'Useless samplers': why do they exist?

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Why are quirky, limited samplers like the OP-1 Field, KO-133, and Ableton Move so popular despite the existence of powerhouse devices like the MPC Live 2, Push 3, and SP-404? In this video, I explore the growing trend of “nostalgic toys” in music production, their creative limitations, and why they continue to captivate producers. Are they tools, toys, or something in between? Let’s dive into the debate and discover what makes these devices so appealing.

#beatmaking #abletonmove #mpclive2

[PaulOrtiz]

There's a fine line between being creatively limited, and working with one hand tied behind your back just to say you did it with hardware/without a computer. Some devices tread this line better than others.

But ya know I do get it. "Toy" isn't a dirty word in the context of music. Good things can come from having fun. I think as long as we're aware of our own susceptibility to marketing, and that hardware doesn't necessarily exist to make our lives easier. Most of us can't afford to get every new, cool thing that comes out. But they're often so limited in scope that you would need a few of them to cover all your bases. At which point you've spent computer money on avoiding a computer.

There are some interesting ways to limit yourself on a computer. Even if they're artificial/self imposed restrictions. Write to a 10 minute timer. Set a track count limit. Fun to try these things out! Do like the hands on control of hardware sometimes though.

[MarkusAudio]

I still welcome them "useless" samplers and romplers. When you Love Music making but you live in so-called 3rd World, where you can't afford a simple ATM card, but have relatives who can afford to bring you a PO-33 in the low end of the suitcase (unbroken), you might as well squeeze the juice out of it. 😊 I still cherish my faulty Volca Sample and Akai MPX8, and thinking of flashing my V8 soundcard samples. Limits R Us!

[avolany]

As for me, I am a beginner musician and I started to make music on my laptop in Ableton, simply because I was 17 and didn't have any money for hardware. Recently I ordered myself the p-6, because I really wanted to lay my hands on an actual sampler, and MPCs or even the sp-404 are still too expensive for me. And, in my opinion, I don't need a sampler to be a DAW in a box, simply because I alredy have a DAW and I can use it for whatever my sampler is not capable of. Yes, the p-6 is filled with stupid limitations like the amount of sample and low sampling time, but these are the limitations that can possibly push me to be more creative and approach beatmaking from a different perspective. So, As for me, I don't think all samplers should be capable of all the things a DAW is, simply because for the most of the producers a DAW will bi a much more affordable and convenient choice anyway.

[PowerJoyRecords]

A lot of gear specs today are worse than specs in the 90s. It's inexcusable.

[dinogoldie]

The main strength of your "useless samplers" is accessibility. Accessibility in terms of both cost and UI. If you're rich and professionally active enough to require a production workstation that costs a thousand bucks, good for you. If you legitimately need a production workstation with all the bells and whistles for your job, have at it. Don't though disparage cheaper, more user-friendly grooveboxes and dedicated samplers. That's just snobbery. I don't nod my head to a beat because of how much your Mom and Dad paid for you to make it. I don't sort my favourite albums in ascending order of the price of the gear used to make them. As a disabled person, your MPCs/Pushes or whatever would be a very expensive and actually "useless" paperweight to me. The Circuit/KO2/Liven Lofi12 or whatever are instantly accessible and usable for me.

[errorkit]

✌🏼 Millennial here. Grew up with FL1, no money back then with 13/14 for MPC or Mixer - got into Maschine about 2018 and fired up 10 beats per day - now with almost 40, I buy Gear since 2018/19 - as you said. The Process is the Progress, not the Finished Beat or Track. Finished so much Beats and Tracks, dropped LPs and Songs back then on Myspace, then SoundCloud, then YouTube, then spoty ... so yeah...I'm old now and I just want to twist Knobs, check new setups, tune the cable management behind the gear or under the desk and just relax in the evening when the world sleeps.

Rockin' a small Elektron/1010 Setup with the Expressive E Osmose - dawless and unconventional grooves - but that's exactly my approach. I don't want to make HipHop or House or whatever - the Gear always drives me into 1 or 2 Genres - the actual setup changes my music genre everyday, and that's sth I enjoy rn - everyday sth unexpected, because back then, we all wanted to sound like dilla or Dre or Slipknot or DJ Shadow or K&D.

Today I make Music offline and record it on my 1010bluebox, sometimes I record a Video clip to remember what Gear I used^^

wow that escalated quickly - thanks and sorry for that backflash 😂

[playeveryday]

SP404 was a big game changer for me. I use it everyday and plug all my instruments into it. Band in a box lol. But it's true when I have a good paying job I went nuts and bought the stuff I could never have when I was a kid. Now im done, found what I liked and will be getting rid of the rest.

