The MacBook Touch Bar just got a new use. From the maker of the excellent iPad app Samplr, this free utility makes a multi-touch sample player – and it’s surprisingly capable.
Okay, this is definitely no match for the wonder that is Samplr. But as a cute little toy – and a way to jam with others with just your laptop handy – it’s some fun stuff.
It really is like a baby version of Samplr on your two-touch Touch Bar. Watch:
- Play slices (automatically or with manual slice control)
- Play loops by using two touches (with multiple loop support on a single sound)
- “Bow” through a sound (via granular synthesis)
- Play tape-style with varying speed (-2x to 2x)
- Attack and release envelope controls
- 3 effects (filter, delay with feedback, and reverb)
- Audio recording
It’s really clever. I figured Marco was just going to have some basic sample playback and call it a day, but this is a surprising amount of Samplr’s functionality crammed into your, uh, computer keyboard. It answers the question “could I sketch out some musical idea between Zoom calls and doomscrolling news of the end of the world?”*
Yes, you can. And yes, you definitely should do this.
“No support is provided and no future updates are planned.”
Hell, yeah. Only way to fly. (actually if it had some weird glitches I would be even more into it, but that’s me)