Samplers

What is a Sampler?• An electronic musical instrument

• Uses recordings called samples

• The sounds can be uploaded or recorded onto the device

• The sampler is used to playback these samples at the players command

Analogue Samplers

• Before computer based samplers tape delay keyboards were used

– Store recordings on an analogue tape

– The tape head contacts the tape and plays a sound

The Mellotron

• One of the most well known samplers

• Used in many songs during the 1960’s and 1970’s

• Down sides…– Expensive

– Very big and heavy

– Limited

The Beatles – Strawberry Fields

Digital Samplers

• The first digital sampler– EMS Musys System (1969)

• The first commercially available sampler– Computer Music Melodian (1976)

• The first polyphonic sampler– Fairlight CMI (1979)

• The EMU SP-1200 (1987) moved hip-hop into using samples as beats

Specifications

• Polyphonic/Homophonic: How many voices can play simultaneously

• Sample Space: How much memory is available to load samples

• Channels: How many different MIDI channels are available

• Bit depth: How much sample resolution can be supported

• Outputs: How many discrete audio outputs are available