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Sampler Buyer's Guide

Published in SOS October 1999
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Reviews : Sampler

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Manufacturer	Akai	Akai	Akai	Akai	Akai	Akai	Akai
Model	S20	S2000	S3000XL	S5000	S6000	MPC2000XL	U400 Riff-O-Matic
Price	£399	£649	£1099	£1799	£2799	£899	£139
SOS Review	Jul 1997	Nov 1995	Dec 1995	Jan 1999	Jan 1999	Apr 1997 MPC2000	None
Format	Desktop phrase	2U rack	2U rack	3U rack	4U rack	Desktop workstation	Footpedal
Sample Rates (kHz)	8/16/32	22.05/44.1	22.05/44.1	44.1/48	44.1/48	44.1	29.4
Polyphony (voices)	8	32	32	64, exp 128	128	32	1
Multitimbrality (parts)	16	16	16	32	32	32?	1
Standard/Max RAM (Mb)	1/17	2/64 (inc 32Mb Flash)	2/64 (inc 32Mb Flash)	8/256	8/256	2/40 + 8Mb Flash	Not applicable
Standard/Max outputs	2/2	2/10	10/10	8/16	18/18	2/10	1/1
Max sample time	14S	22.28S	20.8S	79S	79S	21.9S	35.7S
(base RAM, top rate)	mono	mono	mono	mono	mono	mono	mono
SCSI	No	Standard	Standard	Standard x2	Standard x2	Standard	No
Display	4-digit LED	16-char x	40-char x	320x240	Removable 320x240	248x60 pixel	None
		2-line LCD	8-line LCD	pixel graphic LCD	pixel graphic LCD	graphic LCD
Synthesis features	No	2 LFOs,2 EGs,RF	2 LFOs, 2 EGs,RF	2 LFOs, 3 EGs, RF	2 LFOs, 3 EGs, RF	RF, EG	No
Time Stretch	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Effects	No	Optional	Optional	Optional	Standard	Optional	No
Internal hard drive	No (floppy)	No (floppy)	Optional (+ floppy)	Optional (+ floppy)	Optional (+ floppy)	No (floppy)	No
D to D recording	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Reads other sample formats	No	Roland,	Roland,	Akai S1000	Akai S1000	Akai S1000/3000, Emu EIIIX,	No
		Emu	Emu	and S3000	and S3000	Roland S750/60, WAV
Flash RAM option	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Sample transfer	Limited SDS	SDS/SMDI	SDS/SMDI	No	No	Not specified	No
Sequencer	Pad seq	SMF playback	SMF playback	SMF playback	SMF playback	Very comprehensive	No
Digital I/O	No	S/PDIF	S/PDIF	S/PDIF, AES-EBU standard,	S/PDIF, AES-EBU standard,	S/PDIF	No
		option	standard	dual ADAT option	dual ADAT option	option
Other Options	No	2nd filter board,	2nd filter board,	Int CD-ROM	Int CD-ROM,	SMPTE read/	No
		int CD-ROM	int CD-ROM		removable HD	write chip

