Sample Cutups

Sample Cutups 2 and Sample Cutups 32 turn as many as four files into one clocked cut pattern. Every step chooses a file lane and a region within that file, so a pattern can splice beats, phrases, field recordings, or unrelated sources without first rendering a composite file. Cutups is a distinct instrument rather than a Lanes mode: its voice state advances discrete regions, repeats, probability, and output allocation at cut boundaries.

Workflow

1. Insert Sample Cutups 2 on a stereo track, or Sample Cutups 32 on a fixed 32-channel track.
2. Route its stereo output, or the selected Cutups 32 outputs, to an audible speaker or headphone path.
3. Load or drop as many as four files. Each file is analysed off the audio thread for transient boundaries and tempo.
4. Choose Host and a rhythmic Division, or choose Free and set the cut rate in hertz.
5. Select Equal or Transient regions, then choose File Order and Source Order.
6. Set Steps / Regions from 1 to 64 and set Step Repeat. The shared count sets both the pattern length and the number of source regions. Choose a File Order and see that complete order in the Cut Pattern graph. Click or drag the graph when you want to author Manual File Order; Option-drag refines a manual source position.
7. Shape the edit with Gate, Join, Swing, timing variation, reverse chance, pitch variation, and level variation.

Transient Regions and File Tempo

Analysis runs when a decoded file becomes available and again when embedded audio is restored. Transient Preroll moves each detected start earlier by 0–50 ms before it is snapped toward a nearby zero crossing; the default is 1 ms. After changing preroll, select a lane and press Recalc Transients to analyse its in-memory audio again on the loader thread. This does not re-decode the file or replace a manually edited File BPM. Regions shorter than 20 ms are rejected. If analysis produces no usable onset after the beginning, Transient mode still has one full-file region.

The selected lane’s File BPM appears in the tempo panel and remains editable. A confident, unambiguous estimate replaces its default value automatically; uncertain estimates are shown in the lane status without forcing the parameter. With Tempo Sync enabled and Host clock selected, playback rate is multiplied by host BPM divided by that lane’s BPM. This is intentional sampler-style varispeed, so tempo correction also changes pitch.

Cut Clock

File and Source Addressing

File Order offers Down, Up, Palindrome, Pairs, Outside In, Center Out, Stagger, Random, Random Cycle, and Manual. The Cut Pattern graph previews every selected order, including the deterministic sequence produced by Random and Seed. Random Cycle visits every loaded file once before reshuffling. A requested empty manual lane resolves to the nearest loaded lane rather than producing a silent hole.

Source Order offers Timeline, Forward, Reverse, Palindrome, Random, Walk, and Manual. Steps / Regions is the shared pattern and region count. Equal mode divides the shared Start–End window into that many pieces, and each waveform displays those equal boundaries. Transient mode instead displays and uses up to that many analysed boundaries inside the window. Timeline continues from the current read position; Manual maps the source position stored in each pattern step to the available region set.

The pattern editor’s X axis is step number and Y axis is file lane. Clicking selects Manual File Order and quantizes the step to one of four lanes. Option-clicking or Option-dragging selects Manual Source Order and writes a proportional source location; the dark line within each step shows that location. Up to 64 steps are stored in plug-in state.

Poly Path controls how simultaneous notes relate to the primary File Order. Together keeps every voice on the same path. Step Offset starts notes two through four one, two, and three steps farther along. Quarter Spread spaces the four paths around the selected order’s cycle. Mirror Pairs combines a reversed path with half-cycle shifted forward and reversed paths. These relationships affect file choice only, so every voice retains its own timing and source-region progression; Mono and Legato use the primary path.

Cut Playback

Poly, Mono, and Legato determine voice ownership. Auto and Gate release at note-off, One Shot releases after one complete pattern, and Toggle alternates a matching note on and off. Root, Tune, Fine, Attack, Release, Velocity, MIDI reception, Pan, and Out follow the rest of the Sample family.

Sample Cutups 32 Routing

Preserve Field retains each source channel on the same-numbered output. Distribute folds the active cut to mono or stereo and assigns it within Active Outputs. Allocation Clock can choose a destination per Note, per Cut, or at each Pattern boundary. Traversal, pair layout, and Avoid Near use the shared Sample-family allocator.

Factory Presets

Tight Sixteenths, Transient Relay, Tape Mosaic, Four File Walk, Reverse Stutter, Wide Cuts, and Manual Pattern provide starting points for ordered, transient-driven, stochastic, reversed, and multichannel behaviors. Presets reset every parameter before applying their changes.

Storage and Recall

The pattern of up to 64 steps, parameters, and four source references return with the project. PROJECT, LINK, and EMBED use the same storage rules as the other Sample instruments. Analysis metadata is safely regenerated from restored audio rather than being trusted as opaque state.