The first big surprise of NAMM is the Casio SAMPLER, an SP-404-like machine with a built-in microphone, 64GB of memory and retro Casio sounds.
Casio SAMPLER
Casio is such a perplexing company. It goes along, releasing wave after wave of home keyboards, and then suddenly drops something completely out of left field. There was the CT-S1000V vocal synthesis keyboard (which I still really want), the Millennium Falcon groovebox thing, and now this, the Casio SAMPLER.
This handheld device looks be part of Casio’s long-lost line of samplers from the 1980s that included the SK-1 and FZ-1, the latter being a big part of the Aphex Twin’s early sound. SAMPLER, as this new device is tentatively being called, looks more like a modern Roland SP device than a sampler of old, but the fact that it’s Casio is giving me junior high SK-1 sampling flashbacks.
Casio SAMPLER: So Much TBD
First off, I should say that this device is very much unfinished. A glance at the one-sheet at the booth in NAMM shows a lot of TBD, or To Be Decided, meaning that it’s still in development. But from what we’ve seen so far, Casio SAMPLER looks very, very cool.
Casio SAMPLER · Source: Remise 3
So, the SAMPLER (name TBD) is a portable, standalone sampler with a built-in mic and speaker. It’s got 16 pads arranged in a 4×4 pattern like an SP, with large, Casio-style calculator numbers emblazoned on them. It’s got 10 banks of samples with 16 per bank (TBD) that you access by pressing the PlayStation controller buttons and D-pad. There’s also a sequencer, with an onscreen grid that’s giving me strong TR-707 vibes. That screen, by the way, is a 1.3-inch OLED display.
What else? It records in wav format at a 16-bit, 48kHz sampling rate. Internal memory is a whopping 64GB. This includes the preset sounds, which come from vintage Casio music gear. I’m gunning for the brass and Reese patches from the CZ-101, but I’m sure the drums from the VL-1 will be in there too. And maybe the “hello” from the SK-1. Maximum polyphony looks to be 16 stereo voices (TBD) with both one shots and loops.
The Casio SAMPLER will also have effects, with a dedicated FX button and FX dial. What effects it will have, however, is TBD.
Casio SAMPLER: Hardware
The device comes housed in a very cool giant calculator-style box with backlit silicon pads. It’s got headphone and analog audio outs plus an analog audio input for sampling, plus USB-C for data and power. Looks like battery life is a projected two hours. The SAMPLER will also run on four AAA batteries.
Casio is hyping the portability of the device with a target weight of 315 grams. “Perfect in your hands, on a desk, on the couch, and on the go,” the sign says.
Casio SAMPLER: Pricing and Availability
Unfortunately, there’s no price or release information available at this time. As soon as I hear, I’ll let you know.
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Casio CT-S1000V
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Roland SP-404MKII
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$485.00 / £439.00 / 499.00€ at
More Information
Casio homepage
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