Manufacturer's description
Samples II is a 5-channel Eurorack USB Sample Player. It plays back and streams wave audio files directly from a USB memory stick giving users the flexibility to change samples and offering them virtually infinite memory space. Samples II is able to play back wave files of more then 1 hour long.
Super low latency:
The latency performance was a priority during development which makes Samples II ideal for drum samples playback. The decision was made to have trigger inputs instead of CV inputs to keep latency as low as possible. Thanks to an efficient triple memory buffering, the initial transient audio data is always available in RAM for very fast access, this combined with trigger inputs gives the module an excellent latency performance of only 0.15ms.
Changing sample sets:
Using a basic folders/directories system on the USB stick, different sample sets can be loaded by module and the user can scroll through them using the tactile switch. It is also possible to hot swap USB memory sticks on the fly. The modules takes about 1 second to load samples and start playback after the USB stick is plugged in. The very first time a folder/directory is loaded possible conversions may be necessary, this happens only the very first time.
Playback modes and settings:
If the original Samples family of modules were strictly drum modules, Samples II can do more and new interesting playback modes have been implemented for the playback of field recordings, ambient sounds and loops. The playback modes and other options can be changed in a settings text file that is automatically generated by the module and saved in the root of the USB memory stick.
Mix OUT:
Drums in Eurorack can take up a lot of your mixer channels, that’s why a MIX output is available. All the Outputs from 1 to 4 that are not patched will be summed together with Channel 5 and send to the Output 5/MIX jack. An attenuation/mixing system is available using the single on-board tactile switch for set-and-forget mix levels, the user can set the levels between each channel so no need to go back to your DAW to change levels and re-bounce/re-export. See the manuals for more details.
Playback modulation:
Even though the inputs are not CV inputs, it is still possible to modulate the playback speed for 2 channels. Using an LFO into input 2, you can modulate the playback speed of channel 1. The LFO frequency will define the playback speed. The same applies for channel 3 and input 4. This is a feature that can be activated in the settings text file. The bandwidth of the USB memory stick will limit how far the playback can be sped up, but slowing down the playback has no restriction.
Multi sample modes:
These modes allow you to assign multiple files to one channel and the system will play back a different file every time a trigger is coming in. It can go through the files linearly in alphabetical order, or pick a random file at every trigger. It is ideal for glitchy beats, interesting HH patterns with different sounds, simple random playback or sequencing wave files. Because of the USB bandwidth limitation, a limited amount of channels can be used in multi sample at the same time, please read the manual for more details.
Wave file auto-conversion:
During development a lot of effort was put in to avoid restrictions for the users as much as possible. A priority was the implementation of a wave file auto-converter, ideal to convert short wave files on the fly. Even though the DACs on the module run at 16bits/44.1khz, for the best audio quality vs amount of channels ratio, any wave file can be loaded by the module. The auto-converter will perform bit rate and sample rate conversion (FIR + linear interpolation) when a wave file is assigned to a channel for the first time. Stereo files can also be played back to a pair of outputs or only the left channel can be sent to a single output. To avoid long conversion waiting times, files longer than 30 secs won’t be converted and will need to be converted on PC/MAC beforehand.
IO
- 5 input jacks to trigger the sounds with +5V signals.
- 5 output jacks for the audio outputs ~8Vpp at audio peak value.
- Width: 4HP
- Depth: 38mm (including power connector)
- Power: +12V 135mA, -12V 15mA
How much is my shipping?
Shipping is automatically calculated before you submit your payment information. Simply add items to your cart and proceed to the checkout page, where you'll be offered shipping options and their prices. In the UK it's normally around £4 for order values under £150, and free above that. Shipping to mainland EU is typically between £7 and £20, depending on the shipping method and the size and weight of the order.
Do you ship to my country?
Almost certainly - the site will give you an estimate of shipping costs if you add an item to the cart and then enter your country and postcode. If you have specific requirements (such as if you prefer UPS over FedEx, for example) then let us know in advance and we'll try to work something out for you.
