The legendary E‑mu SP‑1200 sampler was released in 1987. It boasted a whopping 384 kilobytes of sample RAM which offered about 10 seconds of sampling time. It was a successful product, but should have faded into irrelevance during the late 1990s when computers were widely adopted and hardware samplers were abandoned en masse. However, something about the SP‑1200 endured. In the 35 years since its release, it has become a classic. Hip‑hop and house producers have clung to it for its intuitive workflow and chunky, lo‑fi sound.
Isla Instruments, a seemingly unlikely champion given that their only other product to date is a small MIDI controller, have taken the SP‑1200 as inspiration for their latest product, the S2400. It is a spiritual successor, taking the revered sonic characteristics and workflow as a starting point and adding modern conveniences that the OG could only dream about. Hear it from the horses’s mouth:
“The S2400 is nothing short of a passion project. Along with a small team of talented Software Engineers, CAD Engineers and revered artists, we have developed, what we think is a future classic.
For us, the S2400 is a passion project – to recreate the sound of one of the world’s most iconic sampling drum machines, and bring it up-to-date with modern features. The result is the very best of old school and new school technology coming together.
Brad has been obsessed with drum machines for many years – owning, repairing, restoring, modifying countless makes and models (see his HR-16 mods on youtube).
Staying true to form in both sonic characteristics and design aesthetic were the main drivers in the realisation of this project, while bringing the hardware into the 21st Century and keeping the same ‘instant gratification’ and intuitiveness of its spiritual pre-predecessor at heart.”
