— From the community
Videos & links
60 videos and 25 articles, threads, tools and official pages that explain Koala well, from elf audio’s own videos to the community’s best tutorials. Each one also appears beside the guide section it covers. Videos load from YouTube only when you press play.
Koala Sampler Basic Tutorial
elf audio
The developer’s own 12-minute start on the app. It dates from 2019, so the add-ons and the Mixer came later, and you should expect some differences on screen.
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.
Koala Sampler - Getting Started - A Guide for Beginners - iOS
The Sound Test Room
A 35-minute beginner’s guide on iOS from 2025. It predates 2.0, but it’s closer to today’s app than the earliest walkthroughs.
TatzumaKiii - koala masterclass - interview and beat breakdown
elf audio
An elf audio interview with producer TatzumaKiii on starting tracks and finding sounds, ending in a beat breakdown. From 2022.
Koala Sampler Tutorial - EP 03 - Navigating The User Interface
NervousCook$
A walk around the interface from a 2023 series. Newer controls such as global undo aren’t in it.
Koala Sampler Tutorial - EP 24 - Update 1.4072 - Select Multiple Pads, Sequence Snapping!
NervousCook$
Five minutes on selecting several pads and on sequence snapping, as added in update 1.4072.
5 quick tips for Koala Sampler! 🐨
SPVIDZ
Five practical tips with chapters: pad labels, bouncing patterns, custom backgrounds, exchanging samples and selecting a pad without playing it.
Koala Sampler Mic FX Tutorial
elf audio
A two-minute demo of recording through the mic effects, from 2019.
Koala Sampler App and a Cheap USB Interface - The 35 Dollar SP-404 Alternative
Matt Greer Music
Sampling line-in audio through a very cheap class-compliant USB interface, for when you want to record gear rather than the mic. From 2020.
Koala Sampler Tutorial - EP 30 - Update 1.4132 Lazy Chop - NervousCook$
NervousCook$
A short look at lazy chop from update 1.4132, where you record on one pad and carry on onto the next.
Looping in Koala Sampler | part 1 - BASICS
Rooshie
Part one of a live-looping series: sequence length, pad layout, counting, and adding bus, mic and Perform effects as you go.
Koala's New Sample Pack Store
elf audio
elf audio introduces the in-app sample pack store and explains the free toys that come with each pack.
How to record from YouTube with Koala Sampler on iOS
elf audio
The iOS screen-recording route into Koala, from 2020. Check you’re allowed to use whatever you sample.
Koala Sampler Resampling Tutorial
elf audio
Resampling explained by the developer in under five minutes, from the app’s first weeks in 2019.
Resample Loop feature in Koala
BJamminSinceBirth
A four-minute look at the Resample Loop feature, from January 2023.
Koala Sampler Tutorial - EP 08 - The Edit Window
NervousCook$
The edit window and its functions in 15 minutes. It’s from January 2023, and later updates have added to this screen.
Koala Sampler Tutorial - EP 19 - Updated Looping & EQ Features
NervousCook$
Goes through the looping and EQ features that were new in early 2023.
Koala Sampler Tutorial - EP 29 - Update 1.4120 Pad Colour Sample Packs Etc
NervousCook$
What update 1.4120 brought, including pad colours and the first sample packs.
Koala Sampler Tutorial - EP 11 - Exploring The Auto Chop (Samurai) Functions
NervousCook$
Slicing samples across pads with Samurai’s auto-chop. It predates Chopper, the non-destructive alternative.
Koala Sampler Tutorial - EP 31 - Update 1.4145 The Chopper - NervousCook$
NervousCook$
The Chopper instrument, filmed days after it arrived in update 1.4145.
The Drum Break Chopping Hack Koala Producers Need | Koala Sampler
Verysickbeats
A five-minute method for getting new drum patterns out of a break with a Chopper technique, then resampling the result.
Split stems in Koala
elf audio
A short 2022 demo of stem splitting. The high-quality splitter arrived in version 2.0.10, so results may differ from what you hear here.
Koala Sampler's New Stem Splitter: Just How Much Better Is It?
sunwarper
Compares the new high-quality splitter with the old one, with Logic Pro and with real stems, so you can judge how much it helps.
Koala Sampler Tutorial - EP 09 - Time Stretching Options
NervousCook$
Seven minutes on the time-stretch options, which need Samurai.
