There are some tools that you can download and operate like a little sound generator or synthesizer right on your computer. This is sound software that you can use without a DAW like Audition, Logic, Ableton, etc. They are great for creating textures, atmospheric sounds, and little surprises out of your sound material.
A word of warning:
Sometimes an app may or may not work with your operating system!
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 its 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.”
Link to download:
https://gitlab.com/then-try-this/samplebrain/-/blob/main/README.md
Look for the “How do I use this thing?” Instructions!
Type of tool:
Downloadable standalone sound destroyer
Learning Curve:
Highish ★★★☆
Pros:
You can do some really amazing sample manipulation with this.
Ability to record.
Ability to load your own sample files as raw material
Cons:
This one takes some time to explore so it’s not as “plug and play” as some other tools.
Be sure to follow the instructions to get started.
PaulXStretch
Want to stretch your sound to EXTREME lengths? This application/plugin is based on the PaulStretch algorithm (Paul’s Extreme Time Stretch, originally developed by Nasca Octavian Paul), and specifically the PaulXStretch version from Xenakios. The UI has been updated, adapted for various screen sizes, and built for the latest platforms.
Link to download:
https://sonosaurus.com/paulxstretch/
Type of tool:
Downloadable standalone sound manipulator
Learning Curve:
Highish ★★★☆
Pros:
You can do some really amazing time stretching.
Ability to record.
Ability to load your own sample files as raw material
Ability to use as a plug in or stand-alone app
Cons:
This one takes some time to explore so it’s not as “plug and play” as some other tools.
The plug in doesn;t really work with Audition, but the standalone is fine!
Be sure to follow the instructions to get started. Here’s a good tutorial video that shows paulstretch loaded inside a DAW (Digital Audio workstation). The video below shows the standalone in use.
ISJS
ISJS app is a granular audio player. It takes small snippets of your audio from 3 files, loops them and, essentially, stutters them. ISJS is SuperCollider patch are free and available to download.
From the creator:
“ISJS stands for I-Shim-Jun-Shim (이심전심, 以心傳心), a Korean word for “communicating through the hearts,” or in my interpretation, “empathy.” Featured sounds are recordings by collaborators, students, and family members. I often communicate with them without saying a word. The usual medium to do so is music, but sometimes it is a nod, smirk, sigh, eye contact, or eating in silence. You know.”
Link to Download
http://joowonpark.net/isjs/?fbclid=IwAR0v0KrMQsE0g1EA6CzozhBiBNDgVxeOw7LQOw62wJqoIrz51P-Ty6NhLeE
Type of tool:
Downloadable mouse/trackpad triggered sample granulator
Learning Curve:
Low ★☆☆☆
Pros:
ability to record
easy peazy interface
Allows improvisation and physical interaction to find sounds
Element of surprise
Cons:
Types of manipulation are a little limited.
Video Trigger
By Zach Poff. As he says: “I designed Video Trigger for artists who want to experiment with interactivity without building custom hardware or software. It aims to answer the question that I hear from many of my students: ‘How do I make a sound play when somebody walks by?'”
Link to Download
https://www.zachpoff.com/software/video-trigger/
Type of tool:
Downloadable standalone video triggered sampler
Learning Curve:
Highish ★★★☆
Pros:
free tool to add some interactivity to a live project.
Configurable to allow samples to loop or play once when a zone is entered
Cons:
Because this is Zach’s homemade open freeware tool it sometimes doesn’t keep up with changes in computer operating systems. Be sure to download and test it!
It can take some time to experiment with settings, sensitivity, and video trigger zones.