Ableton’s Classic Drum Sampler
Impulse is Ableton’s original drum sampler and has been a fixture of Live for many years. It holds eight samples, one per slot, mapped across a single octave from C3 upwards. Each slot has its own tuning, time-stretch, filter, saturator, decay, pan and volume, and most of these can be modulated by velocity or by a random amount. That random modulation is what keeps Impulse relevant: it adds small changes to every hit, so programmed drums feel less mechanical. Slots 7 and 8 can be linked, so a closed hi-hat will choke an open one, as on a real kit. One quirk is that changes only take effect on the next hit, not on a note that’s already playing. That makes it less suited to long, evolving sounds but well suited to tight, punchy drums. Impulse is included in all editions of Live.
Features
Eight sample slots mapped across one octave
Per-slot start offset, up to 100 ms into the sample
Transpose up or down four octaves, modulated by velocity or random
Time-stretch with two algorithms: one for low sounds and one for high sounds
Per-slot filter with a range of filter types, modulated by velocity or random
Per-slot saturator for overdriven, analogue-style drums
Decay envelope of up to 10 seconds, with Trigger and Gate modes
Pan and volume per slot, with velocity and random modulation
Slot 7/8 link for hi-hat choke groups
Global time, transpose and volume controls across all slots
Individual outputs to send each slot to its own track
Great for
Classic drum machine kits
Humanised hi-hat patterns
Overdriven analogue-style drums
Quick sketches with low CPU use
Related articles
Drum Sampler · Simpler · Drum Rack · Drum Buss · Saturator · Glue Compressor