BIP THIS Sample Editor – User Manual

Load, edit and export samples.

Open the editor

1. Overview

The BIP THIS Sample Editor turns audio files into chopped samples and pad programs, right in your browser. You can:

  • Open several audio files and edit each one separately.
  • Select regions, trim, cut and normalize audio.
  • Slice a sample into equal parts, at detected hits, or at markers you place by hand.
  • Have every slice land on a pad automatically, in an MPC-style 16-pad grid across 8 banks.
  • Layer up to 4 sounds on a pad and set each pad’s start, end, fade-in and fade-out.
  • Detect tempo (BPM), musical key, and the note, chord or drum hit in a sound.
  • Export WAV files, ZIPs of slices, MPC programs (.xpm, or .PGM + .SND) and project files.
  • Send samples straight to an Akai MPC 4000 over USB.

Everything runs locally. Your audio is not uploaded anywhere.

2. What you need

  • A current desktop browser. Chrome or Edge is recommended: they offer the “choose where to save” window and the USB link to the MPC 4000. Other browsers can edit and export, but files go to your Downloads folder and MPC 4000 transfer is unavailable.
  • Audio in a common format: WAV, MP3, M4A, AAC, AIFF, CAF, FLAC, OGG, Opus or MP4 audio.
  • For MPC 4000 transfer only: a USB cable, the MPC powered on, and ak.Sys (or any other app that uses the MPC) closed.

The editor also fits phones and tablets. The layout rescales to the screen and touch works for selecting and dragging.

3. The screen

Left column

  • Header buttons: Open Files, Save WAV, Open Project, Save Project and User Manual.
  • Toolbar: Clear Markers, Clear Audio, BPM, KEY, NOTE, the Transient (%) box, Transient, Select On/Off and Light / Dark.
  • Samples: one chip per opened file.
  • Waveform: where you select, place markers and move the S and E flags. Under it: a readout of name, length, sample rate and selection, plus the zoom controls.

Right column

  • Pads: bank selector, edit and playback buttons, Equal Slices, program name and the 16-pad grid.
  • Chop into slices: file name prefix, Save All Slices (ZIP), Send Slices to MPC 4000.
  • MPC 4000: Connect, name on the MPC, Send to 4000, Browse MPC Memory, Stop MPC Audition and a status box.

Most buttons stay greyed out until a sample is loaded.

4. Quick start

  1. Click Open Files and choose one or more audio files.
  2. Press Play (or Space) to listen.
  3. Make slices: type a number in Equal Slices and press Slice, or press Transient to mark hits automatically, or turn Select On and click the waveform to place markers.
  4. Check the pad grid. Each slice is on a pad, starting at the first empty pad.
  5. Click a pad to hear it. Drag its S and E flags to fine-tune it.
  6. Export with Save XPM, Save PGM + SND, Save Pads to MPC 4000 or Save All Slices (ZIP).
  7. Press Save Project to keep all your work in one .bipproj file.

5. Samples

Click Open Files and select one or more files. Each becomes its own sample with its own markers, selection and undo history. If a file can’t be read, a message says so; try a WAV, MP3, M4A or OGG version.

  • Click a chip to edit that sample. Press [ and ] to step to the previous or next one.
  • Drag a chip onto a pad to put the whole sample there.
  • ✎ renames the sample. × removes it; press Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z on Mac) to bring it back. Pads already made from it are kept.
  • Clear Audio removes the sample you are editing, and can be undone the same way.

6. The waveform

Selecting

Drag across the waveform to select a region. The readout shows its start and end in seconds. With no selection, most tools apply to the whole sample, or to the S–E range if you have moved the flags.

The S and E flags

The S (start) and E (end) flags mark the working range. Drag them to ignore audio at the beginning or end. Slicing, Trim, Cut, playback and slice pads all respect this range. A flag dragged near the edge snaps back to the very start or end.

Markers

Markers divide the sample into slices. Audio between one marker and the next is one slice; the last slice ends at the E flag. Audio before the first marker is not part of any slice.

  • Add: switch Select to On (the button turns red) and click the waveform. Shift-click also adds one when Select is Off.
  • Move: drag it.
  • Remove: double-click, right-click or Alt-click it, or select it and press Delete or Backspace.
  • Clear all: press Clear Markers. This also resets S and E.

With Select On, a short click adds a marker and dragging still makes a selection. With Select Off, clicking adds nothing; dragging selects.

