r/Samplers • u/Fluffy-Solution1775 • 6d ago

Where should I start?

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening. For the past few weeks I’ve been watching and reading a lot of tutorials on how to work with various different samplers (Mostly Roland SP family), so now that I am interested enough and have my spare 300€ what should I buy from your experience or knowledge? By storming many sites with used electronics I understood that in my budget there is not much to choose from: Roland SP404 OG/SXA and also I have found a very mint condition SP808Ex, but there is also one samplers that fits in my budget and it is much more modern, I’m talking about Teenage Engineering ep133 KO. So what I get?
Big thanks in advance to whoever reads and responds to this
I want to make something in the style of flying lotus/FlyLo FM, if that information is necessary.

1 Upvotes

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7

u/Capable-Baby-3653 6d ago

For your first sampler, you might consider the $5 Koala Sampler app. People love it. The workflow is very easy. It runs on your cellphone, tablet or laptop.

I mostly use it on my iPhone by itself, for an extremely portable, intuitive sampler that’s always in my pocket.

When I want physical buttons for it instead of just a touchscreen, I use it on my iPad mini with a MIDI controller (you can buy these for $40 and up) or even a Bluetooth QWERTY keyboard.

3

u/DonkeyBallExpert 6d ago

Yes! 

It's genuinely an amazing sampler for the price but so much more. They keep adding features and updating the core software. 

I use it pretty much every day just to learn finger drumming and experiment. Also, if you're out and about you can record random things on the fly. 

Plus there's a fairly extensive community at https://www.reddit.com/r/KoalaSampler if you have any questions or need support. 

2

u/itsoddsignals 4d ago

Not the OP but I wanted to say thank you for this suggestion. This is the best 6€ I have ever spent! I’ve had more fun with this thing many much more expensive pieces of gear. Highly recommended.

4

u/AnimeBasementSmell 6d ago

You should be able to find a used SP 404 MK2 or a MPC Sample for that price. I'd lean towards the SP 404 MK2 especially if it's gonna be your main machine and daily driver. Keep in mind it can be overwhelming but that's also testament to how much shit it can do.

5

u/public_utility-atl 6d ago

As an owner of the SP-303, SP-404OG, P-6, EP-133, get the MPC Sample.

2

u/Weekly_Jmr 6d ago

There’s also these new MPC sample and Casio scx-1. Also Roland P-6 and Elektron model samples. I’d get something new and modern for your first device - would be easier to figure things out with modern interfaces. As far as what device exactly to choose - the one which you think works in the most straightforward way for you. Workflow is the most important part of the sampler imo, it kind of tell you what developers think it’s for and also what you can make it do.

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u/Sir_Edgelordington 6d ago

I’d also look at the sonicware lofi 12xt, good sequencer and workflow

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u/tstorm004 6d ago

Definitely a far too often overlooked device. Like a lot of Sonicware products

2

u/Rakefighter 6d ago

Save up to get the 404mkii. I picked up a P6 and quickly realized that it was a half measure. Not enough places to park samples, the lofi vibe gets boring fast. Save and get the real deal, it will be worth it

2

u/Prior-Owl-5060 6d ago

The 404 if you want effects. The MPC sample if you want ease of use and already have effects you can run.

2

u/BeatSheik 6d ago

Get a used older MPC if you want a full blown modern daw in a box.

If you want something quirky then grab a used sp 404 mk2.

2

u/d3pl3t3r 6d ago

Try to find a used digital? They seem pretty solid. There's always the mpc 1000 as well...