What sampler is everyone coming from? Which are you keeping/Ditching?

Isla's Treehouse
#1

Thought there may be an interesting discussion about what samplers everyone here has preferred in the past or currently. Will your new S2400 be a replacement kill’em all solution or just another tool in the box?

My main sampler/sequencer has been a Roland MV8800 for the last 5 years. I envision being able to use the S2400 on its own but I know I won’t be getting rid of my MV. I also have a Pioneer SP16, a bastl microgranny and an Roland SP555. I think I will be selling my 555 as I mostly use it as an effect box to get in the lofi realm with certain elements. The microgranny is still unique enough to keep for field recording/samples. I’m on the fence about keeping my SP16 because the workflow and the sound are amazing but the limitations do come up sometimes.

If the S2400 replaces anything in my studio I think it would be the SP16 as I think the workflow is comparable without all the same limitations. I am excited to find out!

How about y’all?

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#2

I haven’t really. I’ve actually had a hard time connecting with most samplers in the same way I had with synths initially until I figured out the old school knob per function that really is best imo. I think some of that is because synths were more bountiful and I got to try out a great variance of types before finding what works best for me. I haven’t yet had that same experience with a sampler.

The samplers I’ve had are the Octatrack, MPC2000XL, S1100, Korg ESX-1, Deluge, Kurzweil K2661s, and MPC Live. I sold the Octatrack and MPC2000XL. I’m letting the Korg ESX go and I’m undecided on the MPC Live and Deluge still. I don’t see the S2400 replacing the Kurzweil or MPC Live so much as it just quite possibly may become the sampler I finally really connect with. That is my hope at least.

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#3

Ha! I forgot i have an octatrack too! :laughing: I had packed it away with dreams of really digging into it later. Not a good sign SMDH! I also have a Digitakt that I was super keen on when I bought it but I miss the elektron kit flow of their other machines. Editing on the Digitakt across patterns becomes a big pain in the ass. I don’t really consider it much of a sampler really either. I suppose I should maybe sell that one too :relaxed:

I had a MPC1000 but I just don’t get on with the MPC workflow. I also had and sold a ESX1. I mostly sold it because of lack of use and when I would use it I would mostly use it as a straight up drum machine. I didn’t care to sample on it and didn’t care for the grid sequencer for chopped samples.

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#4

I cut my teeth on the MPC2000XL ( Long gone )

I then got an ASR-10, a MPC 3000,Ensoniq EPS 16+, Ensoniq Mirage, KORG DSS-1, Roland S-10, Roland W-30, EMAX 1 SE, AKAI S7000, Akai S3000 HD and a MPC 4000 but all are gone except the ASR-10 that is packed and ready to ship when the buyer paypal invoice payment go through.

Amongst all, I prefered the ASR-10 for how easy it was for me to create complete songs and the unexplainable sound of the music when bouncing on the mains but prefered the Akai S3000 to distort drum hits. The roland S-10 was also very interesting.

But they are all gone for the same exact reason and its because it was to much of a pain to create then bounce back to my PC or simply save a sequence with multiple sound. That really killed me every single time. I tried the SCI2SD on both my ASR and my MPC3000 but as im not on MAC, I was never able to make some backup with that stupid chickensystem software. The partition ID would never be recognized.

I hope the SP2400 solve this as I really love a hands on experience compred to ITB.

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#5

My first real sampler / sequencer was an MPC 2K classic in '98. Made a lot of stuff on it but after about a decade it got stale. About the time I was bored of my MPC, Maschine dropped the 1.5 update w/ the vintage emulation and I was sold.

I’ve been using Maschine ever since but have also been getting tired of it and wondering what else to try. I’ve owned a couple SP-1200’s since I started making beats and didn’t like the limitations of the 2.5 sec banks but LOVED the sound. Coming from an MPC I always hoped someone would develop something similar to the SP w/ that classic sound combined w/ modern capabilities and it’s finally happening.

I’m going to hold on to Maschine but it is definitely going in the case for a couple months when the S2400 shows up.

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#6

I had 3 elektrons and sold all 3 on. The elektron workflow isn’t for me and I found the octatrack the most convoluted of all. Some people love it, but I didn’t find the sound on it enough to inspire me to want to work for it. I wish I still had my elektron so I could sell it all over again to pay for the S2400 ;).

Yeah the ESX-1 is a great idea but with poor sample import implementation.

#7

@martel80 The ASR10 is one of the only other old school samplers I’d love to have. I think it has the mojo and is easy enough to work on. It is a great machine.

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#8

Its indeed a great old sampler but for me the workflow including a PC really kill me.

Amongst all, its definitely my favorite but still, its way too complicated to integrate in a modern day workflow imo.

But yeah, the rough creation process and the sound of the sampler is definitely on point. Just forget about distorting the input.

