Output released Pack Generator, a free AI-based sound generator that lets users create royalty-free sample packs using text prompts.
It’s no secret that AI tools for music production aren’t as advanced as their counterparts for generating images, videos, and text.
However, AI music generators and similar audio tools are catching up, and the latest one comes from Output, one of the industry-leading music software developers.
Pack Generator by Output
Pack Generator is a free sample pack generator based on Output’s newly announced Co-Producer generative AI platform.
It’s important to note that Output’s new AI platform isn’t trained on copyrighted material. Co-Producer differentiates itself from other AI music tools by combining generative AI with genuine audio samples from real musicians.
We discussed potential AI copyright issues in an article earlier this year and asked our readers about their concerns in our massive AI survey for music producers.
One of the things we pointed out in those articles is that it’s only a matter of time before an AI music tool is trained on a custom set of audio samples – in that case, there won’t be any copyright issues, as long as the developer owns the sound material that was used to train the AI.
Output pioneered this concept with Co-Producer and its first tool, Pack Generator.
Output Pack Generator review – are AI-based sample packs any good?
I tested Pack Generator before writing this article, and here’s what I found out.
First of all, the tool is straightforward to use.
To create a sample pack, simply visit the Pack Generator page (you’ll need to be logged in to your Output user account) and describe the desired sample pack in a few words.
After that, click the yellow “Generate 4 New Packs” button, and the software will analyze your prompt.
Pack Generator will create a royalty-free sample pack based on your AI text prompt.
A few seconds later, it will provide four audio demos, which are basically previews of four different AI-generated sample packs.
Once you’re happy with one of the demos, click the blue Download button to get a ZIP archive containing the AI-generated samples. The download begins instantly, and the downloaded sample packs are around 90 MB in size (compressed).
You can preview the AI-generated sample packs before downloading.
Each sample pack contains 25 audio loops, sorted into five categories based on the instrument (bass, lead, percussion, etc.).
The critical question is whether the generated samples sound good or not.
Based on several different prompts and after downloading three different sample packs, I can safely say that the generated sounds are quite good and much better than I expected. From moody guitar chords to groovy basslines and drum loops, I wouldn’t suspect these sounds were AI-generated.
In fact, some of the downloaded loops were quite awesome. I loved the generated basslines and some of the synth leads that the AI came up with.
However, I noticed that it helps to make several iterations of the same prompt until you’re completely happy with the results. Also, the AI generator doesn’t exactly follow your guidance as closely as possible.
My prompt to generate an old-school hip-hop sample pack with heavy vinyl vibes didn’t really sound like it was sampled from vinyl and used some quite modern electronic drums. That said, the other instruments were definitely similar to what you’d hear in an old-school rap beat, so the overall result was still usable.
What blew me away, though, was the level of organization in the downloaded sample pack.
I loaded all the contents of an AI-generated sample pack in Foobar.
Everything is organized into folders; you also get descriptive filenames tagged with tempo and key information. It really felt like I downloaded a proper human-made sample pack from a professional label.
My thoughts on Output Pack Generator and similar AI Music tools
As a sound designer who works on creating cinematic sound effects as a source of income (check out my sound design label, Flame Sound), getting direct competition in the form of an AI tool is, well, interesting.
Honestly, I don’t have a problem with it, as I believe that artificial intelligence won’t ever replace the creative output of a human.
On the other hand, I absolutely see it as a useful tool for inspiration and handling tasks that can be automated (such as sample editing, audio repair, mastering, etc.).
As for Pack Generator, it’s exciting that we’re getting another tool for generating new sounds that can be used creatively.
It’s not the first AI tool for generating samples (we already covered TextToSample, Emergent Drums, and DrumNet), but it’s the first to create an entire sample pack from scratch based on a single text prompt.
I believe that AI technology will lead to incredible new sounds and music styles in the hands of talented musicians and music producers, just like synthesizers lead to electronic music and electric guitars lead to rock and roll.
In that sense, a tool like Pack Generator is a welcome step forward and into the unknown. Instead of sampling crates of vinyl, we can now sample AI-generated sounds, and I find that amazing.
Imagine if someone told you ten years ago that you’d be able to describe a sample pack in a few words and have an AI create it for you in a matter of seconds. It’s such a wild concept, and yet… now it’s reality.
You can use Pack Generator for free on the Output website. More similar tools are expected from Output in 2024.
More info: Pack Generator (FREE AI-powered sample pack generator)
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26 Comments
CoopMusic247
onThis is awesome. Stuff like this is what makes me excited to have AI tools. I keep subscriptions for Splice because I need a “hyperpop bass” or a “bird call sample” and this is great for making a replacement for that, not my creativity.
Moon Doggy
onAdmittedly this is a mildly interesting idea but still…f*ck AI.
CoopMusic247
onRemember, there’s really no reason to have drum machines because we should all be hiring real live drummers, but for some reason, we humans prefer the limitations of technology. We didn’t like the noise from our compressors, that we used to fix our imperfect voices, then we spent decades trying to get the noise back in. Sure this doesn’t make things perfect. And we still don’t have perfect drum machines. Yet somehow we keep using unrealistic drum machines like the 808, timestretched guitar loops, pitch shifted and modulated fake reverbs, all this power and still our snares sound like shit. Somebody is gonna get a hit out of this thing. And somebody is gonna keep hating synthesizers.
Numanoid
onWhy stop at samples? Why can’t AI make complete tracks based on tags I input, like for example: “Orbital” “Insides” “IDM” “120 BPM” etc
Moon Doggy
onHaha exactly. I hate AI and I’m really sick of the people crowing about how awesome it is. When there’s no longer a need for electronic musicians because AI can do it ju
Moon Doggy
onHaha exactly, Numanoid. I’m really sick of all the people crowing about how awesome AI is. I want nothing to do with it.
When that fateful day comes and electronic musicians are no longer needed because AI can do it just as good or better, those same folks who champion it will be crying over their MIDI keyboards.
Ian / Nihil Quest
onWell, if you check it out, it kind of does that already. It’s limited to 30 seconds and most of it is crap, but that will change I’m sure.
Kieran
onHmm, I didn’t have much success trying out various techno prompts.
Immediately I could hear that that spectral/low FFT size character, like all the other song/sound generators out there. It did sound a little smoother than some sound generators I’ve tried though, but that might just be because mostly everything was laced in reverb, “masking” the choppy spectral sound.
sam
onafter some trial and error, i managed to get “70s sounding tight/dry drums only”, so no reverb
sounded kinda funky too
george a
onyeah when initially playing the demos i was like ahh ok sounds ok but after downloading it’s not good for me , and how does it create samples from scratch ? it doesn’t it just groups them
probably by search , what’s the point? just do a sample page with genes like everyone else , if i want synthwave i buy a synthwave pack if i want rock i buy a rock pack , i don’t see what this is bringing to the table .
Stan
onWhat we have here is an ia that doesn’t generate samples, but assembles them (sometimes adding effects) according to what you want. It’s a pity, because it looked interesting at first.
After several attempts, you hear the same samples but mixed differently.
Scherbenfabrik
onI did a few samplepacks and had the same feeling, especially when i saw the stems. Too bad since i was hoping to get a quasi unlimited amount of fresh new and unique funky drum loops for DnB style stuff.
Now i have to dive deeper and check if any of those loops are generated from samples or if they are recordings. As said, was only looking for drum breaks and beats and some sounded quite interesting.
Jonny
onI don’t understand, where is the enjoyment, where is the magic in creating music like this? I think it is better to do IT work or some kind of administration, I simply cannot see the logic in this “creativity”.
Jan Wachsmann
onthanks for sharing the info, i tried it with various glitchy/noisy stuff and well it is a 6/10 if you asked me, some noisy stuff was quite an interesting mix of sounds that seem rather rare and unique, might check back on it later and see what it does
juan
onthanks for sharing this!
i try some trap kits but nothing close to it xdd at all.
i dont want to be mean but, i express exactly like some examples… and wtf? was my first and instant impression.
Thatguy
onThere are a bunch of AI music/sound sites that have not been mentioned on BPB. Having some experience (as a paying customer) with some of them, I won’t mention them (that’s an indictment of their service, btw).
In the mean time, I’ve been “prototyping” realtime generative stuff from spectral components and higher order integration (and this on crappy hardware). Will I be releasing code or something for that? No.
Kapno
onI don’t get all the hate AI-generated music gets. The way I see it, from a musician (aka client, aka consumer) standpoint, I don’t see how this is different than getting any sample pack on the internet.
I tried it and quite frankly I got some nice sounds. Some of them even inspired me. As an experimental musician myself, I for one believe it’s a great tool to create some background texture sounds or cinematic effects. I also believe that if you’re looking for sounds that are way too specific, then you should create them yourself. We’re not quite there yet.
AI is a tool just like reverb or pitch correction are tools. The way you use that tool makes the difference, not the tool itself. A DJ isn’t uncreative for the use of other people’s music alone. A DJ is creative when he/she creates cool effects, transitions, mashups, and stuff. A DJ is uncreative when, for example, all he/she does is substitute for the crossover function of any mp3 player.
Jed
onVery low quality spoofed samples from everywhere. I do not know who came out with such an idea : Spoofing and scrubbing samples from royalty-free and open sourced databases like WA and Bandlab, then making your “””Own AI engine””” warning other users in the FAQ and Terms about doing the same? This is pathetic .
F
onOutput just received investors money to incorporate and promote AI.
Do you really believe that each user will train the models according to his individual needs, while respecting all the copyright laws? The reasonable producers will probably do it, and keep it for themselves and friends. The people who are not producers and non-music related companies are most likely to ruin everything and scrape data unethically.
Absorbear
onThis isn’t actually Ai all the samples are generated from their flagship program arcade and it library.
I have use many of the samples and instantly recognised many more as I have used arcade for years.
Don’t be fooled guys this is not Ai it’s just a sample generator.
g
onthought as much
N0b0T.e.
onI am an AI bot. We are here to replace all the musicians who are incapable of being inspired by anything that is outside of their limited knowledge or experience.
It’s nothing personal.
Crazy Jake McGee
on“incapable of being inspired by anything that is outside of their limited knowledge or experience”
The nerve of it. Isn’t that a description of AI itself? Lol!
If only The Grid was real, and I ain’t talking about that stupid 2010 Apple version of it either!
Celestial Crow
onI wish BRP wouldn’t make so many articles on ai products. I’d rather see them cover none-ai vst and sample packs like they always have. No hate towards the crew, just a bit disappointed.
Raven
onHas to be said that most of you are blind to the anxiety that AI raises with “replacing musicians”.
AI art have not “replaced graphic designers” its just changed the RULES. So honestly as an old man here in a 3rd world… STOP YOUR WHINING and MAKE A HIT!
H
onIt definitely replaced some graphic designers. There’s AI coverart everywhere, even on sample packs.
In order to make it long term, you need to make several hit songs.