Sonicware SmplTrek User manual

ReferenceManual
R e v.1
TRK-010-UM-04-EN

2

Thank you very much for purchasing a SONICWARE SmplTrek.
The SmplTrek is a battery-powered hand-held sampler that can easily
capture sounds whenever and wherever using the built-in mic, audio
inputs and USB audio sources, for example.
A single song (project) can have up to 16 scenes, and each scene
has a 10-track sequencer. In addition, 3 Global audio tracks support
long recordings of vocals and instrumental performances.
A choice of 36 e󱐯ects, including mastering e󱐯ects, can be used for
music production with various track types (loop, one-shot, instrument,
drum and MIDI).



Sampling can be done with the built-in mic, the line inputs and smart-
phones, PCs and Macs connected by USB. The built-in e󱐯ects can
also be applied while sampling.

Sampled sounds can be played back using various types of tracks
prepared in scenes to produce music.


These are designed for sampling phrases played on drums, guitars
and other instruments and looping them in single scenes.

Use these to play one-shot samples, such as sound e󱐯ects and
crash cymbals, once. Sequence patterns can also be made using
one-shot samples.

3


Use these to play phrases in scales on the keyboard with samples of
single notes from pianos, guitars and other real instruments.

Use these to make drum patterns with bass drums, snares, hi-hats
and other drum sounds.

These are piano-role type sequencer tracks for creating phrases to
use with external MIDI equipment.

These are independent audio tracks that can span multiple scenes.
Use these for recording vocals and other performances that continue
through a song, for example.


Compact and weighing only 550 grams, the SmplTrek is easy to carry
around.
With battery power, music production and streaming are possible any-
time anywhere.

By connecting a smartphone or PC/Mac and using the audio inter-
face functions, you can quickly livestream music you have made.

Multiple devices, including external synthesizers and drum machines,
can be connected to the MIDI and SYNC connectors, allowing them
to be synchronized and used together.

4


Sample using the
built-in mic and
inputs.

Create new projects and manage exist-
ing ones, including selection, renaming
and deletion.

Adjust the level, pan-
ning and other parame-
ters of each track.


Each scene can
have 10 sequenc-
er tracks and
3 global audio
tracks.

Uses of these
velocity-sensi-
tive pads with
full-color LEDs
include track
playback and
keyboard per-
formance.

The SmplTrek can be used as
a 2-in/2-out audio interface
by connecting it by USB to a
smartphone or PC/Mac.

Along with SYNC IN/OUT jacks, MIDI IN/
OUT connectors can be used with exter-
nal MIDI devices. Other connectors in-
clude INPUT jacks with switchable imped-
ance and a built-in mic that is convenient
for sampling with just this unit.
󱐯
Up to 3 of the
36 built-in ef-
fects can be
used simultane-
ously.

A single project is
made of up to 16
scenes.

Manage all sam-
ples and trim,
normalize, stretch
and otherwise
edit them in the
sample pool.


5
 
  
  
  
Preparing a power supply……………… 11
Starting up ………………………………… 11
   
  
Formatting and generation of drum kit,
instrument and preset project les … 12
  
Direction, OK and CLR buttons ……… 14
Control and VALUE knobs …………… 14
Playing projects and playing scenes 15
Relationship between scene and clip
lengths ……………………………………… 16
  
Changing the LAUNCH mode ……… 19
Master level adjustment ……………… 20
Setting the tempo/metronome ……… 21
Copying on the Home Screen ……… 22
Clearing on the Home Screen ……… 23
   
Selecting projects ……………………… 24
Saving projects ………………………… 25
Copying projects and saving with new
names ……………………………………… 26
   
Renaming projects ……………………… 27
Deleting projects ………………………… 28
Changing LED pad colors
(TRACK COLOR) ………………………… 29
  
Scene settings …………………………… 30
   
Sampling methods ……………………… 32
Sampling settings ……………………… 33
Sampling the source …………………… 34
Quick sampling …………………………… 36
Resampling ……………………………… 37
  
   
Opening the sample pool ……………… 39
Pool basic operations ………………… 40
Loading les ……………………………… 41
Folder structure on cards …………… 42
Importing loops from
PC/Mac computers …………………… 43
Supported WAV formats ……………… 43
Recommended format ………………… 43
  
Track types ……………………………… 44
Setting track types …………………… 45
Switching tracks ………………………… 46
Opening the track settings menu … 47
   
Opening the clip settings menu …… 48
   
Overview …………………………………… 49
LOOP Track Editing Screen ………… 50
LOOP Track Editing Screen (SEQ) … 51
LOOP Track Editing Screen （SAMPLE） 51
Loading samples ………………………… 52
Editing start position …………………… 55
Recording in real time ………………… 56
Looper recording (live sampling) … … 58
   
