Emu Samplers: your opinions?
Robert Reider
In article <thomasc-0410...@pm3b-43.pacificnet.net>,
tho...@nowtranslations.comNO.SPAM (TJC) wrote:
> I'm looking into buying an Emu sampler, particularly the ESI4000. Anyone
> who wants to share there opionions (good, bad) of the current Emu line in
> terms of ease-of-use, OS, dumb flaws, etc., please let me know.
>
> Also, anyone know if these boxes have portamento? And is there anyway to
> convert ProTools sounds (Mac) into a format the Emu will read?
>
> Thanks in advance.
I have a Esi-32 Turbo which I love. I think the Esi-4000 is the replacement
for my model. Both look to me about the same cosmetically. The sound is
great, not harsh like Akai's can be. And E-Mu's sound more "organic" to my
ears than a Roland s760. One flaw is that there is no Mac editor that I am
aware of, but you get used to racing around the menus. The buttons and data
wheel are well made, not flimsy like the Akai s2000 controls. And the E-Mu
LCD screen is bigger than the Akai. Akai has a larger CD-Rom library than
my Esi-32. However, you can import Akai s1000/s1100 samples into the
Esi-32, so the Esi-4000 should be the same in this regard, if not better.
The Esi does have portamento. I use it all the time. The Esi-32 can choose
between a linear and a logarithmic sweep, and well as the portamento time
in seconds.
If you can save Pro-Tools files as AIFF or WAV, (or maybe System 7 sound),
then you can use a program called Alchemy to send the sounds directly to
your E-Mu. This is what I do. In my Mac, I edit my samples, then send them
via SCSI complete with loop points to my sampler. Real easy.
-Robert
TJC
St.Einar
Hello!
You might be interested in joining a mailing list
for E-mu products.
Visit http://www.wineasy.net/emulator/main.html for
more info.
The mail list section you'll find at
http://www.wineasy.net/emulator/MailingList.html
This is a mailing list with contributors from real
E-mu enthusiasts. Maybe you'll find your answers there?
Tweakings from
/ St.Einar, The Realtime Snob
Mark Harrop
In article <thomasc-0410...@pm3b-43.pacificnet.net>, TJC
<tho...@nowtranslations.comNO.SPAM> writes
>I'm looking into buying an Emu sampler, particularly the ESI4000.
I bought the turbo a couple of weeks ago.
For the most part the interface is pretty straightforward and its dead
easy to programme from the front panel. This is just as well because,
with no sysex implementation at all, there is no way of using an
editor/librarian.
I hate sampling directly - I'd rather use my pc. Sample transfer from
Soundforge via SMDI is a piece of cake but the ESI only recognises one
set of loop points - sample names, midi unity note etc gets lost on the
way, a minor irritation. Processing samples in the ESI can be slow, its
more efficient to do this somewhere else. The manual recommends Alchemy
on the mac so I would assume that there is likely to be a route for
getting sounds out of ProTools and into the ESI.
Importing samples overwrites the current preset without warning. After
loosing a few hours work you get to remember this.
The filters are nice and plentiful, the effects are reasonable but use
SANs (stupid arbitary numbers) which means you have to set things like
delay times by ear. There is one assignable envelope available as well
as a TVA and TVF but only one LFO which is a disappointment and feels
like penny pinching. The number of controllers available for realtime
play is limited as are the destinations you can route them to.
Yes, it does portamento, with either a straight line or logarithimic
track.
The manual is good in parts but is completely silent on two fundamental
issues - fitting additional memory and installing a hard drive. Given
that both of these are pretty much essential (you can't undo a sample
processing action without a hard drive and E-mu don't actually sell a
unit with a hard drive pre-installed) I find this astonishing. Neither
subject is properly covered at the E-mu web site either. Mailing list
ahoy?
It's always easier to say what's missing than list what's in. The bottom
line is that I'm very happy with it. I've found it very easy to get it
up and running and making music, which is what it's all
about........isn't it?
--
Mark Harrop
ma...@umcorps.demon.co.uk. (!!remove nospam if replying by email!!)
The Uncertain Music Corps - http://www.umcorps.demon.co.uk
"It don't mean a thing if it aint got that doubt"
Rocky Reid
In article <p9XbuDAl...@umcorps.demon.co.uk>, Mark Harrop
<ma...@umcorps.demon.co.uk.nospam> wrote:
I have an Esi-32 Turbo, with a MAC and Alchemy, and I can send and receive
the samples WITH THEIR NAMES to and from the devices. It sounds like the 32
and the 4000 are essentially very simlare machines just based on their
features. One thing I am very interested in is installing an internal hard
drive. If there is a mailing list set up, please include me on it. I
already use a Zip drive on the SCSI chain, and the Es-32 treats it like any
other hard drive, but an internal hard drive for gigging would be really
cool.
Rocky
Grant
> In article <thomasc-0410...@pm3b-43.pacificnet.net>, TJC
> I hate sampling directly - I'd rather use my pc. Sample transfer from
IMHO, I must say, I havn't heard a soundcard under £500-00 (which you may
well be using...) which A/D sounds as transparent as the input of the
ESI's, (or any high spec sampler for that matter.)
I did quite a few tests with colleagues, by ear (ignoring specs on
documentation), to ascertain this.
The internal cards seem prone to interference noise from inside the casing
too.
>
> Importing samples overwrites the current preset without warning. After
> loosing a few hours work you get to remember this.
Surely somewhere in soundforge is a sample number assign function?
I think these are transmitted as part of the Standard Midi Sample Dump in
order to tell the destination machine where to store the new sample.
Do you have these problems? I know you use soundforge, but you may have
tried these things.
The audition button now seems to re-trigger when adjusting the loop points,
causing a phasing effect and meaning you have to hit the button again (and
hear the whole of the beginning of the sample again) to hear *every*
single loop adjustment.
Can trash disk banks; doesn't seem to know when a disk is nearly full.
Still can't load roland s-7x0 sounds or save individual components of a
bank.
Still only assigns one preset per midi channel.
If you're sampling, and wish to monitor from the ESI, you'll have to move
the jacks back to the old 'main' outs again, 'cause the FX out won't
monitor the sample input.
Er...amazingly, neither will the headphones.:
regards Grant
grant(at)weirdness.com
(replace (at) with @ to reply)
Tony Scharf
I happen to own an E64, and My drummer uses an ESI32. the thing
is smegging beautiful. Anybody with 3 active braincells can
progam and do complex velocity cross switching and real time
xfades without really having to be a synth programming genius.
it does most of the work for you. The filters take a little
getting used to - there are alot of them, and they all work well
with the right settings.
I have also used the Akai s2000, and I own a K2000. of all, the
emu is definatly the most relaiable (i spend the least amount of
time trying to figure out "What the fuck" and alot more time
thinking "Now thats the sound I want!!")
just my 2cents
Tony Scharf
CArbon Haze
Negative Gain Productions
--
The future of music, is not music.