Video

Story

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.”

Specifications

• Sampler / Audio:

  • 16-Bit 48Khz ‘Hi-Fi’ Sampling/Playback Engine
  • 12-Bit 26Khz ‘Classic’ Sampling/Playback Engine
  • Engine type assignable to each of the 32 sample slots
  • Sample up to 21.5 minutes per slot (Classic / Mono),
  • 5.5 minutes (Hi-Fi / Stereo)
  • Simultaneous (Full Duplex) playback and record with 8 channel LiveLooping functionality.
  • On-screen waveform display (slice audio, set loop-points with ease)
  • 128 MB of built-in factory drum kits (from some of our featured beta team)
  • Independent Headphone output for monitoring (effectively 2 extra channels)
  • DSP based LP/HP Filtering per track (more FX planned for future)

  
  

  • Sequencer:
  • Multiple sequence entry methods: Live recording, Step Sequence, Piano Roll GUI, TR x0x Style
  • 32 Audio Tracks (any 8 playable at a time)
  • 32 MIDI Tracks (for sequencing external equipment)
  • 96 PPQN Clock
  • Per track quantization and swing (including classic mode)
  • Patterns are up to 100 measures, any time signature
  • All parameters (level, pitch, envelope, filters) configurable per pattern step
  • Song mode
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  • Hardware:
  • Bright 128 × 64 pixel OLED display (viewable from any angle)
  • Ultra High quality Grayhill Optical Data Entry Encoder
  • 8 x 60mm Professional Dual Rail Faders
  • 8 x Dual ‘concentric’ Pro-Audio rotary pots
  • Broadcast Equipment grade A/V backlit pushbutton switches 
  • Tactile silicone pads backlit with RGB LEDs
  • SD Card storage (up to 1TB currently tested)
  • Classic (OG) input and output analogue filtering circuitry.
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  I/O:

  • MIDI In/Out/Thru (Standard 5-pin DIN)
  • 2 × 1/4” Stereo Mix Out jacks (psuedo balanced)
  • 8 × 1/4” Individual audio out jacks (psuedo balanced)
  • 4 × 1/4” External input jacks (with adjustable pre-amp modes)
  • 2 × Stereo RCA Line/Phono Inputs (with dual phono pre-amps)
  • Hi-speed USB 2.0 device port. (USB Audio/MIDI)
  • USB Host port (connect external USB peripherals, MIDI controllers etc).
  • 3.5mm Clock/trigger in and out jacks (to sync/trigger vintage equipment or modular synths)
  • Universal Voltage100-250V AC Mains powered.
    
    

  Manual

  Download Manual