Smallest chromatic samplers?

[pricklyrobot]

* I'm not necessarily looking for a piece of gear at the moment, but please move this to Buyer's Guide if that seems a more appropriate place for it.*

I tried searching for this, but just kept turning up groove-boxes. I was just wondering what, if any, compact (i.e. desktop as opposed to rackmount) samplers are out there that can do chromatic sampling (as opposed to the percussion/one-shot oriented stuff of most groove-box type samplers).

[nogginj]

akai s-20 can do that. you have to have a midi keyboard/seq connected though, you cannot do it from the box alone.

funny because this thing is definitely marketed as a 'groove box' 'one-shot' 'loop' sampler.

[tallowwaters]

Only thing I can think of is the V Synth XT, which kind of doesn't fit in with your criteria.

The ESX and Microsampler can sample chromatically, as I am sure you well aware, but it isn't their forte.

[pricklyrobot]

Yeah, I guess it's probably a market that never really happened. Hardware samplers were on the way out at the same time desktop sized stuff was starting to get popular.

I suppose the Blofeld, with the upgrade, sort of fits the bill.

[cornutt]

There's the Korg Microsampler. Still available from Sweetwater, to name one.

[THEODICY]

The Octatrack can do this now. Hopefully there will be a polymode implemented in the future! Instant 8 voice synth

[harness]

mpc 1000 with JJOS?

[gmeredith]

Casio SK1?

[pricklyrobot]

Casio SK1?

My friend has a Yamaha VSS-30. It's fun to mess around with. If it only had a brain.

[Hugo76]

I think the SP-505 can pitch samples chromatically.

[balma]

Only thing I can think of is the V Synth XT, which kind of doesn't fit in with your criteria.

The ESX and Microsampler can sample chromatically, as I am sure you well aware, but it isn't their forte.

I thinl they have only three "chromatic" tracks stretch part 1 & 2 and the slice track. An they can´t be played on scale notes. the keyboard parts 1 and 2 can be played on scale notes but the sounds´ length will increase or decrease as you play over the octaves.

The Roland VP9000 can manipulate samples with the variphrase technology. But they are not so easy to get and normally cost $500-600.

[blavatsky]

microsampler in keyboard mode does the pitch stretch thing (high notes are chipmunky, etc) but you can also use regular sampler mode and say use 12 samples and it will "fill-in" the gaps to give you 36 chromatic notes. Or if you are patient, put all 36 notes on there and have zero stretch/chipmunk effect.

[pricklyrobot]

Some interesting replies. Thanks.

I'm looking at doing more collaborating (maybe eventually gigs) in the future, so I was trying to think of something that's easier to lug out of the house than the A-3000.

I'm kind of curious to try out the MicroSampler (sample from my A-3000 to it, perhaps?), despite the very mixed opinions. Maybe the the MkII will exist once I've paid off my Musician's Friend card in a couple of months, and I'm ready for another 12-months no-interest purchase.

[tallowwaters]

Some interesting replies. Thanks.

I'm looking at doing more collaborating (maybe eventually gigs) in the future, so I was trying to think of something that's easier to lug out of the house than the A-3000.

I'm kind of curious to try out the MicroSampler (sample from my A-3000 to it, perhaps?), despite the very mixed opinions. Maybe the the MkII will exist once I've paid off my Musician's Friend card in a couple of months, and I'm ready for another 12-months no-interest purchase.

I picked one up in hopes of using it as a chromatic/keyboard sampler, and it f**k sucked in that regard.

[tallowwaters]

Oh, just hit me - Roland DJ 70. Not tiny, but about as small as you are going to get keyboard sampler wise.