Sample Capture

The device records its input. It needs to be fed with the signal you want to sample. Per default it writes the recording to the desktop. You can drag an empty folder on the display instead. This currently only works from the Finder (on Mac) and not from the browser in Live.

Recording is started when (Arm) is pressed, and the input signal is above the Threshold level. Recording stops when either the maximum recording time is reached, which can be set via MaxLength, or when the input level is below the Off Threshold. Recording also ends when (Cancel) is pressed.

The Off Threshold can be set with the (Set) button to be 3dB above the signal present when hitting it. Typically this is the noise floor when recording from a microphone.

The Preroll parameter allows to capture a bit of time before the Threshold has been reached. This is helpful for sounds with a slower attack, where one wants to preserve the full transient. Once the recording is done, it is normalised and a fade-out is applied. It can be set between 0% and 50% of the total length using the Fadeout chooser.

Press (Play) for auditioning the captured sample. Recording is always in stereo. However, when listening and when saving the file, one can choose if it shall be mono or [Stereo].

When Through is enabled, the input signal is passed on to the output, unless a recording is auditioned, in which case the inupt is muted.

Saved files will have a name followed by a counting number for each recording. It is not needed to give every recording a new name. Very handy if you do no want to type 'snare-101', 'snare-102' etc. by hand.

The name can either be random-generated, with or without a date indication, or it can be chosen manually.

The Device also shows prominently the current sample rate of the system and the length of the last recording. Sampling at 96kHz sounds most of the time better, and allows to pitch sounds down more without loosing too much fidelity.

The meters on the left show the left and right input and the difference between the two input channels. If the third meter does not show anything, the input is 100% mono with equal levels for left and right. This should be recorded in mono.

When [Auto] is enabled, after saving, the Device goes into (Arm) state by itself. This means recording multiple sounds in a row is even more streamlined: Hitting arm once, grabbing the sound you want to record, wait for it to be processed, then hitting save, and being ready for playing the next sound.

I made the first version of this device in 2015 for my own needs, and rewrote it completely in December 2025. It has been tested and should work, but if there are issues, get in touch.

Screenshot of the device made using a custom Live 12 color theme. You can grab it from here: roberthenke-live12-theme.zip