Since this seems to be the token thread for multi-sampler rigs...

I've been working on something I call the "Circle of Samplers"

The pieces used are:
*Android Tablet running Pulsar MP3 or anything with an audio output (I don't have enough space for vinyl, and Pulsar has this awesome functionality where you can stretch pitch and speed together and independently)
*MS-1 used for routing the sounds and grade-stretching
*MPC 1000 used for arrangements/chopping
*SP-303 used for FX sampling/some arrangement resampling

The signal path:
*The Tablet goes into the Line In of the MS-1
*The Headphone Out of the MS-1 goes to the Stereo In of the MPC
*The Line Out of the MPC goes into the Line In of the SP-303
*The Line Out of the 303 goes into the Stereo Mic In of the MS-1
*Headphones go into the headphone jack of the 303
(I suppose you can swap the 303 to go into the Line In of the MS-1 and the Tablet to go to the Mic in of the MS-1, as well as using the Line Out instead of the Headphone Out, but I just chose that way based on the cables that I had available)

This would allow me to route the tablet all the way to the 303 without it feeding back, and I can switch it to route the 303 back to the MPC as well.

They each have their own kind of toggleable input thru functionality, with the MS-1 having the Input Switch when in the pad recording menu and the Pitch/
Grade menu in the utilities, the MPC having an Input Thru menu on the Main screen (JJOS), and the 303 having the Ext Source right on the front panel. Because this whole thing is based primarily on input toggling and passive input thru's, you could probably do this with many other samplers (I also tried using my KP3+ for a while), but I'm not sure how hard it would get with more devices/not using a MS-1...

The only kink in the hose that I can potentially see is when you would be sending audio from the 303 through the MS-1 back into the MPC. In this case, when you cut off the 303's Ext Source pad to prevent the feedback loop (which is ultimately the MPC audio), I'm not sure if you will be able to hear what you're sampling into the MPC. However since the headphone jack is already in the 303, I think that it may hear what is being played by the 303's pads anyway (which would suffice in place of hearing the MPC audio). I haven't been able to fully test this part yet since I've been really busy with work, but otherwise there haven't been any other problems from when I've tried making some tracks.

Has anyone else tried a similar method of chaining devices? I've always planned ways to effectively use pieces together without my mixer, but this is the one of the first configurations that has given me the best results so far.

I just realized that I forgot to add a photo, the only one I have on me is from when I first set it up (yes I fixed the auto-rotate, I didn't plan on killing my neck just yet )

Nah, it hasn't even arrived yet, lolz. Dude said I can send it back so I'll probs just list the 808 on ebay etc without it and do that. I've spoken to a couple of users of it plus the maker himself and it seems like it is the solution 808 users have been looking for. He said he hasn't got round to making an update vid yet coz he's not long had a baby, so hardly anyone's aware. If you want it, I can sell you the drive when it gets here? If there are any probs with it, I'm sure it could still be returned. Dude seems very reasonable. Just needs a 3D print tray to make it look nice.



See my previous thread in this section. You need a Realistic Tape Control Centre!

PS - shrink that pic! (change the numbers on the end)

I actually ran into that post during my quest for all of this, before I ultimately decided to get rid of the mixer for overall ease of use/less clutter + smaller rig.

You should check out the Zoom LiveTrak mixers as they combine this functionality with everything in a multitrack recording mixer. I have the L-8 which lets me do it with 3 devices, but the L-12 has 5 outputs and the L-20 has 6 (L-8 or L-20 is the best value IMO since it has an extra FX bus)

However, I may pick up one of these boxes because they are a more elegant and much cheaper solution for something in the future

To be honest I only noticed it myself because I have gotten into the habit, whenever I buy some new gear, of always checking what is available in a machines settings menu.

I can't comment on the drive solution yet cause I've not seen it appear. I was told to expect one during the week, and it looks as if that got extended to the weekend by what Girru said when he asked him about it. That's all I know, I'm no wiser on the situation than anyone else so I'm just keeping an eye on bignoiseradio.com really.

