Pros: The model samples is super powerful, by using parameter locks and conditional triggers, I've been able to make some really cool and evolving sequences out of just a single short pattern. This device is not really good for chopping up longer samples, but for making patterns out of short 1 shot samples, it's is awesome. After putting together a pattern, it is really fun to jam out and mangle it using the 'control all' function to modulate a parameter such as the pitch or filter for all 6 tracks.

Cons: The 6 pads that you use to select tracks or play in patterns are really bad. Even when I hit them quite hard, I can only get it to about 40% velocity. Initially, I thought my unit was broken but after looking at other reviews, it looks like that's just how these things are. You can turn off the velocity sensitivity which helps, but you still have to hit the pad somewhat hard for it to trigger at all. Luckily, you can use the 16 non velocity sensitive buttons below for inputting patterns, but this is definitely not the device to get if you want to finger-drum with it.

Also, there is no way to sample directly into the unit. You have to use the elektron transfer software. The software works well and is straightforward to use, but it's still disappointing not to be able to sample directly into the unit.

Even with its flaws, I still enjoy this groovebox for its fantastic sequencer and sample-mangling capabilities, but it's still very disappointing that the pads are nearly unusable.

So flexible and feature rich- great as a sketch pad or to integrate into your setup

I think it's the best option when it comes to get all your synths sounds together into one machine you can travel or play around, I got the full Elektron model signature products and the quality and functionality is simply a very good deal! It's highly recommended to study the manual so the machine can be used in full opening possibilities to produce music, I think this product hasn't been explored completely and I believe it's possible to create a minimum of 12 hrs set with this machine

After buying an Elektron Model Cycles, I was impressed with the Elektron workflow and became addicted. However, that is an FM synth and if you know anything about FM synths, they can start sounding alike after awhile so I picked up its older brother, the Samples.

Good:
- How does it handle? Like a drum machine. Elektron's sequencers are second-to-none. You can nudge notes by tiny fractions of notes, change the chance of notes hitting, create poloyrhythms and custom track lengths and so much more just from the front panel without a DAW. The Retrigger is great to, especially thanks to a custom sample start/stop adjustment that can even let you pull off breakcore-like riffs.
- This is a powerful sequencer and even though it is monophonic, the wealth of Step Sequencer-based parameter locking (including loading samples for individual hits per step) gives this tiny box a ton of possibility.
- I've uploaded quite a few blips and bloops here and thanks to onboard reverb, delay and a hi-pass/lo-pass filter, it's easy to get the sound you want even from synth samples.
- Control all parameters at once with an all-control function and recover your saved track and default settings in real time. Although full honesty, these functions sound better on the Cycles due to it being a synth.
- LOTS of storage space. I have thousands of samples on here. I DO COMPRESS before loading, so bear that in mind. Thankfully, this machine takes many audio formats so you can pick one of choice. The Elektron transfer app, while bear bones, doesn't have any big issues and does what it needs to. I just wish it told you how much storage you had remaining! Also lots of project room. (99 projects with 96 patterns per project, up to 64 steps each)
- Wavetable-like functionality to turn samples into long drones is pretty cool once you get the hang of it.
- Nearly all front-face controls (though menu diving, because this is Elektron). All knobs are rotary but settings are saved digitally, so you don't have to worry about where your knobs were last time you played.

Bad points:
- no timestretching is a big bummer. You won't be dropping loops in this thing.
- All pitch shifting is done by speed change, so if you want high notes, sample high notes. Don't just drop one middle C in and take it everywhere. Low notes should be sampled separately too. In fact, if you try to take any samples outside of two octaves difference in either direction, the pitch hits a "barrier" and doesn't go past the last C. It's quite frustrating but can be worked around. BUT should I have to work around what other machines do just fine?
- RAM shenanigans. If you load enough samples into a project, you have to start fiddling with a RAM component and either clear space or start another project. I have yet to hit the RAM limit but I can see how this gets annoying.
- Copying patterns has some weird behavior. If you copy a pattern from one project and move it to another, your settings may not be correct when you paste them. This has to be an architecture issue in the sampler, probably from loading samples as it can take up to a solid minute for this machine to be ready to roll noises. The Cycles has NONE of these issues.
- No sample transfer without a computer. No mobile upload, thumb drives, nothing.
- Naming tracks with a rotary is not fun.
- Comes with samples, but they're vanilla (surprise!)