Zoom and scroll

  • + and − zoom in and out; the scroll wheel over the waveform does the same.
  • Zoom to selection zooms to your selection, or the S–E range. Fit shows the whole sample.
  • When zoomed, a slider appears to pan. You can also scroll sideways, or hold Shift and use the wheel.

Playback

  • Play plays the selection, or the S–E range. Stop stops everything.
  • Loop (red when On) repeats the selection until you stop it.
  • Space plays from the start of the range, and stops if sound is playing.

7. Analysis tools

BPM, KEY and NOTE analyze your selection, or the whole sample if nothing is selected. Results appear in a box under the toolbar. Press the same button again to hide it.

  • BPM estimates tempo. Needs about 1.5 seconds of audio.
  • KEY estimates the key, with confidence (strong, fair or weak), close alternatives, the relative key, and the tuning offset in cents if it is noticeably off from A = 440 Hz. Needs about 1 second of audio. Drums-only or atonal audio may return “no clear key.”
  • NOTE identifies a single note (with frequency and cents offset), a chord, or a drum hit.

Select a clean section with steady notes or a clear groove for the best results.

8. Editing audio

These buttons are in the Pads card, beside Play and Stop.

  • Normal normalizes the selection, or the whole sample, so its loudest peak sits at about 98% of full scale.
  • Trim keeps only the selection (or S–E range) and discards the rest.
  • Cut removes the selection (or S–E range) and closes the gap.
  • Undo reverses the last edit (Ctrl/Cmd+Z does the same).

Trim and Cut need a selection or moved S/E flags; otherwise a message asks you to select a region. Undo covers up to 20 audio edits per sample, plus recent marker and S/E changes. Undo history is not saved in project files. Trimming or cutting a sample that has slices clears its markers, so add them again afterwards.

9. Slicing

There are three ways to slice. You can combine them: start with one, then add or move markers by hand.

Equal slices

Type 2 to 64 in Equal Slices and press Slice. The S–E range is divided into that many equal parts. Good for loops and steady breaks.

Transient detection

Press Transient to put a marker at each detected hit. The Transient (%) box (0 to 100) sets sensitivity; higher finds more hits. Too few slices: raise it. Too many: lower it. If nothing is found, a message suggests raising it.

Manual markers

Turn Select On and click where each slice should begin. Drag markers to fine-tune them.

Slices become pads

As soon as markers exist, each slice goes onto a pad, filling empty pads from A01 upward. Pads are labeled with the sample name and slice number (for example “break #3”). Moving, adding or removing markers updates the slice pads. Deleting a slice pad removes that slice. A pad you have changed by adding layers becomes yours and is no longer overwritten by slice updates.

10. Pads

The pad grid

The grid shows 16 pads at a time, laid out like an MPC (pad 1 at bottom left, pad 13 at top left). Use Bank to move between banks A to H, 128 pads in all. Each pad shows its ID (such as A01) and its MIDI note; bank A starts at note 36. Empty pads read “empty”; filled pads show their label and are highlighted.

Playing a pad

Click a pad to play it. This also opens it in pad view. The last pad you clicked is outlined.

Putting sounds on pads

  • Drag a sample chip onto a pad to place the whole sample.
  • Drag from the waveform: press and hold briefly (about a fifth of a second), then drag. A label follows your pointer. Drop it on a pad to place your selection, the previous selection, or the whole sample if there was none.
  • Slicing fills pads automatically.

Layers

Each pad holds up to 4 layers that play together. Dropping a sound on a filled pad adds a layer, and the label shows “+1 layer,” “+2 layers” and so on. If a pad already has 4, you’ll be told; use the right-click menu to replace one.

Right-click a pad (long-press on touch) to open its menu:

  • Add sound to layer 1–4 uses your current selection, or the whole sample, and replaces what is in that layer.
  • Edit layer and Remove layer appear when a pad has more than one layer.
  • Delete sound empties the pad.

Pad view: start, end and fades

Clicking a pad switches the waveform to that pad’s sound.

  • Drag the S and E flags to set where the sound starts and ends.
  • Drag the In and Out tabs at the bottom to set a fade-in and fade-out. Fades are drawn as diagonal lines.
  • Trim permanently crops the pad to its S–E range. Normal normalizes the pad. Cut does nothing in pad view.
  • Click Back to Sample or press Esc to return to the full sample.

