Using (and Finding) Samples

Tutorial Sample Set

If you want to use the tutorial sample set, all you need to do is to run the command (import-sample-set 'tutorial) the first time you start Mégra. This will download a minimal set of samples that will get you through the tutorial.

If you want to use your own samples, you can either:

add them to the default folder
point Mégra to a sample folder at startup
load samples on demand while Mégra is running

Maximum Number of Samples

As of now, Mégra loads all samples to memory, which means that it takes some time to load them at startup. That also means that there's a limitation on how many samples you can load for one session. If your sample set is huge and maxes out your device's RAM, you'll need to select a smaller subset.

Up to Mégra 0.0.6, the maximum number of samples you can load is 3000, which might not be enough for some collections, i.e. the entire Dirt-Samples collection.

Starting with Mégra 0.0.7, you can increase the number using the --max-sample-buffers startup option.

Sample Format

Mégra currently supports samples in FLAC or (as of version 0.0.6) WAV format. Per default, Mégra uses mono samples. If you load a stereo file, it'll be downmixed to mono. In case you want to use stereo files, you need to enable this feature at startup using the --use-stereo-samples option.

If your samples are in a different samplerate that the one you started Mégra with, they'll be re-sampled to the current samplerate.

Default Folder, Sample Set Structure and Naming Convention

The default folder for samples (folder will be created at first start) can be found at:

Linux: ~/.config/megra/samples.
Windows: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\parkellipsen\megra\config\samples
macOS: /Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/de.parkellipsen.megra/samples

In there, you'll find several sub-folders. By convention, Mégra will read each folder as a possible sound event. That means, if you have a sub-folder called bd in the samples folder, you can call it as a sound event like this:

;; call this in the Mégra editor (place cursor between outer parenthesis and hit "Ctrl+Return")
(once (bd))

You can call specific files from the folder by keyword. For example, if you have a sample called jazzy.flac in your bd folder, you can call it like this:

(once (bd 'jazzy))

The filenames are separated into keywords by whitespace, dash, underscore and dot. Thus, if your sample is called ultimate jazz-bassdrum.latest.flac, they keywords will be ultimate, jazz, bassdrum and latest.

If you don't provide any keyword, a random sample from the folder is chosen. Samples outside of the abovementioned samples folder can't be called.

Custom Sample Folder

As of version 0.0.6, you can provide a custom sample folder at startup using the --sample-folder <path-to-folder> flag.

Loading Samples at Runtime

You can also load individual samples to a set by hand using

(load-sample :set '<set> :path "<path-to-sample>")

These don't need to be in the samples folder, the path can point anywhere.

Additionally, you can load a folder with samples that follows the correct structure ... i.e. if you're already using TidalCycles, and have the Dirt-Samples collection somewhere, you can import it using:

(load-sample-sets "/<path-to-parent>/Dirt-Samples")

IF you're using the (default) Dirt-Samples, keep in mind that sample selection in TidalCycles is very different (TidalCycles indexes on sort order instead of keywords), so the level of control you have over which samples are chosen will depend on the filenames, and whether they can be parsed as keywords. Otherwise, you would need to know the entire file name to call a specific sample.

Mégra currently doesn't allow function names that start with a digit, so in case there are folders that start with one (such as the 808hc and so on), the set will be available with an underscore: (once (_808hc)).

As mentioned above, make sure you configure your audio system to the samplerate of your samples, otherwise loading samples will be slow due to resampling!