Casio SK-1

Back in 1985, this little powerhouse became the world's first affordable home sampler, letting everyday folks capture and twist sounds in ways that were previously locked behind pro studio doors.

At just 18 by 6 inches and under 3 pounds, it slips easily into a backpack with battery power keeping it truly portable. The 32 mini keys deliver polyphonic play up to 4 voices via gritty 8-bit PCM sampling at 9.38kHz for 1.4 seconds of capture, either through the built-in mic or 3.5mm line input; pair that with additive synthesis where you mix 9 sine harmonics like organ drawbars, tweakable up to 14 levels each. Controls include a volume slider, mode switches for single-finger chords, portamento glides, solo settings, and vibrato, plus 13 envelope shapes to sculpt any sound—sample your voice howling theremin-style or layer it over 11 cheesy drum patterns. A 400-step sequencer and volatile memory slot let you build quick loops, all pumping through a 1W speaker or mono line out/headphone jack.

Decades on, it's earned cult status for that irresistible lo-fi grit, inspiring circuit benders and pros alike—from bedroom experimenters to artists like Beck and Portishead who mined its raw charm, though some note the tiny keys and memory wipe as playful quirks of its era.