Question about Samplers

[MC_Santorini]

Thank you for the newbie section, so I don't embarass myself........


My quest is to use a sampler to "fatten up" my drums etc and it has been suggested to me by a producer in the industry (the Rza) to use an analog sampler....but the sampler he had was ancient (not sure what kind, it looked like a Moog? Pba-1/P8a/Psa???) and I was wondering if its feasible to get an new analog sampler these days and if so what are some names I should look under (i.e. Analog filter controller etc) and brands (i.e. Moog).

If their is a better way to fatten up my samples please tell me, can a digital sampler bring that warmth/fatness back to sample?(maybe thats a stupid question)

Another question...Is their some hardware (not limited to just a sampler) that has analog sampling capabilities? I think the Triton has digital but can it bring that old school warmth and not that dead digital?

I'd also like to say that I'm mainly interested in hardware, but software options would be appreciated

Please don't come on here and say "do your research" cuz I did, but i'm obviously looking in the wrong places and asking the wrong questions

I would to thank anyone who contributes to my thread

 

[Cloneboy Studio]

My quest is to use a sampler to "fatten up" my drums etc and it has been suggested to me by a producer in the industry (the Rza) to use an analog sampler....but the sampler he had was ancient (not sure what kind, it looked like a Moog? Pba-1/P8a/Psa???)

(warning--this may sting a little but I *will* answer your question after tearing into you a little bit for touching a few pet peeves of mine. I apologize in advance)

Moog... sampler?

MOOG DIDN'T MAKE SAMPLERS!

IN FACT MOOG DIDN'T MAKE A SINGLE DIGITAL KEYBOARD.

Moog moog moog moog... is that all anybody knows about analog synths? You can always spot a wannabe noob by their Moogocentric outlook. Well let me tell you, there are more to analog synths than Moog. Moog made *ONE* good production keyboard (non-modular)--the Minimoog. Everything else was pretty lame.

Oberheim, Sequential Circuits both romp all over Moog IMHO with numerous designs Moog could never touch. Heck, Bob Moog only designed a few of the Moog line and was out of the company as soon as he could. At least Alan Pearlman stuck around ARP until the bitter end.

and I was wondering if its feasible to get an new analog sampler these days and if so what are some names I should look under (i.e. Analog filter controller etc) and brands (i.e. Moog).

Nope. The new trend is software samplers.

Why would manufacturers want to use pricey analog components and make their 64 or 128 voice samplers cost 50,000 bucks? Analog filters on samplers was over around 1990.

If you are looking for older samplers with analog filters look up:

EMU EMULATOR III: the king of samplers with analog filters--16 bit and 16 voice. Sort of pricey, built like a tank, somewhat unreliable, weighs a ton, but sounds brilliant. Can be expanded into a wonder machine.

SCI Prophet 2000: sounds great, not too heavy. Fairly limited sample RAM. Cheap and affordable though.

EMU EMULATOR II: gritty 8 bit sampler... very classic sounds.

ENSONIQ MIRAGE: 8 bit... you have to program it in hexadecimal.... limited and grungy sounding.

ENSONIQ EPS: expanded and easier to use Mirage. Good sounds for the cash.

EMU SP-12: old school rap machine... pricey and honestly not as good as a Prophet 2000 or EIII.

There are a number of others, but those are the better ones. The Emulator III is the best by a LONG shot. Nobody can touch that machine all things considered.

If their is a better way to fatten up my samples please tell me, can a digital sampler bring that warmth/fatness back to sample?(maybe thats a stupid question)

It was because I'm not sure what you are asking. I think you are switching some terms around.

Another question...Is their some hardware (not limited to just a sampler) that has analog sampling capabilities? I think the Triton has digital but can it bring that old school warmth and not that dead digital?

The term 'analog' sampler usually refers to the VCA/VCF (envelopes and filter) of a sampler. The actual sample itself is DIGITAL. Modern samplers use digital samples thru digital filters thru digital envelopes. The older samplers (that were really RAM challenged... like 256 or 512k) would go thru analog filters and VCA's, resulting in a different sound.

Tritons are digital, they sound digital and frankly are tired sounding because everyone succumbed to the Korg marketing campaign. Decent synth but HYPE. Kurzweil is the real deal. An older K2000 sounds better to me than a Triton (except for the grainy Digitech fx boards on the K2000).

Please don't come on here and say "do your research" cuz I did, but i'm obviously looking in the wrong places and asking the wrong questions

Well... you're research didn't let you know that Moog never made samplers or even pursued that route. It didn't raise one question about a single vintage sampler with analog filters....

 

[MC_Santorini]

Riiiight

Number 1 thanks for replying!!

Number two, did you not read my message? I said (not sure what kind, it looked like a Moog? Pba-1/P8a/Psa???)

So who cares about a Moog and your outburst was both unnecessary and unwarranted (pet peeves or not), I'm just tryin ta find help in the NEWBIE FORUM.

I ain't no internet nerd, so you can keep that portion of your answer to yourself

Number 3
I'm tryin ta capture the warm sounding beats of the 90s, so the "trend" makes no difference to me.

Number 4
Thanks for the hardware suggestions, i'll check em out!!

Number 5
Nope Moog never came up when I did my research and for all I care Moog can go straight to hell, I don't even know what MOOGS even MAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sounds like you need to take your rampage mode out on those that annoy you.

Actually I wasn't searching for vintage, I wanted to know if their were new ones.

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I don't like the sound of digital, its flat, with an analog sampler you can bring that fullness back, so it feels more authentic.

I want to make them full and not flat, how can accomplish this task?

 

[Cloneboy Studio]

To answer your question there aren't any digital samplers with analog filters out there.

Right now the best deal in sampling is Emu's Emulator X. 300 bucks gets you DSP for FX, a card with MIDI input and output, audio inputs and outputs, 2 gigs of world famous Emu sample libraries, the filter power of the Morpheus' Z-plane filters, plus the ease of use and storage of using on your PC.

Combine that with something like Recycle (for loop making) and you should be in decent shape.

If you *had* to go with a vintage sampler I'd say Ensoniq EPS. Has a bassy, deep sound, lo-fi characteristics and isn't that difficult to use. It's specs aren't even that bad compared to now.

If you want that early 90's hip hop sound, Emu SP-12 or SP-1200 or if you are really into Public Enemy--AKAI S900 or S1000.

One thing you will learn--it's not in the FILTERS, but the *sample* that determines how good your stuff will sound. Sampling can be a bit of a black art and I suggest learning as much as you can about digital sampling techniques, looping and so on. A LOT of pioneering work has already been done on it so there's no sense taking 3 years to discover on your own what the Bomb Squad figured out in 1988.