Ranking Every Sampler I Own in 2025: Standalone Beatmaking Power, Portability, and Price

I’ve used a lot of samplers over the years, but today I want to break down the ones I currently own and rank them based on how useful they are as standalone beatmaking devices. I’ll also factor in portability, price, and sampling capabilities, and how they fit into my personal beatmaking and sound design workflow.

You can listen to my thoughts and beat examples on each here, or read on below:

Koala Sampler (Mobile App)

• Rank: A Tier

• Price: $5 base / ~$15-20 with upgrades (Does not include tablet or phone price)

Koala is an incredibly powerful mobile sampler. It’s fast, fun, and capable of some serious beatmaking, especially with the optional upgrades like the piano roll, resampling features, and performance effects. It even supports MIDI in/out, meaning you can use it to control hardware or be controlled by external gear.

That said, I’ve kept it in A-tier because it’s entirely touch-based. When I’m trying to step away from screens, Koala doesn’t quite fit that vibe. You can get around that by pairing it with a MIDI controller — and Koala even integrates with the SP-404MKII, which is one of the best hardware setups I've used — but that starts to drift away from it being truly standalone.

If you’re new to sampling, Koala is a no-brainer. If you already carry around a phone or tablet, it’s portable, affordable, and deceptively deep.

Teenage Engineering PO-33

• Rank: C Tier

• Price: ~$100

The PO-33 is charming, fun, and super portable. It gives you a very gritty 8-bit sound that

adds instant character to your samples. For quick loops or grimy sound design, it’s a blast.

But... it has serious limitations.

• Only 4-voice polyphony

• Chops on pads are monophonic — so you can’t trigger a hi-hat and snare simultaneously from the same chopped sample

• Small memory and limited display

Fun? Absolutely. Full-featured standalone sampler? Not really.

Despite that, I still like it as a sketchpad or texture maker. I often send samples through the PO-33 for added grit and then re-sample them into something else like Koala or the SP. Teenage Engineering put out an updated model, the EP-133 KOII last year if you're looking for a more feature packed sampler. It's around $300 and more of a fully functioning sampler with a bit more storage and workflow. That said, it loses some of the simplicity and 8 bit gritty charm of the PO33.

Roland P6

• Rank: A Tier

• Price: ~$270

This one surprised me. It’s like the little sibling of the SP-404MKII and shares a lot of that SP DNA. You get:

• 4-Voice Granular engine for unique sound design

• 16-voice polyphony

• SP-style FX resampling

• Battery-powered portability

Downsides? The 4-character screen makes deeper functions a chore. Menu diving can be painful, especially for features like granular controls or step automation. Plus, the encoders are a little flimsy.

Still, for the price and what it can do, it’s one of my favorite portable samplers. You get a ton of SP vibes and workflow at a more affordable price point.

If you're new to the P-6 and want to make the most of it's MANY features, check out my Cheat Sheet and Quick Start Guide

P-6 Beatmaking Cheat Sheet & Quick Start Guide

Buy Now

SP-404MK2

• Rank: S Tier

• Price: ~$500

This is my desert island sampler. It does everything:

• Audio interface

• Effects box

• Performance tool

• Looper

• MIDI controller

• Pattern sequencer

With regular firmware updates, Roland has continued to expand its functionality. Is it menu-divey? Yes. But it’s worth it. The more you use it, the more you learn to fly through its layered features.

It’s not perfect — and it takes some time to learn — but once it clicks, it’s a creative powerhouse. I’ve also made cheat sheets and quickstart guides for the SP, Koala, and P6 if you’re new and want a fast way in.

Elektron Digitakt (Mk I)

• Rank: B Tier

• Price: ~$600 used

While it’s technically a drum machine, the Digitakt has some amazing sample manipulation capabilities. I love using it to mangle sounds from guitars, vocals, or field recordings. It’s got deep LFOs, sample start modulations, and precise per-step automation.

What holds it back as a standalone sampler:

• Limited sample time

• No true chop workflow

• Mono samples

But paired with something like the SP-404 (especially for longer samples), the Digitakt becomes an insane sequencing hub. Using its 8 4-voice MIDI channels, I’ve expanded the sample storage by controlling SP pads externally.

So as a standalone? B tier. But in a DAWless or hybrid setup? Easy S.

Polyend Tracker+

• Rank: B Tier

• Price: ~$899

Trackers aren’t for everyone, and I’ll admit — the workflow took some getting used to. But once it clicks, you can create some incredibly nuanced music.

Pros:

• Step-based FX automation

• Instrument-per-step flexibility

• Integrated synths and multi-track audio over USB

• Powerful sample editing

Cons:

• Screen-heavy, menu-based navigation

• Totally different workflow to learn

I love using the Tracker for layering textures and experimenting with arrangements, but it’s not the most intuitive for live performance or quick beatmaking. Still, a super creative box with massive potential.

My Sampler Beatmaking Workflow Recomendations for 2025

If you’re in the market for a sampler in 2025, your choice really comes down to how you want to work. Here's my take on these workflows:

• Want portability and accessibility? Koala or P6

• Want depth and expandability? SP-404 or Digitakt

• Want gritty lo-fi textures or fun experimentation you can throw into a DAW? PO-33

• Want to get outside your comfort zone and make music in a whole new way? Polyend Tracker+

A Few More Samplers Worth Considering

While I don’t have hands-on experience with these, here are a couple of popular options you might want to check out:

MPC Series – The sampling classic.The newer MPCs are almost full-blown DAWs in a box. They offer tons of power, flexibility, and deep sequencing options. But that all comes at the cost of being screen-heavy and relatively large. Seems like an amazing piece of gear — just not ideal if you're trying to break away from screens.

EP-133 K.O.II – The spiritual successor to the PO-33.It adds a lot of much-needed features that make it feel more like a fully fledged sampler. It does have some limitations — smaller storage (though more than the PO-33), and it loses that gritty 8-bit charm that I love about the original PO. That said, for the price, it seems like a highly capable and creative sampler.

If you're trying to get the most out of whatever gear you already have — or want to master something like the SP-404MKII, Koala, or P6 — I’ve got cheat sheets, sample packs, and personal coaching sessions to help you get there.

Check them out here: sunwarper.com