My brother is considering buying his first sampler/groovebox. He has experience with logic pro, some recording, editing and mixing but he didn’t enjoy working on a computer a lot.
He’s a fan of massive attack, portishead etc.
His budget is around 500 €. It would be cool if he could make full beats/track scetches.
He’s playing several instruments like guitar, bass, violin and piano so sampling option is a must.
Options for synth sounds would also be nice of course.
So thought about following options, but I only have experience with few of them:
Maschine mk2 (or Push1), but I think he would prefer no computer at all
Digitakt (I got mine used for 500) - he can borrow it from me and test. Don’t know if he will like the elektron workflow
MPC 1000 - I owned a 500 and didn’t like it, but this one should be far better I guess
Korg electribe sampler - no idea, read a lot of negative things about the workflow
Volca sample and circuit can’t record samples right?
Any other good options?
Any input is welcome. Thanks.
I’d go used MPC if we are talking hardware. Back when music computers were still beyond my budget the MPC 1000 held me down.
I recorded and edited live keys.
I got to layer drums and percussion with other elements.
Song mode forced me to write songs in 4 sequences or less.
92.00 bpm and swing the grooves by ear.
I use the mpc studio right now but it does the same thing for me.
Borrowed DT looks like the best option. If he‘s not afraid of the deep end, OT MK1s seem to be getting closer to the projected budget. Don‘t you have one, too?
…oh, a mpc 1000 with jjos would suit him perfectly, i guess…and can be catched around 500 bux these days…
can be easily slaved to any daw and also easily recorded back with single outs for final mixing and additional arranging…
he will dig fingerdrumming full on, can always plug any midi keyboard to it, sampling dusty triphop stuff from the daw or any other diverse sources, loop slicing and sequencing whole and complex arrangements big time, promise…not to mention that also any synth can be played by that sequencer…two pairs of midi in and outs always there at hand…
with jjos the super tight and groovy one shot sample concept can even become a classic mappable sampler with lots of layers…and as we all know…u can sample anything out there…
he can even record mic signals directly into the machine with jjos and arpeggiate anything he wants…
forget about the electribes…whole different story and not even half that versatile…
digitakt is working with a solid stepgrid only…so real playing can’t be done that easily while the sequencer of the mpc worx way more like an endless good old tape track recorder that catches anything u want…also learning curve is way more flat and direct than on any elektron concept…
and ur always free from any computer if u whish so…
Yes I have both. But I think the OT is too deep for him at the moment. I want to provide him immediate enjoyment. The DT might be good for this job. I guess it’s pretty straight forward. Limited, but fun.
…well, they’re defenitly not even close to the charme of elektrons built in fx…but they can add quite nice details anyway…and the bitcrush is almost an instrument of it’s own…
but know, they’re hardwired to the stereo outs…even if they’re off…so for pure clarity use single out’s 1/2…
but the mpc concept all in all was my biggest push in producing music only on one device ever…!
and with the jjos it’s a real killer!..
sorry elektron…but no matter how good and deep and clever ur stuff sounds and worx, u never have built something that could compete with this old Miidi Production Center sampler concept of the good old akai days… at least if it comes to musical simplicity and complexity at the same time and one for all…
and hell yeah, i still run a mpc to get real control over ur beautyful and overwhelming octatrack concept…
well, stepsequencing is not really compareable to multi sequncing tape recorder style…
and let’s be honest…the takt is also a one shot sampler…but with way more limitations and head around wrapping than a good old mpc…but maybe u never had one under ur fingers and think stepsequencerthinking is all out there…it’s not…once u’d really started fingerdrumming, u’d get the idea…
i found my way to stepsequencers first time with elektron gear…and will never dig any other stepsequncing…but only because of p locking…
only classic 303 is a classic…forget about all the others out there…just fame suckers…
and what has a 303 concept has to do with the original question, anyway…?
How about a SP-303? I have a 404 but don’t recommend if wanting to record live instruments as you can’t monitor while recording. Didn’t realize that when I purchased but the 303 can. 500 was awkward and sold quickly as menu diving on a jog wheel was brutal.
…er, i’m really enjoying techtalk and been a music producer all my life…but i never ever used a roland machine…always hated them within days and got rid of them…even back in the days, when they were really inventive, i could’nt dig their stuff…while still respecting their clear achievements for modern music up to day…
but that list is pretty short…juno, jupiter, 808, 909, 303 and 101…that’s it…everything else was pure copycat business of their own or others inventions…
and if u look at all that aira stuff, oh my god, what a crap…
and sorry guys, they never got sampling right…what u call 303 or 404 here is nothing but bad akai rip offs…
when i say 303 i mean this little genius simple bass synth machine they originally invented for wedding bands that can’t afford a bassplayer…
