ISLA Instruments SP-2400

[Panason]

It certainly looks better than the OG and the build quality seems top notch...

It must be a nightmare trying to recreate the behaviour of an old 12bit DAC!

I think the tuning steps of the OG don't correspond exactly with the ones on the 2400, and this maybe is where the difference is coming from..

[anselmi]

construction seems to be top notch and it looks amazing

I think it´s close enough to be a great sampler with the SP-1200 vibe, and you can do a lot more stuff with it

they said that daughterboards with different analog filters are also planed so this will complete the picture for me

[tron23]

[video][/video]

[cranleigh]

Sounds pretty good! I suppose we'll see if it has the crazy punch of the original. A good friend/collaborator has a 1200 and the sounds just leap out of the monitors with that thing. But this seems like a v. worthwhile box even if it doesn't quite capture everything about the SP1200.

[Divinital]

Hmm. I just remembered this thing as soon as I preordered an MPC One... are they in stock yet? Does anyone have one?

[everydaycurry]

He posted late last month on Gearslutz that they went to manufacturing I think. No idea how many that might mean.

[Divinital]

He posted late last month on Gearslutz that they went to manufacturing I think. No idea how many that might mean.

Shit... do or die. Not sure what to do.

[everydaycurry]

He posted late last month on Gearslutz that they went to manufacturing I think. No idea how many that might mean.

Shit... do or die. Not sure what to do.

Personally, I'd wait and see. It's a new product from a small company where a lot of users didn't like their first product (the chord thing). I'm going to give it a couple of months to shake out - and in any case if I put in a preorder now there's no telling if my number would be in the first batch (or the second).

The MPC One looks like a great product and from the clips I've heard its MPC60 emulation gets a nice old-school crunch.

[Divinital]

He posted late last month on Gearslutz that they went to manufacturing I think. No idea how many that might mean.

Shit... do or die. Not sure what to do.

Personally, I'd wait and see. It's a new product from a small company where a lot of users didn't like their first product (the chord thing). I'm going to give it a couple of months to shake out - and in any case if I put in a preorder now there's no telling if my number would be in the first batch (or the second).

The MPC One looks like a great product and from the clips I've heard its MPC60 emulation gets a nice old-school crunch.

I got it at a good price. If anything the Isla would be a nice companion rather than a replacement.

[beepnsleep]

Recently sold my MPC Live to upgrade to the X. didn't want to spend more just to get CV/gate and closer to knob per function. I mostly used basic features so I hopped on the pre order for this. The interface seems simpler than the assimil8or for what I plan to do- I'm a big fan of the slider workflow. Still anxiously waiting to see the workflow and MIDI capabilities

[beepnsleep]

Seems better than I was expecting so far. It certainly should do everything I was looking for

[Kazremark]

Will the SP2400 be able to loop samples and manipulate loop points, for instance recording loop start/end automation into a sequence? Also can you automate the filter?

[beepnsleep]

it appears you can do those things. seems like you can automate most of the functions based on the little sequencer feedback we've seen. also appears everything in be SP1200 will be available, in addition to "improvements"

[syzygywell]

I'm loving these colors.

[Sir Ruff]

so on the fence about this. I really loved my SP-12/1200s from the sound and instant workflow POV... but I was never able to reconcile that with the desire to make full songs, which required either a) staying ITB and suffering through limited pattern editing and song mode, or b) trying to transfer everything over to a DAW and then be faced with "what to do about the groove" issue. I worked my way through a couple songs the first way (took an entire evening and a lot of beer motivation) and then did the latter for the last. If the 2400 could improve on the SP's editing in some way to get it a little that would be amazing.

[soup]

I think the limitations of the sp-1200 are a big part of the sound. You can just fit a beat in there so have to be brutal and axe anything that isn't perfect. Also there is so little you can sequence, you have to choose between pitch or decay etc. It's been a long time since I had one but the utter simplicity (and the sound) are a big part of why sp1200's are still dear to my heart. This isla thing looks like it's going to be something different entirely.

[Sir Ruff]

I think the limitations of the sp-1200 are a big part of the sound. You can just fit a beat in there so have to be brutal and axe anything that isn't perfect. Also there is so little you can sequence, you have to choose between pitch or decay etc. It's been a long time since I had one but the utter simplicity (and the sound) are a big part of why sp1200's are still dear to my heart. This isla thing looks like it's going to be something different entirely.

Yes, 100%. But the ISLA looks like it’s largely sticking to those same limitations. The main thing that they are changing is how you can control the filters and I suppose giving a bit more real time control. People worked within the SP’s limitations to make magic, but that’s not to say that some aspects still couldn’t be improved and functional for020 while still keeping the same kind of vibe. I mean, some of the basic SP limitations are infuriating and there's only so many work arounds before you just get fed up if trying to make a whole track.

