I’ve been through about 100 VSTs and HW synths, only a small handful ever connected with me.
The thought I would buy a sampler because it had an essentially random synth attached to it is bonkers.
Sampler is to sample your own special synthezisers. Unless you consider 1010 Fireball to be something out of the ordinary. Which it isn’t.
When did people stop buying samplers to use samples with?! 
Jokes? C’mon, it’s a dead serious business over there. We’ve already cracked every single feature, functionality, UI, size down to microns, spiders within, IP, now it’s only a matter of time - which, as we all know, is more or less tomorrow. Jokes. I’ve been hurt. It was unnecessary 
Sounds like you want the OPxy which does all of that minus a few things the Bento offers.
Out of curiosity, when it comes to mangling sample material, what would you expect a filter envelope to do?
Yes, of course. And limitation is ok. To make an example: For me even a model:cycles is way more of a groovebox. Sadly without battery, bigger and not of a comparable build quality (as I assume the bento is)
Yeah, still looking for a solution. OP workflow is still a bit strange for me personally. And I’d love to have velocity sensitive pads and less a “programming” workflow like on the M8. And not a huge blinky pad as the deluge and not somethink looking like a kid’s toy like the M101 (which is closest to what I want). There’s not the perfect match yet.
You know the long discussion about publishing products long before they really are as powerful as they should be. Of course a bit annoying.
I get your point. Nothing against samplers. My question is why are we (not only 1010music) constantly making them smaller and more compact? If I have several synthesizers and want a central piece of hardware to sample them all, then I’m looking for something with an extremely efficient workflow and easily accessible knobs and controls and low menu diving. Then I don’t need something particularly small (if I had space problems, I wouldn’t have multiple synths lying around) and nothing with a battery and few knobs and controls just to be compact. And if I’m already compact, then I only really get added value from a sampler if I have a (good) integrated microphone or at least a microphone input, preferably with phantom power to sample things on places without power outlet. Wherever common synths are lying around for sampling, there’s usually a power outlet nearby.
This thing isn’t a sampler, it’s a sampling groovebox. At least, it wants to be. I don’t really get the value. Nothing against 1010music. I love their bluebox!
It’s funny how many many manufacturers declare their smallest products as the center piece of even the biggest studios. IMO a studio center piece (for whatever task) can be big (at least needs not to be as small as possible) and doesn’t need a battery.
Ive used and owned the MPC4000 and Yamaha RS7000 many times and it’s true that you really feel like your working on a serious piece of music gear with solid extended features and sound big and chunky.The miniturration of gear in modern times has def felt like something,the feel,the commitment has been compromised somewhat.But hey,im not really complaining,portable gear is the future in this compressed reality we are living……on the move often.Even my Akai Force seems huge ))
Me personally, I’ve been dying for them to add filter envelope to the Tangerine.
Why? Because a big part of it (and the Bento) is being able to play multi-sampled synths. And filter envelope is a big part of the sound for things like plucky basses, etc
Wouldn’t really be using it for ‘sample mangling’ per se but more in the sense of helping to make the multi-sampled synths behave more authentically “synth-y”
I wouldn’t surprise me if down the line they add the Fireball wavetable engine to the Bento.
A nice move from 1010 now that they’re putting a lemondrop into the bento, is to allow any of the nanos boot up as a lemondrop, tangerine or fireball depending on the SD card you put in.
They’re great little devices, with more complexity and sound quality than people may realise. Just feel as though lacking a 2nd wave of exciting firmware updates to add to their utility.
Surprisingly so as in a world of M8s, TE and other miniaturisation, one nano can be a hugely useful addition to a portable mini rig.
@g3o2: I‘d love a filter envelope for these exact reasons. It means I can just sample a long note of a patch and then make a lot of different patches out of it.
I think this illustrates well that with every piece of hardware, there will always be something missing. It’s just the nature of it. Imo, it’s about picking the one which‘s limitations don’t bother you that much and which‘s strengths help you make music faster.
As to why we get more and more of these tiny devices: The biggest factor is probably that most users are just hobbyists without a big studio / space to put their stuff, who probably also travel a lot or have kids etc. etc. It’s just a lot less convenient to have a giant setup with heavy machines and a patch bay with cable mess. Another reason might be that housing is getting more and more expensive everywhere, and people just don’t have the space for a dedicated music making corner. I still think it’s misleading to market these devices as the all in one studio that fits in your pocket. They can be, but I‘d still look at them more like really powerful toys that can do enough to get you 80% to a song and probably quicker and with more fun because of their limitations.
If there’s ever a Bento XL I will definitely be tempted. I think this one isn’t going to tempt me away from my MPC X but I remain curious.
Off topic but I have a theory that ever rising housing costs over the last 20 years have played a role in the rise of these tiny devices. I doubt many 20-something producers have the luxury of a full studio setup in a spare room!
It would have to be a bright long note to cut away from then. So basically, you’d use it as a mini synth.
well if 1010 wanna turn the Bento into Absynthento that would be fine too but I know the impending apocalypse is on a tight schedule and 1010 probably ain’t got time for that
I haven’t heard that before, please could you let me know where you saw that firmwares can be swapped now? I had a look around but couldn’t find anything, would be awesome tho!
I think it can’t be in small part due to the instagramification of music production
Making a beautiful video in the woods or on the beach with your Bento is a lot more visually appealing than filming an MPC4k on your desk.
These videos tricked me as well, I thought I’d sit on a tram with an MC101 or OPZ, or on a bench, but I just ended up using these things primarily at home. But many videos gave me the idea that I’d be using these portable machines to make music outside, but in reality it never happened and I see almost nobody doing it in real life.
I always had my M8 with me out and about. The only issue was the noise from me clicking and clacking all the time. I had an OP1 on flights and that was great but the M8 was my one thing I had out and about.
To be clear - the nice move is a suggestion, not a fact! 
anybody have a bento and a polyend tracker mini, how much bigger than the mini is the bento?
I’ll take a photo for you this evening.
Kind of off the current topic, but I wanted to come back and touch base after some extended use on a trip out to the west coast this past weekend.
It does make an excellent travel partner. I got completely lost in it on the plane ride back east in particular. My four hour flight went by before I knew what had happened.
A few days before I left I had found myself getting a little frustrated with the touchscreen for sequencing. While I was traveling, I started using a combination of the screen and the event knob and was suddenly moving around really quickly and having a lot of fun with the Bento.
It’s my favorite portable form factor and workflow of any of the compact samplers or synths that I’ve had hands on up to this point.
I had been waiting for the unfinished aspect of it to start bothering me and it really hasn’t yet.
Once audio (and midi) tracks come to fruition, the Bento is a keeper for me. I feel like it does a great job of staying out of its own way, makes it easy to come up with good sounds, and have just had a really good time writing with it. I haven’t even gotten to major parts of its functionality like the looper track yet. I’m just having too much fun with the other parts of it up to this point.
Overall, I’m enjoying the hell out of it and am looking forward to seeing what comes next.