Quokka Tutorial
elf audio
The developer’s 12-minute tutorial on Quokka, the synth that comes with Samurai.
Koala Midi Out Tutorial
elf audio
A quick look at sequencing external MIDI hardware from Koala, which needs the Samurai add-on.
KOALA Sampler - MASSIVE UPDATE - You Can Now Use AUv3 Instruments & Effects - Tutorial for the iPad
The Sound Test Room
A 45-minute iPad tutorial on hosting AUv3 instruments and effects, from the week the feature arrived. Go here for depth.
Koala Sampler Tutorial - EP 12 - Sequencing & Building Tracks
NervousCook$
The sequence screen, and how to turn sequences into a full track. From January 2023, before sequence snapping.
Koala Sampler Tutorial - EP 20 - All About Drums (Deep Dive)
NervousCook$
A 50-minute deep dive on drums, with timecodes: tuning, layering, velocity, chance, swing and variation.
Koala's New Keyboard
elf audio
A tour of the piano-style keyboard from when it arrived in 2021. Today it’s one of several keyboard modes.
The Koala Sampler Update Nobody Is Talking About (Arp Edition)
Verysickbeats
JFilt breaks down the arpeggiator added in 2.0.3, then resamples and chops the result into a new groove.
Koala Sampler’s New Pitch Bend & Perform FX Automation | Tutorial
elf audio
elf audio’s October 2026 walkthrough of recording pitch bends, editing them in the automation editor and recording Perform effects into a sequence. Both need Samurai.
Koala Sampler Tutorial - EP 13 - The Piano Roll Editor
NervousCook$
The piano roll, including how to use it to turn samples into playable instruments. Later versions have added to this editor.
Koala - Samurai Mode
elf audio
The developer explains time stretch, auto-chop and the piano roll. It’s from January 2021, so later Samurai features such as Chopper and Quokka aren’t in it.
Koala Sampler Tutorial - EP 14 - The FX Rack
NervousCook$
A demo of the live effects in the FX rack, so you can hear them before you try them.
How to Live Perform on $4 Koala Sampler, just like an SP404 | GAS Therapy #7
playpm
Performing a beat live on Koala the way you would on an SP-404, in about three minutes. From 2020.
Koala Mixer Tutorial
elf audio
The developer’s 17-minute guide to the Mixer add-on. It dates from the 2023 launch, when there were 16 effects. There are more now, and plugin hosting came later.
High Level Koala Ep. 2: Signal Flow & Mixing Drums in Koala Sampler
John Robinson
Signal flow from pad to bus to master, then a drum bus chain of EQ, compression, drive, bitcooker and limiter, with the reasoning behind each.
Koala Sampler Just Changed My Whole Workflow | AUV3 Koala Sampler Update
Verysickbeats
How JFilt loads plugins in the desktop app, resamples them and adds an AUv3 bus effect, from the week hosting arrived in May 2026.
The best and worst built-in Koala effects, how to use them, and what they sound like
small plates music
A frank tour of the bus effects: how to use them, how they sound and which are best and worst. From 2025, so the isolator and plate reverb aren’t in it.
Koala Sampler Tutorial - EP 17 - Exporting Options
NervousCook$
The export options as they stood in 2023. Version 2.0.3 added more, so use this for the basics.
Koala exports to Ableton Drum Rack and Ableton Session. Kind of a slept on feature.
BJamminSinceBirth
A 19-minute look at exporting to an Ableton Drum Rack and session, which the creator calls a slept-on feature.
Koala Sampler Supports Importing Midi Files (how to)
enderwiggins23
A three-minute how-to for dropping MIDI files into the sequencer.
Koala Sampler Tutorial - EP 04 - The Settings Menu
NervousCook$
One of the few videos that goes through the settings menu at all. It’s from January 2023, so later options are missing.
Koala Sampler Background Visual Effects are SO GOOD!!
Khordmaster
Shows every background effect in the app as of 2021, so you can choose one by eye.
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.
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.
How to SideChain/Duck in the SP404 way on Koala Sampler (or any other DAW/hardware) | GAS Therapy #3
playpm
Ducking the SP-404 way, from 2020. That’s before the Mixer, so it’s a different route from the sidechain effect you’d use today.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
How to Sample ANYTHING in Koala Sampler!
Chris Laps
A nine-minute flip from start to finish: bringing audio in, chopping it, sequencing and adding drums.
