From bit@hyperreal.com Fri Nov 8 14:22:28 1996 8 Nov 96 17:20:36 +0500 8 Nov 96 13:28:37 +0500 id <17487-0@exub.exeter.ac.uk>; Fri, 8 Nov 1996 18:22:18 +0000 id KAA23050; Fri, 8 Nov 1996 10:17:19 -0800 (PST) Date: Fri, 8 Nov 1996 10:17:18 -0800 (PST) From: Tom Butcher Cc: electronica@noether.ex.ac.uk Subject: Re: Akai S2000 > What are some of the key differences between the S2000 and some of the > higher end Akai stuff? (S3000) The 2000 has a smaller LCD, less front > panel access, less outputs (though it's expandable) > - but what about the sound? OK, start taking notes. The S3000, S3200, S3000XL, S3200XL, S2800, S2800i, and S2000 have -12db/oct resonant filters. They're all based around the same sound producing chip. The sound is great- they're the punchiest samplers being made today, in my opinion. I think I posted this before, but here's the rundown. (new series) S2000: Entry level. Small display, SCSI, but no individual outputs. Can be expanded using SIMMS, and can accept the Sampleverb and ProFilter expansion boards as well as whatever Akai calls their 8 output extension. No digital IO. 2u rack S3000xl: individual outs (8), SCSI, Digital IO, can be expanded with SIMMS, can accept ProFilter and Sampleverb. What you're paying for here is the nice interface (Good ole S1000-style.. more or less), the outputs, the digital IO, and the ability to do some basic HD recording directly. Best price/performance ratio of the lot. 2u rack S3200xl: top of the line. comes with everything the S3000xl does as well as full 32M ram, Sampleverb, and ProFilter stock. Adds SMPTE read/write and balanced XLR connectors for stereo in/out. 3u rack can accept optional (expensive) internal magneto-optical disk drive. CD3000xl: basically a 3u S3000xl. i'm not up on this unit, but it comes with a CD-rom and 8M of ram, i think. (older series) S3200: Same as S3200xl, but with dated (and somewhat frustrating) os. S3000: Same as S3000xl, but in a 3u case. No Profilter card, and ram expansions are pricey. Not really a good choice. Does have some stock effects though. S2800: 2u rack looks like an S3000xl. However, no SCSI, no digital IO, pricey ram expansion, and only two individual outs. S2800i: Not sure, but I think this is an S2800 with individual outs and a bit more ram. S01: Complete hunk of crap. So those are all the S-series samplers based on the same S3000 chip technology. Some argue that the older S1000 series samplers can sound more punchy, and I wouldn't be surprised if they do. The OS on the 1000 series isn't quite as nice (ok, it's a lot not quite as nice :) as the newer series, and instead of having 32 voices, they only have 16. They're still very fine machines, though, especially the S1100. > What about filters? Like I said before, -12db/oct resonant lowpasses are standard on the S3000 series (all the ones I listed above). The S1000 series have LPF's stock, but no resonance. > Does it have "automatic note-off" like on a drum module where playing one > sound causes another to stop playing? (The k2k doesn't have this and it's > really annoying...) Sure does. > the S2000 for it's size and price - as well as the Akai reputation for > sound quailty. Akai's sound quality, I feel, does outdo any of the other samplers being made. And yes, I've listened to an EIV. If I were you though, I would really consider spending the extra cash and getting the 3000xl. You'll really get tired of the S2000 interface, believe me, and the digital IO on the 3000xl can come in handy. ps- the sampleverb really sounds pretty good. I was surprised. the akais will also let you run the external inputs through the sampleverb. one drawback though is that the output always comes out the stereo outs. *shrug* (I have the S3000XL and have no complaints, other than akai's weird HD-formatting scheme) Tom Butcher Interlaced Digital Consulting Date: Mon, 27 Nov 1995 12:23:00 -0800 (PST) From: Tom Butcher Subject: Akai Samplers Rob asked about the Akai S2800 specs... well, I have the complete Akai literature library (since I've been in the market for a new sampler for a while now ...), and here's the lowdown on the brand new stuff and the not-brand new stuff, starting with the S2800. S2800: 16 bit stereo sampler. sample rates are 44.1 and 22.05. 2MB ram standard, expandable to 16MB with Akai expansion boards. 12db/octave resonant lowpass filters, 2EGs, 2LFOs... 1/4" inputs (2) and two pairs of stereo outputs. Can accept expansion boards for AES/EBU in and out for digital audio and DAT backup as well as a SCSI board. (so there's the digital IO board and the SCSI board). Effects onboard include echo, chorus, pitch shift, and delay. has 'help pages' Weight is 7.7kg ;) S2800 studio: same as above, but comes with 8MB ram, SCSI, and digital I/O installed. Oh, all of these samplers are 32voice, 16 bit linear sampling. OK. Onward... S3000: Same stuff. Comes with 8MB ram, expandable to 32. With the 3000, SCSI and digital i/o are provided, and you can put in an optional 105MB hard drive internally as well as a SMPTE reader/generator. You get XLR ins as well as 1/4"s here, and you get XLR stereo out as well as 8 individual outs. S3200: it's great :). Same stuff as above, but: SMPTE is provided. Can do hard disk recording. Has special "APM" functions that are like a very powerful matrix modulation scheme. Also has reverb and an optional magneto-optical drive. OK, so that's the old stuff. Akai just started shipping these new samplers, which are pretty darned cool. They're based on the same S3000 'chip', so all the voices and blah blah features are the same... S2000: plain vanilla. small display, comes with 2MB ram... expandable to 32MB with standard SIMMS. Can accept expansion boards to add a 4 channel effect processor (like the dp/4... explained below), 8 outputs, SCSI, digital i/o. All the new Akai samplers do SIMMS ram, and can have 16MB of flash ROM installed. List for the S2000: $1195 S3000XL: neat. large characteristic akai display... basically same as the S3000, but no effects processor, adds the flashrom feature and the ability to add the sampleverb effects processor. Can also add the ProFilter card, explained below. Has SCSI, digital i/o, 8+2 outs, etc. $1995 list. S3200XL: same features as the s3200... with SIMMS, flashrom, etc. The 3200 has the ProFilter and the SampleVerb processor installed, comes with SMPTE, SCSI, digital i/o, all the bells and whistles. $2995 list. here's the lowdown on those new cards.... SampleVerb: basically a 4-cnalle dp/4 ish processor that does 4 channels having *six simultaneous effects* each and also has two additional reverb channels (say 'whoa'). Effects include EQ, ring mod, distortion, chorus, phasing, flanging, echo, delay, reverb, pitch shifting, rotary speaker. Cost? $399 list. Standard on S3200XL. ProFilter: adds highpass, bandpass, and "digital swept peak/notch" filters as well as another multi stage envelope. The literature says this card is great for "incredibly stout techno and industrial" sounds. $399 list. Standard on S3200XL. Multi8/D: 8 out expansion for S2000. $299 list. Akai says to stay tuned on how to put ROM into those flashbanks, and that you can only use 2 or 16MB simms, NOT 8mb ones. So that sucks. But all in all, the new series is great-- expandability and great prices. Whew, this took a lot longer than I htought it would... and no, I don't work for Akai. I'm just a very educated almost-customer. I'll post my review of the S3200XL when it comes in :) Tom Butcher [bit@hyperreal.com] Orbitrecords [412.392.1505] || orbitrecords information superlink || http://hyperreal.com/music/labels/orbitrecords/