Marcel Blum has released the updated SoundPlant 42, a software that will let you assign and trigger samples on your QWERTY keyboard.

Soundplant is an interesting digital audio performance program because it lets you create music with just your computer keyboard (also called QWERTY keyboard). It turns your keyboard into a low latency, multitrack sample-triggering device, or layman terms it turns your keyboard into a playable musical instrument.

Since it does not require extra hardware other than your computer, it is an ideal app for those that are just getting into digital music production.

This software lets you assign various types of sound files to each of the keys on your keyboard. It can currently assign samples for up to 72 keys, and all of which trigger with very low latency.

The interface is designed to be straightforward and easy to understand, all you have to do is drag and drop sound files onto the keyboard keys that you want to trigger them with. And it can handle virtually types of sound file formats including: .wav, .aif, .mp3, .mp4, .m4a, .aac, .flac, .wma, .alac, .wv, .ogg, .snd, .ape, and many many more, even audio from video files like .wmv, .mov, .avi, .divx, .mpg, .flv, .3gp, and more.

Note that Soundplant is not a synthesizer, plugin, editor, or sequencer, rather it is a standalone sampler that is as simple to operate as a media player. According to the official description, "Soundplant was designed to do one thing and do it well: to trigger sounds from the computer keyboard with maximum speed, efficiency, and ease of use. Users love its rock-solid stability for live event use, its simple one sound per one key metaphor which eliminates the usage complications of many other software samplers, and its ultra-optimized use of the computer keyboard with lowest-possible latency requiring no extra hardware or MIDI."

As a musical tool, there are quite a lot of ways to use Soundplant, including mixing tracks in realtime, creation of music loops, experimental music and songwriting. The app is not just for triggering drum samples and music production, you can also use it for other non-musical purposes like triggering audio during your visual presentations, triggering background tracks for plays, use it as an educational aide and many more.

The new version Soundplant 42 brings with it a number of notable improvements including improved audio fidelity, ability to play up to 256 sounds simultaneously, built-in effects, and direct recording.

The developer shared that the software has been used by a number of professionals, "Now in its 15th year of existence, Soundplant has won multiple awards, and its users include the BBC on shows such as Doctor Who and Top Gear, the NFL's Tennessee Titans, National Public Radio on shows such as A Prairie Home Companion, Oscar-winning sound mixer Ed Novick on films such as Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, and Moneyball, Disney, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, composer and Genome Music creator Todd Barton, metal band Nile, and breakcore producer Droon."

A free version of Soundplant is available for PC and Mac, while a commercial version is also available priced at $50. For more information, you can head over to Soundplant.

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