▁Def . ▁ ▁Sam pl ers ▁ ▁Because ▁hip ▁hop ▁production ▁revol ves ▁around ▁sampling , ▁a ▁sam pler / sequ encer ▁combination ▁device ▁such ▁as ▁A ka i ' s ▁M PC ▁line ▁of ▁gro ove box es ▁usually ▁forms ▁the ▁center pie ce ▁of ▁a ▁hip ▁hop ▁production ▁studio . ▁Although ▁mostly ▁replaced ▁by ▁Digital ▁Audio ▁Work st ations ▁( DA W s ) ▁by ▁today , ▁class ics ▁like ▁the ▁E - mu ▁Systems ▁SP - 1 2 0 0 , ▁A ka i ▁M PC 6 0 , ▁A ka i ▁M PC 3 0 0 0 ▁or ▁En son i q ▁AS R - 1 0 ▁still ▁see ▁use ▁today ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁workflow ▁and ▁sound ▁characteristics . ▁ ▁Tur nt ables ▁▁ ▁The ▁most ▁widely ▁used ▁tur nt ables ▁in ▁hip ▁hop ▁are ▁Pan ason ic ' s ▁Techn ics ▁series . ▁They ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁direct - drive ▁tur nt ables , ▁which ▁elimin ated ▁bel ts , ▁and ▁instead ▁employed ▁a ▁motor ▁to ▁directly ▁drive ▁the ▁pl atter ▁on ▁which ▁a ▁vin yl ▁record ▁rest s . ▁The ▁Techn ics ▁SL - 1 1 0 0 ▁was ▁adopted ▁by ▁early ▁hip ▁hop ▁artists ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁strong ▁motor , ▁dur ability ▁and ▁f idel ity . ▁A ▁for ef ather ▁of ▁tur nt abl ism ▁was ▁DJ ▁K ool ▁Her c , ▁an ▁imm igr ant ▁from ▁J ama ica ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁He