Samplr remains one of the most satisfying musical apps for iPad – a multitouch sample recording and manipulation tool. And now it adds MIDI control, meaning you have even more reason to take this into live situations.
It’s a not-unpopular opinion: Samplr is just obviously great and loved. The app by Marcos Alonso is uniquely intuitive to work with sound, as you can use multitouch gestures directly on the display. Multiple modes are packed into one – slicer, looper, bow, tape & scratch, arpeggiator, keyboard, and loop player. Looking back, you can see how much an impact this app has had on other desktop and mobile software design, too. (You can even see echoes in the latest-generation CDJ hardware.)
Some of the early iPad classics have disappeared, but Marcos has gladly kept this one up to date. 2020 saw a modern reworking with Ableton Link, improved MIDI sync, and new device support. 2023 saw fixes and added support for iOS 16. Honestly, Marcos, would you ever want to do a Samplr 2, I’d gladly buy it.
But 1.5 adds a much-requested feature: now you can use external MIDI keyboards and controllers. As good as the touch is, and I’ve definitely used it live, having a keyboard for the associated mode and additional tactile feedback is huge. It’s a great reason to pick this up again.
Samplr is on the App Store, and … honestly, you probably own it already, but if not, it’s $20.
I’m not the only one who thinks it holds up today, apparently. Still the one.