eyeing a 202, need suggestions

[thomkeating]

a few months ago, i sold my 505 in order to finance an mpk 25 with which i can control ableton live 9. the 505 is a great tool, but i find that as a workstation it is too limited and does not serve much purpose other than constructing beats. as it is, my hardware hunger has come crawling back and i am now in need of some kind of magic box i can put sounds into and manipulate them with for cheap. naturally, i look to the 202.

i LOVE the 202's batteries, pitch and time effects, internal mic and overall simplicity. however, for the ridiculous prices out there, i can't help but wonder if there's somehow a cheaper sampler or similar machine that can serve my needed purpose. resampling isnt an issue because im working with cassettes, however i would like decent fx capability.

is there any other hardware out there as boiled down as the 202 that still has the live fx and looping capabilities? i've looked at the sampletrak but it is currently impossible to find anywhere online for sale. if not, am i making the right decision by purchasing a 202 for anywhere between $100-150?

[thomkeating]

also, i feel i should clarify that whatever i buy is not meant to be the center of my workstation, more like the bridge between all of my current tools (a tape machine, a multi-fx pedal, and a laptop). because of the 202's stupid prices, i've considered just saving up a lil more and going for the 303, but i really am looking for simplicity and i love the 202's unique features. what do???

[ellaguru]

other possibilities
yamaha su10 roland ms1 and on another planet the zoom st224 (a real beast)

[9 β€ąţ ȼ๏ʍβ๏ (・∀・)]

Akai S20, Yamaha SU 10, Roland MS 1, Yamaha SU 200, Sampletrak (If your lucky) are hardware samplers that sit in the same budget range and can do most of/more than the features on the SP 202.
IMO the SP 202 is great fun and a lot of the cats here handle the 202 like ninjas; especially when teamed with their multi-track of choice. Sadly though, as with many samplers bearing the SP name, the sampler mostly ends up fetching high prices and starting bloody and merciless bidding wars on ebay!

[formal]

If you thought the sp505 was limited in functions/ability, going to a sp202 is going to seem primitive. The 505 is one of the most advanced SPs available still to this date. Get a 202 if the price is right and your ninja skills are up to par.

Look into a Korg Es1 in that price range. Mo' bang fo da buck.

[ellaguru]

If you thought the sp505 was limited in functions/ability, going to a sp202 is going to seem primitive. The 505 is one of the most advanced SPs available still to this date.
Look into a Korg Es1 in that price range. Mo' bang fo da buck.

+1
505 (and the 606) got the best seq of the sp, plus it has song mode too...
the es1 is very nice, cool seq and song mode too, but guys have to know that it works only in one shot mode (damn)...

[thomkeating]

If you thought the sp505 was limited in functions/ability, going to a sp202 is going to seem primitive. The 505 is one of the most advanced SPs available still to this date. Get a 202 if the price is right and your ninja skills are up to par.

Look into a Korg Es1 in that price range. Mo' bang fo da buck.

the thing is that i'm not looking for a workstation, anything i buy i'll be using in conjunction with my current set up. i want the cheapest machine with the most sample manipulation possible. i dont want/need any bells and whistles like a sequencer or a screen.

the 202s pitch ability and internal mic gives me ideas on creating my own sounds/synths organically and quickly, and i'm not looking to make beats or use whatever i may buy as a primary creation tool.

[ellaguru]

the thing is that i'm not looking for a workstation, anything i buy i'll be using in conjunction with my current set up. i want the cheapest machine with the most sample manipulation possible. i dont want/need any bells and whistles like a sequencer or a screen.

the 202s pitch ability and internal mic gives me ideas on creating my own sounds/synths organically and quickly, and i'm not looking to make beats or use whatever i may buy as a primary creation tool.

man, then check su10, ms1 and su200...cheap, batteries and pitch are there too...plus, on the sp202 you cannot copy samples without a card, on the other you can...

[9 β€ąţ ȼ๏ʍβ๏ (・∀・)]

In that case I second the yamaha su 200.

Here it is in action: http://youtu.be/JOUWopX4fdQ

[thomkeating]

In that case I second the yamaha su 200.

yeah judging by that video it's a great sampler, but a tad pricey for me right now (on a ~$100 budget right now) and i'm worried i'll dislike it for the same reasons i disliked my 505. i suppose if i had a little more cash on hand i might actually cop it tho, or maybe a 303.

i think i may have found a machine better for me than the 202 but it is slightly out of my price range. maybe i should wait?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hOkFjVMYMk

[ellaguru]

don't know for the usa but here in france sp202 st224 su10 and ms1 are in the same price range, sometimes su200 too...

[MattCoops]

I've seen 202s for sale on craigslist for $60.
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=15622
Keep your eyes open and do a little searching.

[Larry Gordon (g)]

i love me the 202 but i don't think it'll satisfy you in what yer looking for. it can be painfully simple and without a simple bouncing operation it'd be a pain in the ass to add on effect after effect (no resampling).

the 303 can be found for not much more than yer average price of a 202--if you have patience! 303 can resample sounds with added layers of effects (not as slow of a process if yer just using it for one shots, not entire compositions). also can put any effect onto the EXT src. no transpose-style pitch like the 202, however--202 is the only SP that can do that.

[Phelps202]

i think you can get a 303 for the same price
the fx's on the 202 are not worth the time you'll spend bouncing samples in and out... the pitch range is just a couple of semitones also

[Green Dutch]

You can sample without the card on a 202, but you only have the A/B part of the SP. With Lofi you can record up to 2:40 seconds. More then enough time to record whatever you want. I prefer to use it to drum out my beats then bounce it to the 303. The lofi grit makes the drums sound so good. Especially compressed when saved to the 303. Plus the the pitch shift is one of the best tools on the box. I think a 202 when paired with a 303/404/505 is an awesome weapon. Plus like others have said if you look around especially craigslist you can find them cheap. I bought mine for exactly $60 bucks.