Do you still use Hardware Samplers ?
Post if something is missing.

 

Synclavier and Fairlight are both missing.

 

samplecell? or is that a combo hardware/software I guess.... no... I do appreciate how different hardware samplers and whatnot interpolate and whatnot, as well as part of the sound (emax grunginess).... but to be honest, i don't miss the 90's and everything from mirages-eps's, akai s900-950-1000-1100 etc... and editing on those either small lcd's or even hexadecimal displays.

I guess it was good in that it made you use your ears more, and whatnot... and I still have transported those samples over etc.. but in a 'get off my lawn' moment, most people have no idea how easy it is now to do what took us days in the past...

I can see the point and sometimes hear the difference, but I can't be bothered right now...

 

Korg DSS1 & DSM1 (if you want call them samplers )

 

I use vintage and modern samplers. Also missing from your list are
Yamaha (TX16W) http://www.vintagesynth.com/yamaha/tx16w.php
Kurzweil (K250,K2000,K2500) http://www.vintagesynth.com/kurzweil/k250.php/ http://www.vintagesynth.com/kurzweil/k2000.php/ http://www.vintagesynth.com/kurzweil/k2500.php
Casio (FZ-1) http://www.vintagesynth.com/casio/fz1.php
Dynacord (ADS) http://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/dynacord-ads-sampler/5752
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Edit: A bit off-topic but related. There is an exellent software version of the Yamaha TX16W for Windows and Mac which can be dowloadedfor free https://www.tx16wx.com/download/ or you can get the Pro version from AudioZ

 

Last edited: Oct 12, 2019

Add these to list :

ELEKTRON OCTATRAK https://www.elektron.se/products/octatrack-mkii/
ELEKTRON MODEL: SAMPLES https://www.elektron.se/products/modelsamples/
ELEKTRON DIGITAKT https://www.elektron.se/products/digitakt/
PIONEER TORAIZ SP-16 https://www.pioneerdj.com/en-us/product/production/toraiz-sp-16/black/overview/

Modern hardware samplers are overpriced Waiting for BEHRINGER to release an affordable hardware sampler with extreme capabilities.

The only hardware sampling capabilities I have atm is a KURZWEIL K2VXS. lol

 

For specific crisp results, I still use the Ensoniq EPS, also the Emulator 4XT ultra is still great for electronic music. What I like about old samplers is how they are efficient, they make the most of the synthesis capabilities with very short audio samples. Short samples, huge sounds. It's obviously true that virtual samplers are easier to edit, but with scsi and an editor like sound forge, it's easy to edit samples on the computer screen and send them back to the sampler.

 

Pirate: yeah, I had an TX16W and that thing was a nightmare to program iirc, (it has been since the early 90's)... worst interface I have ever seen with a unit that actually had a damn display! ;).

The K2x line however was a different beast, and while the manuals were NYC phonebooks, they are great synthesizers and sampler/sample playback units. I love them and still have 2 of them... have to do the ole' scsi to usb zip drive trick to get stuff over from it from my daw if i wanna further process with it etc, or wait for 5 pin din for shorter stuff, and haven't been using it as much lately as temp in storage, but a great great instrument, and still waiting on the followup to that line...

 

@sisyphus You are correct those Yamahas were and still are a pain to program. Indeed, without Typhoon I would not touch it. http://nuedge.net/typhoon2000/WhatIsTyphoon.htm
The Kurzweil 2500 was a beast. I remember that it was close to $20,000 in the 90's. Crazy. Yet Imagine a Synth/sampler today costing $30,000. Crazy!! https://synth.market/en/catalogue/kurzweil/k2500x_aes_audio_elite_system/
@bluerover overpriced is an understatement. Behringer has shown that you can build nice synths and sell them at an affordable price. It has become the VW of the hardware synths. Don't take me wrong, Elektron are great products but way overpriced. I have a pair of Dave Smith synths, and although they are excellent, I find them overpriced too. If more manufacturers follow Behringer we are going to see a dramatic drop in prices in the next couple of years.

 

Last edited: Oct 12, 2019

Behringer has a one up on everybody though to make things so cheap. They make everything in house, from the VCOs/VCFs all the way up. The 'new' CEMs everyone is using in their synths are made by Behringer (and all the BBDs in all these new analog delays as well) so theres that too.

As far as samplers go, Im taking my E5000 Ultra and MPC with me to the grave. No software is ever going to replace an EIV. The ease of use in EOS and the filters alone cant be touched by any software piece of crap NI or anyone can come up with.

@The Pirate - theres a dude locally that has a K2000R for sale, comes with a HUGE library too and SCSI drives and everything. Looks like the dude has been using it as his number one since 1990 or something from all the crap he's got with it hah. Very tempted to grab it but Im scared of the Kurzweil OS hahaha.

 

How much is he asking?

