MIDI, sync, plugins and desktop · Koala Sampler guide

15.1Intermediate

Connect a MIDI controller

A MIDI controller puts Koala’s pads under real keys and its controls under real knobs. The setup happens in the MIDI group of the settings. Before you touch anything there, it helps to know which kind of MIDI message does what.

Get a controller playing your pads

Connect your controller. For a wireless one, see Connect a Bluetooth MIDI device.
Open the settings and find the MIDI group.
Look for your controller in the MIDI DEVICES panel, right at the end of the page, among the connected inputs and outputs.
Press a key on the controller. The panel displays the most recent note and CC to arrive, so you’ll know the two are talking.
Leave Use MIDI mapping off, and set MIDI Channel to match your controller or to ALL.
Set MIDI Note Offset to the note you want on the first pad of the first bank. The notes that follow it play the pads that follow it.

Playing pads

MIDI Channel: With Use MIDI mapping off, picks the single channel Koala listens to, or ALL of them.
MIDI Note Offset: With Use MIDI mapping off, sets which note plays the first pad of the first bank, with each following note moving on one pad. Enter it as a number or by name, such as C#3.
Enable MIDI velocity: With a velocity-sensitive controller, notes reach Koala’s grid at the strength you played them. See Edit notes on the grid.
MIDI can select pads: Lets the note assigned to a pad select that pad.
MIDI can record pads: A controller key can now start a recording, as long as its pad is free.

Keyboard mode

Keyboard Mode MIDI Channel: Sets aside a channel for a pad in keyboard mode. That way, a single connection can carry both a keyboard and a pad controller.
MIDI snap to scale: While a pad’s in keyboard mode, pulls incoming notes onto the scale you’ve chosen.

Ready-made mappings and sending notes

Use built-in midi mappings: Two controllers are ready to go at the time of writing, the Novation Launchpad Mini MK3 and the Roland SP-404MK2, complete with pad colours and sequence selection. Switch this off to ignore those mappings, or tap Configure to adjust one.
Pads send MIDI notesAUv3: Gives your host a MIDI note for every pad you hit, ready to record. It doubles up with MIDI-OUT pads, so turn it off when you’re using those.

For control over knobs, sliders and buttons, carry on to Map controls with MIDI learn. To keep Koala in time with your other gear, see Sync to MIDI clock.

From the community

If a controller plays one sample at different pitches instead of separate pads, keyboard mode is on. Turn off KEYBOARD on the SEQUENCE screen. via elf audio Help: controller plays one sample
If your phone can’t power a controller, playpm suggests putting a USB hub between them, or using an adaptor with a charging port. via playpm: How to Connect & Configure MIDI Controllers

How to Connect & Configure MIDI Controllers for Koala Sampler | GAS Therapy #12
playpm
The video elf audio’s own Help points to for MIDI: connecting a controller and configuring Koala. From 2020, so some settings have been added since.

15.2Intermediate

Map controls with MIDI learn

MIDI learn lets you choose what each key and knob on your controller does. You point at something on the screen, then touch the hardware that should control it. It’s how you get effects, the transport and the sequence slots under your hands, in whatever layout suits you.

Map a control

In the MIDI settings, switch on Use MIDI mapping. A Map MIDI button appears beneath it.
Tap Map MIDI to go into mapping mode.
Tap the control you want to map.
On your controller, press the key or move the knob you’ve chosen. Koala highlights the control on screen, using the mapping scope’s colour.
Repeat for any other controls you want.
Tap DONE.

What you can map

Pads, sliders and toggles
Menu items
The sequence slots
The perform effects
PLAY, REC, TEMPO, swing, quantise, UNDO and REDO
The generic knobs for a plugin’s parameters, under CONTROLS in Load plugin instruments onto pads

Move a map to another device

Koala stores your map with its settings, so go to the EXTRAS settings and find MIDI Map.
Tap EXPORT to save the map as a .json file.
Get the file to your other device, go to the same place, and tap IMPORT.

