SAMS

SAMS Stupidly Advanced Max Series

Four Max for Live devices for Ableton Live 12 that share one scale. A sequencer, a chord player, a sampler, and an ear that listens.

Get the series Watch the introduction
The devices

Four devices, one scale

Introduction

One scale for the whole set

SAMS started with a question: what happens when every device in a Live set knows the same scale, even one that does not fit into twelve equal steps?

You pick the scale once in SAMS. Every other instance of SAMS and SAMS Friend in the set follows it. Notes leave the devices as MPE, so pitches between the piano keys sound exactly where they should. All you need behind them is an MPE-capable instrument, such as Live's Wavetable or Pianoteq.

  1. SAMS

    sets the scale, the timing and the melody.

  2. Friend

    puts a chord from the same scale on every stage.

  3. SAMSpler

    plays samples from chosen spots in a song.

  4. Ohr

    finds matching material in your library.

MIDI effect · Sequencer

SAMS

A step sequencer modelled on the Metropolix, with microtonal MPE output. Its own editor window shows the timeline and a scale ruler side by side.

SAMS device view in Ableton Live
Device view
SAMS editor window with two tracks of eight stages
Editor
  • 4,964 scales in 8 categories, including 64 classic scales in exact 12-EDO tuning
  • 80 factory presets in 9 groups, plus your own
  • Link mode: every instance in the set shares one scale
  • Editor with timeline and scale ruler
  • Learn mode explains every control right inside the device
CHF —incl. VAT
Format
.amxd
Output
MPE
Live
12
Buy SAMS
MIDI effect · Chords

SAMS Friend

The chord partner for SAMS. Friend plays a chord from the shared scale on every stage, even in scales with uneven steps.

SAMS Friend device view in Ableton Live
Device view
SAMS Friend editor window
Editor
  • 3,317 built-in scales, 840 of them in the browser
  • The «Poly» gate mode turns a chord into a rhythm
  • Velocity per stage, from 1 to 127
  • 16 factory presets to start from
  • English and German interface
CHF —incl. VAT
Format
.amxd
Output
MPE
Live
12
Buy Friend
Instrument · Sampler

SAMSpler

Four samples with eight stages each. The position control picks where in the song each stage plays, so a whole track becomes an instrument.

SAMSpler in Ableton Live with a loaded sample
Device view
  • Four sections, A to D, with 8 stages each
  • Per stage: position, pulses, gate, ratchet, probability, pitch, reverse
  • Two modes: Cut with one voice, or Grain with 16 grains
  • Splits songs into drums, bass, vocals and other
  • Waveform with draggable position markers
CHF —incl. VAT
Format
.amxd
Voices
1 / 16
Live
12
Buy SAMSpler
Audio effect · Sample finder

SAMS Ohr

Ohr («ear» in German) listens to SAMS and Friend and searches your sample library for files that fit the scale. It swaps them into SAMSpler right on the beat.

  • Scans your library once and detects key and tempo
  • Searches 20,000 files in about 6 ms
  • Filters by role and tempo tolerance
In development

Ohr ships after the other three devices. Everyone who buys the series gets it at no extra cost.

Not available yet
Tutorials

Step by step

Short videos, in the order you'll get to know the series.

  1. 01 · SAMSsoon

    Pick your first scale

  2. 02 · SAMSsoon

    Connect an MPE instrument

  3. 03 · Friendsoon

    Linked chords

  4. 04 · Friendsoon

    Rhythm with the «Poly» gate

  5. 05 · SAMSplersoon

    Set positions in a song

  6. 06 · SAMSplersoon

    Split a song into stems

The whole series

CHF —

SAMS, SAMS Friend and SAMSpler as one bundle. SAMS Ohr is added as soon as it is ready.

Buy the series
Software

Ableton Live 12 with Max for Live (included in Live Suite)

Sound

An MPE-capable instrument for SAMS and Friend, such as Wavetable or Pianoteq

Delivery

Download of the .amxd files with a PDF manual