If you have ever wanted a proper old school sampler without paying for one, this is the one to grab. TX16Wx from CWITEC is a free software sampler modelled on the classic hardware samplers, with Yamaha's TX16W from the late 1980s as its main inspiration. It is not a toy sample player. You can record your own sounds into it, drag samples in, map them across the keyboard, slice loops, and build full multi-sampled instruments from scratch.
It loads WAV, AIFF, Ogg, FLAC, SoundFont, SFZ, Akai and EXS formats, so old sample libraries have a new home here. You get two resonant multimode filters, envelopes, LFOs, step sequencers, a modulation matrix, a wave editor with a beat slicer, and a built in arpeggiator. The basic version is free with no catch and no time limit. There is a paid Professional unlock in the same installer for extras like time stretch and pitch shift, but you do not need it to use the sampler itself.
Download it free here: https://www.tx16wx.com/download/
How to install it:
Windows: grab the Windows x64 Setup from the download page (Windows 7 SP1 or higher) and run the installer. It installs the VST2, VST3 and AAX versions, so just rescan your plugins in your DAW and look for TX16Wx under CWITEC.
Mac: grab the OSX Universal Setup from the download page (macOS 10.9 or higher) and run the installer. It installs the VST2, VST3, AU and AAX versions, so rescan in your DAW and you are good to go.
Linux: grab the package for your system from the download page, either the Red Hat or Debian x64 build, install it, then rescan your plugins in your DAW.
See it in action in this walkthrough:
Honestly, for a free sampler this is a deep one. Start simple, drag a few drum hits or a weird field recording across the keys, then dig into the mapping and modulation when you are ready. It rewards a bit of patience in a big way. Give it a spin and let me know what you build with it.