INSTRUMENTS / GENERATORS

Fruity Slicer 2

Fruity Slicer 2 automatically detects beats in an audio file and slices it into individual segments, which can then be triggered independently from the Piano roll or a MIDI controller. If the file already contains slice or region markers, these will be used instead of beat detection. The plugin provides flexible playback, slice reordering, and time-stretching features, making it especially effective for working with drum loops.

Related Slicers include Fruity Slicer and the more advanced Slicex.

Below the Waveform are the Playback and Stretch controls. These options determine how slices are played when triggered, such as playing until the end of a Slice or backwards even. Controls include Timestretching to adjust playback length without altering pitch. A Chromatic toggle allows you to enable or disable chromatic playback across the keyboard, expanding the creative possibilities.

On the right side of the interface is the per-Slice Envelope & Filter sections. Use these to shape the dynamics of each slice using Gain, Pan, Attack, Release and Filtering.

Waveform Display

The Waveform Display shows the Sliced Sample, each is mapped to the numbered Pads in sequence.

  • Preview and Triggering - Click a Pad (unless in Chromatic mode), (Right+Click) the Slice, use notes in the Piano roll or a Controller.
  • Moving Slice Markers - (Left+Click) the Marker Flags and drag.
  • Zoom and Scroll - For more accuracy, the display can be zoom-scrolled using the preview slider below the slices. Click on the middle of the scroll-bar to move horizontally and the edges to zoom. Alternatively hover the Mouse over the area to focus and roll the (Mouse-Wheel). Clicking the (Middle-Mouse Button) or (Alt/Opt + Left-Click) allow Zoom on vertical movement and Scroll on horizontal mouse movement.

Top Controls

  • Load sample (icon) - Opens an Operating System Browser to locate and load a sample / loop.
  • Slicing (icon) - Opens a Menu with Slicing options:
    • Use built-in slicing - If the sample has included slice data, it will be used first.
    • Dull / Medium / Sharp Auto-slicing - These auto-slicing options produce from Dull to Sharp, increasingly more slices respectively. In other words, how sensitive the algorithm is to minor transients.
    • 1/6, 1/4, 1/3 beat ... Beat - The sample will be divided into even beat-quantized slices regardless of the content (i.e. no transient based auto-slicing).
    • No Slicing - The whole loop is treated as a single slice.
  • Dump Score to Piano roll (icon) - The Piano roll maps Slices from first to last to notes from low to high (each note plays a single Slice). 'Dump' presets include:
    • Auto-dump - Fruity Slicer 2 will dump the sliced beat to Piano roll automatically after loading.
    • Normal - Writes the notes to match the beat length (adjusted to current tempo).
    • Reverse - As normal, however the sequence is reversed (each individual Slice is still played forward).
    • Random - Each Slice is placed on random location while preserving the loop groove and length. The sequence will be different each time this option is selected.
    • Flatten (groove) - The loop groove is preserved (Slice locations) however all Slice locations are played with the first Slice.
    • Shift Up / Shift Down - The groove is preserved but all Slices are shifter up/down with one Slice.
    • Quantize / Swing - As normal, however the timing is adjusted (quantized and swing). Swing holds the first note of the bar at the expense of the second note in the bar.
    • Accentuate beat - The first Slice in each beat (beat as a measurement) is assigned a higher velocity.
    • Pitch up beat - Every Slice which belongs to an odd beat (1st, 3rd, etc.) is assigned a higher pitch.
    • Widen Stereo - The panning alternates between medium left panning and medium right panning for each alternate Slice.
    • Crazy - The pan, pitch and velocity values of every Slice are randomized (values will be different each time).
    • Stutter (half) / Stutter (quarter) - Each Slice is broken into two pieces (half) or four pieces (quarter) to create a 'stuttering' effect.
    • Original length - Dumps the Slices to the Piano roll to match the loop's original speed (at the current tempo).
  • BPM - Shows detected sample tempo. You can edit this, as it also has an effect on how stretching will work, particularly if the detected BPM is not correct.
  • Filter Target - The Filter section edits can apply to the selected Slice/s or Global for all slices. For other controls, multi-select Pads.
  • General Menu - Miscellaneous controls ...
    • Open in Edison - Allows you to open the sample in Edison to make more complex edits. Drag the sample back into Fruity Slicer 2 when you are done.
    • Spectrum - Displays the sample in a frequency spectrum view.
    • Theme - Choose user interface variation/s.

Lower Slice Editor Menus

  • Time Stretch - Decides how Slices are played when their pitch is changed with the Transpose control.
    • None (default) - Standard no stretching mode. The same pitch is used regardless of other settings.
    • Resample - Pitch / duration changes with note.
    • Stretch - Uses Elastique time stretching to preserve the original pitch / duration of samples. Works in conjunction with ...
  • Playback Options - Define how Slices play. These options can be set per-slice:
    • Play to end - On: Plays from the start of the Slice until the end of the entire sample (i.e plays all following Slices). Off: Plays just the selected Slice.
    • Hold - On: Always play the Slice to the end, regardless of Note Release. Off: the endpoint is controlled by Note Release.
    • Reverse - On: Plays the Slice in reverse, starting from its endpoint back to the slice start. Off: Plays the slice forwards from the start.
    • Chromatic - Chromatic Mode applies only to the currently selected Pad and cannot be enabled on multiple Pads at once. On: When Chromatic Mode is turned On, the selected Pad will play chromatically, allowing you to re-pitch the sample as you would in a standard Sampler. In this mode, you must use the Piano Roll or a MIDI Controller to trigger the Pad, as indicated by the Keyboard icon. To play a different Slice, select another Pad. Off: When Chromatic Mode is turned Off, the Pad will play at its default pitch and will also preview the sample when clicked.
  • Pad Controls (Right side) - Use the Up/Down arrows to show the Pads in groups of 8 slices. All selects all Slices for editing duties. Additional Pads control:
    • (Right-Click) - Any Pad to Select all or Reset all.
    • (Ctrl+Click) - Multi-select specific Pads.
    • (Shift+Click) - Select a Pad range.
    • (Mouse-Wheel) - Scroll through Pad Banks.

Slice Controls

  • Per Slice Controls - The selected Pad will decide which Slice is edited. Click Pads to select Slices or (Alt+Click) Slice Markers to select them. The usual (Alt+Click) to multi-select and (Shift+Click) to range select can be used on Pads too. Select all slices with the Pad (Right-Click) menu and choose 'Select all'.

    The up and down arrow controls to the right of the Pads changes pad Bank.

    • Gain - Level (volume).
    • Pan - Shift the audio left or right in the stereo field.
    • Attack - Time it takes for the sound to reach full level after a pad is played or note triggered.
    • Release - Time it takes for the sound to fade out after a note is released.
    • Transpose - Shifts the pitch of the sound up or down in semitone steps.
    • Detune - Fine adjustment of pitch in cents (1/100 of a semitone).
    • Filters - Shape the tonal character of the slices by emphasizing or reducing specific frequency ranges. They can be used to brighten a sound by allowing more high frequencies through, thin it out by removing low end, or focus it by isolating a narrow band. Filters are a core tool for sculpting timbre, helping sounds sit better in a mix or achieve creative effects.
      • Filter type - Chooses the filter slope and character:
        • Off – No filtering applied.
        • LP12 – Low-pass, 12 dB per octave; reduces high frequencies above the cutoff.
        • HP12 – High-pass, 12 dB per octave; reduces low frequencies below the cutoff.
        • BP – Band-pass, 12 dB per octave; reduces frequencies on both sides of the cutoff, allowing only a band around the cutoff to pass.
      • Cutoff - Frequency point where the filter begins reducing higher, lower or center frequencies depending on filter type selected.
      • Res - Resonance boosts frequencies around the cutoff point for a sharper, more pronounced tone.
  • Add Slice Markers - (Ctrl+Click) on the waveform display, keep holding for all the following actions - Drag horizontally to reposition the Slice location and then (Right-Click) to select Add Marker from the pop-up menu.
  • Slice Marker Flag Controls - The Flag is at the top of the Markers ...
    • (Left-Click) and drag - The Flag to move them.
    • (Right-Click) - The Flag to access a menu ...
      • Delete - Deletes the selected Marker.
      • Rename - Opens a pop-up to rename the Marker.
      • Quick rename - Choose from preset names.
      • Trigger note - Trigger notes are the MIDI note numbers that will play the slice. Useful for working with
      • Select - Selects the Slice.
      • Zoom on - Zooms the display so the Slice fills the view. Useful for fine tuning Market positions.
  • Global Slice Controls - Affect all Slices.
    • Monophonic - Restricts playback to one note at a time (no chords)
    • Semitones - Coarse pitch adjustment in semitone steps
    • Cents - Fine pitch adjustment in hundredths of a semitone

Plugin Credits: Dan (Code), UI Port (Miro)

Code: Daniel Schaack: DSP algorithm and audio programming.

GUI: Miroslav Krajcovic: Implementation and design & Nenad Milosevic: Design concept.