SampleTank 4 Custom Shop
SampleTank 4 Custom Shop
SampleTank 4 Custom Shop is IK Multimedia’s free entry point into its flagship sound workstation, combining a deep sample engine, multitimbral workflow, and an expandable instrument ecosystem.
Designed to function as both a plug-in and standalone instrument, it offers a streamlined way to sketch, arrange, and build full productions inside a single environment.
Unlike lightweight romplers, SampleTank 4 CS runs the same engine as the full version, giving producers access to professional-grade playback, modulation, mixing, and effects, with the option to expand the sound library over time.
System Requirements:
- 32-bit
- 64-bit
- VST 3 / AU
- Windows
- MacOs
Sound Engine & Instrument Architecture
At its core, SampleTank 4 CS is a 16-part multitimbral workstation capable of hosting instruments, layered splits, and MIDI grooves simultaneously.
Sounds are organized into Instruments, Multis, and MIDI Patterns, allowing complex setups to be recalled instantly. Each part has its own mixer channel, effects chain, and routing, making it suitable for full track construction rather than isolated sound playback.
The engine supports three playback modes including resampling, pitch-shift/time-stretch via STRETCH™, and disk streaming for efficient handling of larger libraries. Advanced articulation control, key switching, zone editing, and custom modulation give producers detailed control over expressive instruments, even in the free edition.
Workflow, Mixing & Expansion
SampleTank 4 CS includes a redesigned browser for fast sound discovery, alongside Live Mode, which lets performers and producers organize sounds into setlists and songs for instant loading. The pad interface allows patterns, loops, and one-shots to be triggered from any MIDI controller, making it useful for both studio and live use.
A full-featured mixer with 70 onboard effects drawn from AmpliTube and T-RackS allows complete processing inside the plugin.
Instruments can be layered, split across the keyboard, or controlled via MIDI Learn, while BPM-synced effects and groove players help turn static sounds into evolving musical parts. The Custom Shop library can be expanded seamlessly with additional SampleTank, Syntronik, SampleTron, and Miroslav Philharmonik content.
Key Features:
A full-featured sound workstation engine with professional mixing and expansion capabilities.
- 16-part multitimbral workstation.
- Works as VST, VST3, AU, AAX, and standalone.
- 50 instruments with over 4 GB of sound content included.
- 200 MIDI grooves for fast track building.
- Three synth engines including STRETCH™ time-stretching.
- Advanced layering, splits, and key-zone editing.
- 70 studio-quality effects with FX sends and master bus.
- Four Groove Players for animated patterns and modulation.
- Live Mode with setlists and song organization.
- MIDI Learn support for assigning controls quickly.
- Import support for WAV and AIFF samples.
- Expandable ecosystem compatible with previous SampleTank libraries.
FAQ
The Custom Shop uses the same sound engine and workflow as SampleTank 4, but includes a smaller curated library. Expansion libraries unlock additional instruments rather than new features.
Yes. With multitimbral support, MIDI grooves, internal effects, and mixing, full arrangements can be created entirely inside SampleTank without relying on multiple plugins.
Disk streaming and optimized sample playback allow large instruments to load quickly while minimizing RAM usage, especially when using expanded libraries.
Yes. Multi-articulation instruments, key switching, velocity layers, and custom modulation enable expressive performance suitable for realistic and synthetic sounds alike.
SampleTank 4 CS is compatible with content from SampleTron 2, Syntronik, and Miroslav Philharmonik 2, allowing shared workflows and unified sound management.
