The Koala Sampler for iOS and Android has been growing in popularity since its launch in 2020. Elf Audio, the company behind Koala, has just launched an update that seriously turbocharges this already highly usable little pocket sampler. In this article we take a look at the Koala sampler, its recent add-on and what it has to offer the producer community.

What is the Koala Sampler?

The Koala takes its main inspiration from the Boss SP-303 portable sampler. Koala creator Marek Bereza was inspired by the late great J Dilla who used the 303 to produce his final LP Donuts whilst hospitalised. This heritage combined with its remarkably low price point has resulted in its warm embrace within the Hip-Hop/lofi/trap producer communities. The fact that you can now produce Dilla-grade sample-based beats on a phone or tablet for just £4.99 is pretty mindblowing.

The Koala, with its low price commitment and simple layout, also offers beginners looking to dip their toes into music production the perfect introductory tool. And for more experienced beatmakers the Koala is certainly no toy and makes a fantastic portable option for making beats on the move. It offers midi integration as well as AUv3 compatibility. It can even directly export to an Ableton Live set.

All you need to get busy are some choice samples which can be dragged onto the pads for instant inspiration. Any samples that are saved to your device’s storage can be loaded in. Alternatively, use your device’s built-in mic to record your own original Foley samples. Koala even comes with a built-in library of sounds to get you started.

if you’re after top-notch samples to feed your Koala check out RouteNote Create where we have subscriptions starting at just $2.99 for 100 samples!

Koala Sampler – feature Set

At the heart of it, the Koala allows you to sample, sequence, mix and export all within your iOS or Android device. Despite being a £4.99 app the feature list goes pretty deep as you can see from the list below.

  • Record up to 64 different samples with your mic
  • Transform your voice or any other sound with 16 superb built-in fx
  • Load your own sample
  • Choose from one of 250 built-in sounds
  • Resample the output of the app back into a new sample
  • Export loops or entire tracks as professional quality WAV files
  • Direct export to Ableton Live Set
  • Copy/paste or merge sequences just by dragging them
  • Create beats with the high-resolution sequencer
  • Import samples using AudioShare or just open them in Koala
  • Keyboard mode lets you play chromatically or one of 9 scales
  • Quantize, and add swing to get the right feel
  • Normal/One-shot/Loop/Reverse playback of samples
  • 6 Choke groups
  • Attack, release and tone adjustable on each sample
  • Add any (or all) of the 8 effects to the entire mix
  • AUv3 compatible – use in GarageBand, Logic, Cubasis etc etc
  • AudioBus 3.0 and Inter-App Audio compatible
  • MIDI controllable – play your samples on a keyboard, map the effects to knobs
  • Jam with others over WiFi with Ableton Link
  • Free copy of Ableton Live Lite included
  • Use AI to separate samples into individual instruments (drums, bass, vocals and other)
  • Set your own background image and choose from a growing list of background visual FX.

What’s in the new Add-On?

While Koala offers some very basic mixing tools it’s really more geared towards Sampling and sequencing. The latest extension looks to address this by providing 4 new mix buses and a master bus. Each channel offers 5 effects slots. For each slot, you can easily select and edit any one of the 16 available FX. With a quick drag of the finger, the FX slots can be rearranged allowing for easy editing of effect chains.

In keeping with the rest of the Koala app, the UI is clear, simple and uncluttered making for a streamlined workflow. The ability to run multiple FX on different channels may be impacted by your device’s processor but a newer iPad should power through most tasks.

For a full rundown of all the new Mix Add-On features check out the following video from Elf Audio.

Koala Mix Add-On tutorial by Elf Audio

Summary

To be honest, at this price, it’s hard to find anything negative to say about the Koala sampler. And now with the addition of the new mix add-on, you really do have all the tools needed to knock up some handheld heat. Even music-producing heavyweights have embraced this cuddly Koala. Flying Locus recently tweeted “Been putting that $4 koala sampler to good use lately. Undeniably great tool that puts some of these expensive beat boxes to shame. A must cop.”

The Koala sampler is available for £4.99 with the mixer add-on an additional £4.99. That’s an all-in-one pocket-sized sampling workstation for a smidgin under a tenner!

Download it here for iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/koala
Here for Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.elf.koalasampler



Remember – RouteNote Create subscriptions start from as little as $2.99. You also get 10 FREE credits to spend on samples along with access to our FREE sample pack bundle when you sign-up!

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