The reason I contacted the Big Noise Radio bloke is because I can tell from the stuff he puts out that he's quality-minded, and he already has a whole bunch of AKAI MPC 2000XL drives available. On the one hand he might have met the same unexpected problems others (like MIDI Maniac) have met, but on the other, there's just something about him that makes me feel like he won't let it defeat him even if he met with complications (I hope not anyway, lol).

That's better. Thanks for listening!

I don't know why everyone's ignoring the Tattiebogle drive. It works. Is it coz it doesn't (yet) come in a tidy case and is just a board?

Say what you like about Girru, he might be the worlds most notorious, serial gear-adulterist, but man, he doesn't mess around in getting what he wants, does he?

I mean just look at that, an actual retro Roland sampler with a keyboard just sat there lookin' all cool'n'stuff. He was only rattling-on about that thing the other day and already it's replaced his SP-808. He's bloody right as as well, SPs are no substitute when you want a regular sampler to play on, I could not agree more.

I'm still searching for a sample-based solution to feed my SP-808, and I think I might have come across a really cool (and unusal) solution, but I've decided to not get excited about it or discuss what it is until I know for sure. It feels too good to be true to be honest, and I get the feeling there's something hidden away that'll throw a spanner in the works for me cause it pretty much always does, but we'll see.

If all goes well in the research phase, I'll buy it and make absolutely sure it does exactly what I'm hoping and thinking it does before I go off on one of my gear-worshipping walls of text!

Regards the Tattiebogle drive for the SP-808, I'm not igoring it. I'm actually super-relieved that it even exists. It's a bit of a hack though compared to what a proper, more elegant solution would be, and there's no way on earth I'm having a USB stick protruding from the front of my SP-808, so even if I do end up buying one, I would not do so until I'm in a position to design and 3D-print my own drive enclosure first.

I really am perfectly happy with these ZIP disks though, so that means I'm in no rush, which in turn means that it makes more sense for me to wait for a more elegant solution. Should the drive itself fail, and we were still in a position where no elegant solution exists, then I would think about buying that drive, but at the moment it's just not a priority for me, the Zip disks are fine.

My priority right now is hopefully finding a suitable sample-based keyboard to feed it with (you more than anyone seem to be feeling how important that is), but if the thing I'm looking at now fails to work out, then I'll be buying an opsix instead, because the opsix is now at a level where you can build acoustic instruments in FM in great detail - and I love FM - FM and the concept it is based around is my thing when it comes to sound design.

Even if the sample-based thing I'm looking at now turns out to be what I'm hoping it is, and I buy it, even then I will still want an opsix. When I had the original version one opsix it was already the best synthesizer I ever owned, and man, that stuff added to version two finally brings FM into proper acoustic simulation and modeling territory. I've seen some very nice videos from Oscillator Sinc, and even the one where he's using the new 2.0 Comb Filter inside an operator to model some strings, he's barely even scratching the surface of how detailed you could get in modeing strings (or indeed anything else) on that thing, which I'm sure he'd tell you.

Beautiful synth, it's a sound designers wet dream if you understand how to work FM properly, but there's no forgetting what made me return that beautiful synth in the first place, and that was the three-octave keyboard. As soon as they realease it as a desktop module I'll be buying it without hesitation, regardless of what I already have or don't have.

Ha ha. I'm not that bad. You were all just witness to the process of me getting where I was going when I was inbetween main sampler squeezes. And I can't afford to hang about coz I get really bummed out if I can't make tunes of an evening, so I jump straight on it if I need summat...and usually end up overpaying. Just got to sell what's left of my try outs and then I can finally put the '60 money where it sposed to go, ha ha. I know you all (well, the 2 people likely still checking this thread, ha ha) will be expecting me to say I'm swapping again in a week or two but, no, I'm sticking with this now and gonna work with it, come what may. 12-bit, simple and with decision making/creativity-forcing limitations is obvs where I sit. Keep it simple, stupid! etc

The W-30 is pretty great. Sound is crunchy yet 'soft'. Kinda like being punched in the face by someone with a big fluffy towel wrapped round their fist in an alleyway on a dark night. First time I've had a keyboard/workstation-style sampler, so that's fun. Looks like the sequencer is linear tho, rather than a pattern sequencer - that's the only bum note. But, after experiments last night, it appears I can get me drums done with half the memory (using the old school 'sample-in-fast/playback-slow' trick at 30khz is best, memory to sound ratio-wise), leaving the other half for shorter samples and the MS-1 for the longer stuff. Nice.

