Sequencers / Grooveboxes

Akai's MPC sampling workstations have been a studio fixture for nearly 15 years, and the MPC4000 is the most powerful one yet. But the world of sampling has changed dramatically since the MPC2000XL was released. Can an MPC still cut it in the 21st century?

Analogue sequencers may seem simple devices, especially when compared to their computer-based counterparts, but they can be put to fantastically complex uses in the right hands. We plumb the hidden depths of the new Oberkorn...

Sonic Foundry were the pioneers of loop-based PC sequencing with the initial release of Acid. More than three years on it's more popular than ever, and the latest version includes MIDI and video support among other new features.

Swedish manufacturer Elektron claim that their SPS1 rhythm synth is the most sophisticated drum machine ever built, with a stunning specification that includes no less than four different types of percussion synthesis.