All in all, it's a machine that can be a great supplement to an existing setup depending on how your workflow looks. If you're wanting to drop stems and loops into it, this is not the machine you want. If you want a beefy groovebox that can take your noises, MPC samples and stabs to great harmonic and rhythmic levels, this will fit the bill. And Elektron sequencers are just excellent. They can do things in five minutes that used to take me hours on DAWs. The space on this thing will give you plenty of room for variety. Just be ready to make sacrifices.

Also, Sweetwater is excellent. I buy all my gear here and know my salesperson, Mark, by name. Great service and warranties. I bought this item as a floor model and had not a single problem.

I'm very pleased with the Model:Samples. I originally bought it as a way to play oneshots live but it has now replaced all of my drum machines. Super simple to get up and running but I'm always finding new hidden capabilities.

This has to be one of, if not the best samplers and groove boxes I've ever used or seen. The work flow is so easy a baby can do it. It's fast, simple, fun, and beautiful. Elektron has made some amazing machines over the years. This is perfect for beginners and masters. It's perfect for it's price. Sweden makes some amazing stuff, but this, this is a dream come true. Highly recommend.

I have been using the Model:Samples as a drum machine alongside my MPC One.
I have more control over drums and my beats are less monotonous due to the variation that the Elektron is capable of.

Pros:
The sequencer is top notch
BEAUTIFUL MACHINE that feels great in hand
Knobs per function makes experimenting fun and easy
Can use power bank (with ripcord usb cable)
Holds a good amount of samples
Sample per step is so cool

Cons:
Transfer software needs improvements (both on pc and ios)
No fine tuning of certain functions (like sample start) Can be added in a future firmware update.
Pads are not for finger drumming. Squishy and have no travel.
Might need to replace high use buttons (like "func") after a while
Power handle was recalled, could've made the device a bit bigger and used the upper portion of device for internal battery. (probably could mod it to do that)

Having been eyeing on getting an Elektron equipment for about a year, I decided to purchase the Model: Samples and am very satisfied with it. Coming from Push 2/Ableton Live and OP-Z, I found the workflow of Model: Samples to be simple and easier to learn with the functionality of its many knobs, which is a huge plus for someone who's in the beginning phase of music creations. Within minutes a decent groove is born thanks to high quality factory samples, while importing sounds a breeze. Though with only one LFO, fun still can be archived and sound sample to be manipulated in interesting ways.

Being that I'm new to making beats and using a sampler, this device is pretty straight forward. I did have to buy accessory output cables, and a headphone cable. I will also have to buy an app in order to upload my own samples. Besides that, with the owners manual, and youtube tutorials on the product, I think I'll be on my way to recording my own tracks in no time.

This was my first Elektron piece and within a few months I bought the Model:Cycles to go next to it I've been so happy. The sequencer is AMAZING. You have to get one and learn it to know what I mean but when you do I think you will agree with most people that Electron is king when it comes to sequencers. The sound engine is top-notch as well and the headphone output is LOUD which to me indicates a dedication to quality components. The effects sound great including the filter and saturation you get per channel. The LFO per channel can let you do wild things but don't listen to those saying Elektron stuff is only for "glitchy" or experimental stuff, you can do whatever style you want to.

Having never used an Elektron product before, I wasn't sure what to expect. After watching a ton of videos, I'm glad I decided to go with this particular piece. Due in no small part to my salesman Kenneth! He was incredible for recommending this piece and I cannot thank him enough. It's intuitive and easy to use, sounds really great, and super portable! Highly recommended!

Very cool drum machine! Having a sample based drum machine is really nice and being able to load in my own samples is really helpful. It can be drum sounds or some very wonky synth sounds to make songs with! I like to make beats with mommy and daddy after having lunch on Sunday! Its a wonderful machine for a great price. It makes me all happy and fuzzy feeling to see that Elektron has some more budget friendly instruments now!

