Sound quality/ sound character = not the same thing.
Look for high numbers for quality eg 24bit 44.1khz or higher.
Character is something else entirely and totally subjective.
6 Likes
not quite the “sparkle” OP is looking for i think. haha
1 Like
his loss 
2 Likes
the sound on sound function on my tape echo is a sampler
True. OP asked for sparkle which can be interpreted as either one of those, maybe @NickyG could eloborate some more: are you looking for good quality sampling (meaning transparent) or good sound (often meaning: adding something non transparent to the sound)?
After years if owning a lot of different samplers I now believe that all samplers have a ‘sound’ to a certain degree, which might be partly because of the convertors or components used, the way the software handles the audio or psychoacoustics (your mind fooling you into believing something sounds a certain way, for instance because of the looks of a machine). I guess what sounds good is a matter of personal taste.
I personally didn’t gel soundwise with the sp404mk2 or the OT, even though many people have pointed out they sound quite transparent. I adore the s2400, sp404sx, analog rytm and digitakt but that might just be my personal taste. I’m not familiar with the other samplers on your list, but I guess the only way for you to figure it out is to try them!
1 Like
wait… so if I put something in, it comes out better, then I put it back again… and again… and… do I wake up famous? 
could you briefly (or not, but even a few keywords will do), juxtapose the sound of those four? like, how their ‘non-transparencies’ differ, subjectively?
I haven’t noticed HF degradation with the Box, but it has the highest noise floor level I’ve witnessed in a sampler or any standalone for that matter. Eurorack modules excluding — I guess it’s the rack’s legacy.
Not exactly cheap, but the OP-1f has great sound quality.
It’s not really that simple. The way the sample data is written doesn’t really have anything to do with the way it’s recorded or played back. Pitch interpolation, anti-aliasing filters, summing, the input amplifier, let alone the quality of the coding and how well the pcb is laid out all affect the sound.
The blackbox the OP is complaining about is 24/48. I have an electrix repeater which is 16/44 and should be full frequency but it has a very noticeable high frequency roll off. The e-mu emax which is an 8 bit sampler (with a couple tricks under the hood) can sound more hi-fi than a lot of 16 bit samplers at it’s highest sample rate, likely because it has a very relaxed anti-aliasing filter and all the summing is done in the analog realm. The specs are only a small part of the story.
3 Likes
Akai S5000/S6000, probably.
2 Likes
The first time i used my Isla S2400 i was shocked how much more character(especially in vocals) there was to my other samplers. And that was on Hifi 24 bit. Dropping it down to 12 bit i was in lofi nirvana.
2 Likes
My experience
SP-16 sounds excellent - basic but fun
Digitakt sounds good - deep and fun
Deluge sounds okay - functional and fun
Polyend Tracker sounds like shit
Emu XT is the best sounding sampler i have ever heard
Those filters and the converters are top notch
2 Likes
Never tried a S2400 sadly, but the SP16 and DJS1000 are the highest quality and best sounding that I own, if we’re talking high fidelity anyway.
Although I’ve used rack samplers for years, personally I wouldn’t recommend going the vintage Akai/Emu/Ensoniq/Kurzweill/Roland route today, unless you’re willing to make really profound changes to your workflow.
SCSI still gives me nightmares…
2 Likes
Here goes describing sound with highly subjective terms haha so take this for my personal bs opinion:
Digitakt: sparkle on the higher mid frequencies, quite detailed, a bit one dimensional but punchy.
AR: less high end, very warm/organic, punchy. Less detailed
Sp404sx: detailed, clear but with a soft rounded high end and just enough character
S2400: very nice sparkle on the high frequencies. Clean but with punch and character. Lofi mode= all the aliasing one could want.
1 Like
Yes to clarify the ‘missing sparkle’ I mean it sounds a little flat/dull compared to the original source, its transparency I’m after really.
Why that? With a Locutus the Assimil8or is quite “standalone” in a small skiff 
That´s strange. Imho, the blackbox is one of the best, soundwise. The M8 sounds awesome, too.
1 Like
I love the sound of the polyend tracker personally. Really good at low bit rate
Octatrack is good
MPC Live sounded good to my ears I just didn’t like the touch screen so got rid of it
MPC 1K sounds great
M8 also had a lot of character… very punchy when master compressor is used
not even decent for its noise floor. out of curiosity, what does your unit’s meter say with no audio coming in?