally use AudioLayer plus Mozaic or Streambyter just because I am more fluent with them than Drambo -- Drambo would be a more compact solution. The script would send out a random note (in your target range) each time it receives a note. That way you can send notes with the rhythm you want and have the sample played be unpredictable.
@espiegel123 : that sounds cool, but you mentioned the three apps I understand totally zero about. Don’t get me wrong - I’ve got them all, just don’t understand them!
In particular, I gave up trying to find and install downloaded sample sets for AudioLayer about a week after I bought it, and I haven’t revisited it since. Still get flashbacks...
@Svetlovska Easier than I thought!
Thanks for the idea. Had to go for a ride in the forest to get my head clear 😄
https://patchstorage.com/vocal-snippet-shuffler/
@rs2000 : wow! Excellent
I’ll try it out ASAP.