A custom sample mashing app designed by Aphex Twin.
Samplebrain chops samples up into a 'brain' of interconnected small sections called blocks which are connected into a network by similarity. It processes a target sample, chopping it up into blocks in the same way, and tries to match each block with one in its brain to play in realtime.
This allows you to interpret a sound with a different one. As we worked on it (during 2015 and 2016) we gradually added more and more tweakable parameters until it became slightly out of control.
- Load a bunch of short wav files into the brain
- Click (re)generate brain
- Load a short loop sample into the target
- Click (re)generate blocks
- Press play
- Tweak brain
Larger wav files like whole tracks can be used, but take a long time to process, after which they can be saved as "brain" files and instantly reloaded.
Check the Manual here for the details on all the parameters and try out the demo brain session. Load the demo using "load session" not "load brain" (sessions contain both the target and brain samples). The original samples used to create the demo session can be found here for testing.
As this is experimental non-commercial software (only originally written to run on a couple of computers!) you will have to bear with us as we gradually stabilise things based on your feedback. There might currently be problems running it on 64bit Windows.
- Windows: samplebrain_0.18.4_win.zip
- Mac (intel/m1): samplebrain_0.18.4_macintel.zip
Changes in 0.18.4: New audio device settings window and updated windows build. Better default block size, tool tip tweaks and fixes for dark themes by Claude Heiland-Allen.
For old versions see the changelog
Mac note: As this software is not on the apple store, to run the binary you need to tell your mac it's ok: Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General. At the bottom of the window, select "Allow apps to be downloaded from Anywhere".
Thank you to Nik Gaffney for help with the Apple builds.
$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:thentrythis/samplebrain
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install samplebrain
If you'd like the right font, optionally:
$ sudo apt install ttf-mscorefonts-installer
MFCC algo courtesy of the Aquila library by Zbigniew Siciarz MIT/X11 licence 2007-2014 (see brain/src/aquila/LICENCE). This program is free software licenced under GNU General Public License version 2 (see LICENCE). Written by Dave Griffiths at Then Try This.
To find related tech like CataRT, bbcut2, eargram and sCrAmBlEd?HaCkZ! search up granular synthesis, concatenative synthesis, neural audio synthesis, sinewave speech, automated breakbeat cutting, audio mosaicing and plunderphonics/plundermatics.