Hardware Sampler with the most hands-on interface?

[Shreddie]

I basically want a synthesizer which can use sampled sounds as oscillators (like the Nord Wave and the V Synth).

All sampler synths do that... You mean looped waveforms and the like yeah?

So, the various "beat box" samplers that have been mentioned so far probably won't work for me.

Have another look at the MPCs, I think all but the MPC500 can do that... The MPC5000 most certainly can.

[Robonaut]

I basically want a synthesizer which can use sampled sounds as oscillators (like the Nord Wave and the V Synth).

All sampler synths do that... You mean looped waveforms and the like yeah?

So, the various "beat box" samplers that have been mentioned so far probably won't work for me.

Have another look at the MPCs, I think all but the MPC500 can do that... The MPC5000 most certainly can.

Maybe, but the interface on the various MPCs looks pretty limited. I want something which has dedicated knobs for things like the envelopes, oscillator tuning, filter cutoff, resonance, LFO waveform, LFO rate, etc.

Unless I'm missing something, the MPCs (in fact, most samplers in general) don't have that.

[Shreddie]

Maybe, but the interface on the various MPCs looks pretty limited. I want something which has dedicated knobs for things like the envelopes, oscillator tuning, filter cutoff, resonance, LFO waveform, LFO rate, etc.

Unless I'm missing something, the MPCs (in fact, most samplers in general) don't have that.

To quote Akai's MPC5000 page...

12 Q-link controllers for internal automation, external MIDI control and quick parameter editing

They're not dedicated controls but you could set up a template which kept the mapping of the knobs constant.

It has 8 knobs and 4 faders which I believe can be assigned to almost anything (Don't take my word for that though). You're right to say that many samplers/sampling synths are low on the number of knobs but I think the MPC5000 has more than most... Probably the most knobby of them is the V-synth series but they are a bit of a compromise compared to other samplers... Great technology limited by low multitimbrality.

Why not do what alot of other people do and download the manuals for the gear which you think might fit the bill... Have a read of them and see which seems the best for you.

[balma]

Robonaut, each request yo make fits with the V Synth.

get the classic one. Is simple a great sampler with a great interface. dedicated controllers for Formant, pitch,, ADSR, routing, effects, etc knobs and buttons dedicated. I can imagine other synth that could fit better with your needs.

MPC5000 is great as an all in one machine

BUT!:

MPC5000.................. $2000
V-Synth.................... $750

With $2000, you could get, a Vsynth, a MPC500, a Electribe ESX1 and a ROland SP808ex.

But of course you don't need so much samplers.

Get the Vsynth.

[speak_onion]

Hey SPEAKONION..... you definitly have a weird concept of sample tweaking or hands-on.

Yeah, I think I misunderstood. I am also an SP808 freak, and I was interpreting that "live performance" feel that you mention as "hands-on" quality, but I didn't realize we were talking about the way that samples are morphed. I was just thinking that I'd be much more likely to "play" an 808 than an electribe with my hands totally triggering samples and tweaking FX and D-Beaming and whatnot. In fact, that's what I did for the year or so that I had an SP808 as the hart of my live setup. I'd still be using it except I found zip disks to be too unreliable.

[balma]

Hey SPEAKONION..... you definitly have a weird concept of sample tweaking or hands-on.

Yeah, I think I misunderstood. I am also an SP808 freak, and I was interpreting that "live performance" feel that you mention as "hands-on" quality, but I didn't realize we were talking about the way that samples are morphed. I was just thinking that I'd be much more likely to "play" an 808 than an electribe with my hands totally triggering samples and tweaking FX and D-Beaming and whatnot. In fact, that's what I did for the year or so that I had an SP808 as the hart of my live setup. I'd still be using it except I found zip disks to be too unreliable.

Well, for the moment that SP808 was released (1998) they were one of the best extraible data storage devices.

-they f**k a lot, From 10 zip disks, 2 won't last a month and give problems.
-they are NOISY. Terrible noisy. Sometimes, when I eject them, I feel such peace in my room.....

And I have two SP 808ex.

Also, I have the SCSI board installed on one of them. So, so handy!

But I have a big inconvenient. I never was able to make the f**k external zip drive to work.

If I have connected the external zip drive, the SP 808 does not turn on. Same thing if the SP808 is working, just plugging the cable into the SCSI board, and immediately turns off.

Maybe I'll have to plug it in my asshole to make it work properly

[Dj Pound]

Yeah, the MPC's dont have alot of dedicated knobs for real time control and sound manipulation Whenever I go back to using my 2000XL after just having used my ESX for a long period of time, It takes time to re-adjust to not having all those knobs at my disposal!

[balma]

Programmable knobs have their pros and contras. Most of the people does not like them, they prefer to have already a permanent parameter assigned to them.

but you must remember that the MPC is not just a sample based drum machine but also a "all in one" music production center to control other synths. And that's when those knobs become very handy.

I used to have the 127 CC table sticked on the wall next to the synths, since......


f**k!!!! an earthquake!

leaving levin the bulding slow down....

[Dj Pound]

Agreed. Just to give you an example though, take for instance a filter sweep. Just your basic average run of the mill LPF filter sweep with some resonance. IMPOSSIBLE to do on the 2000xl. You cant do automated pan or volume changes either Aside from that, the 2000xl has a few redeeming qualities though. The 16 levels feature is lots of fun and quite useful.