How I Actually Start Beats in Koala Sampler (High LvL Koala Ep. 1)
John Robinson
How one producer really starts a beat: hand-chopping a break, shaping drums, choke groups, swing and a chromatic bass line.
Koala for Beginners Lesson 5- Master bus FX, Performance FX, 8 bar loops
small plates music
Basic mastering with the master bus effects, plus ways to keep the eighth bar interesting using Perform effects.
Official Akai
- Koala Sampler manualelf audio — The official reference this guide is based on. It warns that it can lag behind the app, so check the store notes for the newest changes.
- Learningelf audio — elf audio’s own starting point for learning, with the YouTube channels it recommends.
- Helpelf audio — More than 60 short answers and fixes, sorted by topic. Go here first when something misbehaves, especially on Android.
- Samuraielf audio — What the Samurai add-on unlocks: time stretch, piano roll, auto-chop, 3-band EQ, the Quokka synth and MIDI out.
- The Mixerelf audio — What the Mixer add-on adds – four channels plus a main bus, five slots each – and which plugin formats each platform can host.
- Sample Packself audio — The five sample packs, and the free toy that comes with each one.
- Koala FXelf audio — elf audio’s separate AUv3 effect plugin for iOS hosts: 16 one-touch effects refined from Koala’s, with scenes and an X-Y pad.
- Koala Sampler + Koala FX Plugins for Mac and Windowself audio — Koala and Koala FX as VST3 plugins for Mac and Windows and Audio Units for Mac, with Samurai and the Mixer included. New in October 2026.
- Communityelf audio — Where Koala users gather: a Facebook group, Discord, Reddit and weekly Twitch flip challenges.
- Keyboard Shortcuts in Koalaelf audio — elf audio’s map of the default keys for pads, sequences and transport, plus musical typing.
- 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.
- Audio is crackling/dropping out on my android phoneelf audio — A checklist for crackling and dropouts on Android, from a developer who tests on 19 phones.
- Koala Sampler on the App Storeelf audio — Version history, requirements and in-app purchases. The manual treats the store listing as the final word on what each platform gets.
- Koala Sampler on Google Playelf audio — The Android listing. Its release notes can differ from the App Store’s, since plugin features don’t reach Android.
Articles & reviews
- Elf Audio Koala SamplerSound On Sound · 2022-10 — John Walden’s review, covering the workflow, Samurai and the AUv3 add-on. It predates the Mixer.
- Channel your inner J Dilla with the Koala Sampler for iPhone and iPadMusicRadar · 2019-03 — A launch-era news piece on the app and its J Dilla and SP-303 inspiration. One for the history rather than a guide to today’s app.
- Koala Sampler: you can now use your favorite AUv3 plugins as sound source and shaperSynth Anatomy · 2026-05 — A short report on update 1.4162, which brought AUv3 hosting as part of the Mixer add-on.
- Koala Sampler update offers AUv3 support, heralding in a whole new world of plugin possibilitiesRouteNote Create Blog · 2026-05 — Explains where plugins live: instruments load on pads from the Sample page, effects in bus or master slots on the performance page.
- Koala Sampler App gains new mix powers.RouteNote Create Blog · 2023-09 — A plain summary of the Mixer add-on as it launched, with four buses, a master bus and five slots per channel.
- Elf audio Koala Quokka, the SP-404-style sampler iOS/Android app now has a built-in SynthesizerSynth Anatomy · 2024-12 — Lists Quokka’s oscillator, filter, LFO and envelopes, and explains that it comes with the Samurai upgrade.
- The KoalaverseNick Lewis, Modulations · 2025-05 — A hands-on look at the first sample packs, using the Valis toy to make sounds and sampling them onto pads.
- Koala Sampler Now Available As A VST3 & AU PluginThe Beat Community · 2026-10 — A short news report on the desktop plugins and what’s included. Check the current price with elf audio.
- ProtokolHexler — A free tool that elf audio’s Help suggests for checking whether your MIDI device is sending anything at all.
Forum threads
- Koala - the ultimate pocket-sized samplerLoopy Pro Forum — The long-running thread, where the developer still answers. Recent pages cover the 2.0.15 MIDI changes and the looper.
- Koala Sampler AppElektronauts — A long thread of Koala users, many pairing it with hardware. Page 39 has first impressions of plugin hosting from May 2026.