Models
26 models
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Fairlight CMI
Digital audio workstation
Synthesizer · Australia
The Fairlight CMI (Computer Musical Instrument), introduced in 1979, was one of the first commercial digital sampling workstations. Pairing a sampler with a light-pen computer interface and the influential 'Page R' sequencer, it transformed 1980s pop production despite its very high cost.
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Elektron Digitakt
Digital drum sampler and sequencer
Sampler · Sweden
The Elektron Digitakt, released in 2017, is a compact digital drum machine and sampler with an eight-track sequencer. Known for Elektron's deep parameter-locking sequencing and hands-on workflow, it became a hugely popular tool for beat-making and live performance.
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E-mu Emulator II
Sampler
Sampler · United States
The E-mu Emulator II, released in 1984, is a sampling keyboard that improved on the original with longer 8-bit samples, analog filters, and a sequencer. Its warm, characterful sound features on many 1980s records.
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Akai S1000
1988 16-bit professional stereo digital sampler
Sampler · Japan
The Akai S1000, released in 1988, is a rackmount 16-bit stereo digital sampler that set a professional standard for sampling in the late 1980s and 1990s, with high audio quality, flexible editing, and wide library support.
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Ensoniq Mirage
Polyphonic synthesizer
Synthesizer · United States
The Ensoniq Mirage, released in 1984, was an affordable 8-bit digital sampling keyboard that helped bring sampling to working musicians. Its gritty sound and disk-based sample loading made it a popular and characterful early sampler.
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E-mu Emulator
Series of digital sampling synthesizers
Synthesizer · United States
The E-mu Emulator is a series of digital sampling keyboards and workstations E-mu Systems introduced in 1981. Among the first affordable samplers, the Emulator line let musicians record and play back real sounds across a keyboard and was influential in 1980s pop and film music.
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Akai MPC
Electronic musical instrument
Synthesizer · Japan
The Akai MPC (MIDI Production Center) is a family of sampler-sequencers, first released in 1988, that combined sampling, drum-pad performance, and sequencing in one unit. Developed with Roger Linn, the MPC became a central tool of hip-hop and electronic production and remains an industry standard.
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Akai S Series
Series of Akai digital samplers
Japan
The Akai S series is a long-running line of professional rackmount digital samplers that became studio standards from the late 1980s onward, including the 12-bit S900, the 16-bit S1000, and the S3000XL.
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Ensoniq EPS / ASR Samplers
Family of Ensoniq performance sampling workstations
Sampler · United States
The Ensoniq EPS and ASR sampling instruments form a family of performance sampling keyboards that integrated sampling, onboard synthesis and effects, and a sequencer into a single self-contained digital studio, from the EPS and EPS-16 Plus to the 16-bit ASR-10.
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Ensoniq EPS
Performance sampling keyboard workstation
Sampler · United States
The Ensoniq EPS (Ensoniq Performance Sampler), released in 1988, is a polyphonic sampling keyboard with up to twelve to twenty voices depending on sample rate, a 61-note velocity- and aftertouch-sensitive keyboard, an onboard sequencer, and disk storage, designed as an affordable performance-oriented sampling workstation.
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Ensoniq ASR-10
Thirty-one-voice 16-bit sampling workstation
Sampler · United States
The Ensoniq ASR-10 (Advanced Sampling Recorder), produced from 1992 to 1998, is a 31-voice 16-bit sampling workstation that integrated sampling, resynthesis, onboard effects, and a sequencer into a single instrument. It shipped with a 61-note keyboard (88 weighted keys on the ASR-88) and became a favorite of hip-hop and electronic producers.
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Roland SP-404
Portable phrase sampler family
Sampler · Japan
The Roland SP-404 is a portable sampler line, first released in 2005, that pairs pad-based sample playback and recording with a bank of lo-fi and creative effects. Affordable and battery-capable, it became a favorite for beat-making, lo-fi hip-hop, and live performance.