I was just about to say that I'm still considering keeping the 303 for effects...but I just checked and it's sold, lolz.

What do you mean about this thing to use for sample with the 808? You don't have to spill the beans...but how do you mean?

I need something with full-sized keys to play, preferably something sample-based with sampling and resampling. I've done as much research as I can possibly do without actually owning it, and I'm still no wiser for reasons I'll go into when I start talking about it.

So I had no choice in the matter really and decided to buy one and find out. It's already been despatched and should arrive tomorrow. They have a good returns and refund policy if it doesn't work out, so no risk there, but nevertheless I hope I don't have to return it.

It's a very 'odd-ball' peice of kit though (and I love it for that), but I think for that reason as much as any, I'm in for a few surprises when I get it. I can only hope they're good surprises and not bad ones, had enough of bad ones.


Just been reading-up on your sampler and damn right you should be excited, very nice indeed!

Check-out the drums on this track:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WohLtzdMkLU

Talk about crunchy, man, if I had your Roland sat in front of me right now I'd be sampling those drums into it out of sheer curiosity as to how "Fairlight Crunch" would end-up sounding after putting them through some "Roland Crunch" as well.

That was a hint by the way, it was SP-USER hinting that he wants to hear what they would sound like with some genuine Roland W-30 12-Bit Crunch added over some genuine Fairlight Series IIx 8-Bit Crunch, so what are you waiting for?

Got a notification from the courier this morning, expecting delivery 1:00pm - 2:00pm today!

Don't know why but it feels really weird waiting for this thing (possibly because it's a bit odd-ball). But if it doesn't work out, I think I might follow suit and look for a Roland W-30. The odd-ball I've just bought is brand new, but nevertheless I've gotten over the second-hand aspect of the SP-808, so I don't see why I couldn't do the same if I went for a Roland W-30 to pair-up with it.

Good to hear, that you are happy with your new old gear, Girru!
And I appreciate it very much that you decided to sell your gear imidiately after testing and hunt down the old but trustworthy gear which fits your way of producing.

I have a similar problem after testing the mk2 by doing a first beat on this unit for the spbb#333 and i don't know if i should keep it. Wrote about that here: https://sp-forums.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=27254

Can you explain the 'sample-in-fast/playback-slow' trick at 30khz? Is it like sampling at higher pitch to save memory and then pitch it down?

I'm thinking of setting up one of my two sp-808's cf-cards to 32kHz-sampling rate, because then i can varispeed/varipitch up and not just down.
But i don't know if general sampling all my stuff at 32kHz is a good idea sonically. I usualy sample in 44kHz and then in 22kHz when i want it to be more crunchy and gritty.

That's the one. Obvs, back in the day, sampling time was v.limited so those old cats used to sample an LP at 45rpm then pitch it down in the sampler to save memory. And, because they were using grungy samplers, doing so would have the benefit of adding a bit of spice to the samples (particularly on the SP1200, as it's famous for). On the W-30, sampling at 15khz sounds good, but not as clear and sparkly as at 30khz...but that's obvs heavy on the memory. Sampling fast then slowing retains a lot of the clarity of 30khz and is about halfway between 15 and 30 memory wise, depending how fast I've sped it up on the MS-1.

This'll make you do maaaaad ROFLZ.

W-30 didn't last. Lack of pattern sequencer. Was able to send it back to the seller coz it wasn't as advertised.

So THIS is the last set-up (til next-SP1200-o'clock), LOLOLOLOLZ. Two boxes, £210 in total.
ES-1 - slightly grungy 32khz sample rate, enough memory for whole tracks but not so much it'll delay decisions etc, simple 808-style sequencer, mostly rubbish but coolglitchy effects as a bonus.

So, I guess this is ciao. See you on Youtube.

How is the pitch on this?