Manufacturer	Boss	Emu	Emu	Emu	Emu	Ensoniq	Roland	Yamaha	Yamaha	Yamaha	Zoom
Model	SP202	E-Synth Ultra	E4XT Ultra	e6400 Ultra	E5000 Ultra	ASRx Pro	SP808	SU10	SU700	A3000 V2	SampleTrak
Price	£299	£2269	£2799	£1799	£1299	£1229	£1099	£239	£849	£1299	£249.95
SOS Review	Jan 1998	E-Synth Nov 97	Aug 1999	e64 Jul 1995	Not yet	Dec 98	Aug 98	Mar 96	Apr 99	Sep 98	Jan 99
Format	Desktop phrase	3U rack	3U rack	3U rack	rack	Desktop workstation	Desktop groove/remix	Palmtop phrase	Desktop phrase	2U rack	Desktop phrase
Sample Rates (kHz)	31.25/15.63/	22.05/24/	22.05/24/	22.05/24/	22.05/24/	44.1	32/44.1	11.64 to	11.025/22.05/	5.5125/11.025/22.05/	8/16/
	7.81/3.91	44.1/48	44.1/48	44.1/48	44.1/48			44.1	44.1	44.1 (32/48 via digital)	32
Polyphony (voices)	4	64, upgradable to 128	128	64, upgradable to 128	Max 64	32	4 x stereo	4	64	64	8
Multitimbrality (parts)	1	32	32	16, upgradable to 32	16	16	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	16	Not applicable
Standard/Max RAM (Mb)	Not specified,	16/128	64/128	16/128	16/128	2/66	Records to 100Mb Zip disk	Not specified,	4/68	2/128	Not specified,
	not upgradable							not upgradable			not upgradable
Standard/Max outputs	2/2	8/16	8/16	8/16	4/12	2/10	2/8	2/2	2/8	4/10	2/2
Max sample time	32S	192S mono,	768S mono,	192S mono,	192S mono,	15S	46 mins mono	19S	44.6S	23.7S	60S
(base RAM, top rate)	mono	44.1kHz	44.1kHz	44.1kHz	44.1kHz	mono	per Zip disk	mono	mono	mono	(30S sample max)
SCSI	No	Standard	Standard	Standard	Standard	Standard	Optional	No	Optional	Standard	No
Display	3-digit LED	Lge custom graphic LCD	Lge custom graphic LCD	Lge custom graphic LCD	Not yet known	16-char x 2-line LCD	Custom graphic LCD	Custom LCD	Custom colour fluorescent	40-char X 2-line LCD	6-digit LED
Synthesis features	Filter & ring mod	Filters, 2 LFOs, 3 EGs	Filters, 2 LFOs, 3 EGs	Filters, 2 LFOs, 3 EGs	Not yet known	Fully-functioning synth	Monosynth feature	Filter	RF, LFO	RF, EG, LFO, EQ	FIlters, ring mod FX
Time Stretch	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Not yet known	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Effects	13 delays	Standard	Standard	Standard	Standard	Standard	Standard	No	Standard	Standard	Standard
Internal hard drive	No (SmartMedia card slot)	Optional (+ floppy)	3.2Gb standard	Optional (+ floppy)	Optional (+ floppy)	No (floppy)	Zip	No	No (floppy)	Optional (+ floppy)	No (SmartMedia)
D to D recording	No	No	No	No	Not yet known	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Reads other sample formats	No	Akai S1000/1100/3000,	Akai S1000/1100/3000,	Akai S1000/1100/3000,	Not yet known	Akai S1000/1100,	Not specified	No	AIFF, Akai w/SCSI	Akai, Emu,	WAV/AIFF import on
		Roland S700s, WAV/AIFF	Roland S700s, WAV/AIFF	Roland S700s, WAV/AIFF		Roland, AIFF, WAV				Roland, WAV, AIFF	SmartMedia card
Flash RAM option	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
Sample transfer	No	Not specified	Not specified	Not specified	Not yet known	Not specified	Not specified	SDS out	No	SMDI	No
Sequencer	No	Full 48-track,	Full 48-track,	Full 48-track,	Not yet known	Comprehensive 16-track,	Pad seq, analogue-style	Pad seq	Pad seq	Sketchpad,	Pad seq
		SMF compatible	SMF compatible	SMF compatible		SMF compatible	step seq			SMF playback
Digital I/O	No	AES-EBU standard,	AES-EBU standard,	AES-EBU,	AES-EBU,	No	S/PDIF option	No	S/PDIF option	S/PDIF option	No
		ADAT option	ADAT option	ADAT options	ADAT options
Other Options	No	Sound ROMs, R-Chip effects	Sound ROMs, R-Chip effects	Sound ROMs, R-Chip effects	Sound ROMs	ROM sounds (to 26Mb)	No	No	No	No	No

Notes To The Guide     LFO: Low Frequency Oscillator; EG: Envelope Generator; RF: Resonant Filter; VCA: Voltage Controlled Amplifier; VCF: Voltage Controlled Filter; D-to-D: Direct-to-Disk. Standard/Max RAM: refers to how much RAM comes with a base machine and how much the machine will host at maximum. Standard/Max Outputs: refers to how many outputs are fitted to a base machine and the full number offered with an output upgrade. Maximum Sample Time: unless otherwise stated, the maximum mono sample time achievable with the base machine's standard RAM at its top sample rate. Display: 2 x 20 LCD = 2-line x 20-character LCD, etc. While the greatest care has been taken to ensure accuracy, no responsibility can be accepted for any errors or omissions. This guide is intended as a starting point for your own research. Thanks to the staff of the manufacturers and distributors of the products listed in this guide for their help in its preparation.