From the community

If a controller reaches only some pads after version 2.0.15, a forum user suggests turning off Same pad mapping for all banks, or mapping each pad yourself. This is a forum suggestion, not official advice. via Loopy Pro Forum, October 2026

The Best App For Beatmakers (Koala Beginner's Tutorial)
TAETRO
A 32-minute tour with chapters, from mic sampling and editing to sequences, the Perform page, resampling and the Mixer. Sponsored by Synido, and filmed before Koala 2.0.

My 2026 Koala Sampler Workflow: 3 Features That Changed How I Make Beats
sunwarper
A beat from scratch on the current app, using Chopper, the improved stem splitter, an AUv3 synth, resampled bass, bus effects and arranging. Sponsored by Synido.

SP404 Workflow MIDI Mapping Tutorial on Koala Sampler feat. nanoKONTROL2 | GAS Therapy #19
playpm
Building an SP-404-style workflow by mapping a cheap Korg nanoKONTROL2 to Koala’s controls.

15.3Intermediate

Sync to MIDI clock

MIDI clock is a timing signal that keeps separate pieces of gear at one tempo. One device leads and the others follow. Koala can do either job, and you choose which in the MIDI settings.

Follow an outside clock

Open the settings and find the MIDI group.
Set Midi Clock mode to RECEIVE.
Start and stop from the device that’s sending the clock.
If Koala sounds slightly ahead or behind, adjust Sync latency compensation until the timing sits right.

Parameters

Midi Clock mode: Whether Koala leads, follows or stays out of it. See the table below.Range OFF, SEND, RECEIVE
Sync latency compensation: A timing nudge for when Koala’s following an outside clock and plays a touch early or late.

Which clock mode to use

Setting	What Koala does	Use it for
`OFF`	Neither sends nor follows clock.	Working on your own.
`SEND`	Sends clock and start/stop messages out.	Driving other devices from Koala, perhaps alongside MIDI-OUT pads.
`RECEIVE`	Takes its timing from an outside clock.	Fitting Koala into a rig that already has a leader.

From the community

Koala Sampler - External Midi Clock Sync -12/07/2021
LUGO “Heavy Rotation HiFi”
A December 2021 test of external MIDI clock, with an MPC2000 Classic driving Koala.

15.4Intermediate

Sync with Ableton Link

Ableton Link is a way for apps and devices to stay in time with each other. It’s the one to reach for when Koala is playing along with other Link-enabled software. You’ll find it in Koala on iOS, Android and macOS.

Join a Link session

Open the settings and find the MIDI group.
Tap the Ableton Link button to open its menu.
Switch on Ableton Link.
Switch on Sync Start/Stop if you want the sequencer to start and stop along with the others.
Check Connected Peers to see who has joined.

Parameters

Ableton Link: Turns Link sync on or off.
In-App Notifications: Lets you know when another app joins the sync or drops out of it.
Sync Start/Stop: Ties the sequencer’s starting and stopping to the Link session.
Connected Peers: Lists the apps syncing with Koala right now, along with devices you could add.

From the community

Why I choose Ableton Link instead of MIDI
small plates music
Why this producer syncs Koala and other apps over Ableton Link on Wi-Fi rather than with MIDI.

15.5Basics

Connect a Bluetooth MIDI device

If your MIDI gear works over Bluetooth, you can do without the cable. On iOS and Android, Koala has its own screen for connecting these devices.

Connect a device

Open the settings and find the MIDI group.
Beside Bluetooth MIDI, tap Connect. The Bluetooth devices screen lists every device Koala knows about, and offers a way to connect new ones further down.
Tap your device in the list to connect it.

Once it’s connected, set it up like any other controller, as in Connect a MIDI controller.

From the community

Koala Sampler Now Has Bluetooth + NOISE Machine MIDI Controller Demo
Khordmaster
Connecting a Bluetooth MIDI device, shown with a Noise Machine controller. From 2022, when Bluetooth support was new.

