What sampler would you invest in?

[samartin]

Hi all,

I'm just thinking down the line, but with the shortcomings of the K-Pro, such as can't go below 108.5bpm unless you stick with 2 measures, which piece of equipment would you buy?

Saw in another thread someone using a SP-404sx to complement the K-Pro, or they will soon. Having looked at the marketing vids it looks like it will be a perfect companion to the K-Pro.

What are your thoughts?

[k0va5]

Hi all,

I'm just thinking down the line, but with the shortcomings of the K-Pro, such as can't go below 108.5bpm unless you stick with 2 measures, which piece of equipment would you buy?

Saw in another thread someone using a SP-404sx to complement the K-Pro, or they will soon. Having looked at the marketing vids it looks like it will be a perfect companion to the K-Pro.

What are your thoughts?

abelton live

[samartin]

Hi all,

I'm just thinking down the line, but with the shortcomings of the K-Pro, such as can't go below 108.5bpm unless you stick with 2 measures, which piece of equipment would you buy?

Saw in another thread someone using a SP-404sx to complement the K-Pro, or they will soon. Having looked at the marketing vids it looks like it will be a perfect companion to the K-Pro.

What are your thoughts?

abelton live

So maybe using something like this :-

http://www.decks.co.uk/products/akai/APC20 - or maybe the APC40

But what about portability? Not using a PC/Mac combo?

[k0va5]

Hi all,

I'm just thinking down the line, but with the shortcomings of the K-Pro, such as can't go below 108.5bpm unless you stick with 2 measures, which piece of equipment would you buy?

Saw in another thread someone using a SP-404sx to complement the K-Pro, or they will soon. Having looked at the marketing vids it looks like it will be a perfect companion to the K-Pro.

What are your thoughts?

abelton live

So maybe using something like this :-

http://www.decks.co.uk/products/akai/APC20 - or maybe the APC40

But what about portability? Not using a PC/Mac combo?

thats a midi controller for abelton.. youd need the software as well

[samartin]

It does mention that it comes with :-

Ableton Live Akai Professional APC Edition

I assume this is a very basic edition, but would provide a good balance between the K-Pro and the Akai?

Sorry for my cluelessness, it is something that I may want to buy in a few months, but I thought I'd throw the question out there.

[Pastor-of-Muppets]

[cliche] It depends what you want to do and how you want to use it. [/cliche]

Lots of people swear by Ableton Live, but I spend too much time on the computer anyway so avoid using it for music, which I do just for fun. That means you should take my opinion with a pinch of salt, others on this forum are far more serious about it and know a lot more than me!

If you don't want to use a PC + Ableton (+ optionally an APC-type controller) then the MPC500 might be another alternative for a standalone sampler/sequencer that doesn't cost too much.

When I decided I wanted a sampler I bought an old Akai rack sampler which is great for what it does, but takes a lot of setting up to edit and program your samples. So I bought a Korg ESX, which I think is a very satisfying, hands-on sampler. I was having fun and getting results much sooner than with the Akai. Later I decided that although the ESX sequencer is very easy to use, I wanted something that could handle longer patterns and more parts. Now I have an MPC1000, which I can use standalone, or to sequence up to 64 tracks (!) on my other samplers and electribes. I don't need any of them, but I enjoy playing with them in different ways and so that's all that matters to me!

[k0va5]

It does mention that it comes with :-

Ableton Live Akai Professional APC Edition

I assume this is a very basic edition, but would provide a good balance between the K-Pro and the Akai?

Sorry for my cluelessness, it is something that I may want to buy in a few months, but I thought I'd throw the question out there.

youll find the lite edition of the sotfware to be crippled. If youre gonna do it, get the full version.. even if you buy lite you can upgrade in the future.

[samartin]

[cliche] It depends what you want to do and how you want to use it. [/cliche]

Lots of people swear by Ableton Live, but I spend too much time on the computer anyway so avoid using it for music, which I do just for fun. That means you should take my opinion with a pinch of salt, others on this forum are far more serious about it and know a lot more than me!

If you don't want to use a PC + Ableton (+ optionally an APC-type controller) then the MPC500 might be another alternative for a standalone sampler/sequencer that doesn't cost too much.

When I decided I wanted a sampler I bought an old Akai rack sampler which is great for what it does, but takes a lot of setting up to edit and program your samples. So I bought a Korg ESX, which I think is a very satisfying, hands-on sampler. I was having fun and getting results much sooner than with the Akai. Later I decided that although the ESX sequencer is very easy to use, I wanted something that could handle longer patterns and more parts. Now I have an MPC1000, which I can use standalone, or to sequence up to 64 tracks (!) on my other samplers and electribes. I don't need any of them, but I enjoy playing with them in different ways and so that's all that matters to me!

