Load and play random samples from a directory?

Questions
2

Hi,

You could either load all samples into memory to begin with, or stream them from disk (which saves memory in case you have a lot of samples). Here is an example of streaming from disk:

( // 1. prep

// folder with samples
~folderpath = "/path/to/your/folder/";
~files = PathName(~folderpath).files;

s.waitForBoot {
  SynthDef(\playFile, { |out, buf|
    Out.ar(out, DiskIn.ar(2, buf).poll);
  }).add;
  
  ~buffer = Buffer.alloc(s, 32768, 2); // assuming stereo files
};
)

( // 2. pick a random file and play it
var file = ~files.choose;
fork {
  ~buffer.close;
  ~buffer.cueSoundFile(file.fullPath, 0);
  s.sync;
  Synth(\playFile, [buf: ~buffer]);
}
)

For me this works with .mp3 files as well as .wav which was a surprise to me! The last time I tried to work with .mp3 files (many years ago) I remember having to use the MP3 quark.

And to make this happen when you press a GUI button, use its action:

(
~window = Window().front;
~button = Button(~window, Rect(10, 10, 50, 30)).string_("Play").action_({
  var file = ~files.choose;
  fork {
    ~buffer.close;
    ~buffer.cueSoundFile(file.fullPath, 0);
    s.sync;
    Synth(\playFile, [buf: ~buffer]);
  };
});
)