It sounds like a dream but Samplr 1.4 is out now, a very welcome update for the best playable and award-winning sampler app for iOS now with Ableton Link support.
We have known for a long time that Marcos Alonso is working at Apple. No wonder, if you look at his Samplr app, it’s a stunning and brilliant music app that stays number one after so many years, sorry to my other developer friends. As a result, there have been very few updates for the app in recent years, more exactly 5 years without an update. However, Macros released a long-waited update today which many have been waiting for a very long time.
First of all, it’s not a feature-rich update with a huge amount of mindblowing features. No, more a maintenance update. The highlights are Ableton Link support, MIDI sync, and better file import. You read it right: no new sample manipulation features or even AUv3 support. Maybe in the next update, the developer is working on. However, I am very happy that Samplr got this update.
It’s a little weird to see that the two most popular music apps (Borderlands Granular, Samplr) got updates in the last days. This view is reinforced when you consider that both have not received updates for a very long time. Chris and Marcos, did you plan that together or is it an update master plan 😉 ?
However, this update has a bland aftertaste. Samplr’s price has been massively increased. From former $ 9.99 to $ 29.99 which is a 200% increase. With this new price, the expectations will be very high and a big update with AUv3 support is now a must.
New In Samplr 1.4
- Ableton Link support (sync it to other apps, mobile devices or even desktop software)
- Fixed audio recording and file import issues
- Enhanced UI for new iPads
- Improved MIDI Sync
Another Update On The iOS Horizon
The good news: Marcos has already started work on the next update. Well, there is no information what this update contains, but probably all AUv3 support and new features would like. Even though the app now costs $ 32.99 and has no AUv3 support, it remains the best sampler app on the iOS market. Yes, not kidding. There is almost no app that is so much fun even after 6 years and awakens creativity in you. Brillant!
Samplr 1.4 is available now as a free update for existing users. Samplr costs $29.99 USD on the Apple App Store.
More information here: Samplr
At this point, updates without a clear roadmap on the AUv3 front feel almost like a misstep. Samplr and Borderlands Granular coming with AUv3-deprived updates at the same time is making this effect even stronger.
As we all know, Inter-App Audio has been deprecated. Adding AUv3 support can be quite difficult (just ask the AudioKit Pro gang). So, if a dev rarely updates an app and doesn’t have very clear plans to move to AUv3, it may sound like it’ll never happen. If it never happens, it means the app itself will become obsolete. It’s happened to a fairly large number of apps, already, including those which were didn’t make the transition to 64 bit. In some cases, the devs decreased the price to close to nothing or offered those apps for free, because they became useless on newer OS versions (a huge part of the market).
Samplr is obviously quite expensive for the iPad market. It’s adding insult to injury if it’s not moving to AUv3.