damn those went quick >.<
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What is you guys most favorite thing about the S2400?
and what was the single most deciding factor in your purchase, and I guess your number one reason for getting one?
also what does it have that you felt you couldn’t get from any other sampler?
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When it hit the scene, I don’t believe there were any other 12 bit (let alone 1-16 bit!) samplers with analog filters, let alone one that could punch with the best of the classics. The pitched down filtered sound was really what I wanted.
But now with the machine I realize that the filters are not totally relevant to that sound I wanted.
Playing pitches on the faders and using multi mode sync to really quickly design crunchy punchy sounds is all I need. Also, the ability to make up to 99 bar patterns (including with the midi sequencer) and quickly build songs was a dream coming from Elektron, which I had a hard time totally appreciating for what it is since I was hobbled into 64 steps.
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so you would say workflow and sound that contrasted from elektron for the most part were your deciding factors?
I’ve been mulling the 2400 around since day one myself, had it on order many times and for me right now it’s the workflow that’s been my draw I’m just not sure yet… I really want those faders, but I’m not sure if that’s enough…
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I haven’t had mine long, but some of the main reasons I decided to pick one up to try out were the faders, plus the filter and DSP boards they are developing for it.
It’s still taking a while to get used to the interface, but it’s really nice having a box that I can use to more fully get away from doing all my arranging in Ableton, and the faders make it fun.
I have a love/hate relationship with the Octatrack and I never felt like I clicked with it. I used an MPC1000 for years, and it was a workhorse. Both of those felt more “jam” oriented, where the S2400 can set you up to get your patterns into an arrangement quickly. Not to say you can’t also jam on it.
The sound of it is really nice. The build quality is really nice. The UI has some bugs but the dev is real quick to respond (so far) on the Isla forum.
But yeah I think the combo of sound quality, live looper, MIDI sequencing, MIDI controller capability (I made an editor for the Nord Drum 3P on it), it all is just a solid package
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Yes definitely. This was before digi song mode or the latest digitakt update with SRR though, so some of that has been addressed by Elektron in a way. But the luxury of essentially limitless pattern lengths, 8 faders, general “make things sound good instantly”, and the no holds barred approach to development keep me hanging onto and using the S2400 a lot. Elektron will never go for something dated like 8 faders, but it’s what I want in addition to modern features, so they’ve hit a sweet spot for workflow, feel, and sound.
Not sure how it incorporates with other stuff. It sits on my rhodes with a midi keyboard to trigger my synths. I mostly sample into it, make a pattern/song, and play over and record it.
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is there anything extra special sequencing wise that you’re into on it?
yeah I eventually get around to using my samplers with everything but first and primary is just stand alone use value with sample sources, everything outside of that is secondary
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I picked up an ot a year after (because s2400 isn’t glitchy enough for that style yet) and started with it separate, now it’s incorporated. My favorite way to test gear for sure.
I like that you have many ways for note input and for editing. You can tap things in with the pads, you can program things in x0x style in another mode, you can record via external MIDI, and you can edit in step programming mode where you use an encoder to scroll through the pattern and the pads to select the even you’re editing where you can then edit everything about an event. The sequencer itself is not particularly special, it just affords you different ways to work with it. It’s like a combo of MMT-8, MPC, and x0x sequencers, which is cool because sometimes I just want to punch in a pattern in x0x mode, and sometimes I want to play some drums in with the pads
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I know component wise that there is a lot potentially going on but I swear to jeebus that if it was half the size and twice the price I probably would already have one
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having used all of those extensively I can understand that kind of appeal, however I do wish in this day and age that devs started dumping the special sequencer sauce on all these samplers… I felt like there is no excuse not to since the Yamaha rs7000 but the new era really didn’t get the memo outside of elektron
The s2400 is the best sounding modern sampler period. And it is only going to get better with the analog filter board. Also it is nice and big, built like a tank, and built for integrating into a studio. Every time I sit down with it it makes me so happy. I love the slow, deliberate workflow it has, especially when using multimode.
I love using hardware samplers, but if the sound quality just isn’t there (modern mpcs, octatrack, and pretty much everything else modern) I just find myself doing it in the daw because it sounds better and has more features.
I’ve actually been starting some ambient stuff on it and the new update with round robin is going to be great.
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The sound quality is outstanding. Easily one of the best sounding samplers I have ever used. The samples seem to come alive in this machine, and the converters are great. I have tested both hardware mix and individual outs, and same for audio over USB. I knew the hardware outputs would sound great, but I was really surprised with the audio over USB sound quality.
Great sound quality, stereo samples, audio over USB plus hardware outputs. I like to have options for both hardware and software, and this box delivers and is built like a tank. It feels like an old-school sampler from another time, the same way that a Prophet 5 feels like old school synth from another time.
Here are a few loose thoughts: The UI can be a bit clunky for some things. There is a bit of menu-diving, or maybe menu-scrolling is a better term. But, things like assigning a sample is quick, and once you get the hang of the workflow, it is fun to use. The sequencer is limited, and editing a sequence can be a bit tedious at times. But playing things in is quick and easy. They recently added some new features that I have not tested out yet but look nice, like robin-robin with some cool modes. And the live looper is now stereo.
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so main draw is really sound quality for you guys… the audio over usb does that go both ways Ie: sampling too?
I’m a converter snob so I don’t use its audio over USB. But if @HoldMyBeer says it sounds good it won’t totally suck I imagine.
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Yeah, you can take audio in from USB. Also easy to go into USB mass storage mode and drag and drop files from computer.
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Yeah the USB audio is solid so far but I haven’t pushed it for multitrack use. I can plug my phone in to record audio (even for video) direct from the S2400, and can sample from my phone directly into the S2400. It’s refreshingly hassle free
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I’ve got a lot of samplers but I am not a collector, I use all of them judiciously … is the 2400 the sampler of yours that you guys use the most now?