Is ES-1 still a valid option?

circuitghost · Post by **circuitghost** » Wed Mar 18, 2015 9:20 am

Friends at the forum,

I've fallen in love with the down and dirty, the vintage and the crunchy. I always use all kinds of s**t on my samples to make them sound like crap, not that hip hop lo-fi thing but more like old vinyl records, scratches on a once beatiful surface, the stuff you find in old houses and the idea of a faded magazine.

So anyway, with that picture painted, I'm thinking of getting an ES-1, the MKII primarily. I've tried the ESX, love it, but it sounds almost too clean for what I want to do. An MPC60 is way too pricey and clunky, but the Volca Sample is awesome and I'd stick with that if it had longer patterns and if you could save the damn things and if the audio out wasn't lower than the purring from my sleeping cat.

So yes. Is the ES-1 in this modern day and age a valid option, if you're looking for that sound? I'm thinking I'll pair if with my newly purchased Analog Rytm, which in a lovely way helps me achieve the sound I'm after right now. But she needs a friend, and the Volca Sample isn't the one.

apapdop · Post by **apapdop** » Wed Mar 18, 2015 9:42 am

I'll forever sing the praises of the ER-1 mkii. It's not a sampler but a old school drum machine with an insane glint in it's eye and a maniac grin. Superb for metallic atonal blips, moans, screams and portly 808 style kicks, think techno rather than hiphop. Also has a very cool audio in feature where the incoming audio ring mods one of the synth parts. And it looks beautiful too.

Discore · Post by **Discore** » Wed Mar 18, 2015 10:04 am

I have the ES-1 MKII and I think it's totally valid for modern raw productions. Of course it's a little limited but in the age of DAWs this shouldn't be a problem. One thing I can also recommend is an SP-303. I'm looking forward to use it as an compressor effect for the Electribe 2 (if i would get it already

). It has a nice vinyl simulator and sounds totally superb (warm, analogish, old school).

circuitghost · Post by **circuitghost** » Wed Mar 18, 2015 10:26 am

Thanks, all good to hear.

I should add that I don't use a DAW. I record directly into a Tascam recorder and if I want to structure a song beyond recording the performance live, I do it in the Octatrack.

So I pick my gear based on what it can do and how it plays with others, I don't multitrack and layer beyond what my rig can do. This, since I want to be able to pack my stuff into a bag, bring it, unpack it and just play it at a gig like I'm playing it at home.

thesigma · Post by **thesigma** » Wed Mar 18, 2015 6:21 pm

As the owner of both the ESX and es1 I can say that the es1 has a grit to it that the ESX doesn't, even if you import the same 32khz samples.

Playing pitched melodies is a major pita but as a strictly rythm sampler it rocks and has grit for miles.

roblabs · Post by **roblabs** » Wed Mar 18, 2015 6:33 pm

I own an ES-1 and still use it.

Some reasons why I think its still useful:

- as others have said, has a nice lo-fi (but not too lo) grit to it.
- great for rhythm samples but you can also timeslice longer phrases with it
- good to sequence other gear with. I've used it with the beats to make longer patterns, or with awkward old gear like the tr707 that's not as intuitive to play on.
-compact, sturdy, and stable. Never had an issue with it and it has the classic electribe style charm.

The only beef I have with it is it uses old smart media cards. Not sure about other places worldwide but here in the US your only real option to get them is thru ebay. Also, its a bit slow to get your samples on, but then so is the Volca Sample, I hear.

To be honest I still haven't tried syncing it up with my e2 but when I have some more time next month I might do so - just to free up some pads or to incorporate some vocal samples and such.

circuitghost · Post by **circuitghost** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 8:31 am

Regarding this grit dirt filth aspect that many speak about when the ES-1 comes up - is it a distinct feature? As in like the MPC60, which some say they use purely for the way it sounds? I'm looking for samplers and romplers with some character, can't be bothered with perfect crisp crystal clear audio quality, and I enjoy the one shot approach with chromatic options that the Electribe series has (at least from the ESX and up).

But this is why I like the Volca Sample, it adds a certain color to the sound, especially when you tweak the tiny but useful analogue isolator that comes with it.

circuitghost · Post by **circuitghost** » Tue May 05, 2015 8:57 pm

Finally found one, in good condition. Looking forward to playing on it.

Now, I'm thinking of getting an EA-1 MKII as well, pair the two and make a few tracks with these two guys only.

I think they'd look spectacular together.

thesigma · Post by **thesigma** » Wed May 06, 2015 2:25 am

circuitghost wrote:Finally found one, in good condition. Looking forward to playing on it.

Now, I'm thinking of getting an EA-1 MKII as well, pair the two and make a few tracks with these two guys only.

I think they'd look spectacular together.

Basically the setup I started out on many years ago, though my ea was the original version, not the MKII. I had tons of fun with the two of them and you can make some good music on them though it won't be super polished overproduced 600 tracks in a DAW type stuff. It can still be raw and funky and get booty shakin on the dance floor ( if that's what your into).