# eSPi — The Future of the Past is Now

> iPad app emulating the SP-1200 sampler for beatmaking. (iPhone/iPad app by Louis Teboul.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/espi/id1577738398 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Louis Teboul](https://appshunter.io/developer/1524484925)
- Category: Music, Utilities
- Price: $19.99
- Rating: 3.70/5 from 38 App Store ratings · 62 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 14.0 · 32 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2021-10-06
- Data updated: 2026-08-27
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/espi/id1577738398/reviews.md

## What is eSPi?

Create sampled beats the original 90's way using eSPi.
The SP-1200 was the primary tool of many legendary hip-hop beatmakers and house music producers in the 90's.
It is well known for its gritty sound and simple but effective workflow.

Now with eSPi you get to experience this machine right at your fingertips, on your iPad.
Import samples or record them yourself, chop them up, pitch them and sequence them within the app.

Features include multiple filters, effects, a compressor, and most importantly the best emulation of the gritty signature sound produced by the SP-1200 when pitching samples up & down.

eSPi is also available on Mac, Linux & PC.

*SP1200 & SP12 are registered trademarks or Rossum Electromusic LLC.

## Key features

- Sampled beat creation
- SP-1200 emulation
- Import and record samples
- Sample chopping and pitching
- Sequencing
- Multiple filters and effects
- Compressor

## Recent user reviews (10 of 62)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/espi/id1577738398/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Labor of Love

*2026-07-23*

This is really a labor of love. And gets you closest to having a 1200 without paying thousands of dollars. It’s years in the making and the developer is always working on the next update, slow but steady. If you spend any time with the app you can tell they put a lot of effort in the small details too. 
I bought the desktop version also to have it, and to support the developer. 
And what you get for the price is outstanding. This definitely needed a more recent review, always excited to see what comes next.

### 4/5 — AuV3

*2026-04-23*

No AuV3 ?? 🧐🧐🧐

### 4/5 — Great app but a few bugs

*2026-04-04*

This is a really good app and I like it a lot but at the moment there are a couple of  bugs. I’m on IPad Pro the sample editor is really fiddly if you’re struggling use two fingers one above and then another gesture with one to the right. Use two fingers to scroll through samples in sample library. Took me ages to work this out.

### 5/5 — Appreciation

*2026-03-23*

Thank You For This App Sitrukain

### 5/5 — Good sampler

*2026-03-04*

Thx broski

### 1/5 — Reminiscing of the good old days!

*2026-02-21*

This app is definitely a masterpiece it got me reminiscing if when I had my original Sp-12 back in 1989

### 3/5 — Great app but a few bugs

*2026-02-20, version 2.0.10*

This is a really good app and I like it a lot but at the moment there are a few bugs which make it really awkward to use. The main one for me is in the sample library that I cannot scroll through my samples I can scroll through folders but when I open a folder, it kind of freezes and won’t let me scroll through my samples making it very hard to use. There are also some glitches sometimes on the  when using sample editor that waveform doesn’t match what’s being edited. I hope these will get sorted soon and then it will be an amazing app. I am using it on the iPad Pro.

### 4/5 — I found a bug

*2026-02-15, version 2.0.10*

when using the search feature, the application treats letters assigned to pads as triggers, which makes it impossible to type letters from a to z.
Additionally, on the iPhone 13 mini the notch slightly covers some interface buttons.

### 1/5 — Why did i get charged so much

*2026-02-02*

It was $24.99 I lost $80? Why?
Other than that it’s awesome, but it was a spur of the moment purchase but for $25 cool, I was in the mood to get billed almost a hundred bucks though I can tell you that

### 3/5 — I want to love this app, but still some shortcomings

*2026-01-22*

I really like all the new menu additions to this app compared to the original machine; multi chop, internal EQs and filters would have been a dream to have on the hardware versions.  This app keeps falling short from minor bugs that simply make me have to abandon a working project and scrap everything.
Any time I’m in the sound library to load sounds, somehow the screen zooms in where I can only see and access pads 2 to 7, and I can no longer see or access the rest of the user interface. This has also happened with the text keyboard popping up on accident to rename a sample and I have to totally close the app and start fresh again.

If there was a way to recover the last unsaved state of a project, it would be a lifesaver.  Another addition that would help this app tremendously would be having the step sequencer like the OG machine for us that don’t want to live on the grid so we can have more control over programming (Tapping out on high resolution does not give the same effect).

I’ll keep an eye out for more updates in hopes that I can finally really enjoy this app and get my money’s worth.

