Sonicware has launched a Kickstarter campaign for the Lofi-12 XT, an advanced model of its lo-fi groovebox sampler that was originally launched in 2022.

• READ MORE: ROLI unveils the Seaboard Block M MIDI controller, offering all the elements of the original in a more portable package

The Kickstarter has already amassed a whopping $101,000 in funding, exceeding its original target of around $33,000.

Sonicware’s Lofi-12 XT aims to let you “turn everything into lo-fi”. It retains the signature retro appeal of the original, offering 12kHz/24kHz sampling with a unique 12-bit sampler mode reminiscent of classic samplers from the 1980s. It extends the sampling time per sample to 300 seconds and accommodates up to 256 samples per project.

The sampler comes equipped with an 8-track sequencer, facilitating both unquantized and step recording, allowing users to create tracks and beats in real-time. Dynamic parameter recording is made easier with parameter locking, too.

There are eight effects available per track – delay, reverb, and a master compressor with side-chain capabilities. It comes with an SD card preloaded with over 1,000 samples from legendary drum machines. A unique feature of the Lofi-12 XT is its mix-tape recording functionality, which lets you capture performances continuously in the background, and accommodate various recording qualities.

With versatile connectivity options, the Lofi-12 XT can import and export audio files via USB or SD card, connect to a range of audio sources, and integrate seamlessly with DAWs and other devices.

MusicTech reviewed Sonicware’s Liven Bass&Beats, a drum and bassline synth, in 2022. Sadly, unlike other Sonicware products, it didn’t live up to our expectations, achieving a score of just four out of ten.

In the review, we wrote that the Bass&Beats “feels like a toy”, going on to write, “This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially given its affordable price. But there’s a fine line between good value and just plain cheap, and the Bass&Beats is teetering on the edge of it. You can make music with it, sure. But it’s not the sort of hands-on organic experience that can make DAWless production such fun.

“If anything, the arcane modus operandi, small screen and functional idiosyncrasies only serve as a reminder as to why the music-making world embraced computer-based music production in the first place.”

We’re hoping for better results from Sonicware’s Lofi-12 XT, which you can find out more about at Sonicware.

The post Sonicware’s Lofi-12 XT exceeds $100k in Kickstarter campaign funding appeared first on MusicTech.