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#9

Yeah that is the main issue I have with all of the older samplers and why I’ve wanted something like the S2400 forever. For me the fact that it does the SP1200 sound is actually just a bonus. I never thought the octatrack was that great, sounded that amazing or was very easy to use regardless of it’s modern connectivity. Even using the S1100 was a stretch until I got the Gotek in it, it’s easier now.

#10

I guess you’re on MAC.

#11

I am on both windows 10 and Mac 10.13 and 10.14 but I most definitely prefer working from my Mac. Windows 10 is kind of a dog for music imo.

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#12

Its quite an headache when you try to get that chickensytem to implement in a Win 10 environment.

I have never ever been able to make it work. Never.

Anbd belive me, you have to pull my string quite far to get me disconnected.

All those file back up system like gotek and SCSI2SD only ever worked on the sampler system itself, never on Windows 10.

That was way enough to turn me off for good.

If the SP2400 doesnt bring me back on, im gone for good. Im going Machine ( never even tried it but at least its integrated in a modern OS environment ) and fawk all the rest.

I had enough of file drop, corruption and idea lost for trying to figure out wtf is wrong with the backup.

At least worth a few laptop through the window.

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#13

Yeah I totally get it. At some point the hassle isn’t worth it. It really is a desire for ease of use and transparent workflow. I went through much the same thing with synths over the last 2 decades. I finally created a criteria for myself.

  1. It has to sound good
  2. It has to have a good interface
  3. If it doesn’t have a good interface it better add something special to make it worth it.

That helped me get rid of a few pieces of gear. And I still have a few others that I have to put up for sale.

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#14

Exactly.
with all the tools we have ITB nowadays, It really has to bring something up that I need desperatly and given what I want to do, so far, it has been an hassle that never brought enough to the final project so I can explain rationally why I need to spend so much time doing what Im doing with so much limitation.

Im optimistic whit the SP2400 because of the way it chops and zoom in and assign to pads but I wouldnt be surprised if I end up going ‘‘hi fi’’ mode 95% of the time and bounce back.

What I really wonder is what it sound like if I go hot in the input of the SP2400. Will it bring some thump or will it do like the Ensoniq and make a fawked up click and sound like sh!t ?

To be continued…

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#15

I think we’re gonna find out. I suspect there will be some interesting tricks and methods people develop with this machine. I expect I’ll be in Hi Fi mode most of the time too. I do like some grit on drums but I don’t necessarily need it on the other parts. I care more about the filters here. It’s why I’m fairly gung-ho about the daughter card especially if it should have the SSI filter that is a clone of the SSM 2045. I have wanted a Mutronics Mutator filter for a long time and they are just so expensive. So to have something that allowed me that sound on the sampler would really take this from great to amazing for me.

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#16

My first sampler was a Yamaha A3000. My friend had an Akai S2000 but I thought it was too limited. I’ve mostly used the Yamaha for it’s filter and FX sections but it was a killing machine as far as sound edition went. A truly amazing sampler if you were into sound design and I love the fact you could downrez your samples.
Then I started dreaming of an MPC for its sequencer. I got an XL2000 but never quite used it with the Yamaha I ended up giving to a friend.
Loved the MPC all the way. Had a 2500 and a Live. But ever since I found out about the SP1200, I felt it was the machine I really wanted. It had the downrez specs and made that gravy concrete sound I loved so much.
When S2400 became really real to me, I sold my Live.
And been waiting ever since :slight_smile:

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#17

What samplers have you had luck with distorting/driving input on? I’ve heard some Roland (D series I think) and some others you can get an effect w this method

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#18

The Akai S7000 , S3000 , MPC 3000 , MPC 2000XL The Emax ( not super cool but interesting )

I tried to overload the input on all my samplers in fact.

My favorite was the S3000 ( not the XL). It really made those kick smack the hell out.

The X7000 was really ‘’ heavy metal’’ when you distorted the input. A lot more then the 2000XL but in the same palet.

The roland was not super impressive wen distorted neither.

But the one NOT to do tat was definitely the Ensoniq ASR and EPS. Especially the EPS, it really was horrible…it kind of limited the sound and squashed it and added a super high pitch and high volume spike sound in the middle of the drum sound.

I think I made a sound comparison with a few of them. Let me see if I can find it.

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#19

Have owned/used:
MPC:60, 3000, 5000, ONE
Digitakt
Akai S900/950
Still own/use:
Ensoniq ASR-10, Emu Sp-1200, and Pioneer Sp-16

I think my favorite is the Sp-16. Its limited, but so damn easy to generate musical ideas with…

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#20

Just watched yea the 3000 definitely sounds different! I never did this much on my XL or played with it much. Thanks for sharing and your vid! Always cool to try different things and diff ideas :drum: :drum: