SampleTank 4 MAX by IK Multimedia instrument plugin interface

SampleTank 4 MAX: Sound and Groove Workstation by IK Multimedia

Rated 4.5/5 on Plugin Boutique (210 ratings)

SampleTank 4 MAX is a sound and groove workstation plugin from IK Multimedia that bundles the full SampleTank 4 library with all legacy SampleTank 2 and 3 factory content, offering over 8,000 instruments.

VST3VST2AUAAXWindowsmacOS64-bit

AVAILABLE ATPlugin Boutique

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01Overview

SampleTank 4 MAX combines every SampleTank product into one instrument. Its library includes SampleTank 4 factory content, legacy SampleTank 2 and 3 factory content, and every legacy SampleTank 3 library. The developer describes it as a workstation for sound design, layering, mixing and live performance, with patterns, loops and an arpeggiator for building songs inside a single plug-in.

Best for

Sound design
Live performance
Layered instrument patches
Electronic music production
Guitar and amp tones
Pattern and loop creation

Developer: IK Multimedia
Category: Virtual Instruments
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Plug-in and Standalone application in one product
Over 8,000 instruments with up to 250 GB of sound content
16-part multitimbral with 16 individual stereo outputs
70 studio quality effects with a modulation matrix
Layers for creating splits and layers
Live mode with set lists, songs and per-song tempo
Four play modes, including mono legato with portamento
MIDI Learn for assigning any parameter to a controller

03In depth

Sound library and instrument browsing

IK Multimedia reports a library of more than 250 GB and over 8,000 instrument presets, covering piano, keyboards, guitars, bass, drums, strings, brass, synths, vocals and percussion. The developer says the content includes over 500,000 samples with articulations and round-robins.

The browser lets you filter sounds by timbre, style, genre and mood. Each instrument has a description and a 3D icon in the Info view, and the library can be expanded with additional instruments.

SampleTank 4 MAX can import .wav and .aiff samples, so your own recordings can sit alongside the bundled content.

Editing, effects and live performance

The Edit view exposes the synth engine parameters for each element or articulation in an instrument. Custom modulation can target synth engine and effects parameters, and Layers handle splits and layers. The plug-in includes 70 studio effects, including amps, distortion, dynamics, modulation, reverb, delay and filters, which IK Multimedia derives from its AmpliTube and T-RackS software.

For performance, Live mode loads instruments instantly and organizes them into set lists and songs. Each song can have its own tempo, and MIDI Learn assigns any parameter to a controller. The Pad interface launches patterns, loops or single notes from a MIDI controller.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	IK Multimedia
Type	Plugin
Category	Virtual Instruments
Formats	VST3, VST2, AU, AAX
Operating systems	Windows, macOS
Architecture	64-bit

05Upgrades

Upgrade and crossgrade options

Option	Store link
SampleTank 4 MAX Upgrade	Plugin Boutique ↗

06FAQ

Questions, answered

What formats does SampleTank 4 MAX support?

SampleTank 4 MAX is available as AAX, VST 2, VST 3 and Audio Units. It also runs as a Standalone application.

Which operating systems does SampleTank 4 MAX support?

It supports macOS 10.13 or later and Windows 7 or later, both in 64-bit versions.

What do I need to run SampleTank 4 MAX?

You need a 64-bit CPU and operating system, an OpenGL 2 compatible graphics adapter and 640 GB of hard drive space. Windows users also need an ASIO compatible sound card.