Clearing pads

  • Clear Pad empties the selected pad.
  • Clear All empties every pad and removes the slice markers that created them.

11. Saving and exporting

A dialog asks for a name first. In Chrome and Edge you also choose where to save; in other browsers the file goes to Downloads.

Save WAV

Saves the selection, or the whole sample if nothing is selected. Choose a sample rate (keep original, 22050, 32000, 44100, 48000 or 96000 Hz) and a bit depth (8, 12, 16 or 24-bit). 8-bit and 12-bit files are dithered automatically. Your choice is remembered for the next save.

Save All Slices (ZIP)

In the Chop into slices card, set a File name prefix (up to 12 characters) and press Save All Slices (ZIP). You get one WAV per slice, such as chop_01.wav. You choose a rate and bit depth. Markers are required.

Save XPM

Set the MPC program name (up to 16 characters) and press Save XPM. You get a ZIP with an .xpm program and the matching WAV samples.

Save PGM + SND

Press Save PGM + SND for a ZIP with a .PGM program and .SND samples for the MPC2000 and MPC2000XL. Names are shortened to fit that format.

Save Project and Open Project

Save Project writes one .bipproj file with all samples, markers, S/E positions, pads (including layers, trims and fades) and your names and settings. Open Project loads one back, replacing what is open. Undo history is not included.

Save a project often. Closing the browser tab discards unsaved work.

12. MPC 4000 transfer

These tools work in Chrome or Edge on a desktop computer.

Connecting

  1. Connect the MPC 4000 by USB and power it on.
  2. Close ak.Sys and any other program that uses the MPC.
  3. The first time, press Connect and choose the MPC when your browser asks. After that the editor reconnects automatically when plugged in, and notices when it is unplugged.

The status box in the MPC card reports what is happening. On Windows the ak.Sys driver can block the browser, so you may need to close or remove it.

Sending

  • Send to 4000 sends the current sample, or your selection, using the Name on the MPC (up to 16 characters).
  • Send Slices to MPC 4000 (Chop into slices card) sends every slice using your file name prefix.
  • Save Pads to MPC 4000 (Pads card) sends every filled pad, named with the prefix and pad ID, and builds a drum program using your program name.

Browsing MPC memory

Press Browse MPC Memory to list the samples in the MPC. Buttons beside each name let you listen to it, open it in the editor, or save it as a WAV. Stop MPC Audition stops a preview.

13. Shortcuts

Space
Play or stop
Ctrl/Cmd + Z
Undo
[ and ]
Previous and next sample
Delete / Backspace
Remove the selected marker
Esc
Close the pad menu and leave pad view
Scroll wheel on waveform
Zoom
Shift + scroll
Pan when zoomed
Click (Select On) or Shift-click
Add a marker
Double-click, right-click or Alt-click a marker
Delete it
Press and hold, then drag
Drop a selection on a pad
Right-click a pad
Open the layer menu

Shortcuts that use letters or the space bar are ignored while you type in a text box. Light / Dark switches the theme; by default it follows your device.

14. Troubleshooting

  • A button is greyed out. Most buttons need a loaded sample. Open a file first.
  • Trim or Cut says to select a region. They need a selection or moved S/E flags. A short click adds a marker instead of selecting.
  • Transient finds nothing, or too much. Change the Transient (%) value. Higher finds more hits.
  • KEY says no clear key. The audio may be drums, noise or very sparse. Try a section of at least a second with chords, bass or melody.
  • The file didn’t save where I chose. Your browser may not support the save-location window, so the file went to Downloads. If the editor is embedded in another page, open it in its own tab in Chrome or Edge.
  • The MPC won’t connect. Check cable and power, close ak.Sys and other MPC software, then press Connect. Use Chrome or Edge on a desktop. If the MPC stops answering, reconnect it and try again.
  • A project won’t open. Only .bipproj files saved from this editor can be opened.
  • I lost an edit. Press Undo. A removed sample can be restored the same way, right after removal.

15. Tips

  • Trim silence at the start with the S flag before slicing, so slice 1 begins on the sound.
  • Use equal slices for loops, and Transient for uneven performances, then tidy by dragging markers.
  • Zoom in before placing a marker to land exactly on a transient.
  • Add a short fade-in and fade-out to pads to avoid clicks.
  • Normalize quiet samples before exporting so pads play at similar volume.
  • Save a project before big changes, and name files and programs clearly: the names carry through to the MPC.