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Lo-Fi Advice
Currently exploring creating my own lo-fi samples, is Unfiltered Audio’s lo-fi-af still perceived as the goto for this?
https://apps.apple.com/app/lo-fi-af/id6444068732
If not, what else are you using and do you have any pearls of wisdom, or dos and don’ts, for creating great lo-fi samples?
Comments
Here's a good thread for you to dig into - https://forum.loopypro.com/discussion/52922/lofi-production-advice-needed-to-expand-my-limited-knowledge
UA's lo-fi-af is a fine app, and maybe all you need, but here are some other apps to check out:
Doctor Vibe - https://forum.loopypro.com/discussion/61326/doctor-vibe-by-sketch-audio-released
WoodLofier - https://forum.loopypro.com/discussion/31290/woodlofier-by-woodmans-immaculate-maple-syrup-studio
Lo-Fly Dirt - https://forum.loopypro.com/discussion/22354/lo-fly-dirt-plug-in-for-ios-by-msxii-sound-design
There are also a number of tutorials/guides online for making lo-fi. They often promote their own products, but you should be able to adapt them to your own needs.
https://blog.landr.com/lofi
https://www.steinberg.net/tutorials/create-lofi-music
https://lunacy.audio/how-to-make-lofi-music
https://blog.native-instruments.com/how-to-make-lofi-music
https://splice.com/blog/how-to-make-lofi-music
https://serato.com/studio/tutorials/how-to-make-a-lo-fi-beat
https://www.yum-audio.com/blog/how-to-easily-create-a-lo-fi-synth-starting-from-a-simple-saw-wave
https://www.edmprod.com/lofi-hip-hop
https://shop.output.com/blog/make-lo-fi-hip-hop-arcade-substance-taped
Haha! Dang it @telecharge beat me to linking my thread from a couple years ago. 😂 But yes, that's a goldmine of info regarding Lofi production.
That said, these days I use Doctor Vibe for my Lofi effects, but ymmv.
You can do a lot with Koala Sampler. It’s so quick and easy to resample in the app after running thru the stock effects or the mixer effects. The bitcrusher is one of the best I’ve ever used. Apart from Koala, I probably use Drambo the most and I definitely like lo-fi-af as well.
https://apps.apple.com/au/app/speakers-mics-loudspeakers/id6451117849
Ton of great links there @telecharge cheers
Also Baby Audio Taip which is currently on sale.
I also like Unfiltered Audio’s Needlepoint for this: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/needlepoint-vinyl-simulator/id6444132258
I was hoping you would comment -- interesting that you've taken to Doctor Vibe.
👍Often when I reply in threads like these, I never hear back from the OP, so I don't know if they find it helpful or not.
Hehe, it's that compressor. It's like glue magic. 😂
They've both been mentioned but my go-to choices are:
Doctor Vibe to alter all portions of sound to a sample or loop
And UA Needlepoint for overlay effects (defects, wobble, and dirt - but a cleaner retention of more original fidelity)
I havn't checked out Wood Lofier but I may dip my toes in, just to see how it stands up against [or with?] the good Doctor and UA's beast
Anyone have their comparison thoughts on Woody Woodmaner's Lofier in comparison to DocVibe nd NeedleP?
Wow, thank you all, tonnes of great info to plough through there and interesting that lo-fi-af is not the outright leader. All definitely helpful and appreciated. Thank you ☺️
I learned a couple things too.
I love our community.
Just pulled this from AI and thought someone else might find it of interest here.
Sampler: E-mu SP-12 (1985)
Sample Rate: 26.04 kHz
Bit Depth: 12-bit
Filter Details: Analog SSM2044 low-pass filters (4-pole, voltage-controlled)
Key Characteristics: Predecessor to SP-1200, similar gritty sound with less sample time (5 seconds max).
Notable Users/Genres: Early Hip-Hop, Electro
Sampler: Akai S900 (1986)
Sample Rate: 7.5–40 kHz (variable)
Bit Depth: 12-bit
Filter Details: No built-in filters (external processing common)
Key Characteristics: Bright, slightly lo-fi sound. Versatile for sampling vinyl.
Notable Users/Genres: The Prodigy, Early Hip-Hop
Sampler: E-mu Emax (1986)
Sample Rate: 10–42 kHz (variable)
Bit Depth: 12-bit
Filter Details: Analog SSM2045 low-pass filters (similar to SP-1200 but smoother)
Key Characteristics: Slightly cleaner but still gritty sound. Versatile for melodic sampling.
Notable Users/Genres: Depeche Mode, Hip-Hop
Sampler: E-mu SP-1200 (1987)
Sample Rate: 26.04 kHz
Bit Depth: 12-bit
Filter Details: Analog SSM2044 low-pass filters (4-pole, voltage-controlled)
Key Characteristics: Warm, gritty sound from 12-bit sampling and analog filters. Limited 10-second sample time. Tight sequencer.
