Preparing Samples for Erica Synths Sample Drum

The Erica Synths Sample Drum is a powerful Eurorack drum module that plays WAV samples from a micro SD card. To get the best results, your samples need to be in the right format. Here is everything you need to know.

Sample Requirements

The Sample Drum expects files in a specific format:

• Format: WAV (uncompressed)
• Channels: Mono (single channel)
• Sample rate: 44.1 kHz recommended
• Bit depth: 16-bit or 24-bit
• Storage: Micro SD card (FAT32 formatted)

The Mono Requirement

The most common issue people run into is loading stereo samples. The Sample Drum has a single audio output per channel, so it needs mono files. If you load a stereo file, the module may play it at the wrong speed or produce unexpected results. Read more about why hardware samplers require mono files.

How to Convert Your Samples

If you have stereo samples that you want to use with the Sample Drum, you need to convert them to mono. The fastest way on macOS is with It's mono, yo!:

1. Download the app from the Mac App Store
2. Drag your stereo WAV files into the app
3. Select your micro SD card as the output folder
4. The app converts all files to mono, preserving the sample rate

You can batch convert as many files as you need, making it easy to prepare entire sample libraries for the Sample Drum.

Organizing Files on the SD Card

The Sample Drum reads WAV files from folders on the micro SD card. You can organize your samples into folders by type (kicks, snares, hi-hats, etc.) or by kit. Use short, descriptive file names since the module display has limited space.

Tips for Great Sounding Drums

• Trim silence from the beginning of samples for tight timing
• Normalize your samples so volume levels are consistent
• Use 44.1 kHz sample rate for the best compatibility
• Keep samples short for percussion — long ambient samples use more memory
• Create multiple folders to switch between kits easily