I STAND ALONE: a 2020 sampler thread

[D.o.S.]

They're great pieces of kit, I've had me 303 forever. The problem is now they go for stupid amounts of money (because Madlib/J-Dilla hype), so finding a good deal on them is difficult. E.g. I paid $175 for mine and the first one I can find on ebay is listed at $400?!

At that price point everyone is better off finding something else to use

But, I feel compelled to point out that for me, trimming live samples is a pain in the ass compared to doing it on a computer

[coldbrightsunlight]

-something fun to use
-ability to sample material directly
-can play samples melodically
-can play samples as percussion
-battery power preferred
-No PC, or phone, required to use its basic functions

The model:samples checks most of these boxes and is a super fun, intuitive box. I don't think the lack of in-the-box sample recording is a very big deal, but maybe that's a dealbreaker for you.

After some digging I found out that it requires Elektron’s proprietary software to load samples. That is a dealbreaker. If it was just drag and drop I could live with that, maybe. Proprietary software’s a dealbreaker, I don’t want to fuck with backwards compatibility in ten years or rely on Elektron to keep releasing updated versions of their software. It’s also weird that it doesn’t have an envelope generator?

I get that we all have different opinions on things and fair enough if that's your red line. But this seems like an odd line to draw for me. Backwards compatibility of most things is pretty good these days, we're far from the old nightmare days and it definitely isn't something I worry about.

I just looked up the manual about the envelope thing. Looks like you can always control the decay (not having attack on front panel is weird I agree with you on that). But you can also use the LFO as an envelope - bit of a workaround but it does exist.

I mean, I don’t really want to have to load samples from a PC at all. The fact that it can only be loaded from a pc isn’t a good thing, but given its other features and price it could be overlooked. So, where I have to add the additional complexity of using their proprietary program, that tilts the scale enough.

As someone who switches to linux roughly every other year, compatibility’s always an issue... Usually the switch is because I get sick of Windows not letting me change things, and the switch back is normally because of compatibility issues (also using linux seems like it’s its own hobby).

That's fair. Different strokes!

I was just thinking Windows perspective, in which case using their programme is literally easier than drag and drop because you open the programme then drag and drop in one window rather than two. But if you're switching OS on the regular then compatibility is more of an issue so I can understand.

But you're ideally not looking for the PC thing, I get it.



Yeah for $400 the SP starts to look... uh, less ideal? But that's me.

[01010111]

The linux switch combined with the high-learning curve for DAWs is what makes me a hardware-only guy when it comes to music.

Yeah, for ₩500k that makes it much less appealing. Feature-wise it looks similar to the volca sample. Except the volca doesn’t have effects (sort of) or the ability to sample directly.

[coldbrightsunlight]

I was about to say the learning curve isn't that high. Then I remembered I've been using DAWs for 15 years so I have no idea at all what the introductory learning curve is like anymore.

I definitely appreciate the hardware thing. I mean, I have plugins that can clearly replicate a lot of what I do with hardware and I still like using the hardware.

Hmm, I'm struggling to come up with any options that haven't been mentioned... The Polyend looks cool as heck but potentially complex to use. Haven't checked it out in detail

[spacelordmother]

Re: Model:Samples

If it makes any difference, you can use mzero’s Elk Herd within a webmidi-compatible browser (chrome) to upload and rearrange samples on the model:samples:

https://www.elektronauts.com/t/elk-herd-3-0/121861

Note that it won’t work with chrome on iPhone/iPad. Apple disables the webmidi. Does work on a chromebook or android though!

[chromandre]

But why, though? What’s good about the MPC workflow or makes it better than other things that are available?

I also had one of these for about a month ten years ago and found it too confusing to use (I have changed significantly since then, so, it might be a good option now).

Oh yea I just thought it hit all the requirements in your first post ... It’s you know set up to be a drum machine, phrase sampler , you can also play any sample melodically using the “12 levels” its nice

[fcknoise]

The SP-202 is def a great great sampler. I think a 303 would help make it a bit more usable I guess, but I really dig the SP-202 and now immediate it is.

However, in no world would I even begin to compare it to the OP-1 or digitakt, even only as a sampler. It is a completely different thing. Sure, it records and plays back samples. But what happens after that is worlds apart. That said, I love how the FX are on the 202. I got mine for $60 (thanks ghost hip <3) so even if you pick up any of the other machines you are looking at having an additional one at hand might not be a totally terrible idea

[gila_crisis]

another vote for the Digitakt!

