Akai S900

[provaznik]

the s950 is a beautiful sampler. i think that they are pretty cheap so you can't go wrong giving it a try, right?

[thom]

This thread made me replug the ol' esi-32 only to re-re-rediscover how great it sounds... and how fun it is to pull a whole bassline out of a bassdrum sample.

Also to discover my zip drive died during the winter

BUT I found one in the garbage yesterday. Hooray for obsolescence!

I got that Time Machine plugin a while back but never having owned a real Akai s900 / 950, I have no idea what this 'character' sounds like.

certainly there is something about using low sample and bit rates (originally to max the use of ram) that gives some sounds a certain character. For instance, my esi-32 sounds pretty cool for kicks at a 22khz sampling rate. There is the onboard effects too that can make it recognisable.

The only reason I would buy (another) sampler is if I saw it for 30 bucks or something along those lines... more to toy around with it than anything else (it's fun to play around with gear you could only dream of fifteen years ago). Compatible drives can be weird to find too... fuctionnal zips, tiny scsi drives and such are no longer made and most of them are in the garbage or about to be thrown in there.

-edit-

I've been playing with the sampler all afternoon... I think I have a track going.

About the "character" of the sound... the not-so-great filters! Hehe... so techno. Grab these things when you see them for cheap. Fun fun.

[s.k.]

...there is something about using low sample and bit rates...

yes but it is bit depth you're talking about, not bit rate

[thom]

yes, depth