[Muso] Ever owned a Korg Electribe ES-1? or: Cheap Samplers

[clingfilm portent]

Hi./.

I'm preparing to take the plunge into the world of hardware after being raised (or raising myself) on the comforting teat of the software-based DAW.

However, low funds have led me to eye up a lot of gear from yesteryear, where I have nonetheless been seduced by the nostalgia, the simplicity and sometimes the sheer visual appeal.

I'm looking for something which can deal with sampling and sequencing. My main aim is making loops that I can use as backbones for hip-hop or techno tracks with some decent sound sculpting capabilities and potential for weirdness.

The most available, and cheap, of these kinds of devices is the Korg Electribe ES-1.

Have any of you fine folk used one? Or have any experience in this area?

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

[momatt]

Never owned an Electribe ES-1, but I do have the ER-1 (drum machine) and EA-1 (dual mono-synth).  Both are an absolute dream to use and I can't recommend the ER-1 enough especially.  You can get some great sounds out of them immediately and they're incredibly versatile, for MIDI-triggering other equipment, gating outboard synths and even as effects units.

The one downside of the ES-1 is that it uses quite old memory cards that might be tricky to get.  So you might be better off getting the newer Electribe ESX-1.  The brand new Korg Volca Sampler looks a bit crap and stupid to me, you can only import samples via an iPhone app.

How much have you seen the ES-1 for?

The brand new Korg ESX2 might be worth a look for £300 too.
http://www.musicradar.com/reviews/tech/korg-electribe-music-production-station-616694

[Colin Sanction]

The brand new Korg Volca Sampler looks a bit crap and stupid to me, you can only import samples via an iPhone app.

You can import samples via Android app now, still not the most ideal way of transferring data.

[clingfilm portent]

How much have you seen the ES-1 for?

There are a few floating around on eBay for less than 100.

I have looked at the new ESX2 but as far as I know there is no audio in, which is a bit of a dealbreaker. I might as well just get an iPhone in that case.

[grainger]

Never owned an Electribe ES-1, but I do have the ER-1 (drum machine) and EA-1 (dual mono-synth).  Both are an absolute dream to use and I can't recommend the ER-1 enough especially.  You can get some great sounds out of them immediately and they're incredibly versatile, for MIDI-triggering other equipment, gating outboard synths and even as effects units.

Yes, they're ace. [I'd say the ER-1 is the better of the two, but then I like making zappy electro "snare" sounds]. I can't comment on the ES-1 (sampling isn't my thing), but the interface on this series is great.

[momatt]

I have looked at the new ESX2 but as far as I know there is no audio in, which is a bit of a dealbreaker.

That is shit isn't it.  If true anyway.

EDIT: It's not according to this.
http://createdigitalmusic.com/2014/09/new-korg-electribes-focus-live-performance-export-ableton-live/

Sample rate is 16-bit/48K. There's a stereo minijack line input for sampling.  Unit feature USB, MIDI in and out jacks, and an SD card for storage.

[BlodwynPig]

Never owned an Electribe ES-1, but I do have the ER-1 (drum machine) and EA-1 (dual mono-synth).  Both are an absolute dream to use and I can't recommend the ER-1 enough especially.  You can get some great sounds out of them immediately and they're incredibly versatile, for MIDI-triggering other equipment, gating outboard synths and even as effects units.

The one downside of the ES-1 is that it uses quite old memory cards that might be tricky to get.  So you might be better off getting the newer Electribe ESX-1.  The brand new Korg Volca Sampler looks a bit crap and stupid to me, you can only import samples via an iPhone app.

How much have you seen the ES-1 for?

The brand new Korg ESX2 might be worth a look for £300 too.
http://www.musicradar.com/reviews/tech/korg-electribe-music-production-station-616694

Every time you post, you keep reminding me that I am your future self.

I too own the red and blue boxes. My only synths. Used to annoy the fuck out of my housemates with them back in the 00s. Stopped using them once i heard the godawful Like A Time album "red and blue boxing"

[clingfilm portent]

I'll 'ave em.

[BlodwynPig]

I'll 'ave em.

name your price

[slavestate]

I have the ES-1 and although I haven't used it for a while it's a lovely piece of kit.  You can use it as a midi trigger / controller for something like Battery or whatever the kids are using these days so you wouldn't actually have to import samples if you didn't want to.  The on-board sounds for the most part are pretty decent and the effects are pretty good and it's fairly easy to control and play out of the box

[momatt]

Yeah, that's what I love about these old Electribes.  Even if you hate the sounds on them (which would be ridiculous), they're still worth getting just for their cool sequencers.

Another cheap bit of kit worth a look is the KAOSSILATOR.  Lovely little x-y pad controlled loop-synth.  So much fun and very useable.  The different types of scales make some brilliant melodies.

I want to run home now and stroke them.