Casio SAMPLER: Future Retro Handheld Beat Maker – Is This the SK-1 Reborn?
4,8 / 5,0 | 
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.
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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2 responses to “Casio SAMPLER: Future Retro Handheld Beat Maker – Is This the SK-1 Reborn?”
The sampler looks like fun, I hope it’s not too expensive.
Looks like a junk toy you find in the dumpster