Hardware sampler owners

[contakt321]

How much did you pay for your sp1200 contakt?

I bought it maybe 8 or 9 years ago (although the going rate then is the same as now - around $1,400-1,800 usually)...

It will make you cry...

Like this:
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I paid $800

[upstateface]

Nice one, still wouldn't really justify the cost atm even though i bet it's just as great as you say it is

[briskisgoodforu]

Samplers are great for a couple reasons imo. 1. The creative limits of their effects. 2. The non quantized functions just add human element. 3 At least for mpcs, they add some sort of warmth to the sound just because its hardware and has naturally inaccuracies and processing.

[gr0nt]

contakt: Most of us who know what one is, would love to have an SP1200. Jealousy. +1 on EMAX also, another 12 bit sampler with analog filters. That's my next purchase, its really the only thing left that I want and don't have, besides a room full of modular or some other crazy pipe dream. I don't know if I'll ever have the bones for the 1200 though. If you like 12-bit samplers, the EPS seems like the sweet spot right now between price/features. The s-760 is selling for so little as to be obscene, just make sure you like the workflow before throwing down the money; I found it too cumbersome.

Can u shed some light on timing of the MPC? Can you customize the timing, so to speak... a little early on 2, a bit late on 4 for example? Or is it just different built in timings you can apply? I haven't used one in a long, long time.

Noways: does the ASR-X let you modulate loop start and length? I would think so since its the same pedigree as EPS and ASR-10.

What seems to be happening in terms of workflow, is I'm loading sounds into the samplers, and just doing sound design and making beats. Then, I usually move that stuff to the pc as audio, and start to put sections into songs. I've got kind of toy-y samplers, so you can't really put whole tracks together with them.

+1. Even though I love the RS and the workflow, I find it too tedious to make a complete track with the sequencer, although its plenty capable. I think you may already be on to the best workflow possible. Plus switching back and forth between hardware and software keeps me inspired - I never get bored. And although I am an Ableton guy through and through, after all these years, I've realized the strong point of hardware in general is: INSPIRATION.

It's always better that you have an instrument you can pickup and "play" - which is why there's so much interest in these machines so many years later. I can actually perform stuff on the RS7000, not just program some patterns and hit play. If I didn't have something so tangible, I'd be dead in the water.

[contakt321]

Nice one, still wouldn't really justify the cost atm even though i bet it's just as great as you say it is

Definitely worth the cost if you are making hip-hop IMHO. Why struggle adjusting a specific sound, etc - turn the machine on and put a disk in, 2 seconds later...

contakt: Most of us who know what one is, would love to have an SP1200. Jealousy. +1 on EMAX also, another 12 bit sampler with analog filters. That's my next purchase, its really the only thing left that I want and don't have, besides a room full of modular or some other crazy pipe dream. I don't know if I'll ever have the bones for the 1200 though. If you like 12-bit samplers, the EPS seems like the sweet spot right now between price/features. The s-760 is selling for so little as to be obscene, just make sure you like the workflow before throwing down the money; I found it too cumbersome.

Can u shed some light on timing of the MPC? Can you customize the timing, so to speak... a little early on 2, a bit late on 4 for example? Or is it just different built in timings you can apply? I haven't used one in a long, long time.

Honestly, I am not an EPS (or ASR-10) guy. To me the EPS 12 bit character isn't very remarkable, also, my experience is that the sound is a bit dark. The Emax has a similar flavor to the SP (although I haven't used one). Another thing about the EPS (and ASR), different kind of interface (this may be an issue if you plan on using it as an instrument). As for the S-760, yeah, I hear it sucks to use, I am not as interested in that, but at the right price I would by. Something like that, I would literally sample, and then record into my DAW for editing instead of monkeying around w/those 80's Roland buttons. I am basically waiting for an Akai S-950 to fall in my lap. Sound is great, the timestretch function is classic, easy to use, and it's a rack.