Alright, first I'm going to tell you what I don't like about it, which is very little. Main problem: preset samples are almost all drums, they aren't very good, and there's not a whole lot of them. Second problem: The pads. You can now adjust the sensitivity and overall velocity with the latest OS, but I still have problems with hits not registering and honestly the pads are kind of small and easy to miss, especially since you have to use quite a lot of force on them and might have to lift your finger quite high. Third problem: this is kind of nit-picky and it could probably be fixed in a future OS update, but anyways, here it goes. While you can plug a midi keyboard in and play the samples melodically, you cannot hold down a step pad and play a note on the keyboard and have the note on that step change to the note you just played. You can change the note with the main programming knob, but it's just slightly inconvenient you can't do that immediately with a keyboard. With that being said, you can still record notes in the real time recording mode and have them register in the sequencer, so the keyboard is still useful for sequencing notes in that sense. (wow I sound like a total dork)

So what did I like about this? The advanced Elektron sequencer that allows you to sequence in any time signature is a huge reason for me. The six tracks are more than enough to sequence drum parts and even some melodic stuff for your songs, and the parameter locks play a HUGE role in making that happen. It is incredibly easy to load samples into the unit, and there are a good amount of controls onboard the unit for changing the sound of the sample. It lacks the ability to sample directly on the unit, unlike the Digitakt, but it's also $ cheaper than the Digitakt. So yeah. The reverb and delay sound very good..... It also syncs up perfectly with the Elektron Analog Keys/Four, so if you press play on the Model Samples, the Analog Keys/Four with start playing as well. I added of samples from my Akai Miniak, acoustic drum set, electronic drum set, and various other sources and it turned out very well. I just used audacity to edit the samples, plugged in the Model Samples, used the transfer app and badaboom badabing.

So let's compare this to the Korg Electribe 2. First off, I have the synth based version of the Electribe 2, not the sampler, so this was like a whole different unit, but The Electribe 2 sampler is arguably a better sampler than the Model Samples. The Electribe 2 Sampler has 16 tracks, the Model Samples has six (however the fact that you can change the sample on each step within a single track on the Model Samples kind of allows you to do more than you'd expect). The Elektron sequencer is definitely better than the Electribe 2 and is the main reason I would steer you towards the Model Samples (While the Electribe 2 has a similar sequencer, transitioning from one sequence in a odd time signature to another sequence doesn't really work right, the CHANGE parameter in the PAGE menu of the Model Samples allows you to customize and precisely control the way one sequence changes into another). The fact that it syncs up perfectly with other Elektron units is a huge bonus as well. If you know you're going to be working in strictly 4/4,8/4, and 16/4, and you aren't planning on using any other Elektron gear, maybe go with the Electribe. The Electribe 2 pads are better. The synth based version of the ELectribe 2 is a better all-in-one unit, because it has a fully functional synth engine, and some very good drum samples loaded into it (you cannot add your own samples to the synth based Electribe 2, only the Sampler Electribe 2, which has limited synth capabilities.)

Since the price dropped, this is a must-buy for a fun, easy, knob-per-function (mostly) groovebox. Adding your own samples (sampled elsewhere...this is not a sampler but plays any samples you load) is easy!

The last time I owned a groovebox was more than 20 years ago and it was an MC-505. Using the Model:Samples is giving me the same sense of fun and discovery. The ease of the workflow makes it easy to love.

You basically get the Elektron sequencing power in a nice and tight little package. Cheap only applies to the price. Even in plastic, this box feels solid and well built. You get a lot of knobs to control your sounds and sequences, more than on a Digitakt. For the price, this thing is perfect and nothing comes close. I might even consider buying a second one, one of these days.

I bought one of these to use for samples and as a midi controller.
As a sampler I have no issues beyond the needlessly cryptic manual. The manual refers to buttons by name, but the buttons are labeled with symbols.
The problem is that as a sequencer for external machines this falls seriously flat. The note range is limited, so you must be careful to not do anything that is not to far up or down the scale, or it simply won't pick it up. Also the notes coming out of the machine are transposed two octaves up from the notes going into the machine (from a controller keyboard). The lack of MIDI merge is an issue I solved with a midi solutions box, adding to the price. I had expected that. What I hadn't expected was the limited note range and the two octave up change. Also the system gets very glitchy when you try to use five controller channels and only one sampler channel. Like reboot level glitchy.
So all the other reviews are right, but if you plan to use this to control external synths, in a real way, think again.

I came into the Model:Samples from having the Elektron Digitone and other synthesizers with sequencers (Circuit Mono Station, etc).

Pros:
This is the perfect sample player, sequencer, and manipulator for anyone wanting to lay down ideas fast and then stream them into the computer via USB. It's fast, forgiving, and an absolute blast.

If you're interested in hardware sequencing this is a great intro.

The learning curve with this is lower than with the Digitone (my favorite synth) and on par with the Circuit (really good sequencers too, especially with patch-flip).

