SMS-Anville Sampler 1.1: Free Live-Chopping VST3 Plugin for Windows and Linux

Where it came from​

Version 1.1.0 is described by its developer as a "Quality Upgrade". The project has a human origin story. Bedroom Producers Blog reports that Manolo Anville moved from Windows to Linux and wanted to keep his vinyl live-chopping workflow. He teamed up with programmer Simo "Sipe" Erkinheimo to build a sampler that could do it. Anville contributed testing, feature requests and skins. The project's README thanks him for "extensive collaboration".

The name also has some history. A GitHub issue notes that an "ANVIL Sampler" by Stones Audio already existed, so the project proposed renaming SMS-Anvil Sampler to SMS-Anville Sampler.

How the live-chop workflow works​

This is a sampler that records, not just one that plays back files. The project's own walkthrough describes the steps like this:

1. Load the plugin on an instrument or MIDI track. Route your MIDI controller to it.
2. For capture, also send stereo audio to the plugin's input or sidechain.
3. Check the input meter and enable ARM. Use Sequential capture.
4. Click a pad to pick the starting destination.
5. Send any MIDI note-on, or focus the plugin and press Space, to start recording.
6. Each later note or press closes the current slice and starts the next one on the following pad.
7. Choose Finalize, or just leave ARM, to keep the last slice.

The README says Monitor Auto lets you hear the input while armed. It also says to enable key sending if your DAW intercepts the Space key.

You don't have to get every cut right on the first pass. Bedroom Producers Blog says you can move boundaries between neighboring slices afterward, split a sample into smaller pieces, or import WAV files you already have. The README lists the same tools: Adjust cut points and Split Sample are in the right-click menu. When you split a sample, the following samples shift right instead of being overwritten.

Shaping the sound​

Once you've captured something, Bedroom Producers Blog says you can reverse it, shape its envelope, filter it, or change pitch and speed together with the Tune control. It also describes a Dirty switch. According to the blog, Dirty drops playback to mono at 12-bit resolution and a reduced sample rate for a grittier sound. The README I checked lists Dirty as a control but doesn't spell out those details, so treat them as the blog's description.

The README also covers a few extras:

• Max Voices limits how many pads can sound at once.
• Hold and One Shot change how pads respond to note-off.
• Pre-roll moves slice boundaries slightly earlier to cover late taps.
• Fixed mode records one fixed-length slice per note-on.
• Three bundled skins: Finnish Dream, Looks like Wu and White Cadillac Vinyl.

What changed in v1.1.0​

The v1.1.0 release on GitHub, dated November 3, lists these changes:

• Sample storage moves to 32-bit floating point, capped at 96 kHz, instead of the original 16-bit PCM.
• Resampling now uses a high-quality sinc algorithm instead of linear resampling, which can cause aliasing.
• RAM use is now allocated in dynamic blocks instead of a static pre-allocation with a hard eight-minute limit. This especially reduces RAM use for instances not filled with samples.
• The release also trims unneeded serialization transfers with the host DAW when the plugin UI opens and closes, for faster loading.
• It fixes a minor bug where stored sample metadata mishandled pre-roll trimming.

This clears up something that looked inconsistent in the documentation. The plugin README I reviewed still mentioned an older capture capacity and 16-bit storage in places. The release notes show those details reflect the older design. The README now says DAW projects preserve float32 samples and that storage starts at 30 seconds and grows as needed.

Installing on Windows​

The README gives these steps for the prebuilt files:

1. Download the ZIP for your format from the project's GitHub Releases page. Bedroom Producers Blog says the downloads are roughly 6 MB and need no account.
2. Extract it and copy the whole SMS-AnvilleSampler.vst3 folder. Include the skins and licenses.
3. Put it in C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\. Create the folder if it's missing.
4. Restart your DAW or rescan plugins.

On Linux, the VST3 folder goes in ~/.vst3/ and the LV2 folder in ~/.lv2/.

Some caveats:

• No macOS build. The blog says there is no macOS download.
• VST3 is the recommended format. The README says it has had more testing and seems to perform better in some hosts.
• Tested Windows hosts. The README names REAPER and Cubase on Windows. On Linux it names REAPER, Ardour and Carla. It should work in any VST3-capable DAW, but those are the confirmed ones.
• Windows builds are unsigned. The README says so and points to a runtime-requirements page. Expect SmartScreen or antivirus prompts, which are normal for unsigned freeware but worth knowing about.
• Upgrading from test builds. Versions 1.0.0 and later aren't backward-compatible with alpha releases. A GitHub issue also shows an early bug where some DAWs classified the sampler as an FX instead of an instrument. It was marked fixed before 1.0.0.

The AI-development disclosure​

Erkinheimo is open that he uses AI-assisted development tools extensively. His project page says they speed up implementation but don't replace engineering experience, testing, judgment or responsibility. He says he is responsible for what he publishes, that the source and development history are public, and that the project is a pro bono hobby effort. Those are the developer's own statements. I haven't independently verified his credentials.

Reasonable people will differ on how much weight to give that. Some producers will care and some won't. The repository does say a native plugin is executable code running inside your DAW. That applies to any plugin, open-source or not. Public source lets people inspect it, but it doesn't guarantee safety. Download from the official GitHub releases and scan the files like you would any other.

Licensing​

The licensing is a little unclear. The repository's top-level README says project code is AGPL-3.0-only, with an additional DAW host-linking exception. The sampler-specific README says it is licensed under MIT. I can't resolve that from the material I reviewed. If licensing matters to you, check the license files bundled in the download.

How it compares​

Bedroom Producers Blog says the main draw is the immediate record-and-chop workflow. In its view, Just a Sample also records audio but is more streamlined, while TX16Wx is built for broader instrument-making with keyboard mapping, modulation and automatic loop slicing. Those comparisons are the blog's opinion, not benchmarks. I haven't tested the plugin myself.

Bottom line​

SMS-Anville Sampler suits you if you want to sample from a turntable or any audio source and chop it live to MIDI pads in a Windows DAW. It's free and about 6 MB, and v1.1.0 improved its audio quality and memory handling. The cautions are an unsigned Windows build, a young project with a single main developer, and unclear licensing. Because the plugin is a small download, trying it in REAPER or Cubase is cheap.