Sample Engine — AI Sample Manipulation for Ableton Live

The Sample Engine is LivePilot's intelligence layer for sample discovery, analysis, critique, and creative manipulation. It turns raw samples into musical elements through 29 techniques drawn from Dilla, Burial, Amon Tobin, Four Tet, and DJ Premier.

Philosophy: Surgeon vs Alchemist

Every sample workflow is guided by one of two philosophies:

• Surgeon — Precision. Match key, align tempo, carve frequencies, blend seamlessly. The sample should sound like it was always part of the track.
• Alchemist — Transformation. Reverse, stretch, destroy, rebuild. The original creator shouldn't recognize their sample.
• Auto (default) — Context decides. Building a clean layer? Surgeon. Stuck and need surprise? Alchemist. The critics and intent determine which.

6 MCP Tools

Tool	Purpose
analyze_sample	Build SampleProfile — material type, key, BPM, recommendations
evaluate_sample_fit	6-critic battery — key, tempo, frequency, role, vibe, intent fit
search_samples	Search Splice library, Ableton browser, and local filesystem
suggest_sample_technique	Recommend techniques from the 29-recipe library
plan_sample_workflow	End-to-end plan: analyze + critique + technique + compiled steps
get_sample_opportunities	Analyze song for where samples could improve it

Workflow Modes

Direct Request

User asks to do something specific with a sample:

"Chop this vocal into a rhythm"
 -> analyze_sample -> evaluate_sample_fit(intent="rhythm")
 -> suggest_sample_technique -> execute

Discovery Mode

User wants to find and use a sample:

"Find me a dark vocal for this track"
 -> search_samples(query="dark vocal") -> present candidates
 -> user picks -> analyze -> critique -> plan -> execute

Wonder Mode Integration

When stuck, Wonder Mode can suggest sample-based variants:

• 6 sample-domain semantic moves in the registry
• Compiled plans require agent to supply file_path from prior search_samples results
• Diagnosis detects: no_organic_texture, stale_drums, dense_but_static
• Note: Wonder does not yet auto-call search_samples — the agent must chain the calls

Golden Rules

1. Always analyze before loading — analyze_sample tells you what the material is before you commit to a technique
2. Always critique before executing — evaluate_sample_fit catches key clashes, tempo mismatches, and frequency masking before they happen
3. Respect the intent — "rhythm" and "texture" need different approaches even for the same sample
4. Start from the nearest technique — don't improvise a workflow when a proven recipe exists in the library
5. Present both plans — surgeon and alchemist. Let the user choose.

Material Types

Type	Detection	Best Simpler Mode	Best Warp Mode
vocal	"vocal", "vox", "voice" in name	Slice (Region)	Complex Pro
drum_loop	"drum", "break", "beat" in name	Slice (Transient)	Beats
instrument_loop	"guitar", "piano", "synth"	Slice (Beat)	Complex Pro
one_shot	"kick", "snare", "clap", short	Classic	Complex
texture	"ambient", "pad", "drone"	Classic	Texture
foley	"foley", "field", "recording"	Classic	Texture
fx	"fx", "riser", "sweep"	Classic	Complex
full_mix	full mix, long duration	Slice (Beat)	Complex Pro

6 Sample Critics

Each scores 0.0-1.0 on one dimension of fitness:

1. Key Fit — Circle-of-fifths distance from song key
2. Tempo Fit — BPM match including half/double time
3. Frequency Fit — Spectral overlap with existing mix
4. Role Fit — Does this fill a missing role in the song?
5. Vibe Fit — Taste graph alignment (if evidence exists)
6. Intent Fit — Does the material serve the stated goal?

Reference Docs

• references/sample-techniques.md — Full 29-technique catalog
• references/sample-critics.md — Critic scoring details
• references/sample-philosophy.md — Surgeon vs Alchemist guide