The parameter lock update brought the M:S on par with the rest of the Elektron line and made the 299 price tag an absolute steal.

It's become a mobile sketch pad I can take with me anywhere with a battery pack. It fits into laptop bags and overall it doesn't take much space.

It follows the idea that every step in the tracks (it has 6 tracks) can be a different sound, so you can create a whole drum line with 1 or two tracks and leave space for other things in the remaining tracks, etc. This follows from music trackers of old (LSDJ is an example).


Cons:

Knob per function is a great idea in theory and it's fun, sure, but I would have preferred a bit more button combos to access extra parameters.

The sequencer layout on the Digitone/Digitakt makes it easier to use as a piano when you want to play the sequence yourself.

It's white and not GameBoy Gray! (Missed Opportunity)

I'm a big fan of the Elektron workflow--I have and love the Digitone--and was looking to add a sample-based drum machine to my setup. I was especially anxious to add Elektron's fantastic parameter-locking sequencing to the mix, and I was torn between the Model:Samples and the Digitakt. Since I use an external sequencer (a Squarp Pyramid) to control other gear, I didn't need the Digitakt's midi sequencing capabilities. I also have a 1010 Music Blackbox for sampling and longer-sample playback, so the Digitakt seemed like overkill (as is the Octatrak). On the other hand, I worried a lot about whether the Model:Samples would be too simplistic, or whether it would seem flimsy.

To make a long story short, after watching a ton of videos, playing with a friend's Digitakt, etc., I went with the Model:Samples. I'm very happy with that decision: the internal storage is enough for me to load a ton of my own one-hits with room left for the future, and the machine does basically exactly what I wanted. The workflow is indeed simpler than on the more advanced Elektrons, but still has that characteristic feel. Parameter and sample-locking per trigger works great, and there are a few functions--like adding various chance parameters, LFO assignments, etc.--that can very quickly turn a run-of-the-mill drum pattern into something very interesting. The basically knob-per-function layout of the M:S also is very intuitive, and the build quality seems solid so far.

To be clear, this was a good choice for my particular needs--those people interested in the ability to sample and/or control other midi devices might be better off with the Digitakt (or for that matter, an Octatrak). But for what I needed--an intelligent, flexible, intuitive drum sampler--this was perfect. And at less than half the cost of a Digitakt it was a great buy. I would also add that the Elektronauts forum was very helpful in this decision, and is a great resource for all things Elektron.

Too much fun just messing around with this guy. I bought it to play mainly drum samples and sequence some synths but I end up just jamming out with all of the nice built in sounds. Putting your own stuff on there is easy and the stock samples are nice. They provide some single cycle wave forms that you can use for some very basic synthesis but hey it sounds all right and is good for a jam. High quality, I 100% recommend it.

I use a wide variety of samples with this. Has all the features I need, and fit my budget. Recommended.

I’ve owned the Model:Samples since March when it first came out. I would easily say it beats out all available models sold today. Great way to get into the Elektron work flow and the sound quality is amazing. I was so impressed that I bought the Elektron Analog Four yesterday. If you want something to sequence your gear and also build full songs on a budget this is a must! The ability to layer so many sounds on 6 tracks and add effects on the fly is simple and easy. Plus add your own .wav forms or samples is simple with the transfer tool; whether your creating your own or dragging and dropping from Splice or etc. I would give 5 stars if it had the ability to sample directly into the unit ....overall impressed with Elektron and happy with Sweetwaters reliability and amazing customer service. Israel at Sweetwater was a huge help when buying this product and I recommend using him for all your purchases. This guy needs a pay raise! If you want to feel secure and confident in what you are buying and need any support with your gear call Israel! *ext. 1257

As a drum machine/sample player this thing excels. Dragging and dropping samples into it is a breeze and it handles this better than a vocal sample. Having a knob per function makes this a bit more fun and intuitive than any current sample player. RAM on this allows for 11 minutes of sample time, so long form sampling/looping can happen. You can also turn it into a tape looper, with six loops going. The ability to tweak the parameters on the fly makes this also very excellent for ambient pads and experimental music. Sure the box is white plastic, which isn't the tank style build you get from Elektron's more expensive gear, but a lot of those are menu diving devices, albeit excellent, but less intuitive than this box. Wether you are an expert or totally new to this sort of thing I think you will find a lot of mileage out of it.

I"m really into this little box. It is a really great piece to get familiar with the Elektron lingo. It is easy to use but far from useless.