Overview
The Library has a single search bar with no modes to choose between. As you type, it searches two ways at once and blends the results: it matches your text against filenames and tokens, and it matches the meaning of your words against how each sample actually sounds. Exact hits and close-in-character matches come back together in one ranked list, updated as you type. This everyday search is free, works offline, and never leaves your machine. When you want sharper results for a tricky description, run Deep Search. It reads your request the way a person would — including the parts plain search struggles with, like exclusions (“no vocals”) or nuance (“warm, nothing cheesy”) — and turns it into a search plus a set of filters, checking the results and adjusting before handing them back. So you can:- Look something up by name — type part of a filename and the exact matches surface first.
- Describe a sound — type
dark atmospheric padorpunchy vintage kickand samples with that character come back, even when their filenames say nothing useful. - Mix both — names, tokens, and plain description all live in the same query.
Deep Search
The everyday search runs the moment you type and costs nothing. Deep Search is the optional next step: it interprets what you asked for and sets up the search and filters to match, instead of leaving you to translate a vibe into filters by hand. Whatever it decides shows up as the normal, editable filters — so you can see why a result came back and change anything it chose. Use it when:- The quick results are in the right area but the best matches aren’t at the top.
- Your request has an exclusion or a subtlety that a straight description misses.
- You’re searching by feel across poorly-named samples and want the heavy lifting done for you.
not: chips, and preferences (“ideally darker”) as removable ~ chips that lean the ranking without hiding anything.
Start from a sample
When you’ve found something close, you can search from it instead of describing it from scratch: right-click a sample, choose to deep-search from it, and describe only the shift — “darker, more sub, less clicky”. The search anchors to that sample’s measured character and moves it the way you asked, so the results are variations of a sound you already like rather than fresh guesses. Deep Search needs an internet connection and draws on your plan’s shared AI actions allowance — the same pool the assistant chat, Sequencer Designer, and library suggestions use. Free accounts get a one-time starter grant; paid plans are effectively unlimited under fair use. When the allowance runs out, the free blended search keeps working as normal — see Plans & Usage for how the allowance works.Writing effective descriptions
When you search by character rather than by name, describe the character, role, and vibe you’re after and let tokens and filters handle the exact numbers.- Mood and character:
dark and atmospheric,warm and nostalgic,aggressive and gritty - Instrument or role:
trap hi-hats,analog bass line,ambient pad for a breakdown - Production style:
lo-fi dusty drums,vintage tape saturation,clean modern synth - Adjectives that describe timbre: warm, punchy, smooth, gritty, airy, metallic
Search suggestions
Before you type, you’ll see suggestion chips drawn from your search history — pick one to run that search immediately. As soon as you start typing, a suggestion dropdown opens with matching tags, genres, creators, sample packs, and collections, so you can insert the right token without remembering its prefix. See Search Syntax for the full grammar and dropdown navigation.Combining tokens with search
The same token grammar works in every query —#120, @Cmin, !loop, $techno, %dark, &adam, +cymatics, * (favorites), category:, collection:, sort:, plus sound-profile ranges like atk:30-80. Tokens are always hard filters that narrow the result set exactly; the remaining plain text drives the blended name-and-meaning match, whether you run the quick search or Deep Search. See Search Syntax for the full reference.
Multi-select in results
Cmd/Ctrl + click, Shift + click, and Cmd/Ctrl + A all work on search results. Selection feeds the same bar used everywhere else, so you can drag a batch of results into your DAW or bulk-edit through the More menu. See Multi-select & batch actions.
Troubleshooting
No results
If a search returns nothing, try:- Simplify — fewer, more common terms
- Reword — try “synth” instead of “synthesizer”, “drums” instead of “percussion”
- Loosen specifics — drop very narrow BPM or key requirements, or move them into tokens where they act as filters
- Broaden the genre — “electronic” instead of “future bass”
- Try Deep Search — when the quick search is close but the ranking’s off, the AI pass often surfaces matches the instant search misses