Open your preferred digital audio workstation. Double-click the desktop icon and wait for the program to launch.
Open a new MIDI track. The method for opening a MIDI track varies according to what program you use. For example, in Logic, click the "+" icon at the top of the channel strip, select "MIDI" and click "OK." Although the WAV is an audio file, you will be using MIDI to trigger it to sound. MIDI is a command interface that lets you trigger sampled sounds and clips from a MIDI controller, such as a keyboard.
Name the track. Double-click where it says "MIDI 1" and type "Samples." This distinguishes the MIDI track from other instrument channels that you might set up at a later date.
Open the "Piano Roll" editor. This is a mapping interface that lets you assign sounds to keys on the keyboard or MIDI controller. Since MIDI is a data-based interface, no matter what MIDI controller is connected to the computer, the same notes are assigned to the same keys.
Open the "Inspector View" tab. This is typically located under the top-level menu bar. Click "Edit" inside dialog box and select "Create Map." This opens a second interface, with a graphic of the piano roll interface.
Click "Assign" and select a key from the piano roll graphic. Browse for your desired WAV file. When you find it, click on it. This assigns the file to the key. Repeat this process until you've assigned all of your WAV files to a key.
Play the MIDI controller keyboard. The keys will send a data command to the digital audio workstation to play the WAV file. If the WAV file is short, such as a sample of a trumpet, you will be able to play the note intuitively. If it is long -- a laughter track, for instance -- you will either need to wait for the WAV file to stop playing or accept that playing the next note will cut off the laughter track.