Akai S3000 Sampler - keep or sell?

[LUPN]

I just managed to get my hands on an Akai S3000 for free. I knew nothing about it when I saw the ad but I figured it'd be better to pick it up than not.

It's a bit beat up and requires a bit of work (no cables or anything). Just wondering if it's actually a decent bit of kit worth patching up or if it's so outdated I should just try and sell it.

Cheers

 

[Xabiton]

I have one and I like it. I don't use it anymore though. I use software solutions to do the same things faster and easier but if you are into the whole hardware only thing its a nice device. Not my favorite sampler out there but its very powerful and easy to use once you get used to it.

 

[platinumaudiolab]

I have a soft spot for hardware samplers because it's how I got my start but I get physically ill when I think of the time and effort it takes just to manage (let alone edit) samples on hardware. Hardware is still great for live use, obviously, but for studio use i'm not sure. I'm used to being able to plop a sample off of my hard drive into kontakt and get going right away, and not worry about destructive editing and recording the input. I think it depends more on your workflow style than anything. My only advice is don't expect a hardware sampler to bring character to your recording that will change the complexion of it drastically. This isn't as close of a ballgame as it is between analog and digital synths. Samplers were always digital so the difference in character is usually a losing proposition if you insist on hardware for your productions, unless of course you're going for the gritty character of an SP1200 for instance. Do you have a lot of S1000 disks? If so, you will likely find a lot of use out of your S3000.