## Frequently asked questions about eSPi

### What does the eSPi app do?

eSPi allows you to create sampled beats using an emulation of the classic SP-1200 sampler. You can import or record audio, then chop, pitch, and sequence these samples to build your tracks, capturing the gritty sound of the 90s.

### What are the key features of eSPi?

Key features include the ability to import or record your own samples, chop and pitch them, and sequence them within the app. It also offers multiple filters, effects, a compressor, and a signature emulation of the SP-1200's sound when pitching samples.

### How much does eSPi cost?

Based on the provided information, eSPi is a paid application. It does not have in-app purchases or ads, indicating a one-time purchase model.

### What devices is eSPi compatible with?

eSPi is available for iPad. Additionally, it is mentioned to be available on Mac, Linux, and PC, suggesting cross-platform compatibility for desktop users.

### Who would benefit from using eSPi?

This app is ideal for hip-hop beatmakers and house music producers who want to recreate the authentic sound and workflow of the legendary SP-1200. It's also suitable for electronic musicians interested in vintage sampling techniques.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.0.10 — 2026-02-02

- Fix project saving failing when a pad was set to Mono Sum mode

### 2.0.9 — 2026-01-27

- Add Mono Sum option in the pads context menu (Stereo -> Mono Sum -> Mono L -> Mono R)
- Add Loop Songs option in the settings to make song playback loop instead of ending when the song is finished
- In the waveform editor, show the start point in green and end point in red
- Fix layout issues on tablets after renaming pads or using the keyboard
- Fix waveform editor being too small on iPhone in landscape mode
- Fix issues with multi-chop in exported stems
- Fix sample library issues on iOS
- Only show the midi device detected dialog if the device was not connected before
- Fix caching issue with multi mode sometime causing pads to play other samples that the multi-mode one
- Fix wrong segment/song number in the generated file name when exporting stems
- Show correct visual feedback on the pads when playing a segment while multi mode is enabled

### 2.0.8 — 2026-01-14

New Features:
- Landscape layout for iPhone
- Disk -> Clear Bank: Added option to clear all sounds from a specific bank
- Disk -> Clear All Banks: Added option to clear all sounds from the app
- Disk -> Clear Segments & Songs: Added option to delete all segments & songs at once
- MIDI Sync -> Sync MIDI Clock with other devices or software, both slave & master modes available
- Settings -> Metronome Mode: Added option to play the metronome during both playback & recording, or only during recording
- Hold enter + press a pad to select that pad without playing it (useful for live performances with the effects/filters)

Improvements:
- Much improved click prevention (DC-Offset removal, nearest zero-crossing detection when chopping samples, and more)
- Improved Record Beat feature, now doesn't cause any latency, useful for recording live performances
- Improved MIDI Initialization and device detection
- Improved BPM detection accuracy

Bug fixes:
- Fixed Master Volume Knob not working when the compressor is enabled
- Fixed Live Erase Toggle option not showing up in the settings
- Only show the What's New dialog once on start after the app has been updated
- Fixed trimming a sample in the waveform editor not being applied in some circumstances

### 2.0.7 — 2026-01-09

New Features:
- Click prevention: avoid clicks and pops when triggering pads (you can adjust click-prevention fade-in/out in the settings)
- Add Live-Erase toggle mode settings: you can now enable toggle mode for live erase so that you don't need to keep the erase button held for live erase
- In-app changelogs (What's New dialog)

Bug fixes:
- Fix waveform editor being too big on 13inch iPad and on some desktop devices in full screen mode
- Fix MIDI initialization issues on some devices
- Fix issue where we couldn't copy a segment to another segment ending with number 9
- Fix issue where when playing a song in edit mode, if we triggered pads they would be recorded in the current segment as if we were in record mode

### 2.0.6 — 2025-12-24

New Features
- Default MIDI Mappings feature, currently only for Akai APC Mini & Akai LPD8 more coming soon
- Allow using the sample library for the Sample from File feature
- Show a dedicated dialog for naming projects before saving (to avoid removing the .espi extension when naming your projets)

Bug fixes
- Fix midi input device reverting back to the first controller in the settings list
- Fix Multi-Pitch not showing the proper pitch if the source pad is pitched before enabling multi-pitch
- Fix sampling from input on iPhone
- Fix loading a video to an empty pad
- Fix layout/display issues on some screens
- Don't close the waveform editor when clicking outside of the dialog

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## Related topics

[louis teboul](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/louis-teboul)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-27.*