Overview …………………………………… 60
SHOT Track Editing Screen ………… 61
SHOT Track Editing Screen
（AUTOMATION） ………………………… 62
Loading samples ………………………… 63
Recording in real time ………………… 66
Step recording …………………………… 68
Recording pad performances
(SHOT REC) ……………………………… 69
Track setting （Switching between se-
quence and pad performance modes） 70
Adjusting swing ………………………… 71
Clip setting（Adjusting sample intervals）
…………………………………………………… 72
Clip setting (sample setting) ………… 73
  
Overview …………………………………… 74


6
INST Track Editing Screen …………… 75
INST Track Editing Screen（SEQ） … 76
INST Track Editing Screen
（ENVELOPE） ……………………………… 77
INST Track Editing Screen
（AUTOMATION） ………………………… 78
Selecting samples ……………………… 79
Real-time recording …………………… 80
Step recording …………………………… 82
Track setting （Setting intervals used and
loop points for samples） ……………… 83
Track setting（Setting the base note） 84
Track setting (LoFi setting) ………… 85
Clip setting
（Setting the keyboard scale） ………… 86
Clip setting（Importing SMF） ………… 87
  
Overview …………………………………… 88
DRUM Track Editing Screen ………… 89
DRUM Track Editing Screen （SEQ） 90
DRUM Track Editing Screen
（AUTOMATION） ………………………… 91
Loading preset patterns ……………… 92
Selecting and editing drum kits …… 93
Real-time recording …………………… 95
Step recording …………………………… 97
Clip setting（Importing SMF） ………… 98
   
Editing drum kits ………………………… 99
Adjusting individual instruments on LED
pads （INST PRM） ……………………… 101
Adjusting drum kit levels and LoFi settings
(KIT PRM) ………………………………… 103
Adjusting drum kit LED pad colors (PAD
COLOR) …………………………………… 104
Checking drum kit sounds with reverb
(SEND FX FOR CHECK) ……………… 105
Drum kit menu …………………………… 107
Naming and saving drum kits ……… 108
Renaming drum kits …………………… 109
Copying drum kits to projects ……… 110
Copying drum kits to pool …………… 111
Deleting drum kits (DELETE) ………… 112
 
Overview …………………………………… 113
MIDI Track Editing Screen …………… 114
MIDI Track Editing Screen
（AUTOMATION） ………………………… 116
Real-time recording …………………… 117
Step recording …………………………… 119
Track setting
（Setting MIDI CC numbers） ………… 120
Clip setting（Setting the scale） …… 121
Clip setting（Importing SMF） ………… 122

 
 
Overview …………………………………… 124
GLOBAL Screen basic operations … 125
Recording ………………………………… 126
Splitting regions ………………………… 128
Switching take assignments ………… 129
Joining regions …………………………… 130
Adjusting individual region levels … … 131
  
Overview …………………………………… 132
Connecting a smartphone, PC or Mac to
the SmplTrek by USB ………………… 133
Playing audio from a smartphone, PC or
Mac ………………………………………… 134
HOLD/GATE ……………………………… 135
Clearing settings ………………………… 136
  
Overview …………………………………… 137
Setting the input source ……………… 138
Selecting audio les …………………… 139
Making audio le settings …………… 140
HOLD/GATE ……………………………… 141
Cross-fading the external source (EXT
SRC) and the project sound ………… 142
Clearing settings ………………………… 143
  
Basic mixer screen operation (level meters)
…………………………………………………… 144


7
Basic mixer screen operation (PRM
VALUE) …………………………………… 145
Making specic EQ settings ………… 146
Muting tracks …………………………… 147
󱐯  
Insert e󱐯ects ……………………………… 148
Send e󱐯ects ……………………………… 150
Side-chain compression (SC COMP) 152
Master e󱐯ects …………………………… 153
 
Basic automation procedure ………… 156
  
Mixing down ……………………………… 159
Exporting stem les …………………… 160
  
  
Chopping (automatic slicing) ………… 162
Chopping (manual slicing) …………… 166
Trimming …………………………………… 168
Time stretching ………………………… 170
Normalizing ………………………………… 172
Mono mixing ……………………………… 173
Reverse …………………………………… 174
Renaming samples ……………………… 175
Copying samples to projects ………… 176
Copying samples to the sample pool 177
Deleting samples ……………………… 178
 
Connecting as an audio interface … 179
  
Setting quantization …………………… 180
Connecting with other devices ……… 181
Setting the clock ………………………… 182
  
Setting track MIDI channels ………… 184
Setting MIDI channels for the unit … 185
Making other MIDI settings ………… 186
Setting MIDI note numbers for individual
pads on the drum track ……………… 187
  
Pad sensitivity setting ………………… 188
Battery setting …………………………… 189
Automatic power o󱐯 function ………… 190
Resetting the unit to the factory default
state ………………………………………… 191
Checking system version information 192
  
Card reader mode ……………………… 193
Duplicate presets ……………………… 194
Testing card performance …………… 195
  
Updating the rmware ………………… 196
 
Relationship between built-in speaker and
mic …………………………………………… 197
Di󱐯erences between monitoring and
external source (EXT SRC) sounds … 198
Relationship between amp and master
e󱐯ects ……………………………………… 198
 
  
Setting project parameters ………… 203
Copying tracks using
the PROJECT MENU …………………… 204
Clearing tracks using
the PROJECT MENU …………………… 205
Changing how many times
scenes repeat …………………………… 206
Copying scenes using
the PROJECT MENU …………………… 207
Clearing scenes using
the PROJECT MENU …………………… 208
Copying scenes using
the SCENE MENU ……………………… 209
Clearing scenes using
the SCENE MENU ……………………… 210
Copying tracks using
the TRACK MENU ……………………… 211
Clearing tracks using
the TRACK MENU ……………………… 212
Copying clips using
the CLIP MENU ………………………… 213

8


Adjusts input gain of
built-in mic

Select items shown at
bottom of screen

Adjusts head-
phone/speaker
level

Adjust items A –
D on screen


Changes values
on screen


Move up, down,
left and right to
select items


Adjust gain of
INPUT L and R




Change octaves
when playing
LED pads

Play tracks and play notes as a
keyboard, for example

Press the func
button with other
buttons to switch
to submenus

Play projects

Move playback
position back-
ward

Use for sample and
sequence recording

Open the SAM-
PLING Screen

Stop playback


Move playback
position forward

Open the Project
Screen

Open the POOL
Screen

Open the MIXER
Screen

Open the EF-
FECTS Screen

Open the Home
Screen

Open the SYS-
TEM MENU

Open track edit-
ing screens

Open the INPUT
SETTING Screen


Play scenes
and specify se-
quence steps

USB
9

OUT
SYNC
IN
OUT
MIDI
OUT
LINE
IN
IN
OUT
LINE
IN
OUT
MIDI
IN
SYNC
OUTIN
DC9V
21 3 4 65 7 8 109 11 12 1413 15 16
stutter
RANDOMFXPRMLOCK 1/3 2/4
VALUE
LINEIN DUCKING FXAMOUNT PTN BPM VOL
velo ptnlevel global
save prmrec
PTN
MIXER
func
shift
MEMORY KITEDIT COPY PASTE UNDO REDO BASS PTN DRUM CLOCKMETRO MIDICH MIDI DATA SYSTEM GAIN
fxtype
bank
MEMORY
speed sweep
ASSIGN1
range
ASSIGN2 DIMENSION
sweep
OCTAVEBASS
BASS
fx
glide tie
DRUM
fx fx
EX6EX5
KICK1 CYMBAL1 EX2EX1 EX3 EX4 CYMBAL2 CLAP STICK KICK2 SNARE2SNARE1 HAT1 HAT2
kick1
KICK
snare1 tune
SNARE LEVEL
hat1
HAT OTHERS
PITCHRATE DEPTH RELEASE&GATE M.GUN
SN1/ /KICK1/ HT1/ ex4ex3tuneex1 ex2 EX1/
pad muteselect
DRUM STEP
kit
hat2
TIME

10




  

  







󱐯









 


















































One project corre-
sponds to one song.

Each project has 16
scenes.
Each scene makes
a somewhat unied
section, such as an
intro, verse A, verse B,
chorus and ending.
Even when the scene
changes, the track
type does not change.
For example, if Track
１ is an INST track, it
will always function as
an INST track in every
scene.

A phrase on a specif-
ic track in a specic
scene is called a clip.
The SmplTrek has settings
and functions that work on
entire scenes, settings and
functions that work on en-
tire tracks, and settings and
functions that work only on
specic clips.
Load samples from the sample pool
to use them in LOOP, INST and SHOT
tracks.
The three GLOBAL
tracks can be used to
record over multiple
scenes. Use these for
lead and backing vocals,
for example.

Each project can
have up to 10 tracks.
Each track corre-
sponds to a part in
the song, for exam-
ple guitar, bass or
drums.
The ve types of
tracks are LOOP,
INST, SHOT, DRUM
and MIDI.