Sampler Comparison / Shootout / Test - .WAV

Dom · 2014-12-07T03:28:06.000Z

La comparazione.

https://soundcloud.com/niquethomas/sets/la-comparazione

1 sample. 7 samplers.

AKAI MPC-2500
BOSS SP-303
ELEKTRON DPS-1
KORG MS-1
ROLAND SP-404SX
ROLAND MV-8800
YAMAHA SU-700

I tried to make it as fair as possible for all the samplers, so I went straight out of my Vestax handy trax via line-out (RCA) into the sampler’s line-in. After that, the sampler’s line out went into my portable recorder, an Olympus LS-100.

So what do we all think?
What’s the best?
What’s the worst?
What’s what?

I’ll reveal the answers after some time.

la_comparazione.jpg2000×1333 790 KB

Sook · 2014-12-07T03:53:33.000Z

some questions…

why is there 18 files? 1 sample, 7 samplers… even A/D, A/D + D/A that makes 14… i would feel its best not to complicate things and just have 8 files, 7 in + out of each sampler, plus a control; original sample with no sampler…

did you match the volume post recording? important to compare at same levels…

can you make the original files available for download so we can listen to them without soundlcouds compression…

can you include the original sample recorded straight into the Olympus LS-100 for comparison… ?

thanks for taking the time to do this…

Dom · 2014-12-07T04:44:40.000Z

""Sook"":

some questions…

why is there 18 files? 1 sample, 7 samplers… even A/D, A/D + D/A that makes 14… i would feel its best not to complicate things and just have 8 files, 7 in + out of each sampler, plus a control; original sample with no sampler…

did you match the volume post recording? important to compare at same levels…

can you make the original files available for download so we can listen to them without soundlcouds compression…

can you include the original sample recorded straight into the Olympus LS-100 for comparison… ?

thanks for taking the time to do this…

Hi Sook,

Some of the samplers have various settings for recording such as variable sampling rate (48kHz,44.1kHz,24kHz,22kHz,11kHz,6kHz) and/or bit depth, so I wanted to showcase that. There’s another file I still have to add, but the original sample recorded directly into the Olympus LS-100 was just added and noted on the soundcloud playlist.

I did the best I could with the recordings today… I’ll see if I can find a website to host the files (before soundcloud compression).

Dom · 2014-12-07T22:47:56.000Z

This should be helpful for everyone.

MS-1
-Stereo (48kHz)
DPS-1
-Stereo (44.1kHz, 24 bit)
DPS-1
-Stereo (44.1kHz, 16 bit)
MPC-2500
-Stereo (44.1kHz, 16 bit)
MV-8800
-Stereo (44.1kHz, 16 bit)
SP-303
-Stereo (44.1kHz)
SP-404SX
-Stereo (44.1kHz, 16 bit)
SU-700
-Stereo (44kHz, 16 bit)
SU-700
-Stereo (44kHz, 8 bit)
MS-1
-Stereo (24kHz)
SP-303
-Stereo Long (22.05kHz)
SU-700
-Stereo (22kHz, 16 bit)
SU-700
-Stereo (22kHz, 8 bit)
MS-1
-Stereo (12 kHz)
SP-303
-Stereo Lo Fi (11.025kHz)
SP-404SX
-Stereo Lo Fi*
SU-700
-Stereo (11kHz, 16 bit)
SU-700
-Stereo (11kHz, 8 bit)
MS-1
-Stereo (6kHz)

*You can sample with LO-FI mode on the SP-303, but it’s an effect on the SP-404SX. Still, I thought it could be helpful to hear the differences between those two SPs)

Also, you can download the original files on gearslutz via this post. It is missing the Vestax to Olympus LS-100, though.

Muddler · 2014-12-08T02:43:05.000Z

Thank you.
I was surprised at how bad the mpc sounded in between the MV and the OT. Also, to my ears the sp-303 and the su-700 were the best sounding budget samplers.
There are 20 entries but you only list 19, what’s the last one? Could you just put a comment on each one telling us what they are; it would make me more confident I’m hearing the right thing.

Does the MPC really sound this bad?
unbelievable…

Dom · 2014-12-08T05:06:02.000Z

Hi Muddler,

Which recording are you referring to?

I haven’t revealed the answers yet… I’d like to see more people chime in before I do.

Hope you don’t mind the wait, but I’ll post the results before the new year!

The recording that I didn’t list (out of the 20) is the “control” aka Vestax handy trax direct into the LS-100 that Sook had asked for. The recording rate for all the recordings became 44.1kHz, 16 bit in the Olympus LS-100.

…The Yamaha SU-700 originally retailed for over $1000 USD (£849 according to soundonsound.com). It is probably the closest relative to the Octatrack in terms of features. The manual states:“SU700 is a combination sampler, sequencer, mixer, and multi-effector - a powerful new tool for a wide range of performance and recording environments”. Pretty cool for 1999.

Muddler · 2014-12-08T05:27:04.000Z

ah, ok. I thought that list was corresponding to the playlist. NM.

I would love if you would tell me in a PM which ones the MPC and OT are. Just bc I am sorta trying to pick one.

I’d love to know the MS-1 and sp-404sx for that matter.

maybe people will play along, so I don’t want to be a spoil sport, sorry. I misunderstood. But yeah, If you’d give me a bone with the OT and MPC samples I would be appreciative. I promise I won’t tell.

As for guessing, I’ve only ever owned one of them so I couldn’t do it really.
And yeah, I know the su-700 was pricey back in the day but so was the sp-808, asr and MPC 1000; all of which are plenty budget these days.

Dom · 2014-12-08T06:30:20.000Z

Can you wait one week?

The KORG Microsampler is my favorite sampler. It was the first sampler I bought (2011), so I’m probably biased. Besides the four sampling rates (48, 24, 12, 6), it’s extremely intuitive to work with, good effects, and it’s the quickest to sample of any samplers (key gate).

As far as mixing and mashing samples, I find it a lot easier to work on a keyboard sampler than a pad-based sampler (or trig keys) because I have more samples available at once. I’m hoping that Elektron will release an update to enable MIDI input for the slices because it’s hard to get a feel of how samples will BEST (subjective, I know) sound in order. For me, pressing “scale set-up” 4x to go through the 64 slices isn’t as fun and it’s easy to lose focus.

I’ve always been surprised to see that some people do not like the KORG MS-1, but it is what it is.

This guy, 3sleeves, posted some good videos for the MS-1 https://www.youtube.com/user/3sleeves/search?query=microsampler.

Muddler · 2014-12-08T07:20:51.000Z

Sure, I can wait. Doubt this will sway my final decision much anyway.

I’m either going with a looper plus sampler (mpc or electribe sampler)

or

the OT.

The thing is the 15% sale is over this sunday so I’m trying hard to figure it out asap.

I had the OT for about two weeks and I liked it but it surely wasn’t fun bc I needed to study button combos and I was just holding on. I’m pretty sure I could get it eventually though. I sold it and bought an AR (which I love).

I had the ms-1 and traded it for an OP-1 which was a bad choice on multiple levels (I won’t get into it though). The op-1 is cute and I liked it but it didn’t do what I wanted. The sound on both was very good as far as I can remember. I miss my ms-1. I sold the op-1 too, ha.

Now I have an sp-404 og which sounds good but the effects can be digitally harsh and pretty limited and getting a perfect loop will do your head in.

Edit; I just bid on a MS-1. Guess that’s the one.

KOTARE · 2014-12-08T13:04:24.000Z

What kind of music are you making Muddler?

Muddler · 2014-12-08T14:03:21.000Z

It’s just weird. I call it trip hop but I’m not polished enough to say im a specific genre. Maybe I should link my soundcloud someday.
I like flylo and west coast hip hop plus DnB but that isn’t what I make. Anyway, I don’t want to get slammed for derailing another thread (seems that’s my MO lol).

