Overview
Two surfaces drive what you see in the Library results: the search bar (your master control) and the Filters dialog beside it, for browsing values you don’t already know by name.
Both stay in sync. Picking a tag in the dialog inserts a %tag chip in the search bar; typing @Cmin selects that key.
For filtering by sonic characteristics like tonality, brightness, or stereo width, use the Sound Profile section of the dialog — or type characteristic tokens directly (atk:30-80, bright:0-50).
Search bar (master control)
Every filter can be expressed as a typed token. See Search Syntax for the full grammar — short prefixes like %tag, $genre, &creator, +pack, * (favorites), and long forms like category:, collection:, sort:, plus all 16 sound profile characteristics.
Selected filters render as colored chips inside the input. Click any chip to remove it. The × button on the right clears every filter at once.
The smart suggestion dropdown helps you discover values without typing the syntax: type two characters of a name and pick from the grouped list of matching tags / genres / creators / packs / collections. The same dropdown also surfaces field shortcuts (creator:, pack:, etc.) so you can learn the syntax by using it.
Filters dialog
The Filters button next to the search bar opens every filter in one dialog, alongside sort order, how results are displayed, and your saved filters. Use it when you don’t already know which tag, creator, or pack you want — each section lists every value with sample counts, and its own search field jumps straight to a value anywhere in the dialog.
Changes apply to the results as you make them, so you can leave it open while you narrow down.
Sections:
- Category — filter by directory or virtual directory, with drill-in chips
- BPM range — minimum and maximum tempo
- Key & Scale — musical key (C, D#, F, etc.) and scale (major, minor, modal)
- Collections — jump to a saved collection, or create a new one (AI Collections available on paid plans)
- Sample Pack and Creator — filter by detected pack or artist
- Type — loops, one-shots, or all
- Sort — by relevance, date added, or name, plus by sample length, tempo, loudness, or any sound-profile characteristic (each ascending or descending)
- Genres — AI-detected or manually assigned
- Tags — your custom tags plus auto-generated ones
Genres and tags are organized into families rather than one flat list, so the picker stays short even on a large library. Pick a family to match every value under it at once, or open it to choose a single genre or tag. Sample Vault keeps these families tidy on its own as your library grows — see Deep Tagging for what that involves.
Filters can also exclude: alongside picking a tag, genre, or category to keep, you can filter one out, dropping every sample that carries it. Exclusions show as their own not: chips and clear the same way as any other filter. Deep Search uses them too — ask for “no vocals” and the exclusion lands as a visible chip you can remove.
Whatever you’ve applied shows as chips under the search bar, so the results keep full width and the row stays empty until something is actually filtering. Clearing everything and saving the current set as a preset both sit beside the Filters button; the shortcuts are listed under Keyboard Shortcuts.
Rename or delete library-wide: right-click any tag or genre chip — in the Filters dialog or in the Sample Info pane — and choose Rename or Delete. Rename updates the value on every sample that has it; Delete strips it from every sample after a confirmation.
Filter presets
Save a filter combination once you’ve got it right, and reload it later.
- Save the active state under a name from the control beside the Filters button
- Restore a saved set from Saved filters in the dialog
- Delete one you no longer want from the same place
Presets capture every active filter — tokens in the search bar, values picked in the dialog, sort order, and sound profile positions.