the big drum sampler (8-Bit/12-Bit) comparison

[wazun]

Hi!

I'd like to compare all the 8-bit and 12-bit samplers for drum sampling and I need your help because I only have an ensoniq mirage at home. If anybody has one of these samplers and has a few minutes, I would really appreciate your help:

Akai S-612
Akai S-900
Akai MPC-60
Emu Emax 1
Emu SP-12/1200
Ensoniq EPS
Oberheim Prommer
SCI Prophet 2000

You can download the drums here: http://highsteppin.de/drums/drums.wav

Perhaps you can make two version, where the second one overdrives the input a little bit, and post a link to your sampled version here.

Thanks,

Victor

[wazun]

Here is the first mirage sample with a little bit of overdrive. I sampled it and then copied the wav from the disc to the pc, so there is no d/a in this version.

http://highsteppin.de/drums/mirageOverdrive_disc.wav

[shamann]

Sorry, I can't help since I don't have any of those samplers.

That high pitched whine in the Mirage clip is wild, really makes for a cool effect.

I could see how that might drive people batty if they just wanted simple playback, though.

[BertKoor]

Isn't there a section in the song where the base drum doesn't coincide with the hihat?

That high pitched whine in the Mirage clip is wild

Heard that as well... Does it come from the Mirage or from an inferior onboard soundcard you've used to sample it?

[wazun]

Isn't there a section in the song where the base drum doesn't coincide with the hihat?

That high pitched whine in the Mirage clip is wild

Heard that as well... Does it come from the Mirage or from an inferior onboard soundcard you've used to sample it?

I think it is something that happens in the a/d stage of the sampler. You don't hear it when playing back the sample with the mirage, because there is a filter in the d/a stage. I'll sample that later.
I have to the check that song again for a kick without hihat, but it sounds good to my ears though.

[jones-y]

I have an EMAX but its a little sick right now, so I won't be able to help you (and I don't know when I'm gonna get around to putting it in the shop - enjoying my ASR-X too much).

I have also owned an S900 and an MPC-60 mkII. The EMAX bested them easily, sound quality wise. These three machines are not nearly as crusty as the Mirage though... Actually the S900 was very clean, with just some top-end and field-depth loss, with a very forward, cutting sound (kinda midrangey). It actually doesn't sound much different than the S1000. I really don't understand why people think of the early Akais (S900/S950/MPC-60) as lo-fi. They're too clean to be lo-fi. An overdriven EMAX, OTOH... Watch out.

Also the thing about the EMAX is that it can sound exactly like an SP-12/1200 or it can be way cleaner, or way dirtier. At current secondhand prices, it makes no sense to buy an SP-12/1200 over an EMAX. But IMO, early EMUs and Ensoniqs whup early Akais (same goes if you compare later models), sound quality wise. But Akai has the advanatage of being a 'familiar sound'.

[wazun]

Also the thing about the EMAX is that it can sound exactly like an SP-12/1200 or it can be way cleaner, or way dirtier. At current secondhand prices, it makes no sense to buy an SP-12/1200 over an EMAX. But IMO, early EMUs and Ensoniqs whup early Akais (same goes if you compare later models), sound quality wise. But Akai has the advanatage of being a 'familiar sound'.

I noticed that the price for EMAX-1 samplers has risen in the last months. Sellers started to mention that both can sound the same. I hope I can stil get one for under 300 EUROs sometime.

[jones-y]

I noticed that the price for EMAX-1 samplers has risen in the last months. Sellers started to mention that both can sound the same.

LOL I think I started that trend back in November when I went to sell mine...

Its very true; my friend and the guy that got me started in music production has one, and we have done comparisons; Basically we could get them to sound so close to be indistinguishable. The first piece of musical equipment I used (besides el cheapo Casios and the like when I played in bands as a kid) was his SP12. He let me use it my entire junior year at college (after he got an SP1200 of course, and an ASR-10, and an MPC2000XL...).

By the way, we also tested his ASR-10 against my ASR-X, and again, not that much difference; the X was a touch cleaner, especially in the high frequencies. (the ASR's are some BIG sounding samplers... best of them all IMO)

My theory on the old samplers (and this is based on having owned or used almost everything from the Mirage to the MPC 3000): Each of the big three manufacturers had a family sound, such that e.g. the S900 sounded very similar to the S950 which sounded very similar to the S1000, which sounded similar to the S3000 and so on, with each new generation generally getting cleaner and a little bit colder.

There are exceptions, especially around the mid to late 90's when A/D/A converter technology started to get cheap (in both price and sound quality); at that point (for example the S2000 and MPC 2000/2000XL) you could start to hear a difference, and that's also when people started to stick with their older models instead of upgrading. Then when computer recording hit, and everyone was missing the warmth of analog (and certain previously mentioned digital gear) certain hardcore sampler users began to seek coloration from their samplers, instead of the cleanliness that was coveted before (which was a large part of why Akai dominated - their samplers were clean...)

As you can tell, I'm an avid fan of hardware samplers. From a workflow perspective, RAM based sampling, as opposed to the file based method of computers, is just so much better for me. And the sound quality is the icing.

[wazun]

Hi!

I'd like to compare all the 8-bit and 12-bit samplers for drum sampling and I need your help because I only have an ensoniq mirage at home. If anybody has one of these samplers and has a few minutes, I would really appreciate your help:

Akai S-612
Akai S-900
Akai MPC-60
Emu Emax 1
Emu SP-12/1200
Ensoniq EPS
Oberheim Prommer
SCI Prophet 2000

You can download the drums here: http://highsteppin.de/drums/drums.wav

Perhaps you can make two version, where the second one overdrives the input a little bit, and post a link to your sampled version here.

Thanks,

Victor

Anybody?

[shamann]

Well, this isn't exactly the same thing, but here is the loop recorded at 8bit in to the Akai S20 (oldest sampler I have), and then played back on the S20 into my audio card.

Note the almost complete lack of high frequencies! Muffled, yet has its own sort of charm.

[edit]Somehow forgot the link:

http://www.sighup.ca/test/s20.wav

[BertKoor]

Well, this isn't exactly the same thing, but here is the loop recorded at 8bit in to the Akai S20 (oldest sampler I have), and then played back on the S20 into my audio card.

Link plz ??

[shamann]

I could have sworn I posted a link. Here 'tis:

http://www.sighup.ca/test/s20.wav