My MIDI Controller isn’t working with Koalaelf audio — elf audio’s checks for a controller that won’t respond, starting with the last-note readout in the MIDI settings.

15.6IntermediateNeeds Samurai

Sync a Pocket Operator

Koala can drive a Pocket Operator by sending a sync signal out of your device’s headphone output, so you can play the two together in time. This is one of the things the Samurai add-on unlocks.

Set it up

Open the settings and find the AUDIO group.
Switch on Pocket Operator sync out.
Turn your device’s volume all the way up.
On your Pocket Operator, choose SY-4.

From the community

Hearing a steady click in the left channel with the metronome off? Pocket Operator sync out is probably on. Leave it off unless you’re syncing something. via elf audio Help: clicking in the left channel

How to Sync Koala Sampler with Korg Volcas
LUGO “Heavy Rotation HiFi”
A two-minute tip: Koala’s Pocket Operator sync can run a Korg Volca too.

15.7Basics

Play Koala from a computer keyboard

You don’t have to touch the screen to play Koala. A computer keyboard can trigger pads, switch sequences and run the transport, whether you’re on desktop or have one attached to your phone or tablet. These are the keys you start with, and you can change every one of them.

Pads and sequences

1 2 3 4: Plays pads 1–4 of the current bank.On a computer keyboard
Q W E R: Plays pads 5–8 of the current bank.On a computer keyboard
A S D F: Plays pads 9–12 of the current bank.On a computer keyboard
Z X C V: Plays pads 13–16 of the current bank.On a computer keyboard
Y U I O: Switches to sequence slots 1–4.On a computer keyboard
H J K L: Switches to sequence slots 5–8.On a computer keyboard

Transport and modes

SPACE: Starts and stops playback.On a computer keyboard
0: Switches recording on or off.On a computer keyboard
M: Switches the metronome on or off.On a computer keyboard
/: Switches keyboard mode on or off.On a computer keyboard
Hold SHIFT: Stands in for EDIT, so you can select several pads.On a computer keyboard
Hold N: Stands in for SOLO.On a computer keyboard
Hold B: Stands in for MUTE.On a computer keyboard

Banks and bars

[: Goes to the previous sample bank.On a computer keyboard
]: Goes to the next sample bank.On a computer keyboard
{: Goes to the previous sequence bank.On a computer keyboard
}: Goes to the next sequence bank.On a computer keyboard
=: Adds a bar to the sequence.On a computer keyboard
-: Removes a bar from the sequence.On a computer keyboard
_: Doubles the sequence, like DOUBLE UP.On a computer keyboard

Getting around

TAB: Goes to the next screen.On a computer keyboard
SHIFT + TAB: Goes to the previous screen.On a computer keyboard
LEFT: Goes to the previous page of the pad grid.On a computer keyboard
RIGHT: Goes to the next page of the pad grid.On a computer keyboard
DOWN: Opens the SAMPLES browser.On a computer keyboard
DEL: Deletes the selection.On a computer keyboard

Musical typing, in keyboard mode

A S D F G H J K L ; ': Plays the white keys, from C upwards.On a computer keyboard, in keyboard mode
W E T Y U O P: Plays the black keys.On a computer keyboard, in keyboard mode
Z: Shifts down an octave.On a computer keyboard, in keyboard mode
X: Shifts up an octave.On a computer keyboard, in keyboard mode

Keyboard mode turns your typing keys into a piano, laid out like the musical typing you may know from a DAW. To protect your pattern from a slip of the finger, Koala ignores the sequence keys while it’s on.

Change the keys

Go to the EXTRAS settings and find QWERTY Map.
Tap EDIT to open the map editor and change whatever you like. RESET takes you back to the defaults.
To take your layout to another device, use EXPORT here and IMPORT over there.

From the community

Koala Sampler FREE Desktop Workflow
Verysickbeats
Building a beat in the desktop app with the computer keyboard, from drums to auto-chop and a bass line. It’s from 2022, so check the install details against the current version.

Keyboard Shortcuts in Koalaelf audio — elf audio’s map of the default keys for pads, sequences and transport, plus musical typing.

