The best standalone intuitive sampler for a beginner

builttospill

I’ve taken an interest in sampling bizarrely after watching those Smashing Hits! docs on BBC4. I’m a complete amateur to this but I would love to create my electronic music at some adding guitars, beats, vocals, synth etc. Which current standalone unit would you recommend? I’ve looked at the Akai MPC live, Force and others. Is there anything out there that is intuitive or are they all a steep learning curve. 

octatonic

Get Ableton Live and a controller keyboard.
Way more capable.

If you want a sampler with sequencing capability then that is something different to just being  'sampler'.
If you want a hardware sampler/sequencer then buy an Elektron Digitakt, half the price of the MPC Live.

builttospill

Thaoctatonic said:

Get Ableton Live and a controller keyboard.
Way more capable.

If you want a sampler with sequencing capability then that is something different to just being  'sampler'.
If you want a hardware sampler/sequencer then buy an Elektron Digitakt, half the price of the MPC Live.

thanks for the heads up @octatonic will take a look at those. The Elektron stuff looks and sounds amazing

Branshen

Check out the launchpad pro and ableton live combo. It's a good velocity sensitive (good for drums) pads in a grid layout (good for triggering and arranging samples). 

launchpad mini is worth looking at too at the more budget end of things, but it doesn't have velocity sensitive pads. 

Learning curve is not too steep once you get your head around the grid idea. Have a go at the online digital grid player, it will give you a good idea of what it's like to use a grid controller
https://intro.novationmusic.com/viral-hiphop 

Shark_Eyes

I'd second  the Launchpad pro and Ableton route (you get a copy of live lite 10 with launchpad pro). That's how I make maybe 80% of my music, and I happily mix and match samples, synths and live instruments in it.
If you go down this route I'd invest the time in learning Abletons' looping style of recording, as you can create simple tracks with it in no time.

One thing with the Elektron stuff, is that it has a workflow, that you have to learn, I've only ever doodled on them and think I could get it to work for me, but I'd be hesitant to buy one untried (or un-youtube'd) as internet wisdom suggests a few people haven't got on with that aspect of them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46nJ5OqFTag

I'd suggest watching this as a primer into the elektron workflow.

builttospill

Thanks all for your responses... really helpful stuff