A BRIEF HISTORY OF SAMPLERS
Sampling is the process of converting an analog signal to a digital format (i.e. WAV or AIFF). The Art of Sampling began in the late 70's with instruments like the FairLight, the Synclavier and later E-mu's Emulator. The fundamental design of the sampler has not change since the time of the FairLight's popularity. The first samplers were 8-bit with a maximum one second worth of sample time at 33 kHz. As technology progressed the standard advanced to 12-bit to today's 16-bit at 44 kHz. Once the 16-bit became the standard this allowed developers to change the way samplers process sound, the results is features such as time stretching, built in drum machines and synthesizers. In the late 1980's samplers became available in two designs, hardware and software. Companies like Digidesign created programs such as Sample Cell ( Mac-based program that offered long sample time and unlimited storage space). However, due to the high price of Mac-based programs, PC software became more prevalent. A counterpart to the development of software samplers are sample editing and sequencer applications. The paragraph's below are an overview of sampler manufactures and the samplers that are commonly used in sampled based music (i.e. Electronica, Hip Hop Drum & Bass).
The FairLight CMI
 In the late 70's out of Australia came the Fairlight Computer Musical Instrument. The Fairlight is the first keyboard-based digital sampler, with software sequencing capabilities. It allowed the user to digitize a real sound and manipulate its tone and pitch. Sampling was not the machines key feature but many musicians used it for that reason. Artist such as electronic wizard Jean Michel Jarre, Peter Gabriel, Human League, and Heaven 17 all utilized the FairLight in the early 80's. Jazz pioneer Herbie Hancock also used the Fairlight on his ground breaking track "Rockit" off his 1983 Columbia records release "Future Shock". It is said that In 1983 Kurtis Blow used the Fairlight to grab the "one, two" countdown from "A.J. Scratch" making the first sample loop, by using Trouble funk's "Pump it up" on his track called " If I ruled the world".
E-mu:The Emulator
In 1981 The E-mu Emulator (I) was introduced to the American market. The E-mu Emulator is the first pure sampler to adapted the notion of borrowed technology, The E-mu Emulator used the concept of sampled audio and made it musical by having the gift to store, manipulate and then play back sounds store on it. Stevie Wonder and Daryl Dragon were among the first to break new ground with this 60 pound audio monster. In 1984 Following the Emulator (I) E-mu introduced the Emulator (II).
E-mu: SP-1200
In 1988 following the success of the Emulator, E-mu introduced the SP-12 and the classic SP-1200. The SP-1200 took an E-mu Drumulator concept of 12 bit linear technology. It's on of the first samplers to stripe and sync to SMPTE.
Roger Linn/Akai: The MPC Alliance
 That same year Roger Linn the creator of The world's first programmable sampled-sound drum machines (LM-1, Linn 9000, and the Linn Drum) formed an alliance with the Akai Corporation of Japan to design products similar to those created at Linn's company, Linn Electronics. The first result of that collaboration was the MPC60 MIDI Production Center, a full-featured sampling drum machine and MIDI sequencer released in 1988. Similar in concept to the Linn 9000, it featured a large 8 line LCD display, up to 26 seconds of 12 bit nonlinear sampling at 40 kHz sampling rate, 16 simultaneous voices, 2 MIDI inputs and 4 MIDI outputs. In 1991, the MPC60 was succeeded by the MPC60-II, internally the same machine but with a headphone jack and a less expensive case design. Known for its warm sound and exceptional rhythmic feel, the MPC60 and MPC60-II live on today. Akai Released the MPC3000 in 1994. This MIDI Production Center improved upon the MPC60 by adding stereo sampling, 16 bit linear 44.1 kHz sampling up to nearly 6 minutes, effects, dynamic digital filters, 32 voices, multiple drum sets in memory, a SCSI port, and more. The MPC3000 is the last product of the Akai / Roger Linn collaboration. In 1997, Akai released the less expensive MPC2000. Although the MPC2000 draws substantially from Roger Linn's MPC60 and MPC3000 design ideas, Roger Linn was not involved in the design of the MPC2000.
Note: This Article is a very brief description of the history of sampling, please view the resource page
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