How to create Round-Robin sample playback

This article describes two methods to create Round-Robin sample playback using Simpler or Sampler in Ableton Live 11 or earlier. For how to use Round Robin in the Sampler device in Live 12, visit the Live Manual. 

Round-robin is a method of sample playback which allows you to play different sampled versions of the same sound, resulting in natural variations in otherwise static patterns.

Using Simpler

1. Add a Drum Rack to an empty MIDI track.
2. Add another Drum Rack to one pad, creating a nested Drum Rack.
3. Drop as many Simplers as you wish onto a chain each in the nested Drum Rack.
4. Add your desired samples to each Simpler.
5. Add them all to the same Choke group (unless you prefer them not to choke each other).
6. Add a Random device before the nested Drum Rack.
7. Set Chance to 100%, Set Choices to as many samples as you have added, Set Mode to Alt, Sign to Add, Scale to 1.
8. Then add a Pitch MIDI effect before the Random Device and set it to -24 st.
   
9. Create a pattern in a MIDI clip and press play.
10. Depending on how many samples there are you may need to adjust the Scale amount in Random to ensure all samples are being played at least once.

Tip - You can set the playback mode to RDM for random triggering, though you'll need to subsequently set the Pitch to -25 to ensure all notes get played.

Tip -  For even greater variation you can experiment with LFOs on each of the samples used. Try modulating the pitch slightly for different samples.

 Using Sampler

1. Add a Drum Rack to an empty MIDI track.
2. Add a Sampler to an empty pad in the Drum Rack.
3. In Sampler, open the Zone tab and drop all the samples you want to use.
4. In the I-O section of the Drum Rack, set the lowest "Play" note for this Drum Rack chain to C-2.
5. In the "Key" zone editor of Sampler, adjust the key range so that each chain has its own fade range spanning one semitone only, starting at note C3 and moving up.
   
6. To ensure that the drum samples don’t change in pitch with different midi notes, set the “Scale” parameter in each chain’s Sampler to "0".
   
7. Add the Random MIDI device in front of Sampler.
8. Set Chance to 100%, Set Choices to as many samples as you have added, Set Mode to Alt, Sign to Add, Scale to 1.
9. Create a pattern in a MIDI clip and press play.
10. Depending on how many samples there are you may need to adjust the Scale amount in Random to ensure all samples are being played at least once.

Tip - You can set the playback mode to RDM for random triggering, though you'll need a Pitch MIDI effect set to -1 before Random to ensure all notes get played.