Sonicware SmplTrek 3.0, new firmware adds performance mode and more

October 14, 2023 Synth Anatomy Grooveboxes, Hardware, News, Sampler 1

Sonicware has released its firmware 3.0 for its SmplTrek sampler/groovebox with a new performance mode, project looper, and more.

The market for small portable grooveboxes has grown constantly in recent years. Especially those that have internal sampling options. One of the most popular is the SmplTrek from the young Japanese company Sonicware.

SmplTrek is super compact and has a serious set of mature features that allow you to work very creatively on the fly. With Firmware 3.0, Sonicware takes its groovebox more steps into the performance fields.

Sonicware SmplTrek 3.0

The new SmplTrek 3.0 firmware is free for all existing users and adds many new features to Sonicware’s portable sampler and groovebox.

In v3.0, you can work with a new performance mode to play on the home screen. Select your tracks using the up/down keys on the D-pad, and the mode gives you four hands-on parameters to play with, including filter, resonance (or gain), effect send, and level. So, parameters that are generally used the most.

Then, the new firmware unlocks the ability to loop playback of a project. More precisely, you can loop playback multiple scenes by defining loop start and end scenes. Sonicware added a new playback menu in the settings in the project menu to manage this new functionality.

There is also a shortcut (func+ the right selection button (under the screen) from the home screen.

Other new additions are mono and legato modes in the instrument track, glide settings, and transpose for the instrument/MIDI tracks. Other new features are: