Soundpaint 5.0 Adds a Built-In Sample Editor and Deep Arp
Soundpaint 5.0 is a free update that adds the Brush sample editor, a 2000-step arpeggiator, and new Racks to 8Dio's sampler platform for macOS and Windows.
Soundpaint has released version 5.0, a free update that turns its playback engine into something you can build with. It shipped on 22 September 2026 and adds the Brush sample editor, a 2000-step arpeggiator, and a batch of new Racks. Brush is the change that matters most, because it lets you import your own audio and map it into a playable instrument inside Soundpaint for the first time. This is a first look drawn from the official product pages and Soundpaint's own video. We have not built a full library in it yet.
At a glance: Soundpaint 5.0 is a free update to the free Soundpaint engine. Brush is a built-in sample editor and mapping system for making your own multisample instruments. The arpeggiator now runs up to 2000 steps with per-step stutter and glue, and there are new Racks alongside updates to existing ones. It runs as a plugin (VST, VST3, AU, AAX) or standalone on macOS and Windows.
What is Soundpaint?
Soundpaint is 8Dio's sampler platform, and its engine is free. You download the engine, then load Soundpaint libraries into it. Those range from the free content 8Dio gives away to the deep-sampled paid collections the company is known for. It sits in the same space as Kontakt, but with a different bargain: the player costs nothing, and you pay for sounds rather than the software.
Until 5.0, that arrangement had one clear limit. Soundpaint played back sampled content, but you could not bring your own audio in and shape it into an instrument. Version 5.0 removes that wall. Brush makes Soundpaint a place to create sampled instruments, not only to perform them, and that is a real shift for a free tool.
What is new in Soundpaint 5.0?
Brush, the built-in sample editor. This is the centerpiece. Brush is an editor and mapping system for turning your own audio into a multisample instrument. You set the sample start and end points, place loop points, and map samples across the keyboard, all inside Soundpaint. It bundles Time Pro, an intelligent time-stretching algorithm that detects the audio's tempo automatically, plus per-sample controls for tune, filter, and an ADSR envelope. If you have ever recorded a phrase or a one-shot and wanted it playable, Brush closes that loop without a second app.
A 2000-step arpeggiator. The arp now subdivides steps to reach up to 2000 in a single pattern, and it adds per-step stutter and glue for rolls and ties. New swing and inversion modes shape both the feel and the pitch order. At that depth, the arp stops being a simple up-down pattern and becomes a small sequencer in its own right.
New Racks. Soundpaint 5.0 ships new processing Racks: Micro Tune for fine pitch and tuning work, Round Robin for cycling samples to avoid machine-gun repeats, Vintage Drift for analog-style instability, and 505 for a specific vintage character. Racks are Soundpaint's modular effect and processing blocks, so each one is a new tool you can drop into a patch.
Rack updates and more. Existing Racks improve too, with Legato HAL 4 and a Time Pro that now offers Phrase Sync. The update also adds modwheel strumming, diatonic pitch-bender options, and A to Z keyboard controls, along with an optional Looper described as a vintage studio with five parallel tape machines. These are the quality-of-life touches that make a free engine feel finished.
Soundpaint 5.0 specifications
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Update | Soundpaint 5.0, free |
| Release | 22 September 2026 |
| Engine cost | Free |
| Headline feature | Brush, a built-in sample editor and mapping system for your own audio |
| Sample editing | Start and end points, loop points, keyboard mapping, tune, filter, ADSR |
| Time-stretching | Time Pro, automatic BPM detection, with Phrase Sync |
| Arpeggiator | Up to 2000 steps, per-step stutter and glue, swing and inversion modes |
| New Racks | Micro Tune, Round Robin, Vintage Drift, 505 |
| Extras | Modwheel strumming, diatonic pitch-bender, A to Z keyboard controls, optional Looper |
| Formats | VST, VST3, AU, AAX, and standalone |
| Platforms | macOS and Windows |
Soundpaint 5.0 vs Kontakt 8
The obvious comparison is Kontakt 8, the sampler most producers already reach for. The two overlap more than they used to, since both let you build your own sampled instruments, but the trade is clear. Kontakt is a paid, deeply scriptable platform with the largest third-party library market in the business. Soundpaint is free, with a simpler creation path through Brush and a growing 8Dio-led catalogue.
| Soundpaint 5.0 | Kontakt 8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine price | Free | Paid, included in Komplete or sold on its own |
| Build your own instruments | Yes, via Brush | Yes, with mapping and scripting |
| Scripting depth | Rack-based, streamlined | Deep KSP scripting |
| Third-party libraries | Growing, 8Dio-led | Largest library market available |
| Time-stretching | Time Pro with auto BPM | Time Machine and beat machines |
| Reach for it when | You want free, fast sampling and 8Dio sounds | You need the deepest sampler and the widest library support |
Which to pick. Choose Soundpaint when the price of entry matters and you want to make quick, playable instruments from your own recordings, or when you want 8Dio's sound. Choose Kontakt when you rely on third-party libraries or need deep scripting for a complex instrument. Since the Soundpaint engine is free, there is little reason not to have both installed.
Who Soundpaint 5.0 is for
Get it if you record your own sounds. Brush is the reason to update, because it turns those recordings into instruments without leaving the plugin.
Get it if you already use Soundpaint libraries. The new Racks, the deeper arp, and the workflow additions improve every patch you already own, for free.
Skip it if your whole template depends on third-party Kontakt libraries. Soundpaint does not load those, so it complements Kontakt rather than replacing it.
How much does Soundpaint 5.0 cost?
The Soundpaint engine and the 5.0 update are free, downloaded from Soundpaint directly. You pay only for libraries, and 8Dio offers a set of free content to start with. There is no Plugin Boutique listing for the engine because it is given away, so the download comes straight from the developer.
If you are weighing free tools, our best free VST plugins of 2026 and best free synth VSTs of 2026 guides place Soundpaint among the options, and our best sample-pack sites roundup helps you find material to load into Brush. For the drum side of 8Dio and Native Instruments sampling, Battery 4 is the companion piece.
FAQ
Is Soundpaint 5.0 free?
Yes. The Soundpaint engine is free, and version 5.0 is a free update. You pay only for the sound libraries you choose to add, and 8Dio provides free content to begin with.
What is Brush in Soundpaint 5.0?
Brush is a built-in sample editor and mapping system. It lets you import your own audio, set start, end, and loop points, map it across the keyboard, and shape it with tune, filter, and an ADSR, so you can build a playable instrument inside Soundpaint.
Can Soundpaint load Kontakt libraries?
No. Soundpaint plays Soundpaint libraries, and version 5.0 also lets you build your own with Brush. It does not load Kontakt instruments, so the two samplers sit side by side rather than replacing each other.
What formats and systems does Soundpaint 5.0 support?
Soundpaint runs as a VST, VST3, AU, or AAX plugin, and as a standalone application, on macOS and Windows.
