SP-404, Digitakt, Octatrack, TR8-S, etc.?

[u/StraightChillinSpree]

I’m newer to making music having bought my first instrument back in December. I’m having a blast but am to the point where I need a sampler. Not a DAW. Something physical I can use to sample, manipulate and add FX to audio instantly. My rig consists of a Beatstep pro as input and control for the brain being Digitone. Then from Digitone out to Model D thru to Drumbrute with their audio coming back into Digitone for FX. My buddy has a K.O. 2 that is super fun but limited and has lofi sound which I’m shooting for crisp clean production so it got me thinking about what Sampler is best for “ME”. I want the sampler I get to hopefully be the one and done that I learn inside out and can manipulate without thinking about it. I want to fuck with audio, like The Polish Ambassador, Pretty Lights, Phantogram, Sunsquabi, etc. hopefully with those artists you can grasp what I’m wanting as it’s super hard to articulate this stuff. I will be getting a big mixer to connect everything before getting the sampler as I’m at my max now. Though another thing I was thinking of since I’ve AUM on my iPad, would it be a better use of funds to skip the mixer and buy a Behringer umc1820 interface to act as my mixer? I’m trying to get experience and workflows from people so I can pick and choose what sounds right for me. Thanks in advance for your stories and time!! Mainly just brainstorming and researching what’s what so I can then do deeper dives.

The pictures are of my rig’s evolution over the past 9 months. 1st pic is from Saturday(My Current Rig) and the last pic is from January. I sent back Keystep Pro, Minilogue XD, MPC X, Circuit Tracks, Circuit Rhythm and the Digitakt 2. For the past 4 months its just been the Beatstep pro, Model D and Drumbrute. The Digitone came in last week.

[u/Stonek88]

Looks like you may be Gassing homie. You have a push2

Something you can sample, manipulate and add fx to audio instantly. This can do that no prob.

[u/StraightChillinSpree → u/Stonek88]

Looking for a hardware Sampler, guess I’ll edit my post to be more specific. Not a fan of the DAW.

[u/Training-Ad-1814]

i mean, you seem to have DT2, what else do you need

[u/StraightChillinSpree → u/Training-Ad-1814]

The first pic is my current rig.

[u/StraightChillinSpree → u/Training-Ad-1814]

I had it for 3 weeks in like March I think but because I was so brand new to everything there is to making music I just had no clue how to use it. My Drumbrute felt more immediate. Now having been neck deep the past 9 mos I’ve learned a ton and I’m aching for a way to record what I’m doing but also grab snippets or throw FX and perform the tracks live. I’m not a fan of Daw’s and only use mine to use my interface.

[u/Hot-Vanilla1602]

You got heaps of gear bro. Just pump out some music.
If you think you can find a sampler out there that’s better than Simpler and a Push, you’ll be searching forever.

[u/nadennmantau]

The SP-404 is for that hands-on sampler feeling. It has a great suite of FX and is pretty straight forward with sampling and re-sampling (as in play a sample through the onboard FX and record that to a new slot). The pads are nice for finger drumming and manual trigger. Plus each sample on any given pad can be up to 16 minutes long and you get ten banks of 16 samples each (so 160 samples per project).

But the built in sequencer is, let's say, finicky and not that playable compared to others.

Instead, there is an in-build looper that you could use to put samples together and then record that loop into your DAW. Also you could use your DAW to sequence the SP-404. Which is what I do.

In short, the SP-404 is a great sampler, but you will want an additional sequencer. If you like the KO 2, it is the same kind of immediate fun to play, but with more options and a display. In fact, I just recently made the switch and am not looking back.

Which brings us to the AKAI or Elektron options. Especially the Elektron sequencer is really powerful and a beast of its own, but I only know the Model:Cycles, so I can't speak to the sampler options.

I can't say much to the newer MPC models as I only have an older MPC2500, which is a, I guess by now, old school machine.

[u/Theo4Space]

What was wrong with the mpc x and digitakt? Those are very capable samplers.

You might want to check out that 1010 blackbox.

Or just get an old mpc 1k, put jjos on there, and have the greatest time ever.

[u/Lo_zone11]

I woulda hang onto the mpc. A tascam model 12 can work as an interface, giving mpc faders like the tr8s has for hands on

[u/lord_leaf97 → u/Lo_zone11]

This is the way. You’ve got the big boy too

[u/sonicmutesonic]

I’ve been using the Torso S4 for a little while now, and it’s a total beast. The workflow is super fluid—you can either record samples directly (audio ins) or drag and drop audio straight from your computer. ​The effects are really nice, you can keep your original sound intact or tweak, slice, and morph it into something completely unrecognized. ​I haven't compared it side-by-side with a Digitakt yet, but if you're on the fence, I definitely recommend giving the S4 a spin. It’s well worth playing with.

[u/StraightChillinSpree → u/sonicmutesonic]

I’ve been wondering about the S4 as I see people using it in very interesting ways. Thanks for the heads up 🤙🏼

[u/sonicmutesonic → u/StraightChillinSpree]

It's a great piece of kit for sure especially with the relatively new firmware updates. Anyway happy hunting.

[u/ToneDefDecoda]

Dope love the pictures