Getting Started

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Romper is designed for users who are already familiar with the Squarp Rample. We recommend reading the Rample manual before getting started with Romper, as this guide assumes you understand concepts like banks, kits, voices, and sample layers.

This guide walks you through installing Romper, setting up your local store, and loading your first kits.

Installation

Download the latest release for your operating system from the Releases page:

  • macOS – Romper-x.x.x.dmg (drag to Applications)
  • Windows – Romper-Setup-x.x.x.exe (run the installer)
  • Linux – Romper-x.x.x.AppImage (make executable and run)

Romper requires no additional dependencies. It runs entirely offline after installation.

First Launch

When you open Romper for the first time, the setup wizard walks you through choosing where to store your kit data.

Choosing a Local Store

Romper needs a directory on your computer to keep its database and configuration. This is your local store. The wizard gives you several options:

Start from an SD Card

If you already have a Rample SD card with kits on it:

  1. Insert your SD card and mount it on your computer
  2. Select Load from SD Card in the wizard
  3. Choose the mounted SD card volume
  4. Romper scans the standard Rample folder structure (KITS/, SAMPLES/) and imports all existing kits

Your kits, sample references, and metadata will appear in the Kit Browser immediately.

Start with Factory Samples

If you’re new to the Rample or want a clean starting point:

  1. Select Download Factory Samples in the wizard
  2. Romper downloads the official Squarp sample packs (~500 MB, requires internet)
  3. Factory kits are imported into your local store

This gives you professionally organized kits to explore and learn from. If the download is interrupted, Romper will automatically retry up to 3 times.

Disk space: Ensure you have at least 1 GB of free space at your target location for factory samples.

Start with an Empty Library

If you want to build everything from scratch:

  1. Select Create Empty Library
  2. Choose a directory for your local store
  3. After setup completes, Romper will suggest next steps: you can import from an SD card, download factory samples, or proceed to the Kit Browser with an empty library

Recovering an Existing Store

If you’ve used Romper before and your settings were lost (reinstall, new machine), you can point Romper at an existing .romperdb directory to pick up where you left off. Select Choose Existing Local Store in the wizard and browse to the directory.

The Main Interface

Once setup is complete, you’ll see the Kit Browser – Romper’s main view.

The interface has three main areas:

Header Bar – Contains the Sync button, New Kit button, filter toggles (Favorites, Modified), the Validate Store button, and Settings access.

Kit Grid – The central area showing all your kits as cards, organized by bank. Each card shows the kit ID, name, voice sample counts, and status indicators.

Status Bar – Fixed at the bottom, showing your local store path, theme toggle, and links to the Rample manual and About dialog.

Status bar

Connecting Your SD Card

You can connect an SD card at any time, not just during initial setup:

  1. Insert your Rample SD card into your computer
  2. Use the Sync to SD Card button in the header to interact with it
  3. Romper validates your kits and copies them to the card

For full details on the sync process, see Syncing.

Troubleshooting Setup

“No kit folders found” – The SD card path you selected doesn’t contain the expected folder structure. Rample kits use folders named with an uppercase letter followed by a number (e.g., A0, B1, C12). Make sure you’re selecting the correct mounted volume.

“Not enough disk space” – Factory samples require ~1 GB and SD card imports vary by library size. Free up space at your target location and try again.

“Cannot write to path” – The target directory isn’t writable. Choose a location in your Documents folder or another directory you have write access to.

“Download failed after 3 attempts” – Check your internet connection and try again. The factory samples download is ~500 MB and needs a stable connection.

Sample limit notice – Rample supports a maximum of 12 samples per voice. If your kits contain more, Romper keeps the first 12 and tells you how many were skipped.

Local store becomes invalid – If you move or delete your local store folder, Romper will show a recovery dialog. You can choose a new directory, point to the existing one, or re-run the setup wizard.

What’s Next

Now that Romper is set up, explore the Kit Browser to see how to navigate your library, or jump to Kit Editor to learn about editing kits and assigning samples.