 

Wish I had that Typhoon software back when I had that damn sampler! (I was using it a few years earlier ((91-92?)) ), but found myself using more the emax's (loved the crap aliasing from the filters or lack thereof etc), the 950's with drum triggering, the s1000/s1100's etc for higher end, and sample cells/ the amazing K2000 etc... I remember playing a k250 back in the late 80's, and yeah, that thing was expensive, heavy etc... I have seen them go for peanuts of late...

I would be a little wary of a used k2000 that old as mentioned above, ^^ unless you are willing or capable of replacing the LCD display (and get a backlit one akin to the 2500/2600 line!)... as they do kinda go with time, but I don't think it's that big of a hassle iirc... It is a great synth that certainly has stood the test of time. With the V.A.S.T. engine, you seriously could spend a lifetime going down the rabbit hole! ...

 

OMG. Kurzweil. I still have some Kurzweil hardware in storage, no longer used. Forgot all about them (and how much I paid for them)!

 

Korg Triton Rack - Samples plus Triton arps and effects
Korg M3 - Samples plus Karma
Yamaha EX7 - Samples plus FDSP - very good for for ambient, atmospheric music .
All in use ... Easy to work with , an write a song .

 

I grew up on hardware samplers before I even owned a computer but they'll never beat the convenience and ease of use of a software sampler. And for those who try to argue that you're likely to be more inspired with hardware than software samplers, they've never had to endure endless wait times to load a few MBs into the memory on those fucking dinosaurs. If you've never owned a hardware sampler and would like a taste of what it was like to use one, download this TX16W emulator and then let me know how inspired you are afterwards: https://soniccharge.com/forum/topic/433-a-blast-from-the-past

That being said, I do have a soft-spot for them. I cut my teeth on a Roland SP808 which was awesome when it worked but a nightmare when the zip disc would crap out and youd lose ALL of your projects. Eventually, I upgraded to an EMU 4XT Ultra which was awesome but sold it to purchase a maxed out Roland XV5080. Workflow on the XV wasnt the greatest for sampling and I eventually settled on a Yamaha A4000 which I actually enjoyed working with, even if it was a bit slow to use. I settled on the A4000 for quite a few years before I took the plunge into software samplers and Ive never looked back since.

Lately I've been tempted to buy back my old Yamaha A4000 but Ive gone down that road before and it usually ends up being a case of nostalgia with gear that wont get used much and eventually resold again. As archaic as using those old samplers are, for anyone who grew up using them, they become part of your DNA and history as a producer/musician. I have great memories spending days locked in my room making music with them, but thats only because its all I had and youth allowed me the luxury of doing so. Had I the opportunity to use software before that, I dont think Id ever consider buying a hardware sampler... but here I am considering picking up a used A4000... Nostalgia is a helluva drug

 

thank you for your participation, I added the models you requested

 

@Moonlight
Yamaha A4000/A5000 are absent mate. I still have an A4000 with all factory disks (and SCSI hdd too, i just dunno where in which drawer i stored it lol). These were the last hurrah of rackmount hardware samplers and additionally to the AKAI,Roland and E-mu formats could load AIFF and WAV too. But i haven't used it for at least 12 years. The condition is mint, it just plays the role of a rack filler.
@aymat Name a decent price and my A4000 is yours dude :D

This might be the fastest, snappiest rackmount sampler ever built. Plus the E-mu filter is imho the most smooth, analog like sounding of all 90s samplers.

Missing is the milestone Linn 9000 (MPC 60 predecessor), also Oberheim DPX1, Sequential Circuits Prophet 2000/3000 too.
The list is also missing the ... Mellotron. While not digital, it is still a sampler of sorts don't you think? After all without it i dunno if today's music would be the same.
PS: I also have an MPC3000 which as someone said, i 'll take to the grave alright. That and my 909 lol.

 

Last edited: Oct 13, 2019

i never had a hardware sampler but bought one month ago a akai mpc x and NI maschine mk3 and i like to touch hardware not only software, the mpc is a little better because u can use it completely standalone without pc etc,
the hardware funtions are easy to use , after a week i have learned 70% how to use it

but have to say the software s are like a own DAW have to learn how to integrate in my CUBASE

 

Huh; I somehow overlooked this. I'll have to check it out and see if it's of any use to me. Thanks for the heads-up, @The Pirate .

As far as samplers, I don't currently own any, but I wouldn't mind a S950 and an older MPC, just to run songs or, in some cases individual tracks or buss mixdowns through. Some people think that samplers make magic happen, I just like that extra bit of warmth and character that they add. Unfortunately, anything that they aren't making any more of tends to get expensive, but they are on my wish list.
(That being said, it's just hard to justify even thinking about springing $500+ a sampler in my financial state, especially when I already have a #1 wish list item of a Mark I which, if they're in good condition, resides in the "not making any more of them" price range. )

 

$900 hah. Theres another V3 for $280 though just a few ads before it. Just says the volume knob on it is a little tweaked but it works fine. Theyre on the Central LA area Craigslist.