Stop time in real-time with the new 2.2 firmware update for Torso Electronics S-4. Now in beta.
Torso Electronics S-4 Sculpting Sampler Stop Time With Firmware 2.2White Edition Now Available!White Edition Now AvailableOS 2.0 Adds Global Macros, Envelope Follower, MoreTorso Electronics S-4 Sculpting Sampler OS 2.0Torso Electronics S-4 Sculpting Sampler Now Available!Torso Electronics S-4Torso Electronics S-4: ModulationTorso Electronics S-4: Sampling and RecordingTorso Electronics S-4: AnticipationMore information
Stop Time With Firmware 2.2
Torso Electronics’ S-4 is the sampler that keeps on giving. The company has just released a new firmware update that reworks Mosaic, letting you freeze time and scan through it.
Firmware 2.2 offers the following improvements:
Lock the buffer to hold any moment in place
Move through the buffer with the new Scan control, with Stretch (slow drift), Position (fixed point), and Delay (synced or in ms)
Feedback has been reworked (formerly SOS)
Feed output back into the buffer for evolving textures
Legacy SOS remains as a mode
Expanded movement within grains
Random pitch (stereo/mono), amplitude, and reverse playback
Warp is now part of Spray, with new modes
Mosaic can run independently of playback (configurable)
Owners of S-4 can update for free at the Torso website. Note that this update is still in beta. S-4 is available at Thomann*.
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Torso Electronics S4
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Torso Electronics S4 White
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$829.00 / £744.00 / 839.00€ at
White Edition Now Available!
[30 October 2025] The Torso Electronics S-4 now comes in a White Edition, and it’s available to buy now.
White Edition Now Available
Torso Electronics’ S-4 sculpting sampler has been showing up in the rigs of some forward-thinking musicians, including Surgeon and Nadia Struiwigh, and it’s not hard to see why, with its four-track-like workflow, sampling capabilities, and onboard effects. It’s also now available in a fetching white colorway if you’re not into the whole black thing. This extends to the display, which now offers white and black themes (this is available on the original model as well).
Torso Electronics S-4 White Edition · Source: Torso ElectronicsTorso Electronics S-4 White Edition · Source: Torso ElectronicsTorso Electronics S-4 White Edition · Source: Torso Electronics
Torso Electronics S-4 White Edition is available at Thomann* now for $839 / £764 / €859. The original version is also available at Thomann*.
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Torso Electronics S4 White
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OS 2.0 Adds Global Macros, Envelope Follower, More
[17 June 2025] OS 2.0 fulfills the original vision for Torso Electronics S-4, bringing enhancements like global macros and unlimited sample length playback.
Torso Electronics S-4 Sculpting Sampler OS 2.0
Torso Electronics’ S-4 Sculpting Sampler may not be as popular as something from Elektron or Polyend, but it has its fans. Owners will be even happier when they see what the Torso team has been working on. OS 2.0, which is a total rewrite of the core engine, adds a whole clutch of exciting new functionality to the instrument, “fulfilling the original vision for the instrument,” in the company’s words.
Some highlights of the new operating system are:
Perform: adds the ability to create global macros.
Scene: enables saving and instantly launching of parameter and sample snapshots.
Temp: saves the initial state and snaps back instantly when released.
Disc: new sample playback device that streams audio directly from S-4’s internal storage and is limited only by storage space.
Follow: new envelope follower.
Download OS 2.0 at the Torso Electronics support page.
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Torso Electronics S4
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Torso Electronics S-4 Sculpting Sampler Now Available!
[6 May 2023] Torso Electronics’ S-4, a powerhouse of a four-track granular sampler, is now available.
Back in November, I wrote about this exciting-looking sampler. Combining a four-track tape recorder workflow with the power of a sampler, it also throws in granular processing and filters. Check out the demo videos below to see and hear it in action. Very exciting stuff.
The S-4 is now available for pre-order on Torso Electronics’ site. While the first two batches are sold out, Torso expects the current one to ship in July.
Torso Electronics S-4
[16 November 2023] Four-track cassette workflow with sampling, granular processing, live looping and effects from Torso Electronics? Oh, yes please.
It’s not very often that I read through a press release and get really excited. With so many new devices announced almost daily, a kind of instrument ennui can set in. And yet perusing the announcement for Torso Electronics’ upcoming S-4, I couldn’t help but be piqued.
Torso Electronics S-4 · Source: Torso Electronics S-4
Dubbed a sculpting sampler, Torso Electronics’ new device—the company’s first instrument after the release of its unique sequencer, the T-1—promises lots of exciting features arranged in a way that feels really inspiring.
Torso Electronics S-4: Portastudio Style
As an ambient musician with a bunch of cassette four tracks sitting around my studio, I love the idea of a digital device with a gridless and multitrack workflow. The black matte aluminium and desktop-format S-4 seems to fit this bill perfectly.
The S-4 offers four parallel tracks of stereo audio at 24-bit/48kHz, each containing a chain of five audio devices. The first audio device is called Material, and this is for sampling/recording/looping and even supports live audio. Next is Granular with time-warping and pitch-shifting algorithms. Following on we have Filter, which is a 48-band tuned filter bank morphing resonator (be still my beating heart). It’s capable of everything from classic filtering to wild, animated tonal control. Lastly, there are two effects engines. Color handles distortion, bit crushing and compression while Space gives you reverb and delay with pitch-shifting and shimmer.
Torso Electronics S-4: Modulation
S-4 is more than just a glorified tape recorder though. It also has modulation, making it something of a synthesizer as well. Each audio device includes four configurable modulators giving you 20 total. You can map these to any parameter—with unlimited mapping destinations. Modulation sources include complex LFOs, envelopes and generative sequencers.
Torso Electronics S-4: Sampling and Recording
Hook up a MIDI keyboard and you can play the S-4 like a synthesizer/sampler. Sampling and audio recording are handled in a number of ways. You can use the built-in microphone and stereo input jacks to sample, record and loop as well as process through the effects. The S-4 also offers resampling. You can load samples from the internal 4GB of flash memory or via an external drive (connected via the USB-C port, I assume).
Torso Electronics S-4 · Source: Torso Electronics
That USB port also lets you interface with class-compliant devices and do file transfers to/from a computer. You can use the device as an audio interface, or expand inputs with an additional class-compliant USB interface. Like with the T-1 sequencer, there’s also WiFi for Ableton Link.
In terms of connectivity, around the back, along with the USB-C and audio-in stereo jacks are a headphone jack, two outs, MIDI in and out (mini jacks, unfortunately) and analogue sync in and out. Up top, there’s a 3.5-inch colour LCD screen to see what you’re doing plus 21 RGB buttons with tactile feedback and nine endless encoders.
Torso Electronics S-4: Anticipation
Normally I don’t like to editorialize too much when writing news stories. I’m kind of old-school that way. When I worked for IGN.com way back in the 1990s, we had classic journalism practices drilled into us. However, looking at the specs for the S-4 I can’t help but get excited. And the best part? At $899 it’s not even that expensive.
Torso Electronics’ S-4 is now available for pre-orders at the company’s site. They estimate shipping to start in March of 2024.
Not piqued your interest but still want a compact sampler? Try one of these instead.
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Elektron Digitakt E25 Remix Edition
Customer rating: (1)
$899.00 / £869.00 / 999.00€ at
Roland SP-404MKII
Customer rating: (139)
$479.00 / £429.00 / 488.00€ at
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More information
Torso Electronics homepage
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