Recommendations on an audio sampler.
December 18, 2007 10:32 AM   Subscribe

I would like to buy an audio sampler, but am new to this. Recommendations?

The Roland SP-404 seems to be a good unit to start with. I would like to start with something that can make reasonably complicated tracks with some practice, but is also easy and fun to use.

Any recommendation or advice is appreciated.
posted by clearly to Media & Arts (5 answers total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
I've recommended it before, but there is a lot of info and advice on samplers and digital recording in general at the TweakHeadz Lab site.
posted by nanojath at 10:41 AM on December 18, 2007


What do you mean "make some tracks?" Do you want to record little bits of other songs and string them all together or do you want to record full length instrumental / vocal tracks and have them play simultaneously?
posted by bigmusic at 11:01 AM on December 18, 2007


Response by poster: Both take cuts from songs and add to them, and also be able to start from scratch.
posted by clearly at 11:36 AM on December 18, 2007


Best answer: There really isn't a whole lot of innovation in hardware samplers currently. Even the one you've linked to is basically a rehash of one made in 2001. So don't be afraid of secondhand stuff. Basically what you are looking for is a sampling workstation or a "groovebox."

So some sampling workstations in the same line of design as the SP404 are:

Yamaha RS7000 - I have this and I love it. It might take you a week to get your head wrapped around it.

Roland MC808 - This is a wonderful box too, it's pretty simple to use. It's also one of the newest. It's older incarnation was the MC909

I've not played with Korg's ESX1, but alot of people like it. Korg's stuff is really easy to use. Korg's stuff like this has always struck me as toys rather than instruments.

The granddaddy of all sampling workstations is Akai though. They are the ones who kicked it all off. Last year they released the MPC2000XL.

Finally, you should really try out Ableton Live, it's computer based - but it's really worth buying a computer just to run it.
posted by bigmusic at 12:25 PM on December 18, 2007 [1 favorite]


I would just do what Bigmusic said. A computer is what you need.

I would look into getting a digital recorder to take samples in the field, but I wouldn't worry too much about getting a drum machine / sampler workstation (like the Akai) at least until you know what you need.
posted by Sukiari at 12:38 PM on December 18, 2007


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