Original: A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but , instead of generating sounds , it uses recordings ( or '' samples '' ) of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard , sequencer or other triggering device to perform or compose music .
Simplified: What a sample does is that instead of creating sounds from scratch however , a sampler starts with more than one recording ( or '' samples '' ) of different sounds added by the user , and then plays each back based on how the instrument is configured .