Notable Users/Genres: RZA, Pete Rock, Daft Punk (Hip-Hop, House)
Sampler: Sequential Studio 440 (1987)
Sample Rate: 16–41.6 kHz (variable)
Bit Depth: 12-bit
Filter Details: Analog low-pass filters (custom, similar to Prophet-5)
Key Characteristics: Rare sampler/sequencer with warm, lo-fi sound. Used for drums and melodic samples.
Notable Users/Genres: Early Electronic, Hip-Hop
Sampler: Roland S330 (1988)
Sample Rate: 15–30 kHz (variable)
Bit Depth: 12-bit
Filter Details: Analog low-pass filters (custom Roland design, resonant)
Key Characteristics: Lo-fi with real analog filters. Distinct 12-bit crunch.
Notable Users/Genres: Liam Howlett (The Prodigy)
Sampler: Akai MPC60 (1988)
Sample Rate: 40 kHz
Bit Depth: 12-bit
Filter Details: No filters (relies on external processing or paired samplers like SP-1200)
Key Characteristics: Punchy, warm sound with slight aliasing. Known for swing and sequencing.
Notable Users/Genres: J-Dilla, Dr. Dre (Hip-Hop)
Sampler: Akai S950 (1988)
Sample Rate: 7.5–48 kHz (variable)
Bit Depth: 12-bit
Filter Details: Digital low-pass filter (basic, non-resonant)
Key Characteristics: Improved S900 with better fidelity but lo-fi at lower rates. Crisp drums and bass.
Notable Users/Genres: DJ Premier, Pete Rock (Hip-Hop)
Sampler: Roland MS-1 (1993)
Sample Rate: 8–44.1 kHz (variable)
Bit Depth: 16-bit
Filter Details: Digital filters (basic low-pass, part of effects chain)
Key Characteristics: Predecessor to SP-202, with lo-fi crunch at lower sample rates.
Notable Users/Genres: Lo-Fi, Early SP-404 Users
Sampler: Yamaha SU10 (1995)
Sample Rate: 8–44.1 kHz (variable)
Bit Depth: 16-bit
Filter Details: Digital filters (basic, non-resonant)
Key Characteristics: Compact, lo-fi sampler with dirty, crunchy textures at lower rates.
Notable Users/Genres: Lo-Fi, Experimental
Sampler: Zoom SampleTrak ST-224 (1998)
Sample Rate: 8–32 kHz (variable)
Bit Depth: 16-bit
Filter Details: Digital filters (basic low-pass, limited resonance)
Key Characteristics: Dark, gritty sound at lower sample rates. “Poor man’s SP-1200.”
Notable Users/Genres: Lo-Fi Hip-Hop, Experimental
Sampler: Roland SP-303 (2001)
Sample Rate: 8–44.1 kHz (variable)
Bit Depth: 16-bit
Filter Details: Digital filters (low-pass, band-pass, high-pass, part of “Vinyl Sim” and effects)
Key Characteristics: Lo-fi sound via sample rate reduction and “Vinyl Sim” effect. Portable, gritty textures.
Notable Users/Genres: Madlib, Lo-Fi Hip-Hop
Sampler: Roland SP-404 (2005)
Sample Rate: 44.1 kHz
Bit Depth: 16-bit
Filter Details: Digital filters (low-pass, band-pass, high-pass, part of “Lo-Fi” and other effects)
Key Characteristics: Higher fidelity but emulates lo-fi via “Lo-Fi” mode and sample rate reduction. Portable, effects-driven.
Notable Users/Genres: J-Dilla, Flying Lotus (Hip-Hop, Electronic)
Sampler: ISLA S2400 (Modern, 2020s)
Sample Rate: 26 kHz (Classic Mode) / 48 kHz
Bit Depth: 12-bit / 16-bit
Filter Details: Analog SSM-style low-pass filters (emulates SP-1200)
Key Characteristics: Modern SP-1200 recreation with authentic 12-bit, 26 kHz mode and SSM-style filters.
Notable Users/Genres: Modern Hip-Hop, Lo-Fi
Hey it's Ryan from Sketch Audio, just wanted to share some tidbits on Doctor Vibe.
In the ADC/DAC section there is a setting where you can choose the hardware filters, and we included three based on our research looking at the service manuals of old school samplers. They do have an effect on the sound, especially when you bring that sample rate down a bit 
Smooth: 6th order Butterworth, think S series rack mount samplers (these are nice when coupled with "Same" post filter)
Steep: High order Chebyshev, based off looking at data sheets from converters used in MS-1 (also nice with "Same")
Bright: High order Butterworth with a relatively high cutoff, this should get you close to the sound of the lower sample grades in the SP line, especially when you have the post filter set to "none" or "gentle"
Also the Mix Slammer in there is based on the Vinyl Sim comp in the 303. We spent a lot of time trying to get this one dialed in. A unique and powerful sound!
Mix slammer is the most powerful glue compressor I ever used. Mate, not to veer OT (you can always DM me), but got any new projects in the works? 😃
@jwmmakerofmusic thanks yeah it's an intense sound.
actually one of the features we just added in the new update is an auto bypass parameter so you can mute the vinyl noise when input is silent and transport is stopped!
That's actually extremely useful! Thanks for that.
Doctor vibe aka The great lofier! But also can hifi!
Saturation is good on lofi. Reamp by klevgrand is sweet. Simple and can sculpt…
iPads internal speakers don’t do it, or any sound justice tho. So hopefully you have some monitors.
Good filter apps are necessary for lofi samples and synths. Equalizers…bit crushing…, bit cooker in koala is great! Tape effects like tape casette pro or reels from audio thing. If you use desktop there’s a lot of really great options as well
I suspect some may have bought Doctor vibe when it was a 4.99 app, now it’s a 24.99 app!
Given they do very similar things, is Doctor Vibe really 2.5x better at it than Lo-Fi-Af?
Doctor Vibe
Lo-Fi-Af
I’ve made lofi for years. I’ve never used lo fi af.
I used the sp303 hardware as a compressor for years, now i use the doctor. Listen to some songs made with the 303 and dr vibe, then YouTube what people have done with lofi af. I think you’ll find your answer
Will do. Great advice thank you.
They are not 1:1 by any means. But I find the Press compressor model in lo-fi-af to be very similar to the mix slammer in Doctor Vibe. In A/B testing what stands out is that the latter also overdrives. As we all know, louder = gooderer
But you can easily compensate for that in lo-fi-af.
You can achieve very similar results to Doctor Vibe using a combination of lo-fi-af and Needlepoint (which is vinyl focused), and those effects also give you a lot of other options, especially lo-fi-af with its convolution, spectral and digital sections. Doctor Vibe is a very good effect but in my opinion, it’s overpriced for the ios market.
I would also suggest taking a look at Drambo, if you don’t have it. It’s a lofi powerhouse (among infinite other things) and only $25.
But if you see yourself putting Doctor Vibe on every track or using it in your mastering process, then by all means, go for it. No question, it’s a very high quality effect from a great developer.
That'd be me with Doctor Vibe. 😅 Fits on just about anything I feed it. Mix Slammer is my favourite, and I hardly use the ADC section and never the Vinyl section.
Thanks for that. I was more familiar with the Unfiltered Audio interfaces and sound (probably more videos on those) but this thread threw up a curveball.
I’m most interested in achieving the closest to the classics sound. I also like a lot of lofi I hear coming out of the SP303 (and SP404SX). Something that those with discerning ears, like the posters above, would find hard to differentiate from an original machine. The inference above was that would be Dr. Vibe.
Does anyone know if either the UF Lo-Fi-Af & Needlepoint or Dr. Vibe have some great presets, close to the classics, as a starting point?
Edit: Just watched Leo’s video showing Dr. Vibe has an ‘9000 Series’ & ‘OG 303’ preset.
I guess the connoisseurs will have already watched this video of six years younger Ricky with the SP’s, but I found it really interesting. Specifically the vinyl sim compressor which was an important factor noted several times between the two main apps discussed here so far.
@Overreach Just thought I'd mention that Doctor Vibe comes with a two-week trial now so you can give it a whirl and see if you like the sound!
Thanks @rygrob will do but It’s not just what I like, it’s the closeness of the sound to the OG hardware I’m most interested in. I notice above you mentioned you spent a long time dialing in the sound of the old hardware, is this a good opportunity (and safe space 😂) to geek out on what you did, what you A/B tested and, what your final conclusions were?
@Overreach Hi yes there are tools you can use to get insight into a compressor's characteristics. For example, we used a tool called Plug-in Doctor to analyze the transfer curve of the Vinyl Sim compressor in the original 303 hardware, and it is a very unique function! Definitely a big part of the sound, and why it's so hard to replicate with other compressors. It's definitely not your standard "line up to threshold, then another line with your ratio" thing. Plug-in Doctor also has tools for looking at how the envelope follower behaves and what the release curve looks like.
Of course subjective comparison is also important. We try to listen to the model on a variety of sources and compare with the hardware. Not just with our own ears but also get our friend's ears on it too and make sure it's something we like.
All that being said, we want to offer something with our own perspective on the device and the sound. Something that gets you close to the original but has our own flavor. For example our envelope follower has a "Q" (quality) control that lets you morph between a clean envelope follower and a noisy envelope follower. Can be nice to add some extra roughness to the output.
Really interesting stuff. I just need to carve out some time to start the trial and do some experimenting. Thanks very much for replying.
@rygrob
Loving the new update. Much better user experience. I specifically love the fact that we can move the Go/morph button for us lefties
It would be great if you could create an emulation library with presets for different vintage samplers.
For example:
SP1200 @ 33rpm
SP1200 @ 45rpm (with it’s ringing effect etc…)
Akai S950
MPC 60
MPC 2000XL
MPC 3000
Ensoniq - ASR-10 / ASR-X
Zoom Sampletrak ST-224
…and more.
This could give us the sound and feel of a variety of samplers on our own samples straight out the box. Then we can tweak from there.
What do you think?