Samplebrain

A custom sample mashing app designed by Aphex Twin.

Samplebrain chops samples up into a 'brain' of interconnected small sections called blocks which are connected into a network by similarity. It processes a target sample, chopping it up into blocks in the same way, and tries to match each block with one in it's brain to play in realtime.

This allows you to interpret a sound with a different one. As we worked on it (during 2015 and 2016) we gradually added more and more tweakable parameters until it became slightly out of control.

Quick start:

1. Load a bunch of samples into the brain
2. Click (re)generate brain
3. Load a loop sample into the target
4. Click (re)generate target
5. Press play
6. Tweak brain

The default block size (3000) is really high to prevent CPU glitches - 500 to 1000 is a better range.

Demo brain session

Load this file using "load session" not "load brain" (sessions contain both the target and brain samples).

Manual

Full description of all the parameters and a bit of the thinking behind it.

Binaries

• Windows: samplebrain_0.18_win.zip
• Mac (intel): samplebrain_0.18_macintel.zip
• Mac (m1): samplebrain_0.18_m1.dmg (thank you to Nik Gaffney for building)

Mac note: As this software is not on the apple store, to run the binary you need to tell your mac it's ok: Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General. At the bottom of the window, select "Allow apps to be downloaded from Anywhere".

Linux install (Ubuntu)

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:thentrythis/samplebrain
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install samplebrain

If you'd like the right font, optionally:

$ sudo apt install ttf-mscorefonts-installer

Building from source

Install libraries for the sample engine (use brew on mac, MinGW on win):

$ sudo apt install libsndfile1-dev portaudio19-dev liblo-dev libfftw3-dev

Install dependancies for the interface:

$ sudo apt install build-essential qtcreator qt5-default

Build & run it:

$ cd app
$ qmake
$ make
$ sudo make install
$ samplebrain

Mac build additions

To make a mac app bundle:

• Run macdeployqt to copy all dependancies inside the app.
• Copy desktop/samplebrain.icns (the icon) to the Resources directory in the bundle.
• Edit Info.plist to add samplebrain.icns to CFBundleIconFile.

What's here

1. brain:
   • samplebrain engine code
2. app:
   • code to build the Qt GUI app
3. gui:
   • qt designer project files
4. desktop:
   • various icon files etc
5. cooking:
   • some sketches and ideas
   • proof of concept written in python
   • brief initial (abandoned) attempt at clojure version

MFCC algo courtesy of the Aquila library by Zbigniew Siciarz MIT/X11 licence 2007-2014 (see brain/src/aquila/LICENCE)

This program is free software licenced under GNU General Public License version 2 (see LICENCE).

Written by Dave Griffiths at Then Try This.