As for the MPC, yes, the swing on the MPC is different than swing on (as far as I know) any other sequencer. Instead of just moving notes in one direction, it moves notes 2 and 4 forward (early), and 3 backward (late). You can adjust the swing on the MPC anywhere from 50-75 - in my opinion, a lot of (hip-hop) people misused it in the last 10 years, you can hear it in mediocre producers productions, they put way too much swing and everything sounds like it's falling apart. I think sample choice, and velocity (for slower tempos) is more crucial. When I was making hip-hop every day, I rarely used the swing on the MPC, if so, very sparingly, maybe 51-54 at most. All that said, I do think the SP swing is incredible, it has a certain bounce to it that again somehow, no template or groove pool has captured.

[nowaysj]

I am actually planning to use this for drums and sequence my synths and just record audio into my DAW (like I used to)

This is where I'm at now, to a certain extent. The comp is acting like tape machine. I wish I could find a daw that was a little better with audio than flstudio. I really can't stand cubase, reaper or ableton for audio... Okay, I'm going to look into the studio one demo. Fuck it. Waiting to see what happens with pro tools. It is pretty cheep bros, and no hardware requirements. So if you are working like this, just using the comp as a tape deck, might want to check it out, if you're unhappy with your daw. I guess you can't load your vst's in there? I still do processing in the daw.

Which brings me to this point - it seems like for making pretty standard bread and butter dance music, these external devices are the bomb, but to get the music to that psychotically highly controlled and manipulated state that a lot of now music has, I really think you need to be on the comp, or have an ssl desk with 36 full racks of processing...

[upstateface]

Daw as recorder massive represent, i still need an actual desk to complete my setup though

[nowaysj]

Sorry, I sometimes get like, unsubscribed to threads, missed this stuff...

Noways: does the ASR-X let you modulate loop start and length? I would think so since its the same pedigree as EPS and ASR-10.

Of the looped sample, sure does. Assign a sample and hold to that start and end...

I've realized the strong point of hardware in general is: INSPIRATION.

W/ u at 100% on this. Deadly up there refers to the sound of hardware, and it's got a sound (noisy, in my experience) I think he uses rack samplers, but really for me, it is about having direct access to the device's controls, and the way that leads into the depth of relationship, the physical bond that you develop, the limitations, the discreetness. A midi mapped controller, I'm sorry, never feels the same (or as good). I don't know, if I had a rack sampler, I'd probably rather have the samples in the box. I mean, my three samplers are all playable - asrx, sp404sx and microsampler. They are all musical instruments. Gnaw what I'm saying?

I've never had this experience with NI's Battery:


Or spent a night soldering in a new switch on a software eq:

And been proud enough to take a picture

Definitely worth the cost if you are making hip-hop IMHO. Why struggle adjusting a specific sound, etc - turn the machine on and put a disk in, 2 seconds later...

You're fucking breaking my heart bro.

[paradigm_x]

ive got an s2000 and not used it in years. such a pita to use. Nice for overdriving inputs tho, and nice filtery sweeps, even tho the filters a bit meh. Much tighter than any soft sampler. All the classic old tpower breaks sweeps.

Ive just borrowed an rs7000 to see if i want to buy and also the su700, sounds like theyre worth playing with, £200 and £100 respectively, seem cheap. Would be great for more live acid looping stuffs.

[nowaysj]

I'd be really interested in a first hand comparison between the Yamaha RS7000 and the Roland mc-909.

[Sharmaji]

ive got an s2000 and not used it in years. such a pita to use. Nice for overdriving inputs tho, and nice filtery sweeps, even tho the filters a bit meh. Much tighter than any soft sampler. All the classic old tpower breaks sweeps.

Ive just borrowed an rs7000 to see if i want to buy and also the su700, sounds like theyre worth playing with, £200 and £100 respectively, seem cheap. Would be great for more live acid looping stuffs.

i don't miss my s2000 at all- the exs24 is much more capable. Amazing to think that logic, in all it's glory, is about 1/2 the price of what a good sampler, with a whopping 32MB of memory, would go for.

