BPM Supreme’s Raj Thomas recently checked out Serato Sample, Serato’s intuitive new sampler plugin for producers and DJs. Serato Sample is said to let you quickly find, chop, key shift and time-stretch samples directly from your Serato libraries and use them in your DAW of choice. The plugin is compatible with Logic, Ableton Live, FL Studio, and Maschine. 

So let’s get down to it and see what Raj had to say about the new plugin:

“Workflow is key. As someone who already has Ableton Live and Maschine, I questioned the need for a new plugin entering the market for “sampling.” I love and trust Serato as a brand, but Serato Sample had me quite skeptical at first.

First Impressions

The install was easy and painless. First you download it from Serato’s website, then drag the versions you want to use to the appropriate folder. I chose to install all versions just in case I needed them.

Measuring Up Against Competition 

Ableton Sampler vs. Serato Sample:
I use Ableton Live and I dropped audio in an instance of Ableton’s Sampler and on a separate track. Without doing ANYTHING at all there is a very significant difference in volume of the sample. Serato Sampler wins in loudness and dynamic clarity without adjusting anything. I had to play around in Ableton’s sampler to adjust the db to match what I was getting from Serato Sample at default.  

Maschine vs. Serato Sample:
Sampling in Maschine is fun and easy, if you are a die-hard Native Instruments Maschine producer, it will be a little difficult to pull you away from the workflow you already have set up.

Cool Features

SYNC:
There was a very accurate analysis of the track and I have had no real problems getting the tracks I’m working with to SYNC with my Project tempo. While SYNC is a curse word to some in the DJ community, it is always a welcome function in the audio production community.

Key Shift:
Very cool for playing your single cue point as if it were a piano roll with your midi controller, or of course program the notes with your mouse.

Set Slicer:
Fun for playing around with loops in the same way one might with the slicer function found in Serato DJ.

Favorites:
If Serato Sample only finds a couple samples you like, the samples you want keep you can Favorite, and use Auto Set to repopulate the rest.

Bonus:
Check out this cool video of a track made only using Serato Sample and see for yourself.

Overall Grade: A

Serato Sample is my new favorite sampler for remixing, re-fixing, and making DJ edits on tracks. It’s very nice to have a go-to plugin that is simple to use and does what it does quickly and effectively! If you like a quick workflow and don’t have the time (or desire) to read a huge manual, Serato Sample has a surprisingly innovative and fairly affordable approach to sampling!”

Serato Sample retails for $99, but there is also a free trial. Let us know what you think of the new plugin and this review. We want to hear your feedback!