Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sampler.meiji.industries/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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Effects and parameter reference

This page documents the main channel-level sound controls in Meiji Sampler.

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Channel defaults

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Core tone controls

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Gain

• documented range in product copy: 0.0x to 2.0x
• default: 1.0

Use it to set basic channel level before deeper processing.

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Saturation

• default: 0.0

Adds harmonic density and edge. Useful for warming drums or pushing a sound forward.

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Pan

• range: left to right
• default: center

Use pan to separate elements that compete in the same frequency range.

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Width

• default: neutral

Controls stereo spread. Use carefully on material that already has strong stereo information.

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Pitch

• product copy range: about +/-15%
• default: 0.0

Useful for quick tuning, character changes, and time-feel variation.

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Filters

Both filters use a 6th-order Butterworth design inspired by the Akai S950’s MF6-50 switched-capacitor filter. The implementation cascades three biquad sections (Direct Form II Transposed) with the Butterworth Q factors, producing a maximally flat passband and a steep 36 dB/octave rolloff. At the cutoff frequency the signal is attenuated by exactly -3 dB; below that point the response is virtually flat, and above it the slope falls away sharply. Cutoff changes are smoothed in the log-frequency domain with a 5 ms time constant, so sweeping the filter produces no zipper noise or clicking. This matches the behavior of the S950’s clock-tracking hardware filter.

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HPF

• range: 20 Hz to 2000 Hz
• default: 20 Hz

The high-pass filter removes low-frequency content. Use it to clean mud, carve space for a kick, or build tension by thinning a sound before a drop.

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LPF

• range: 200 Hz to 20000 Hz
• default: 20000 Hz

The low-pass filter removes high-frequency content. Use it to darken sounds, create lo-fi textures, or shape transitions. Sweeping the LPF down mimics the classic muffled-sample sound of vintage hardware samplers.

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Reverb

• default: 0.0

Reverb adds space and depth. Use sparingly on already dense material so it does not blur transients.

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Playback offset

Offset delays the start of pad and chop playback for one channel. It behaves like inserting silence before the sample starts, but it does not change the sample file, trim points, chop markers, or recorded loop event timing. Offset is applied before the channel’s normal audio processing. The delayed sound still goes through Gain, Sat, ASR-10 Boost, Duck, Pan, Width, Pitch, SP1200, filters, and Reverb. For looped samples, Offset delays only the initial trigger. Once the loop starts, the repeated audio cycles at the original loop length instead of adding the offset again on every pass. Linked pads keep independent Offset values. If channel 1 links to channel 2, channel 1 plays with channel 1’s Offset and channel 2 plays with channel 2’s Offset. The linked target does not inherit the source channel’s Offset. Examples:

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ASR-10 Boost

• values: Off / Lo / Mid / Hi
• default: Off

ASR-10 Boost is a vintage signal chain modeled after the Ensoniq ASR-10’s hardware Boost function. It applies three stages of processing in series at three intensity levels: All three levels share the same DSP chain:

1. Digital excitation: gain followed by tape-style hysteresis saturation. This adds even-order harmonics and warmth without harsh digital clipping.
2. Soft-knee limiting: an exponential soft-clip stage that compresses peaks while adding density. Prevents output from exceeding bounds.
3. Analog output filter: a single-pole low-pass at 18 kHz that rounds off digital edges, emulating the analog reconstruction filter of the original hardware.

The result is a louder, warmer, denser version of the source material. Useful for drums, bass, vocals, and any channel that needs presence and weight. ASR-10 Boost sits after Saturation and before Ducking in the signal chain: Gain → Sat → ASR-10 Boost → Duck → Pan → Width → Pitch → HPF → LPF → Reverb Cycle through levels with Left/Right in Channel Detail. Reset with R or Delete.

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Ducking

Ducking is channel-specific and depends on selecting another channel as the source. Persisted parameters:

• source channel
• amount
• ratio
• threshold
• attack
• release

Use ducking for:

• kick/bass separation
• rhythmic pump
• creating movement without muting

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Time-stretch

Time-stretch changes a loop’s duration without shifting its pitch. It uses Signalsmith Stretch, a formant-preserving spectral stretcher suited to melodic, vocal, and mixed material. Stretch is configured per-channel by selecting a stretch source — the channel whose timing the current channel should match. The ratio is derived from the relative loop lengths.

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Linked pad trigger

When a linked pad target is set, triggering the source channel also triggers the target channel. This applies to both live pad hits and loop-sequenced playback. Only the source channel’s events are recorded into loops — the linked target fires as a side effect. The link control is hidden when no file is assigned to the source channel. The target must also have an assigned sample for the secondary trigger to fire.

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Choke groups

Channels in the same choke group are mutually exclusive — triggering one stops all others in the group that are currently playing. The choke fires before playback starts, so the newly triggered pad always sounds. Choke groups are always visible in Channel Detail, even without a file assigned.

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SP1200 Filter

SP1200 Filter selects between four output styles from the original E-mu SP-1200 hardware. All active settings run the shared DSP chain with different output filtering: an 11.07 kHz input anti-alias filter, tape saturation, 12-bit quantization, and a 26.04 kHz multiplexed DAC and sample-and-hold stage.

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Unfiltered (7 & 8 Style)

No output filter. Raw SP-1200 character from the shared anti-alias, saturation, quantization, and DAC/S&H stages only.

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Filtered (1 & 2 Style, SSM2044 dynamic VCF)

4-pole (24 dB/oct) ladder filter with resonant “squelchy” character and an 8-bit-stepped cutoff envelope. The envelope opens to roughly 11.5 kHz on attack (~5 ms), then decays toward roughly 800 Hz. A small amount of upper-band bleed remains around the ladder so the imaging band does not disappear completely. Best for snares, hi-hats, and melodic content.

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Filtered (3 & 4 Style, fixed LPF)

Active multi-pole low-pass filter centered around 9 kHz with no envelope. Rolls off highs aggressively to isolate bass and kick content. Best for low-end sounds where you want a darker, thicker tone.

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Filtered (5 & 6 Style, gentle fixed LPF)

Gentle active low-pass filter in the upper treble with no envelope. It is much subtler than 3 & 4 and is meant to trim the sharpest edge while preserving presence and air. Best for pads, chords, melodic loops, and mid-range percussion where some top-end life matters.

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Common DSP stages

All active styles share these processing stages:

1. Tape saturation: Jiles-Atherton hysteresis model adding harmonic warmth
2. 12-bit quantization: reduces sample depth to 4,096 discrete levels
3. 26.04 kHz DAC and sample-and-hold stage: sample-rate reduction plus switching artifacts that create the SP-1200 imaging band

All active styles also apply an 11.07 kHz input anti-alias filter before those three stages. SP1200 processing sits after pitch in the per-channel effect chain, so pitch shifting changes the frequency content before the SP-1200 emulation processes it. This matches the real hardware, where the playback clock rate (pitch) fed into the DAC and output filter. Filters, reverb, and other post-pitch controls come after SP1200. The selector is located in the Character section of Channel Detail.

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Sync and stem state

Additional channel state includes:

• sync multiple
• selected stem
• playback offset
• mute
• solo
• linked pad target
• choke group
• optional channel name override
• optional color override

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Related pages

• Mix
• Mixer And Effects
• Set Up Sidechain Ducking
• Time-Stretch A Loop To Tempo
• Audio And Playback Troubleshooting