Compact live-oriented polyphonic sampler?

The Lounge Other Gear
#1

Hey Rimshots and Cowbells,

In a world of cramped gig situations, what is the best solution out there for a light, compact, polyphonic sample-playback synth with standard controls + effects that most established major brand synths offer?

Are we at the point yet where a AKAI Z4 functions can be reached on a top-spec iPad or Mac Mini, with musically acceptable latency?

My live setup is laptop free, usually stuff like Rytm MK2, an analog bassline synth, a Korg Radias multitimbral rack synth and hardware MIDI sequencer…but what I’m missing is an environment to trigger a polyphonic and multitimbral sample-based synth with effects/EQ.

For example, a Roland Fantom XR rack would be amazing if it were 33% as deep in the rack…or a Korg M3M tabletop module if it were half as wide. Or a Nord Modular G2 Engine which could use sampled waveforms as oscillators.

See what I’m goin’ for? I need multilayered patches which are recallable based on sampled waveforms…those great strings, wavestation-type pads, etc…

Any suggestions?? Is a MacMini running Kontakt possible to achieve the same live-performance-acceptable latency as one of the standalone hardware synths listed above???

THANKS!

#2

Synthstrom Deluge?
It’s light, compact, polyphonic sampler, with effects, multitimbral, multisamples, no latency…

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#3

Axoloti could probably do it if you can be bothered building it. I keep meaning to get one in order to try this exact thing but keep getting distracted :stuck_out_tongue:

It really is a shame that most sample based machines on the market are more focused towards drum sampling.

As for a software solution, I’ve found that the latency on my non-touchbar MBP from last year is pretty low*. The latest generation Mac Minis are basically the MBP without peripherals, so I think it’d be pretty similar.

* there’s still measurable latency, and if I really concentrate I can hear it, but I’m able to play in time just fine. YMMV :smiley: I totally understand the desire to get away from a software solution for other reasons though.

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#4

Is it easy to create a multi-layered voice which triggers 4 samples at once with a different amp envelopes for each, for example? This is how Yamaha, Korg, and Roland make such amazing patches in their ROMplers…

#5

Beatsqueezer ?

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#6

The first thing that comes to mind is the C&G Organelle. I believe there are a few C&G official patches covering poly sampler functionality in various ways. And lots of unconventional sampler/looper/slicer/etc. patches besides. And I believe the ORAC system lets you build a sampler-effects chain. It’s worth exploring as an option.

Is it easy to create a multi-layered voice which triggers 4 samples at once with a different amp envelopes for each, for example?

Might be doable with ORAC, though I’d have to work out how to achieve it exactly. (Actually sounds like a cool thing I’d want too… will see if I can build it on my Organelle when I get a spare moment)

#7

These are all super interesting suggestions…lots of tools I’ve seen before but never considered. Thank you for pitching in, folks!

#8

Why not an MPC Live?

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#9

The latest generation minis now actually use desktop CPUs instead of the mobile ones in the laptops, giving better performance.

#10

Ah right! I admit I was going on older information :stuck_out_tongue:

#11

It’s correct for the previous generations, but they changed that with the most recent update.

FWIW, the new minis are a really interesting choice for a compact, high-performance live setup, I think.

#12

You can load easily (in a step) a folder with different samples in each key, with automatic detection of pitch and redistribute to the corresponding keys. And you can repeat this operation for the 2nd oscillator of each synth preset, so you have 2 layers. You have 2 envelopes in every synth preset.
You can use as many synth tracks as you want, though I have not tried to play various tracks at the same time with the same keyboard midi channel, but I think is doable.
So it is very powerful, but maybe not exactly what you want.

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#13

Axoloti is clearly suboptimal as a sampler and would be difficult to patch.

it’s suboptimal even for a ROMpler-style drum machine due to its very limited memory. (that’s why i use Blofeld on stage, not Axoloti — because even velocity layers are not really affordable on Axo resources.)
and a sampler is yet more advanced, since it involves pitch shifts, resampling and stuff like that.

by the way, Blofeld. it’s a very compact polyphonic sampler (with 64M of memory) in particular.

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#14

Take a looky at beatmaker3 maybe. It really does have a cracking sampler.

#15

Hey there, necro’ing this because I’ve got some really great synth samples from Samples From Mars that I’d love to be able to play away from my computer.
Was thinking the Digitakt would be a good option but then I realized I dont think it has polyphony so I wouldn’t be able to play chords, except with maybe some awkward workarounds.

Wondering if anybody has good options for a relatively compact polyphonic sampling module, I can play it with a MIDI controller. Options I’ve found seem to include the sp404 mk2, or Korg Wavestate. But beyond the functionality I’m looking for here, I’m not super into those machines otherwise.

Thanks

#16

Why not Serato Sample/Studio? You can play Polyphonically samples/Timestretch and do a load more.

#17

Hey thanks, sorry to clarify I want to use a non-computer/DAW solution.
I can do this easily on my computer but I’m looking for a hardware option.

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#18

No Probs. I have a Isla S2400 that can but i dont think you want to pay that much?

#19

I think I’m looking for something less than the cost of a Macbook Air which is around 1500 CAD. Because after that it start to almost make sense to just buy a dedicated laptop for the purpose (even though I said I’d prefer dawless/hardware).

I also feel like the Digitakt is attractive for so many reasons, maybe I can just sacrifice polyphony if there is not another good option that really fits the bill.

#20

I see someone’s mentioned it already but I’ll second the suggestion of an MPC Live.

It is small (ish) and has the auto sampler feature which might save you a tonne of time if you need to multisample your hardware synths.

I dont have one - I have a Force instead but the auto sampler (same on both) is very effective.

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