So you get a powerful 16 step sequencer, a bunch of tiny encoders to adjust various parameters and a basic ‘calculator’ LED screen to show parameter levels. As with all the machines we’re looking at, the aim is to provide the user with as much tweakability from the front panel with minimum menu delving, to facilitate workflow. It has no inbuilt sampling ability of its own, instead, you fill it with your own samples via either an iPhone or iPad. The Volca Sample is a small (it’s the size of a small book) but well-specced sample player with emphasis on live performance. Here are the contenders: Korg Volca Sampleįirst up is the popular addition to the expanding Korg Volca family, the Korg Volca Sample, which is currently retailing for around £140. With this in mind, we present the first of our sampler reviews, looking at three of the best samplers on the market for under €300. Dedicated external bits of kit also allow electronic producers to perform their work live, to improvise and create on the fly. Jamming on a dedicated box creates a direct connection to the dance floor experience because you can ‘play’ it and move to the music, rather than operate it, which brings a physicality to the task that is hard to capture when sitting at a laptop. Working with a dedicated piece of hardware allows you to move away from visually fixating on the screen and the arrangement in front of you, and instead can facilitate the kind of intuitive, creative workflow that all producers desire. It’s still one of the very best ways to come up with fresh ideas and its way more fun than fiddling with your trackpad or mouse. There is still nothing that compares to jamming on a step sequencer, away from a computer screen, with a couple of encoders to tweak the filter and effects. The answer only becomes clear once you physically try out a piece of hardware. Now though, the sampling capabilities offered by DAWs are only limited by their user’s imaginations (and copyright laws of course), so why would anyone want to buy an external sampling box with the inevitable compromises that small bits of gear bring? Digital sampling using your DAW is pretty standard these days but it was only a few years ago that every studio in the land had at least one or two hardware samplers in their equipment rack.

Free sample chopping software