[anselmi]

I think the whole concept is about to forget what you can get with a more complex music-making device (hardware of computer) and start to make music with what you have. This way you could just discover a new method and also new music will appear.
If you are just pre-thinking your music, based on expectations of how it should sound and what you need to do it then this kind of machines is not for you.
For me this is an instrument to discover what I could do with this limited tool set and enjoy (or not) the results. You spend more time, you get better stuff out of it, develop a method, and eventually your own style too...just like you do with a guitar or piano

[Sir Ruff]

I think the whole concept is about to forget what you can get with a more complex music-making device (hardware of computer) and start to make music with what you have. This way you could just discover a new method and also new music will appear.
If you are just pre-thinking your music, based on expectations of how it should sound and what you need to do it then this kind of machines is not for you.
For me this is an instrument to discover what I could do with this limited tool set and enjoy (or not) the results. You spend more time, you get better stuff out of it, develop a method, and eventually your own style too...just like you do with a guitar or piano

that's a good point. I really enjoyed the process (well, challenge) of knocking out whole tracks on the SP, but the problem was that I spend the rest of my time in front of a DAW and so I never felt like those completed tracks came anywhere near what I would have done on the computer. I'm also not ready to ditch the DAW in favor of hardware only, so therein lies the dilemma! What I probably should have focused on more was just getting patterns going on the SP and then recording them in the DAW and moving on to the next one rather than striving for some sort of integration.

[anselmi]

I think the whole concept is about to forget what you can get with a more complex music-making device (hardware of computer) and start to make music with what you have. This way you could just discover a new method and also new music will appear.
If you are just pre-thinking your music, based on expectations of how it should sound and what you need to do it then this kind of machines is not for you.
For me this is an instrument to discover what I could do with this limited tool set and enjoy (or not) the results. You spend more time, you get better stuff out of it, develop a method, and eventually your own style too...just like you do with a guitar or piano

that's a good point. I really enjoyed the process (well, challenge) of knocking out whole tracks on the SP, but the problem was that I spend the rest of my time in front of a DAW and so I never felt like those completed tracks came anywhere near what I would have done on the computer. I'm also not ready to ditch the DAW in favor of hardware only, so therein lies the dilemma! What I probably should have focused on more was just getting patterns going on the SP and then recording them in the DAW and moving on to the next one rather than striving for some sort of integration.

Same happened to me, and it took me some time to accept the music I make with some gear is OK as it is...the process of integrate it with a DAW to "make it sounds better" just makes me bored to death and discard most of it.
Now, if I start the process in hardware I just do it all there until I think it sounds great, then just record the stereo and give it a little mastering and I{m more than happy with it. It is what it is and it{s great this way. I also learned that there´s a lot of people that also like it this way, even more than the hybrid result. Maybe it´s the sound, maybe it´s me finishing it just tired of listening.
I decided to keep it fresh for my ears and this is working wonderfully.

[beepnsleep]

there's a video or two that show parts of the sequencer in action. it seems like you can make a song without mental gymnastics and obviously you have nearly unlimited sample time. A 5th bank for MIDI, but it still has the 12 bit low sample rate mode and swing of the original. since it sounds pretty close, I'd rather have those modernizations to stand alone with my modular than get more gear (especially paying several times the cost of this for limitations). I tried DAWs, but the interface is uninspiring. I'll only use it for mastering

[3hands]

I’m happy I’ve got an MPC 2000. I will leave it at that.

[Illwiggle]

Ive been asking myself if the 2400 is for me, as I already have an sp1200 in great shape, that I got for a good deal. Of course the sample time limitation & polyphony & other limitations are frustrating at times, but the more I look at & listen to The 2400 Im seeing that its essentially a different instrument, perhaps likened to the difference between an acoustic guitar & ukulele.. an ukulele is not necessarily an inferior instrument, but the limitations are there and they help make the instrument what it is. Im still in a dilemma about it, but I will likely splurge on the 2400 some day...it seems to be what I & many others have been wanting in a sampling workstation for a long time

[syzygywell]

Yeah if I had an SP1200 in really good condition I don't know that this purchase would be for me at all. You have it sans the extra sampling. The only way it would be worth it is if it 1. Nails it 2.You need a back up or want something more portable.

[Sir Ruff]

Yeah if I had an SP1200 in really good condition I don't know that this purchase would be for me at all. You have it sans the extra sampling. The only way it would be worth it is if it 1. Nails it 2.You need a back up or want something more portable.

It’s also at least a third less than even a poor condition 1200. That’s a pretty big reason to buy on its own if you can’t justify having that much cash tied up in a 1200.