Sounds like my problem, I can be on the computer for around 12 hours a day! I want to break away and not look at a screen and push buttons elsewhere (push buttons on an instrument not people)!

K-Pro just has a few shortcomings IMHO, and to get round it would be to get a sampler which would allow sampling all the K-Pro sounds, and then free up the banks for more recording.

Had a quick look at the SP-404sx and it seems it can sample upto 99 measures! Ableton live looks real nice but it is trying to keep me at my PC! Also one day, it would be nice to add backing tracks to a friend @ an open mic night, so portability would be a major interest.

[Mr36]

Does anyone know what looping capabilities the SP-404sx has? I think you can make loops with it, using internal or external audio, but then you must assign them to one of the pads. However, I don't know if playback has to stop to do that and I don't know if you can overdub when making the loops...

Anyone?

[bluemind]

Does anyone know what looping capabilities the SP-404sx has? I think you can make loops with it, using internal or external audio, but then you must assign them to one of the pads. However, I don't know if playback has to stop to do that and I don't know if you can overdub when making the loops...

Anyone?

I think the interesting feature will be that you can export the loops from the KOPro and then import them to the SP-404sx, use that for looping and then solo with the KOPro without worrying about the glitching. It also has some drum machine style capabilities, but I will certainly report here what can and can't be done once I get both next week. I'll probably try to do some demo videos also

[samartin]

Does anyone know what looping capabilities the SP-404sx has? I think you can make loops with it, using internal or external audio, but then you must assign them to one of the pads. However, I don't know if playback has to stop to do that and I don't know if you can overdub when making the loops...

Anyone?

I think the interesting feature will be that you can export the loops from the KOPro and then import them to the SP-404sx, use that for looping and then solo with the KOPro without worrying about the glitching. It also has some drum machine style capabilities, but I will certainly report here what can and can't be done once I get both next week. I'll probably try to do some demo videos also

Please do as it was one of your comments that prompted me start this thread

[Mr36]

Well, I'd also like to know about those capabilities (looping, overdubbing etc.) because I'd like to know if it is a viable alternative to the Kaossilator Pro. Obviously it doesn't have the extend of synth sounds (if any) but I'm more interested in using it as a live looper. I just don't know if that's possible. I haven't been able to deduce this from the few videos of it that are out there.

[bluemind]

Well, the SP-404sx doesn't do live looping in a sense that you would be able to record something on the fly and then loop it. It's intended to be a live performance tool, but you'll have to make the loops, transfer the sounds and program the patterns in advance. It also has some cool effects.

If you are interested in live looping with hardware, you should probably consider Digitech Jamman, Boss RC-50 or Electro Harmonix 2880 Looper. The important feature (considering that we are talking about a external looper for the KOPro to expand the possibilities) would be that the looper accepts midi clock signal and you are able to set the number of measures it is going to record, so that it will work more like the KOPro itself. I have no idea if the loopers I suggested have the capabilities of doing that, but that's the hardware side of things that's available right now.

Ableton Live is a great software for these kinds of things and it has a great build in looper that could be set up to work with the KOPro. Only problem for live work (if it is important to have it synced to some external sounds also) is setting up the first loop so that you'll have a steady base for rest of the stuff. Obvious solution for this would be a preprogrammed drum pattern or something that is already loaded to the looper and then you can just jam away with any tempo you like, overdub, use as many loopers as your computer will run (and that's lot more than 4..) and also undo failed passages.

I might be wrong, but I would say that they are no real alternatives to the kaossilator and the way it works. It is immediate and intuitive and you don't have to do complicated setups or even learn how to play the keyboard.

All really depends on what you want and what works for you. I can make some tutorials on how to setup ableton or using the sp-404sx after next week (probably written, because I'm from Finland and not so comfortable speaking english, but we'll see but I will do some performance videos ), so feel free to ask me if you have some questions .

[Mr36]

That's what I thought. About the lack of direct alternative to the Kaossilator Pro. However, thank you for the further insight into the SP-404SX. Ideally, I would be doing what you're doing, as both devices intrigue me, but sadly, money does not fall from the trees in my garden.

Thank you again though, herr alakuloinen huolehtia.

[didjeko]

It's not really a sampler, but the machine I plan to buy is a Spectralis 2 - since I don't want either to stay all day long in front of a computer to play music (I'm a developer, so making to much music with computers would be like staying at work )
By now, I completed my KP3 with a MoogerFooger (MIDI Murf) ; it changes radically the sound that come out of the KP3.