Too few words 
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Forgive me for being stupid but could you explain to me the difference between being able to play polyphonically and both poly and chromatically? I’m not even sure what chromatic means to be honest lol. Just to be really dumb about what I was hoping to do, would be something like taking a sample from my werkstatt and then just being able to use that sample like a poly synth, if that makes sense, sorry as I never really learned music theory the 23+ years I’ve been playing music and its hurting me now lol.
Poly in “modern” samplers just means number of voices that can be played at once (like digitakt: 8 channels, each 1 mono voice).
Chromatic: that you can easily (like via Midi) play melodies with it on a chromatic scale (original volca sample cannot - you have to tune steps by ear or so).
What you want is that you can play one sample at one channel polyphonically (like on a poly synth) and chromatically (like on a poly synth with keys). I don’t know if there is a special word for it. It used to be the standard in the 80s and 90s: Ensoniq EPS, E-Mu Sampler, S1000, S1100, S01, Roland S330 etc.
MPCs originally are drum samplers. Most have X-note polyphony but cannot play the same note in a chord (they “fake” playing mono-melodies with a function called 16levels - basically a tune per sequencer step). MPCs with JJOS can use normal “instruments” that can do what you want and AFAIK also MPC4000 and the newer ones.
Elektron samplers are polyphonic mono-samplers (one mono sample per track or slot) by default with some chromatic capabilities. But it depends on the model if you can transpose or not - digitakt cannot.
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I’d take a look at the Blackbox. It’s going for 600 new and they go on sale for 539 pretty often. And I’ve seen them go for 400 to 500 used. You can play samples polyphonically with them. They can even multisample with velocity layers. I don’t own one personally, but there’s a thread dedicated to it if you want to go that route.
I love my Digitakt and like my Model: Samples a whole lot. But neither of them seem to be what you’re after. Either way, it’s a lot of money to spend on something that’s not designed to do what you want it to do.
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Thank you guys for all the input, I was looking at the Blackbox as well and it looks like I could both use it as a drum machine and poly-sample synth. Thank you guys for all of the input! I really appreciate it as it will save me a ton of money.
MPC one might be a good idea as well. It has some functions built in that allow you to easily create custom multisamples. Does come with a whole lot of overhead so definitely not as streamlined as a Digitakt. Upside is it does just about everything.
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Let’s hope for the best
Samplers I owned, loved and hated over the decades: 17 distinct models. 
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Damn. I just sold a Jomox and wanted to save the money. But I really would love to have my hands on Blackbox, MPC One and Akai Force. Will discuss that in next week’s Gearheads Anonymous.
Looking pretty closely at the MPC One, looks like it indeed does everything I want and as a plus has quarter inch inputs
Hey! I’ve been playing guitar for a long time, but recently started adding samplers and synths so I can make full tracks on my own. My music tends to come out as shoegaze-y punk, I think you’d call it. Or if I put the guitar away, I enjoy making lo-fi boombappy hip-hop beats that I hope to find a rapper for.
The Model:Samples is more than enough for a rhythm section. 6 tracks is plenty for a kick, snare, hats, and a few other one-shots or a bass line. If you were trying to make full songs on the M:S you’d run out of tracks constantly, but it’s plenty for a rhythm section.
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Yeah it’s also got some pretty darn good built-in FX and synths. Most important thing to be aware of is that it’s got an interface to match it’s depth. ‘DAW in a box’ is a bit of a cliché, but it isn’t that far off. The dev team essentially took their MPC software and AIR plugins and got them to run on a custom Linux computer running on a mobile phone SoC.
Upside of the Digitakt is that pretty much every function is 1-2 button presses away. It will take no time at all to memorize all the parameter locations. The new MPCs and the Akai Force are never going to match that kind of focus. They’re more akin to something like Maschine or Push, but without the need for a computer.
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One thing I am curious of, would the newer Volca Samples allow me to play samples chromatically and Poly? 4 voices at a time you said? I think this may be my most cost effective option as nice as the other stuff is, I could use it as a drum machine outside my DAW and then I could also play samples as melodies on it as well.
Not in with the Korg firmware. Have not heard about a Pajen firmware for the new one yet.
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But with MK I and that hacked software, I could, okay cool
So something I just realized is that the blackbox only seems to have 3 individual outs and the volca just one, now im looking back at the Digitakt given I can use use overbridge and get 8 outputs allowing me to then eq/compress stuff. Instead of worrying to use it as a sample-synth I can use it to make samples and then use the Arturia sampler VST I paid too much money for at some point in the past. 620 sound like a decent price? I double checked and the other great thing about elektron gear and them being a euro company is that they have a very consumer friendly warranty program that applies to people who buy used gear up to 3 years after the original purchase.
Now I’m confused
Korg Volca samples and digitakt and model:samples and MPC One have 2 single outs each (hard pan left and right) which is enough for most live stuff. If you want to use a computer with OB live, you don’t need any hardware sampler at all. If you want to separate tracks for multitrack studio recording you could do that sequentially with each of them. Korg volca is so cheap that you can have 4 of them synced and still be cheaper than with any of the others
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Sorry if im not being clear, im mostly only looking to do tracking, and i figure I could make a track for each sample using overbridge like how the digitone when using OB creates 4 separate tracks (which would again allow you to eq/compress them individually without having to record each sample on its own.)
If you want to use overbridge, you will need a computer. If you have a computer running anyway, there is no need for a hardware sampler at all.
I mean I usually track stuff to a DAW, not doing anything Dawless, but the nice thing about the digitakt is that I can use the mono/stereo outs when dicking around and composing and then have them sent to individual outs when tracking.
Was tempted to add the blackbox to my sampler experience. 16 samples per song was the feature that discouraged me Now I just need to talk myself out of the Force again. 
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