2024 FROM MARS

Get Everything we sampled in 2024

2024 was an extremely well-rounded year for us, as we captured rare, classic, vintage and modern machines, resulting in some of our best-selling packs to date.

We started the year off with a bang, when we sampled the rarest drum machine of all time, the Ekko. Then, we re-visited two SFM classics, the Lindrum and LM1, this time creating loops that captured the unbeatable groove of these machines more than our one-hits ever could.

Next, we created a classic synth pack that'd been requested by you for years, by extensively sampling our Juno 60 and Juno 106, capturing our favorite patches, chords and even one-shot synth drums. And finally, coming out on Black Friday, we sampled a rare, modern drum machine called the Recodrum. What a time to be alive! 

The Ekko

Debuting in 1972,  Italian made Eko Computerhythm is an extremely rare analog drum machine and we were delighted to finally sample it and reintroduce this unique beauty to the masses.  As the first programmable drum machine, it quickly garnered favor with innovative musicians and groundbreaking composers like Jean-Michel Jarre, Lee Scratch Perry and Tangerine Dream.

We had a blast sampling this unique and beautiful machine, and our journey ultimately led us to 275 loops and 240 round robin one-hits, with clean and processed versions for both.

The loops range from classic rhythm box patterns to more modern genres, and are comprised of full beats and individual stems for really fun mixing, matching and pattern manipulation. The one-shots feature extensive round-robins, mapped to various DAWs and samplers and ready for your own pattern creation. 

You can read more about the sampling process here.

The Recodrum

Continuing on our international drum machine journey,  the Recodrum is another rare bit of kit from Brazil. A modern, hand-built analog 8 voice drum synth with limited production numbers, it's truly unique and not bad on the eyes either - in fact, it kind of resembles the Ekko:

The sound is like an 808, but more unique and quirky sounding. Deep tuning and parameter knobs allow for lower kicks, melodic percussion, wide-ranging rims and wild claps:

We captured one-shots from this beauty both cleanly and with tube saturation for extra aggression and color. Each voice includes a full range of tones, decays and mods, giving you a very close approximation to using the machine itself.

You can read more about the process here

Junos From Mars

It's about time we sampled these classics synths, and we're so glad we did. The Juno has not only been a constant suggestion from you all, but has sat in our A room studio for years, front and center, being used constantly on music and begging to be sampled. 

We sampled our 106 and 60, capturing extensively multi-sampled synth patches, chords, FX and even Juno drums, sculpted from scratch on each synth. And of course, we got to meet 80s Jack again, in the video: 

Read more about our sampling process and hear the demos here.

LM1 Comparison

Our first project of 2024 found us comparing our two LM1 drum machines. We wrote an article that focused on these incredible units, comparing their technical differences, overall sound and feel, and detailed the history of both the Rev 2 and Rev 3 models.  We also provided free samples from each machine so you could hear the difference yourself 🤗

Lin Loops

Along the way it seems we developed some Linsanity and soon we found ourselves dying to create an entire pack dedicated to these units. While we'd done a one-shots pack, we found that the loops really capture the mesmerizing experience of running the LM1 in real time, pumping out impossibly groovy and organic beats. So, we knew what we had to do. We grabbed both of our LM1s, and our LM2, plus some choice outboard gear, and created a super groovy collection of loops showcasing this magic!

You’ll find a range of classic and modern loops that are stripped enough to be super useable, but have enough going on to truly inspire you. With full beats, tops and individual drum loops, reach for Lin Loops to add this iconic groove into your own productions!

Read more here.

The Takeaway

This year was split down the middle between hunting down rare gear and capturing the classics. The tried and true legends, and the rare and unique gems, are equally inspiring to us. The negotiation between iconic and unhead sounds is, Iin a nutshell, the essence of Samples From Mars.

Exploring both of these paths was extremely gratifying for us - and we hope it is for you too!  The 2024 pack is a perfect example of this (and of course, you can always get the everything bundle 😉).