15.8AdvancediOS only

Run Koala inside another app

On iOS, Koala doesn’t have to run on its own. You can load it as a plugin in any AUv3-compatible host, such as AUM, GarageBand, Logic Pro or Cubasis, and use it alongside everything else in your project. AUv3 is Apple’s technology, so this is for iOS only, and Android has no equivalent.

Three ways to load it

Mode	What it’s for	Good to know
AUv3 instrument	Using Koala as a sound source in your host.	Audio can’t come in through `INPUT` this way.
AUv3 effect	Sampling into Koala, since audio can now reach it through `INPUT`.	This is the mode to choose for sampling. You can also pick extra output channels here, which you can’t as an instrument.
Multi-bus AUv3	Getting at 8 more output sources from Koala.	The extra destinations only appear in hosts that support multi-bus. Koala’s manual says only AUM supports it “currently”, so check your own host, as that may have changed.

What you don’t get in AUv3 mode

SPLIT STEMS
Mute and solo
Hosting other plugins, which needs the standalone app.

For saving your work, clock and MIDI inside a host, see Get more from Koala as a plugin.

From the community

To sample into Koala in AUM, load it as an effect, in the second slot down, with your mic or source above it. Loaded as an instrument it can’t take input, which elf audio says is true of plugin instruments in general. via elf audio Help: input to Koala AUv3 in AUM

Koala as an AUV3 Plugin
elf audio
How to get started with Koala as a plugin on iOS. From 2021, well before Koala could host plugins itself.

How to output audio from Koala Sampler AUV3 into AUM
enderwiggins23
Sending Koala’s eight outputs to separate faders in AUM, and summing them for one master recording.

Koala Sampler Is Finally a VST… This Changes Everything
Verysickbeats
JFilt on the new Koala plugin for Mac: downloading it, dragging samples into a DAW, splitting stems and building a beat. From October 2026.

15.9AdvancediOS only

Get more from Koala as a plugin

Once Koala’s running in a host, a few settings decide how well the two work together. You’ll find them in Koala’s own settings, in the group shown beside each name.

Parameters

Enable auv3 state savingGENERAL: Puts your entire Koala session in the host’s project, so reopening the project brings it all back.
Host clock syncAUDIO: On, Koala follows the host’s transport and tempo. Off, it uses its own clock, and it may then sound out of time with the host.
Pads send MIDI notesMIDI: Sends a note out for each pad you play, which lets the host record your playing. If MIDI-OUT pads are in play as well, switch it off, or notes will trigger twice.

Also worth knowing

MIDI notes from the host still reach Koala when its window is closed.
The SAMPLES browser still gets to your custom locations and iCloud Drive from inside the plugin.
Koala can’t host other plugins while it’s a plugin itself. Open the standalone app for Use third-party plugins as effects and Load plugin instruments onto pads.

15.10BasicsDesktop only

Install and update Koala on a computer

Koala is also a standalone app for macOS, Windows and Linux. Think of it as the phone app, gaining features for the mouse, the keyboard and your files. Everything from the Samurai and Mixer add-ons comes built in, so there’s nothing to buy or switch on. Get it from koalasampler.com/download.

What you need

Windows: Windows 10 version 1903 or newer.
Linux: a build for x86_64 or arm64, the latter including Raspberry Pi. Wayland is supported natively.

Update Koala

Start Koala, which looks for updates each time it opens.
If there’s a new version, tap MENU and find the UPDATE AVAILABLE panel.
Tap MORE INFO if you want to read the release notes.
Tap DOWNLOAD to get the correct installer for your platform.

Your songs, samples and settings sit in an ordinary folder, so you can back it up or sync it however you like. If older songs are sitting in a previous location, the first launch moves them over for you.

