Totally agree with someone’s comment above where it would nice to be able to fork out some extra dollars at the start for extra hardware capability. I know it’s not as simple as all that, but if say the Circuit Rhythm was $X but for $1.5X you could have double sample memory and double sequence length just through beefier cpu of the same type a lot of people would jump at it.
I would love a sampler type device with a full set of ins and outs, 2 mic pres, ability to live loop and handle long samples, pads, knobs and sliders, a cool fully featured linear sequencer (think like a qy700, can step, piano roll, event list, pattern sequence) with external midi sequencing, the ability to sequence a pattern but then free record a long take over it, auto multisampling (just for synths really), a PCM engine, class compliant usb interface, analog filters…
As I type all that I’m painfully aware that I’m pretty close to describing the feature set of the current Roland Fantoms…
It would also be interesting if it had a kind of modular software approach ala Zoia or Digit/Beebo. Thinking in terms of your bread and butter sampling features are on top in the UI, and the more advanced stuff is a layer down, and if you want something totally wacky you can choose whether its even installed or not.
On the other hand would also be super happy with my EPS classic with a few gigabytes of ram for sample memory.
Yeah, I’m not sure what that is. Looks above my pay-grade. Also don’t have an Apple computer. I was hoping it was this program that the people at Fruityloops put out ears ago, that was an audio chopper program with loads of options.
Don’t forget there is a worldwide chip shortage, people who make samplers depend on chips, because they are so busy that they often don’t have time for to prepare a proper meal, so things are taking a bit longer on account of them being in the kitchen longer when they should be coding algos.
The LinnDrum II is still coming. Indeed, it exists in physical form.
I would also like to state again, for the record, that the debacle that was the Tempest’s development, was the result of disorganization and mismanagement on DSI’s behalf, not Roger’s. Hence why, when Roger took to overseeing those last few iterations of the firmware, most of the bugs got fixed.
He asked for my help because I had already catalogued and correlated every bug and outstanding feature, in great detail, and was, perhaps ironically, more in touch with the actual state of the Tempest’s firmware than he was, at the time. To that end, we worked really well together, I dare say became friends in the process, and we remain in contact with each other to this day. I have since participated, in a similar capacity, with the LinnStrument’s development, and I hope to continue contributing, in whatever way I can, whenever asked, to the development of future Roger Linn instruments (not the least of which is the LinnDrum II).
It’s not financially viable or in any companies best interest to give something that does everything for a one off price. even then as technology advances they’d have to continually use the profits to fund keeping it relevant. It’s obviously possible for some benevolent philanthropist to dump years of development and funding into crafting a perfect sampler but people with the money have better shit to do cause quite frankly its pointless when you can just buy any 2 boxes and do whatever you want. A man can dream though
I wonder how much of an uptick in sales someone like Elektron gets when they drop a major update like the ones for OT and DT?
Could we see a sales model where you can choose to buy and add functionality to a box over time, sort of like a pick n mix option? This could solve the problem of the one-off price.
You’ve made that point already. I get it and I mentioned it in the very first post. But you could also say, well, I can configure my computer to do everything that an OT can do so why are so many people buying an OT? Hardware has advantages.
Yes, but many of the things people want in this thread kind of miss the point of hardware samplers to begin with. Were they to make a dedicated hardware box with a modular design and the ability to pick and choose features, how would that be different from a DAW and VST’s? A computer and a midi controller will achieve that exact thing, and free the company to only develop software. Most people have a computer, VST’s work in most if not all DAW’s.
A hardware sampler is worth it only if you choose to embrace the limitations and think out of the box to achieve something more than the sum of it’s parts, like the Octatrack or the Digitakt. Both have massive technical limitations, no polyphony for the OT and mono only for the DT yet they’re extremely fun and powerful because they were designed well. If you just add more and more features and functionality, at some point you’ll need a big screen, a DAW-like UI and probably a touch screen and at that point how is your device any different from a computer or a tablet?
Some good points. How I imagine it working would be to get something like the DT in an OT sized box. That’s the base model for X price. Then a few months down the road, they make a granular machine that you can buy and download onto your box. Now when choosing a sample, you can choose the Granular machine instead, which has its own dedicated set of parameters. More machines can be added at the users behest over time depending on their needs. I think that would be cool. No need to set up midi controllers and sound cards, it just works and all the parameters are already mapped to the machine type.
Yeah, that’s a great concept. I would love to be abled to pick and choose FX for the Octatrack, for example ditch most of the modulation effects for a better reverb.