Comments     Akai S20: Good, reasonably priced entry-level phrase sampler offers looping, pitch changing and truncating facilities, plus rugged build, but only a basic 4-digit display. Akai S2000: Very attractive first studio sampler at a price which would have been unheard of for these facilities just a few years ago. Small display, but MESA editing software free. Akai S3000XL: Powerful unit with Akai's familiar user interface. Was £1799 on late 1995 release and spec still looks good, so current £1099 price makes it something of a bargain. Akai S5000: Cutdown version of deluxe S6000, with biggest memory capacity on the market and potential to upgrade almost to S6000 status. Large useful graphic display. Akai S6000: Same giant RAM capacity as S5000, plus top spec, large detachable graphic display and completely redesigned OS, the last in common with the S5000. A sampler for those who mean business. Akai MPC2000XL: Sampling/sequencing/rhythm workstation immensely popular in USA pro circles and consequently very long-lived. A self-contained composition tool rather than just a sampler, it also features sample trigger pads. Akai U400 Riff-O-Matic: Very simple sampling tool to allow guitarists to record riffs from CD and slow them down (via time-stretching) to facilitate learning. No sample storage device on board. Boss SP202: Cost-effective DJ looping/phrase unit in small, attractive box. Easy to use and fun, but SOS's reviewer warned "don't expect too much of it in the MIDI or sample-editing departments." Emu E5000 Ultra: brand-new, with full spec details yet to be released. See this month's News pages for more. Emu e6400 Ultra: The idea of the professional studio-quality Ultra range is that they can be upgraded to full E4XT Ultra spec. Before the (very recent) announcement of the E5000 Ultra, the e6400 Ultra was the entry level of the range, offering its large, useful display and very good sequencer. Accepts improved R-chip effects upgrade. Emu E-Synth Ultra: Next step on Ultra ladder adds digital interfacing, second MIDI In as standard, and 16Mb of sound ROM. Accepts improved R-chip effects upgrade. Emu E4XT Ultra: Powerful flagship of the Ultra range comes fully stuffed with features of the cheaper models, plus 128-note polyphony, standard 64Mb RAM and hard drive. Physically similar to the other models. Accepts improved R-chip effects upgrade. Ensoniq ASRx Pro: Self-contained song-construction tool offering decent sequencing and built-in sounds, but only average polyphony and multitimbrality. Sampling is just one of its talents. Roland SP808: Combination groove sampler/hard disk recorder acclaimed in SOS as "almost too good to be true, full of features, great sounding and affordable." Festooned with controls and uses economical Zip disks for saving. Yamaha SU10: Budget, fun phrase sampler offering MIDI sample dump, thus an ideal companion for synths with sample RAM. Surprising number of facilities for the price. No sample storage device on board, but can save over MIDI. Yamaha SU700: Capable groove/phrase sampler, quick and easy to use. Offers excellent sound-mangling and remixing facilities but has slightly restrictive MIDI spec. Yamaha A3000 V2: Extremely good value studio sampler with high RAM capacity, good creative loop tools, generous effects and EQ, and cost-effective extra outputs/digital I/O option. Zoom SampleTrak: Unusual-format phrase sampler with some sophisticated features you wouldn't expect at the price, including time-stretching and resampling with effects. Fun first-time sampler or creative extra tool.

Contacts

AKAI Akai UK +44 (0)181 897 6388. +44 (0)181 759 8268. BOSS/ROLAND Roland UK Brochure line +44 (0)1792 515020. +44 (0)1792 799644. EMU-ENSONIQ Emu-Ensoniq UK +44 (0)1753 630808. +44 (0)1753 652040. KURZWEIL Washburn UK +44 (0)1462 482466. +44 (0)1462 482997. YAMAHA Yamaha-Kemble Brochure Line +44 (0)1908 369269. +44 (0)1908 368872. ZOOM Exclusive Distribution +44 (0)1462 481148. +44 (0)1462 481149