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Teenage Engineering PO-33 K.O!
Pocket Operator micro sampler model
Sweden
The Teenage Engineering PO-33 K.O! is a pocket-sized micro sampler in the Pocket Operator series, letting users record short samples, play them melodically, and sequence them with built-in effects.
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E-mu Emulator III
Digital sampler workstation model
United States
The E-mu Emulator III, released in 1987, is a sampling workstation offering 16-bit sampling, analog filters, and an integrated sequencer, delivering high-quality sampling for professional studios.
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E-mu Emulator I
Digital sampling keyboard model
United States
The E-mu Emulator I, released in 1981, was E-mu's first sampler: a keyboard that recorded and played back digital samples, bringing sampling to musicians at a far lower price than the Fairlight. Its lo-fi 8-bit sound is part of its appeal.
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E-mu Emulator IIIXP
Rackmount digital sampler model
United States
The E-mu Emulator IIIXP is a rackmount version of the Emulator III, packaging E-mu's 16-bit sampling and sound engine into a studio-friendly rack module.
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Akai S900
1986 12-bit professional digital sampler
Sampler · Japan
The Akai S900, released in 1986, is a rackmount 12-bit digital sampler that brought professional sampling to a wider market. Its characterful lo-fi sound and MIDI control made it a studio standard of the late 1980s.
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Akai S3000XL
The Akai S3000XL is a sampler with 32 polyphonic voices, and 2 MB of built-in RAM.
Sampler · Japan
The Akai S3000XL is a rackmount professional digital sampler in Akai's S3000 series, offering high-quality 16-bit sampling, extensive editing, and broad compatibility for studio production.
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E-mu SP-1200
Sampling drum machine
Sampler · United States
The E-mu SP-1200, released in 1987, is a sampling drum machine that combined 12-bit sampling with an analog filter and a sequencer. Its gritty, crunchy sound and short sampling time shaped hip-hop production and remain prized by beatmakers.
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Akai MPC2000
MIDI production center sampler
Sampler · Japan
The Akai MPC2000, released in 1997, is a sampler-sequencer in the MPC family that became a workhorse of late-1990s hip-hop and electronic production, offering 16-bit sampling, pad-based programming, and expandable memory and storage.
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Akai MPC60
MIDI production center sampler
Sampler · Japan
The Akai MPC60, released in 1988, was the first MPC: a sampling drum machine and MIDI sequencer designed by Roger Linn. Its sound, its swing/'feel' timing, and its 16-pad workflow established the template for hip-hop production.
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Yamaha TX16W
Synthesizer model
Synthesizer · Japan
The Yamaha TX16W, released in 1988, is a rackmount 12-bit digital sampler. Though it had a complex interface, alternative firmware and its characterful converters earned it a dedicated following.
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Yamaha SU700
Synthesizer model
Synthesizer · Japan
The Yamaha SU700, released in 1999, is a sampling groovebox combining sampling, loop slicing, and a step sequencer with hands-on knobs and pads for beat-oriented electronic production.
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Roland W-30
Digital sampling keyboard
Sampler · Japan
The Roland W-30, released in 1989, is a music workstation that combined a 12-bit sampler, sample-playback synthesis, a built-in sequencer, and a disk drive, making it an integrated sampling and composing tool.
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Elektron Octatrack
Electronic instrument
Synthesizer · Sweden
The Elektron Octatrack is a performance sampler and sequencer designed for live remixing and looping. With eight tracks, real-time time-stretching, crossfading, and Elektron's powerful step sequencing, it is a flexible centerpiece for electronic performance.
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Casio SK-1
Small sampling keyboard made by Casio in 1985
Sampler · Japan
The Casio SK-1, released in 1985, is a small, affordable consumer keyboard that included a low-fidelity sampler, letting users record short sounds and play them across the keyboard. Its lo-fi charm made it a beloved tool for circuit-bending and experimental music.