Where your files live

Platform	Folder
macOS	`Music/Koala Sampler` in your home folder
Windows	`Documents\Koala Sampler`
Linux	Shown by `Song folder` in the `EXTRAS` settings

From the community

15.11BasicsDesktop only

Use the menu bar, shortcuts and mouse

Koala on macOS gets a proper menu bar of its own, and many of the entries carry a shortcut. The mouse has some tricks too. To play all of Koala from your typing keys, see Play Koala from a computer keyboard.

File

CMD + N: Starts a new song.On macOS
CMD + J: Imports an audio file.On macOS
CMD + S: Saves the song.On macOS
SHIFT + CMD + R: Exports the selected samples.On macOS
SHIFT + CMD + E: Exports the Koala song.On macOS
CMD + P: Takes a screenshot.On macOS

Edit

CMD + Z: Undoes your last change.On desktop
CTRL + Z: Undoes your last change.On desktop
SHIFT + CMD + Z: Redoes what you undid.On desktop
SHIFT + CTRL + Z: Redoes what you undid.On desktop
CMD + L: Labels the current pad.On macOS
CMD + I: Opens sample info for the selected pad.On desktop
CTRL + I: Opens sample info for the selected pad.On desktop
CMD + E: Opens the wave editor.On desktop
CTRL + E: Opens the wave editor.On desktop

Window and app

CMD + 9: Flips the window between landscape and portrait.On macOS
CMD + ,: Opens the settings.On macOS
CMD + Q: Quits Koala.On macOS

With the mouse

Hold SHIFT and scroll: Moves left and right.In the piano roll, on desktop
Hold ALT and scroll: Zooms in time.In the piano roll, on desktop
Hold ALT + SHIFT and scroll: Zooms vertically.In the piano roll, on desktop
CMD + click a knob: Lets you type an exact value.On macOS

Two more mouse moves

Scroll on its own to travel around the piano roll.
Drag a knob slowly left and right for fine adjustments.

The most useful entries in each menu

Menu	Entries
`File`	`New Song`, `Import Audio File`, `Save Song`, `Export Selected Samples`, `Export All Samples`, `Export Current Sequence`, `Export All Sequences`, `Export Koala Song`, `Open Song Folder`, `Take screenshot`
`Edit`	`Undo`, `Redo`, `Label Current Pad`, `Sample Info`, `Edit Sample` (the wave editor)
`Window`	Common phone and tablet window sizes, and the flip between `Landscape` and `Portrait`
`Help`	`Keyboard shortcuts`, `About Koala`
`Koala`	`Settings`, `Quit`

15.12BasicsDesktop only

Drag files in and out, and connect your gear

A computer makes moving files easy: most of it is one drag. On macOS, pads can go back out the same way, which makes Koala a handy partner for a DAW. For more on bringing in sound, see Import audio files, and for MIDI files see Bring in MIDI, songs, packs and maps.

Key combinations

Drag an audio file onto PAD: Loads it onto the pad, whether it comes from the Finder, Explorer or, as a clip, your DAW.On desktop
Drag a .mid file onto SLOT: Imports the MIDI into that sequence slot.On desktop
Drag a .koala file into Koala: Imports the song.On desktop
Drag a .kpk file into Koala: Installs the sample pack.On desktop
Drag PAD out of Koala: Bounces the pad to a WAV file on your desktop or in your DAW, edits and all.On macOS

Audio and MIDI

Audio devices: set Input and Output in the AUDIO settings. On Windows, you also get Sample rate and an Audio driver choice, with ASIO and WASAPI among the options. On macOS, Koala talks straight to CoreAudio.
MIDI devices: USB and Bluetooth MIDI gear behaves just as it does on mobile. See Connect a MIDI controller.
Other apps: virtual ports, such as the IAC bus on macOS, carry MIDI clock and notes from Koala to other software. See Sync to MIDI clock.

Plugin formats

Platform	Formats Koala hosts
macOS	Audio Units, CLAP and VST3
Windows	CLAP and VST3
Linux	Unclear: Koala’s manual lists no formats for Linux

Plugins work as both effects and instruments, and you don’t need an add-on for them on desktop. See Use third-party plugins as effects and Load plugin instruments onto pads.

From the community