I dug having an mpc1000 for a few years, but again-- getting it to work nicely w/ logic, and having a project exist half in logic and half in the mpc, was a pain in the ass. working w/ groove templates & an mpd is a decent replacement, but the wonder of the mpc was/is the workflow. it'd be kinda awesome if someone was to develop an open-source wrapper that let you see & manipulate your mixer channels in mpc format...

programmers, get on that!

[nowaysj]

Does Maschine enter this conversation? Is it an actual hybrid between hardware workflow/tangibility and software accuracy/possibility?

[buttock]

think we should stick to stuff, which will work without windows
on topic: eventually getting a Yamaha A3000 this weekend

[nowaysj]

Had one of those, had it stolen. Sexy on the outside, sexy on the inside, difficult to program. That generation of rotary encoders wasn't so hot. For me at least.
===

Have a good price for an mv8800 trying not to buy it.

[buttock]

the encorder problem seens quite common. But the price is to good. Was considering buying an mpc or electribe for live stuff but i already own a QY700 Sequencer so a cheap rack sampler seems to be a good idea...

[buttock]

sorry

[contakt321]

I dug having an mpc1000 for a few years, but again-- getting it to work nicely w/ logic, and having a project exist half in logic and half in the mpc, was a pain in the ass. working w/ groove templates & an mpd is a decent replacement, but the wonder of the mpc was/is the workflow.

[/quote]

I can totally relate. In fact, this is what made me switch from Hardware to software, I got sick of saving disks/programs/etc on a synth, sampler, other sampler, etc. I basically sold my synths, put my samplers in the closest and worked on just software. You can't deny the power and portability - nothing like making a beat in the airport.

Cue to 3 years later...

I don't really save anything. I started working some hardware in, and now, it's almost like an addiction because...
I don't save anything. I turn on the hardware (sampler, synth, whatever) I make/sample/find the sound I want (admittedly, this can sometimes take more time than software) and then I record it as audio into Ableton.
It's great.
It's set in stone (sort of).
No more going back to a bass patch when I should be mixing down, auditioning replacement hihat samples, etc. Nope, none of that. I just get a great sound, record it, and finish writing the track.
With that, you need a bit of fearlessness, to both lay it down and accept is as final, or also to manipulate audio, or just flat out delete it if it doesn't work.

Ultimately though, even though it seems like adding hardware, not saving, re-sampling, etc would make things take longer, lately it's actually sped up my workflow.

[nowaysj]

Can someone carve that^ in stone?

[buttock]

[Sharmaji]

I don't really save anything. I started working some hardware in, and now, it's almost like an addiction because...
I don't save anything. I turn on the hardware (sampler, synth, whatever) I make/sample/find the sound I want (admittedly, this can sometimes take more time than software) and then I record it as audio into Ableton.
It's great.
It's set in stone (sort of).
No more going back to a bass patch when I should be mixing down, auditioning replacement hihat samples, etc. Nope, none of that. I just get a great sound, record it, and finish writing the track.
With that, you need a bit of fearlessness, to both lay it down and accept is as final, or also to manipulate audio, or just flat out delete it if it doesn't work.

Ultimately though, even though it seems like adding hardware, not saving, re-sampling, etc would make things take longer, lately it's actually sped up my workflow.

agreed on that workflow-- but it's not hardware-only. Especially now that it's so easy to convert midi regions to audio in most DAW's, i'll get some sort of gigantic signal chain going in DAW land (like massive, into predator's filters, into 2 iterations of reaktor), bounce it, and call it a day.

maybe save it as a new session as well, just in case you HAVE to go back and tweak-- but tbh that rarely happens.

one of the really big positives of working w/ hardware is that you HAVE to commit to an idea and move on. Excellent for creativity for sure.