Poise Drum Sampler
POISE | One Small Clue
Poise is a streamlined percussion sampler built for fast, musical drum programming without unnecessary complexity. Originally released as a paid plugin, it has since become freeware, offering producers a focused MPC-style workflow that prioritises speed, clarity, and hands-on control over drum samples.
System Requirements:
- 32-bit
- 64-bit
- VST 3 / AU
- Windows
Designed for Fast, Musical Drum Programming
At its core, Poise is about removing friction from the beat-making process. The interface centres around 16 velocity-sensitive drum pads, each capable of hosting up to eight sample layers.
These layers can be triggered simultaneously for thick drum stacks or switched dynamically using round-robin, random, or velocity-based playback. This makes Poise especially effective for creating natural-sounding drums, where subtle variation and response matter just as much as raw impact.
Each sample layer includes essential controls for volume, pitch, stereo balance, start and end points, plus dedicated amplitude and pitch envelopes.
Micro-timing offsets between layers allow for slightly loose, humanised hits, helping programmed drums avoid the rigid feel often associated with static one-shot playback.
Practical Workflow with DAW-Level Flexibility
Poise keeps internal processing intentionally minimal, encouraging producers to shape drums within their DAW’s mixer environment. Each pad can be routed to its own output, making it easy to apply external EQ, compression, saturation, or spatial effects using third-party plugins.
While Poise includes a small selection of internal effects such as filtering, distortion, and ring modulation, these are best viewed as utility tools rather than full sound-design processors.
Sample management is one of Poise’s quiet strengths. The built-in browser supports drag-and-drop loading with preview, and quick navigation through folders makes auditioning large sample libraries painless. Kits can be saved with or without embedded samples, ensuring portability across systems and projects.
Despite its age, Poise remains stable, efficient, and surprisingly capable when paired with a modern DAW workflow.
Key Features:
A focused drum sampler built around speed, layering, and expressive playback rather than feature overload.
- 16 MPC-style drum pads.
- Up to 8 sample layers per pad.
- Round-robin, random, layered, and velocity-based sample switching.
- Amplitude and pitch envelopes per sample.
- Drag-and-drop sample loading with browser preview.
- Multi-output routing for DAW-based processing.
- WAV, AIF, and SND file format support (8–32 bit)
FAQ
Poise relies on layered samples combined with velocity modulation, round-robin playback, and micro-delay offsets. This allows repeated hits to sound less static without requiring complex scripting.
Yes. While the interface is simple, multi-output routing allows Poise to integrate cleanly into modern DAW mixing chains using third-party effects and processing.
Absolutely. Its velocity-driven layering and envelope control make it well suited for hip-hop, house, techno, pop, and even more organic or acoustic-style drum programming.
Yes. Drum kits can be saved with embedded samples, ensuring sessions recall correctly on different machines without missing files.
Poise does not offer advanced modulation systems, built-in sequencing, or extensive internal effects. It is designed to be a fast sampler, not an all-in-one drum workstation