Shipping methods
We use a combination of Parcelforce, DPD, Royal Mail and UPS for the UK, and for international orders it's either Royal Mail, UPS, DHL or FedEx depending on where you are in the world. If you have a particular preference then try to let us know BEFORE you order so we can look into it for you. Please note that there may occasionally be additional shipping charges if you live in a remote area, depending on what surcharges are applied by the shipper. We'll get in touch to discuss this with you in such cases.
Dispatch times
For UK orders, we normally dispatch the same working day if we get the order before 15:00. If you have a really urgent situation then of course drop us an email before ordering and we'll always do our absolute best to accommodate you.
For international orders, we normally dispatch the same day if we get the order before 13:00 but again, occasionally it might be the next day before we can send it out, and sometimes FedEx or UPS may come a little earlier than scheduled which would also push an order into the next day.
Shipping times
Since April 2020 the couriers we use have suspended guarantees for shipping times, so even though we're paying them for priority services - 24-48 hours for most of the world - in practice it's often an extra day on top and sometimes it can be longer.
There is absolutely nothing we can do about this unfortunately. If you are outside the UK and it's a life-or-death situation where you absolutely MUST have that passive mult for the next day then... it may be better to find a local supplier.
Saturday shipping
If you're in the UK and you order before 15:30 on a Friday then we can send something for a Saturday delivery (NB: this applies to UK mainland addresses only). The success rate with DPD is about 95% so it's worth a punt most of the time. Please note that if you select Saturday shipping on an order placed earlier in the week, we'll wait until Friday to ship it.
Pre-orders
If a product is listed as a pre-order, it means we've ordered it from the supplier but it's not physically in stock yet. The product listing will include an estimated shipping date based on the best information we have from the supplier, but do bear in mind this is subject to change and is not a guaranteed date.
If you place an order containing a mixture of in-stock and pre-order items, we'll normally hold off on shipping anything until the pre-order item(s) have arrived, rather than splitting it into multiple shipments. If you need the in-stock items sooner, we'd recommend placing separate orders. As always, please get in touch if you have questions.
Product Overview
Manufacturer's description
Samples II is a 5-channel Eurorack USB Sample Player. It plays back and streams wave audio files directly from a USB memory stick giving users the flexibility to change samples and offering them virtually infinite memory space. Samples II is able to play back wave files of more then 1 hour long.
Super low latency:
The latency performance was a priority during development which makes Samples II ideal for drum samples playback. The decision was made to have trigger inputs instead of CV inputs to keep latency as low as possible. Thanks to an efficient triple memory buffering, the initial transient audio data is always available in RAM for very fast access, this combined with trigger inputs gives the module an excellent latency performance of only 0.15ms.
Changing sample sets:
Using a basic folders/directories system on the USB stick, different sample sets can be loaded by module and the user can scroll through them using the tactile switch. It is also possible to hot swap USB memory sticks on the fly. The modules takes about 1 second to load samples and start playback after the USB stick is plugged in. The very first time a folder/directory is loaded possible conversions may be necessary, this happens only the very first time.
Playback modes and settings:
If the original Samples family of modules were strictly drum modules, Samples II can do more and new interesting playback modes have been implemented for the playback of field recordings, ambient sounds and loops. The playback modes and other options can be changed in a settings text file that is automatically generated by the module and saved in the root of the USB memory stick.
Mix OUT:
Drums in Eurorack can take up a lot of your mixer channels, that’s why a MIX output is available. All the Outputs from 1 to 4 that are not patched will be summed together with Channel 5 and send to the Output 5/MIX jack. An attenuation/mixing system is available using the single on-board tactile switch for set-and-forget mix levels, the user can set the levels between each channel so no need to go back to your DAW to change levels and re-bounce/re-export. See the manuals for more details.
Playback modulation:
Even though the inputs are not CV inputs, it is still possible to modulate the playback speed for 2 channels. Using an LFO into input 2, you can modulate the playback speed of channel 1. The LFO frequency will define the playback speed. The same applies for channel 3 and input 4. This is a feature that can be activated in the settings text file. The bandwidth of the USB memory stick will limit how far the playback can be sped up, but slowing down the playback has no restriction.