[01010111]

The early SPs really are super limited, but that’s actually part of the appeal? They seem more like instruments as opposed to the other offerings on the list (things that can make you can program to play an entire song on their own with no additional input). All the extra bells and whistles are almost a detractor because they’re implemented in a way that needs a complicated interface. Though, finding something without all those bells and whistles seems a little hard to find if I want the features I’m looking for.

The first thing on my list is fun. The SPs look fun (maybe, all the weird button combos look annoying to navigate), the OP-1 looks fun, and the Digitakt looks like it could be fun. The first time I got a Digitakt I was looking for a drum machine that could make messed up sounds. It could do that in spades, but I could do that easier, faster, and simpler with a Volca Beats and a Boneshaker (I wanted gritty, dirty drums).

The OP-1 seems like the most fun on this list, and the interface really seems to want you to have fun using it. The SPs look basic and like they were designed to give people who couldn’t afford MPCs a way to play with samples. The MPC line doesn’t look like any fun, and the Polyend Tracker looks like even less fun (though, it does look insanely flexible).

The Digitakt seems like it’s a gateway drug into the elektron world, without the cost or tedium of their more expensive products. I think if I get the Digitakt with the intention of using it for what it is I think I’ll have more fun with it than before? What I’m wondering is if the OP-1 is more fun, and if that additional, theoretical fun factor is worth the additional cost? That OP-1 album posted earlier in the thread is a nice example of some less traditional music being made using one, and it definitely makes it seem more interesting than a lot of the stuff I’ve heard on youtube.

[manymanyhaha]

I'm using a 1010 Blackbox for a specific purpose (playing samples I create on a computer). It's compact and very easy to use. Simple interface.

I haven't used any of the other aforementioned boxes so can't compare.

[D.o.S.]

Sounds like you want an OP-1 my dude ( still think you secretly want a Samples but since you've listed dealbreakers I will just say things in parentheticals to that effect rather than trying to convince you otherwise)

I'm using a 1010 Blackbox for a specific purpose (playing samples I create on a computer). It's compact and very easy to use. Simple interface.

I haven't used any of the other aforementioned boxes so can't compare.

This looks really cool! Any more thoughts on it?

[manymanyhaha]

This looks really cool! Any more thoughts on it?

I used to have a lot of fun playing a pair of Peavy SP samplers with an Akai S1200 (I think that was the model number) and the thing that surprises me about the 1010 Blackbox is how simple and easy it is. Those old samplers took a lot of work to get to the point where noise was made and this little thing is so fast.

But it would not surprise me if it didn't have some of the features that those more expensive desktop samplers have. There is only a delay and reverb per sample pad, for instance.

I have an op-1 too that I don't really use very much. For sequencing, the Blackbox is a lot more fun and faster.

This guy does a good run through of how to operate it:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcADNN9_Sok[/youtube]

[cantremember]

I dont have much to really say that hasn't already been said other than the juice is worth the squeeze with the elektron stuff. I have an octatrack and digitakt and love both. The octatrack took some time to wrap my head around but the digitakt was a lot easier to figure out.

[tremolo3]

Best Standalone Sampler in 2020

Octatrack.

-something fun to use
-battery power preferred
The issue that I have with most of this is that they’re highly unintuitive and most of them have extremely steep learning curves. It seems like samplers are stuck in the menu-diving 90’s while the rest of the music industry has moved slowly away from that kind of thing? Am I missing something? Is this a situation where I have to learn to live with the reality of the un-fun interface in order to play with music like this?

!Octatrack.

[01010111]

Sounds like you want an OP-1 my dude ( still think you secretly want a Samples but since you've listed dealbreakers I will just say things in parentheticals to that effect rather than trying to convince you otherwise)

I think you’re probably right... There’s a Teenage Engineering dealer in the city where I live. So, I’m going to go try and play with one before making a decision. The price makes me really hesitant. On paper it really isn’t better than any of the other options on this list, even though it’s nearly twice as expensive. (One of the biggest things I’m excited about doing with this new piece of gear is playing around with recording stuff irl. I really don’t want to worry about bringing a computer into this, or I would be interested in the Modal Samples.)