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This query feels about 10 years out of date, but this would be the group, definitely.

I have a potential gig doing very short film soundtracks, semi-improv.

I own and enjoy one of those U-Create beatbox/toy sampler things from 20 years back. It's definitely in the ballpark creatively, but a bit lo-fi for context.

Can anyone point me at a more recent toy groovebox with sampling capabilities, esp one that might favour experimental/aleatory music? Feel free to mention low-end grownup stuff like Teenage Engineering, although I'm pretty well up on those possibilities already. I'll set an arbitrary $100new/$50secondhand limit.

Your best bet would probably be some apps for iPad/iPhone. On the lower side, I've seen used Korg Volca samplers for $80. If you have to pay taxes/shipping, though, then you're back up to $100.

Maybe a Yamaha SU sampler or Bastl MicroGranny shows up on the used market, but I would still be expecting over $100.

How about the humble Akai U40 or U400? A dirty ass digital sampler meant for recording songs and slowing them down to practice with. It’s very limited but has charmingly rudimentary sample trimming and time stretching. I see them for 100 bucks but now and then they’ll go for cheap.

Cheapest option would be any clone'd/rebrand'd loop peddle (craigslist!) into a microphone (can transmit virtually any audible sound!) becuz the "groovebox" industry has taken over and now allodose are at least (!) 500 millibux (used!)

Musical saw + bow (maybe rosin if you're outta free & plentifool bear greese) is still a wiser choix 2 pair, but obviously not a keenly compact thingamybob (RE!LEASE!THINE!THINGAMYBOBBBBB!)

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions, guys. From this side of the atlantic the lines demarcating toys from Serious Musical Instruments are even more blurred than in the US. I dig the U400 and the SU but they work out so expensive that I might as well pay another 50% and get something more practical. Meanwhile, it's Panda [aargh senior moment I meant Koala] on my old smartphone (Nokia 1.4 with a dead camera) which suggestion I think I picked up here.

I also did some independent digging into Chinese sound toys and can say that my absolute favourites are all products of the Shenzhen Joyfun company, makers of those pocket calculator-sized boxes with 16 keys each of which plays one prerecorded sample (eg https://www.amazon.com/Noisemaker-Whist ... B0DQVT5LJB ). These are cheap as you like, beautifully made and with pretty good sound quality. If they'd only make a sampler...

i need this for my conceptual Neu! cover band.

No output jack...

niftyprose wrote: ↑Mon Oct 20, 2025 2:58 pmCan anyone point me at a more recent toy groovebox with sampling capabilities, esp one that might favour experimental/aleatory music? Feel free to mention low-end grownup stuff like Teenage Engineering, although I'm pretty well up on those possibilities already. I'll set an arbitrary $100new/$50secondhand limit.

Stylophone just announced a new sampler, that's supposed to launch at roughly $50 this summer. (has a mic & aux input)

https://stylophone.com/stylophone-voice/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIRzBdwJWJY