Casio teased a retro gaming-inspired sampler

Casio confirmed as much as NAMM (CES for music gear nerds) this yr with a prototype sampler referred to as the SX-C1 that appears each bit the lovechild of a Game Boy and an SP-404. The high has a directional pad and 4 buttons similar to you’d discover on a recreation controller, flanking a 1.3-inch OLED display. But on the backside, there are 16 rubberized pads for triggering samples with crunchy pixelated quantity labels on them.

The device on display on the present flooring was not absolutely finalized, so the specs are topic to alter. Casio says that the ultimate model could have 16 voice polyphony and document samples at 16-bit / 48kHz. It can even have 10 banks of samples, for 160 pattern slots in whole, unfold over 64GB of inside storage. It can even come preloaded with samples harvested from basic Casio gear.

There are additionally two results slots, as evidenced by the 2 thumbwheels labeled FX1 and FX2. What results and precisely how they’ll be applied is unknown proper now, although a bitcrusher and a delay can clearly be heard within the demo clip under.

Similarly, there’s a grid-style step sequencer that’s giving critical TR-707 vibes. But once more, there aren’t any specs for the sequencer presently. One factor we do know is that there will probably be correct pattern trimming with a visual waveform such as you get on the Roland SP-404MKII, the sort that isn’t accessible on extra inexpensive and transportable samplers like Teenage Engineering’s PO-33 or PO-133.

The SX-C1 could have a built-in mic and speaker and may be powered by AAAs for really standalone operation. But it additionally has 1/8-inch line-in and line-out jacks, a headphone jack, and two USB-C ports. Those USB ports can be utilized for energy and audio, so you would plug straight into your pc to pattern your favourite YouTube clip.

This marks Casio’s return to the world of samplers after a really lengthy absence. Its ‘80s models, including the FZ-1 and SK-1, were iconic, but things have been quiet since then. When the Casio SX-C1 sampler might be available, how much it will cost, and if it will ever even come to the US are all unknown at this time, but we’ve reached out to Casio for extra particulars.