Multi sample modes:
These modes allow you to assign multiple files to one channel and the system will play back a different file every time a trigger is coming in. It can go through the files linearly in alphabetical order, or pick a random file at every trigger. It is ideal for glitchy beats, interesting HH patterns with different sounds, simple random playback or sequencing wave files. Because of the USB bandwidth limitation, a limited amount of channels can be used in multi sample at the same time, please read the manual for more details.
Wave file auto-conversion:
During development a lot of effort was put in to avoid restrictions for the users as much as possible. A priority was the implementation of a wave file auto-converter, ideal to convert short wave files on the fly. Even though the DACs on the module run at 16bits/44.1khz, for the best audio quality vs amount of channels ratio, any wave file can be loaded by the module. The auto-converter will perform bit rate and sample rate conversion (FIR + linear interpolation) when a wave file is assigned to a channel for the first time. Stereo files can also be played back to a pair of outputs or only the left channel can be sent to a single output. To avoid long conversion waiting times, files longer than 30 secs won’t be converted and will need to be converted on PC/MAC beforehand.
IO
- 5 input jacks to trigger the sounds with +5V signals.
- 5 output jacks for the audio outputs ~8Vpp at audio peak value.
Technical Specs
Shipping Details
How much is my shipping?
Shipping is automatically calculated before you submit your payment information. Simply add items to your cart and proceed to the checkout page, where you'll be offered shipping options and their prices. In the UK it's normally around £4 for order values under £150, and free above that. Shipping to mainland EU is typically between £7 and £20, depending on the shipping method and the size and weight of the order.
Do you ship to my country?
Almost certainly - the site will give you an estimate of shipping costs if you add an item to the cart and then enter your country and postcode. If you have specific requirements (such as if you prefer UPS over FedEx, for example) then let us know in advance and we'll try to work something out for you.
Shipping methods
We use a combination of Parcelforce, DPD, Royal Mail and UPS for the UK, and for international orders it's either Royal Mail, UPS, DHL or FedEx depending on where you are in the world. If you have a particular preference then try to let us know BEFORE you order so we can look into it for you. Please note that there may occasionally be additional shipping charges if you live in a remote area, depending on what surcharges are applied by the shipper. We'll get in touch to discuss this with you in such cases.
Dispatch times
For UK orders, we normally dispatch the same working day if we get the order before 15:00. If you have a really urgent situation then of course drop us an email before ordering and we'll always do our absolute best to accommodate you.
For international orders, we normally dispatch the same day if we get the order before 13:00 but again, occasionally it might be the next day before we can send it out, and sometimes FedEx or UPS may come a little earlier than scheduled which would also push an order into the next day.
Shipping times
Since April 2020 the couriers we use have suspended guarantees for shipping times, so even though we're paying them for priority services - 24-48 hours for most of the world - in practice it's often an extra day on top and sometimes it can be longer.
There is absolutely nothing we can do about this unfortunately. If you are outside the UK and it's a life-or-death situation where you absolutely MUST have that passive mult for the next day then... it may be better to find a local supplier.
Saturday shipping
If you're in the UK and you order before 15:30 on a Friday then we can send something for a Saturday delivery (NB: this applies to UK mainland addresses only). The success rate with DPD is about 95% so it's worth a punt most of the time. Please note that if you select Saturday shipping on an order placed earlier in the week, we'll wait until Friday to ship it.
Pre-orders
If a product is listed as a pre-order, it means we've ordered it from the supplier but it's not physically in stock yet. The product listing will include an estimated shipping date based on the best information we have from the supplier, but do bear in mind this is subject to change and is not a guaranteed date.
If you place an order containing a mixture of in-stock and pre-order items, we'll normally hold off on shipping anything until the pre-order item(s) have arrived, rather than splitting it into multiple shipments. If you need the in-stock items sooner, we'd recommend placing separate orders. As always, please get in touch if you have questions.