[expander]

The reason they exist, quite simply, is portability - a knock-on effect of this is greater affordability than the flagship products. E.g. push3 and Move. I also don’t think any of them are toys; it’s up to the producer to use their creativity to make good music on the device. I’ve finished more tracks on the Ableton Move in 6 weeks than 2 years of owning the MPC Live 2.

[heavysystemsinc.]

I feel like this rant was akin to 'Why are you using pens to ink your drawings when brushes provide much more variance in line width?!' Because for that style, line width isn't important, precision is. Etc. etc.

They're not useless, they're clutter-free for a certain workflow.

[chanayda]

Got the ep133 and its brilliant for sketching out ideas

Not easy carrying a fully specced desktop around just to lay an idea down

[Pixel_Track]

I am also a millennial, and I have quite a lot of "toys" - Push 2, SP404MK2, Roland MC-101, and Roland J-6. I also had a Microfreak and a couple of Volcas, but I sold them. What I noticed is that Push 2 and Ableton really boosted my productivity (I don't play piano, and Push's scale feature is very handy), but the rest of the devices actually hindered me - the learning curve and all related things. Now, they mostly collect dust. I use samples very rarely, mostly composing music myself, and maybe because of this, a laptop with Ableton is better for me - I can adjust notes, try ideas just by drawing chords, and so on. But I really enjoy the dawless process. Just jamming around without the intention to develop the idea into something else. I completely agree with you about stopping arguing with people - if you don't like dawless and prefer a laptop and Ableton - good for you!

[_boof]

Bro I’m glad you made this. I have 2 MPCs and a 404 mk2 and I barely use them. I did when I first got them. The hype died down and I realized my DAW is more capable and pushes me to get things done. They simply look cool on camera imo.

[noir]

I've had tons of samplers, from vintage to modern. And despite all limitations, I cannot rant too much about the KO II ep-133. It's been the quickest thing to finish a track for me. I see no reason why not using it professionally. When the MPC 5000 came out, legends like DJ Muggs admitted that they didn't even use half of the features the machine provided.
I've had a similar impression from the Octatrack. It's a monster, a beast, it can do it all etc. However, I've never needed its granular synthesis, single cycle waveforms, stutter-delay-tape-stops or super time-stretching abilities, because it wasn't my taste at all. However, it still costs around 1200 Euro. Why even spend so much?

[Unaqer]

the answer to the question of why they keep making limited samplers is probably that they have overproduced components for stuff like that in the past. and now they try to sell them off as new tech. same for synths and other gadgets probably

[NoiseCommanderDS]

My misconception is that more midi instruments equals more productivity but I can't really operate more than two machines at once.

[thewesterj]

An MPC 60 is limited in a modern sense but shines as a sequencer. I use it to control all my bad gear. Limits are in my head mostly. Hell I just started using program changes after 20 years. That said my sp 202 has been used on every project since 98. Still learning new things.

[billiedoesbeats]

I started my toy collection with the MPC One Retro. This is after not making music for like 10yrs. Before that, I only did music in Ableton and Reason which was great and I was able to complete full songs with vocals and all. But when I came back to music after 10 yrs of silence, I decided I just wanted to have FUN and not sit staring at a computer screen for days and days like I used to when I was pursuing a career in music. Now I'm a grown up with a career and money, and yes, I want ALL my toys and I don't care LOL. I got the SP404mk2 next, then the KO2, and now the Ableton Move. It's fun, its a hobby, it's a stress reliever after long days of being in a high pressure high responsibility position at work. I think the MPC is the king and it has EVERYTHING, but more limited things like the Move are just genuinely FUN to use. It's all about what you're trying to do. Hey if you have the $, go for it.

[Drrolfski]

Ableton Move and MPC Live 2 user here. Don't call Move a proper sampler because it's not. It's purposely designed as a one-shot sample and synth player. And in that it's actually more intuitive vs the MPC Live 2

[BigMuff]

I have owned many of these “toys” you talk about. I learned that I should have just bought a MPC to begin with. I spent more and couldn’t do as much. Nothing beats the MPC for me.

[omegajackson]

Late Gen Xer, i started in the early 90s and come from a gemini sampler, right now I have all 4 mentioned and Maschine and the ableton move is fun, i can throw it in my backpack and make beats at work or in the car, load the beat into my laptop. Its all in the user.