Boss SP-303 Dr. Sample

This cheap sampler is really perfect for old-school Hip-Hop type beats. The bitcrusher gives some nice grittyness, the vinyl simulator is great too. The 26 effects are really where this unit shines. The built-in sequencer sucks, but at least it's there. I sequence using my MPC 2000XL, and the SP-303 compliments it very well.

The prices on these and the 404s have been shooting up lately, (probably because of the whole lo-fi hip hop scene that's gotten so popular lately) but they are so worth it. I think I paid around $265 for mine, which was probably a little too much, but I had been looking for one for a while. The sequencer on it is pretty terrible, but I just use it as either an FX box to color my samples before they go into my MPC-2000, or sequence it with the MPC. I borrowed a 404 from a friend a while back, and while it's basically the same as the 303 with more memory and a couple of extra FX, one thing the the 303 has over it is the long/lo-fi sampling modes. The 404 only has the lo-fi mode, which gives that really crunchy SP-1200 sound, but the 303 also has the long mode, which gives it just a bit of downsampled crispiness, which sounds great on drums. I haven't even mentioned the vinyl sim, godDAMN, just perfect on drum breaks.

you can bang out beats on this machine, and it's really fun learning your way around the limitations. effects are really good, vinyl sim is king. digging it! my last one broke so now I have two. lol

I use to have one of this boxes... and i want a new one!!!

huge god huge god huge god huge god huge god huge god huge god huge god huge god huge god huge god huge god

It has it's faults (sequencer isn't particularly intuitive), but some of its limitations make for some kick ass creativity. I can spend hours and hours just playing on this thing.

Only downside is that this has no battery power. I prefer the 404 over this.