Tech
5 of the best samplers
Our pick of 2017's most exciting audio snatchers
1 Akai MPC Live review
The MPC Live is Akai’s best in years and has an inbuilt multicore processor with 2GB of RAM, rechargeable battery and 16GB of built-in memory.The sample pads are their best yet with a great range of velocity expressiveness.
£799, www.akaipro.com
2 Maschine MK3
Native Instruments’ flagship sampler controller changed the game in 2009 by bringing the MPC touch to the world of digital. The Mark III adds a 96 kHZ/24-bit audio interface plus audio ins and outs. The top deck has new buttons to improve the workflow and it ships with 8GB of samples.
£469, buy here.
3 Roland SP-404A
The new version of the SP-404 updates a classic with 29 effects and a pattern sequencer and, by connecting its output to Roland’s TR-8, you can use the TR-8 as a processor and all samples can be tweaked using the powerful TR-8 Scatter feature to achieve IDM-style effects.
£439, buy here.
4 Elektron Octatrack MKII
The recently updated Octatrack is an eight-track sampler and sequencer that can time-stretch and pitch-shift samples in real time. And with its array of ins and outs, it aims to be the heartbeat of your set-up. The OLED screen adds a fresh, modern touch, too.
£1,275, buy here.
5 Pioneer Toraiz SP-16
The Prophet mastermind adds his signature analogue filter to Pioneer’s 16-channel sampler with step sequencer, touchscreen, highly playable sample pads and 30-second sampling capability. Laying out beats is fast and intuitive, and the build quality is predictably good.
£1299, buy here.