I’ve used the ms-1 b4 and I got it for 280 so it’ll do for now.

musicmagus · 2014-12-08T16:07:52.000Z

To me, 1099 sounds the best, but there is a bit of loss of high end. Some of this hiss disappears, but so do the cymbals a bit.

TrabanT · 2014-12-08T22:25:45.000Z

this shootout is an awesome idea! cool that you put so much work into it … I would like to see :
always compare 4 samples and have users choose the best 1 … keep on mixing the results into the ramaining 4 x 4 x 4 … and see if you can get a representative result. … i have a hard time memorizing 20 diff slices … will listen again tomorrow …
do you want a oscilloscope visual of the 3 winning samples?

EDIT

ignore my bullshit 5 9 13 19 are my favs … awesome project ! cant wait to find out !!!

Muddler · 2014-12-09T02:11:30.000Z

ok I’ll guess on a few of them
2 sp-303
3 mpc2500
5 DPS-1 24bit
8 DPS-1 16 bit
9 su-700
12 MS-1 (48)
13 MV-8000
18 sp-303 (?)
19 sp-404sx

My favorites were 5 8 12.
I do think the pool is a bit large.

mrt · 2014-12-09T05:21:26.000Z

What no Zoom Sampltrak?? Just kidding, this project is awesome but you should totally grab one, the lo-fi is to die for and they sell pretty cheap these days on eBay.

I’ll give this a good hard listen once my exams are over Thursday. I know for sure I’ll spot the 303 lo-fi as well as the 404SX lo-fi because thats the definition of a downgrade (and not the good kind…). ALTHOUGH I did recently listen to that Julian Casablanca track on the new Daft Punk record through the 404SX’s lo-fi and it sounded really cool.

Dom · 2014-12-14T00:48:43.000Z

MS-1 - 1085
-Stereo (48kHz)
DPS-1 - 1111
-Stereo (44.1kHz, 24 bit)
DPS-1 - 1099
-Stereo (44.1kHz, 16 bit)
MPC-2500 - 1084
-Stereo (44.1kHz, 16 bit)
MV-8800 - 1097
-Stereo (44.1kHz, 16 bit)
SP-303 - 1078
-Stereo (44.1kHz)
SP-404SX - 1082
-Stereo (44.1kHz, 16 bit)
SU-700 - 1107
-Stereo (44kHz, 16 bit)
SU-700 - 1104
-Stereo (44kHz, 8 bit)
MS-1 - 1090
-Stereo (24kHz)
SP-303 - 1079
-Stereo Long (22.05kHz)
SU-700 - 1106
-Stereo (22kHz, 16 bit)
SU-700 - 1103
-Stereo (22kHz, 8 bit)
MS-1 -1092
-Stereo (12 kHz)
SP-303 - 1081
-Stereo Lo Fi (11.025kHz)
SP-404SX - 1083
-Stereo Lo Fi*
SU-700 - 1105
-Stereo (11kHz, 16 bit)
SU-700 - 1100
-Stereo (11kHz, 8 bit)
MS-1 - 1094
-Stereo (6kHz)

Screen_Shot_2014_12_13_at_4_55_48_PM.png595×644 76.8 KB

Updated below:

https://soundcloud.com/niquethomas/sets/la-comparazione

musicmagus · 2014-12-14T01:41:31.000Z

well, there it is… I picked the octatrack in this comparison as the best sounding sampler to my ears. I guess I bought the right one then

TrabanT · 2014-12-14T08:57:46.000Z

thanks for the update and the work / time you put into this … please more of that sort of “blind tests”

bolandross · 2014-12-14T09:19:59.000Z

Thanks a lot for the effort you put into making this!!

Muddler · 2014-12-14T09:24:57.000Z

I got one right lol.
It seems I really liked the su700. Who knew?
I was surprisingly disappointed with the 404sx. I feel the 303 sounded better.

Thanks!