Model:Samples : First Time Groovebox Experience: completely satisfied.

This is the first sequencer I've ever bought - I'm a complete novice.

I decided on the M:S after first considering the Digitone and Digitakt. A more experienced friend said that those weren't really 'starter' machines.

I've found this machine a joy to use. You can't record samples directly but I haven't found that a problem. I've never used a sequencer before, so I had to learn the 'vocabulary' of sequencers as well as how Elektron products - and specifically the M:S - work.

It took a little bit of time to get my head around, but there are useful YouTube tutorials and after a few weeks I found myself not only being able to do most of what I wanted, but also discovering features through experimentation. The small screen is sometimes a bit limiting but that would be my only criticism. You do get used to it, though.

The build quality is really good - everything feels really solid. The knobs and pads have a really solid feel to them. It's light and portable and you can power it by USB (and so a powerbank) with the right lead.

Overall, I highly recommend it as an entry-level machine.