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Chompi is a super-cute sampler that was inspired by the Casio SK-1.

The creators of CHOMPI – a new sampling keyboard that’s designed to make musique concrète style audio manipulation fast and fun – shared this sneak preview of the portable sampler.

As the video demonstrates, CHOMPI is designed to make it easy to sample sounds and play them back, using the built-in keyboard.

Chompi is a new “magical” hardware sampler and looper that looks to prioritise personality and playability over a lengthy spec list. With its cute carry handle and big-buttoned interface, it is giving us strong ‘My First Electronic Instrument’ vibes, but might also be capable of charming more mature and experienced musicians, as well.

Built on the open-source Electro-Smith Daisy platform, Chompi puts the focus on a simple sample-based workflow that is designed to encourage experimentation. Hit the record button and you can immediately capture a sound via the built-in mic, and this is automatically mapped across the two-octave mechanical keyboard.

The interface provides big, dedicated controls for sampling, pitch, sample editing and effects. CHOMPI also features a looper, so you can record phrases and play over them, and even overdub layers.

Chompi offers seven voices of polyphony and gives you 14 preset slots. You can adjust the sample start/end point, there’s an AD envelope, and the playback speed and direction of the sample can be controlled, as well. The multi-FX section is all on one knob, and provides a multimode filter, lo-fi saturation, a granular delay-reverb and more.

Recordings can be made using the tape-style stereo looper, which enables you to overdub sounds as many times as you like. The transport knob controls tape scrubbing, loop playback speed/direction and other features that are apparently waiting to be discovered.

As you can see, Chompi has no screen, but RGB LED indicators and endless switching encoders give you multi-page parameter control. The MX Cherry switches on the hot-swap enabled keyboard can be replaced and customised as you wish, and the Chompi is said to be built to last.

USB-C powering means that it is also portable – assuming you have a power bank – while other connectivity includes stereo aux I/O, a headphone socket and MIDI I/O (all on 3.5mm jacks). Your samples are stored on a micro SD card.

Features:

• Flexible hardware platform
  • Built on the powerful Daisy platform (by Electro-Smith) unlocking easy firmware updates, and flexible programmability options.
  • Screenless workflow, w/ RGB LED indicators & endless switching encoders for multi-page parameter controls
  • Utilizes the widely popular MX Cherry switches for its Hot-Swap enabled, two octave keyboard (switches & keycaps are infinitely customizable)
  • Custom Panel Enclosure allows for limited edition colorways (artist series already in the works)
  • Custom made BOBO Keycaps
• Quirky sampling Engine
  • Unique Sampling Workflow Encourages User Exploration
  • 7 Voice Polyphony
  • 14 Slots to Save/Recall Presets
  • Sample Playback Speed & Direction Controls
  • Sample Start & End Point Controls (w/ Additional Attack + Decay Envelope)
  • Single Knob Multi-FX Section (Multi-Mode Filter, Lo-Fi Saturation, Granular Delay-Reverb, & More)
• Tape-Style Looper
  • Sound-on-sound stereo looping engine
  • Transport knob provides control over: Manual Tape Scrubbing, Loop Playback Speed / Direction, as well as other additional ‘easter eggs’ to be found by advanced users

Chompi is said to have been inspired by portable old-school keyboards such as the Casio SK-1.

The developers will be making CHOMPI available via a Kickstarter project launching later this month, priced at $499 for backers (normally $599). Find out more info on the CHOMPI website.

via Petros, Goudron

Chase Bliss puts us in a good MOOD by unveiling the sequel to its beloved multi-effects pedal.

“MOOD MKII is a more polished, flexible, and ultimately professional pedal, but it’s the same goofball at heart”

Chase Bliss has announced the sequel to its MOOD multi-effects pedal, a micro-looper and delay with a unique sonic architecture made in collaboration with Drolo FX and Old Blood Noise Endeavours.

The original MOOD offered two channels: one is a granular looper that samples, repeats and layers snippets of incoming audio, while the other is a spatial effects processor with reverb and delay. Both channels are interlinked and can work in tandem to produce complex ambient effects that can be time-stretched and pitch-shifted.

MOOD MKII does the same thing but takes the idea much further and includes a host of new features. The pedal has been bolstered with stereo processing, overdubbing, and freeze mode, while the overall loop length has been doubled.

MIDI integration has been significantly improved: all parameters can now be controlled externally via MIDI, and both channels can be synced to a MIDI clock. Even better, MOOD’s transposition function can now be controlled with a MIDI keyboard: this means the pedal can essentially function as a granular synthesizer.

A number of finer details in MOOD’s workflow have been modified in the update and the overall sound is said to be much cleaner. However, those yearning for the sonic quirks of the old version can engage MKII’s Classic Mode to switch between the pedal’s iterations.

In a statement announcing the release of MOOD MKII, Chase Bliss say that their goal in developing the pedal was to include every feature request and improvement that they possibly could while still making it “feel like good ol’ MOOD”.

“This thing has been a joy to make, but we were also careful,” the statement continues. “MOOD was this surprise success and its greatest strength is that it’s just fun. It’s instant gratification and I didn’t want to overstuff it and lose that.”

“On the surface it will feel instantly familiar, but you now have the ability to go so much further. Just about everything in the pedal is doubled, roughly speaking. The loops can be twice as long, it’s full stereo, and both channels now have a powerful hold function. You can overdub, you can sync, you can freeze, you can even use the looper like a live effect.”

MOOD MKII is in the late stages of beta testing, but is available to pre-order now , price at $399 with the first units set to ship at the end of April. Find out more and pre-order MOOD MKII on Chase Bliss website.

Sampleson SandStorm plugin could be a cheap code for creating epic, evolving soundscapes.

If you spend a lot of time, money and effort on creating cinematic evolving soundscapes, SandStorm could be your answer.

SandStorm is a simple plugin designed for generating these Hollywood-esque atmospheres in seconds.

It’s secret sauce is its ability to stack up to 17 sound sources, including orchestral instruments, analogue synths and both granular and wavetable modules. Want to introduce a bit of wind noise? There’s a layer for that.

Parameters can be assigned to mouse macro control, enabling you to tweak your sounds to taste simply by dragging the mouse over the GUI.

If you want the ultimate in convenience you can use the supplied presets. Additionally, it is possible to build up your own textures from scratch.

Although Sandstorm has obvious appeal for beginners, Sampleson suggests that it could also be useful for pros who want to sketch out quick ideas without setting up a massive multitrack DAW project. It could also be used for playing live ambient sounds.

Available for PC and Mac in VST/AU formats, SandStorm is available now for the introductory price of $39. The regular price will be $59. Find out more on the Sampleson website.