Hey I'm a noob to sampling. Just looking to get into it now. I mainly want to play ambient samples from my field recordings and be able to manipulate them in real time. Also being a songwriter I wanted to use it for backing tracks and stuff.

I have been doing a bit of research and 404 and the Es MkII are the only things I've really found in my price range. It looks to me like the 404 is better suited to want I'm doing, But a friend of mine has the ES MKII and thinks that its a better sampler.

Can anybody please give me some advice or a comparison between the two.

Thanks

For what you want to do,I'd strongly suggest the 404.The Electribe is pretty dope but it's a different style of sampling.And you could use the 404 internal mic to record more field recording,so I say that it's your best bet for doing what you aim to do.
Your friend probably like the step sequencer and the sequencer of the 404 isn't the greatest one but it shouldn't matter since you would be playing your loops live in real time.Another plus,add a cf card and you have a whole lot of memory!!
My 0.02$

It's comparing apples and oranges (again ) - the only way to tell what's good for you is to try both. They both rock in different ways.

Yeah I fully agree, but the music shops in my area dont really stock much in the way of samplers. I tried my friends Korg and wasn't that impressed. I have been looking at the Sp404 on youtube and think its more what i need so i ordered that. I hope it all turns out well.

Man, I went to guitar center one day and tried an electribe out and I had so much fun playing it I was there for like 20 min. It had some really nice drum sounds that are sent through a buit in tube amp which gave it a fat old school sound too it and the pads were very similar to the 303 but I kinda liked the response and softness of pads more on the electribe. Not only did it have dope drums but there were fat synth sounds in the box that could be edited and even pitch bent while playing. For the sampling freedom I like my 303 more but it's pretty close they're just different machines, the 303 has more sampling possibilities for making boom bap music but the electribe could make some dope hyphy/crunk radio type beats with it's synth and killer drums. Plus I never really see anyone use one anymore, let alone in Hip Hop so I think the electribe would give your beats a unique sound. But shit, now I want one again.

i have read that the tube amp is purely aesthetic, and nothing actually gets processed through it.

not 100% certain though

I wouldn't doubt it, maybe it was just the speakers they had it hooked up to that were banging. Still a nice machine in my mind.

I dont think your referring to the Korg Electribe ES mk11, Maybe the ESx-1 (the red one). The ESX-1 looks really good but out of my price range.

I really want to play long samples, Does anybody know if the Electribe and play really long samples, eg. 3 mins

One of my homies has an ESX and truly loves this machine ,it's a bit pricey but worth it,maybe one day...

SP samplers are the only ones that play long samples easily. One of their real strengths

for sure man, no doubt.
i love grooveboxes always good for a random jam session
especially when you're bent