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nassn
Published on 05/13/11 at 07:36
The editing software is pretty limited, but it comes in very handy for rough editing (for a sample-detailed work I use Logic)
Effects are of good quality, but they are also limited: : You can only use one effect at a time, which in my opinion is a pity. So, using a compressor or reverb + looping in real time on the fly is impossible! You will have to choose.
If you want effects and be able to work with the samples in real time, you'll need and external effects processor.
The sequencer is very handy (especially to control expanders via MIDI), even if limited to two tracks.
USE
Very easy to use.
SOUND
The sound is transparent.
OVERALL OPINION
I use the microsampler basically as a synthesizer and not really as a sampler. I can sample my keyboards and, thus, have something compact, light at hand, which spares me from having to carry all my gear around with me.
I also use it to create sounds from different sound source that I can play with a keyboard, that way I can get very particular and unique ambiances and sounds. That's certainly something you can do from a DAW, but the microsampler has an immediate feel to it that is very nice to create things. It's a fabulous tool to experiment with.
However, it's good to know it's limited in some ways:
- The controls lack precision: The one that allows you to select the playable sample on the keyboard is not very practical, especially live (2 +/- navigation buttons would've been perfect).
- I find it hard to use for sampling on the fly (for beatboxing and similar). Even if possible, I wouldn't recommend it for this use.
- As I wrote above, you can only use one effect at a time! It's a real pity.
- No octave +/- buttons, which is somewhat of a handicap for what I do.
- Sequencer limited to two tracks.
Many people criticize the memory limitation. To be honest, given that you can transfer banks to your computer and make backups the same way, I can't follow the criticism. 8 banks of 36 samples, 16 patterns, that may seem limited if you ONLY use the microsampler in your set, but together with other synths and a computer, the memory is more than enough for live applications. It has never annoyed me. For studio use it's totally irrelevant.
In the end, this keyboard serves me well and constitutes a truly awesome sound creation tool.
It is limited, like all tools, but it suits my needs perfectly.
I would definitely buy it again with my eyes closed.
Effects are of good quality, but they are also limited: : You can only use one effect at a time, which in my opinion is a pity. So, using a compressor or reverb + looping in real time on the fly is impossible! You will have to choose.
If you want effects and be able to work with the samples in real time, you'll need and external effects processor.
The sequencer is very handy (especially to control expanders via MIDI), even if limited to two tracks.
USE
Very easy to use.
SOUND
The sound is transparent.
OVERALL OPINION
I use the microsampler basically as a synthesizer and not really as a sampler. I can sample my keyboards and, thus, have something compact, light at hand, which spares me from having to carry all my gear around with me.
I also use it to create sounds from different sound source that I can play with a keyboard, that way I can get very particular and unique ambiances and sounds. That's certainly something you can do from a DAW, but the microsampler has an immediate feel to it that is very nice to create things. It's a fabulous tool to experiment with.
However, it's good to know it's limited in some ways:
- The controls lack precision: The one that allows you to select the playable sample on the keyboard is not very practical, especially live (2 +/- navigation buttons would've been perfect).
- I find it hard to use for sampling on the fly (for beatboxing and similar). Even if possible, I wouldn't recommend it for this use.
- As I wrote above, you can only use one effect at a time! It's a real pity.
- No octave +/- buttons, which is somewhat of a handicap for what I do.
- Sequencer limited to two tracks.
Many people criticize the memory limitation. To be honest, given that you can transfer banks to your computer and make backups the same way, I can't follow the criticism. 8 banks of 36 samples, 16 patterns, that may seem limited if you ONLY use the microsampler in your set, but together with other synths and a computer, the memory is more than enough for live applications. It has never annoyed me. For studio use it's totally irrelevant.
In the end, this keyboard serves me well and constitutes a truly awesome sound creation tool.
It is limited, like all tools, but it suits my needs perfectly.
I would definitely buy it again with my eyes closed.