Product: E-MU Emulator II
Price Paid: 150.00 (canadian) used
Submitted
01/30/2004
at
03:36pm
by
Matt Thibideau
Ease of Use
:
10
This sampler is almost as easy as using an analog synthesizer!!
Everything is layed out on the front panel. And there are some sliders too!
Features
:
8
8 voice polyphonic, 17.5 seconds of sampling at 28khz, Analog SSM filters (yumm), Analog VCA and LFO's. Old gritty sound (not half as gritty as a mirage). Velocity sensitive filter. Really cool LFO with a variation on the speed.
8 mono outputs (no need to upgrade on this tank).
Built in 8 track sequencer (dependant on sample ram)
Built in Arpegiator
INstant Depeche Mode type sounds. Again really easy to use. You can find them pretty cheep now.
They used to cost $10 000.
Expressiveness/Sounds
:
9
Sounds great. It has it's own Character.
Sample your own sounds into it and start messing with them.
It always produces interesting results.
Also a very large selection of useful presets.The Strings and Orchestra sounds are especially good.
Marcato strings a la "Pet Shop Boys"
Over used Orchestra hits on practically every 80's record.
Frog Samples a la New Order.
Warmth no current sampler can even try to reproduce!
Reliability
:
3
Don't gig with it. The EII likes to stay put.
They need to be opened once in a while and be cleaned out.
The cables sometimes need to be re-seated. The floppy drives should get replaced. If you have the patients to do all of this they will work good for you. I have 2 of them and an extra one for parts.
E-mu doesn't support them???? Acutally E-mu doesn't support any of their old stuff!
Thank you for the Emulator Archive website.!! They can help
Customer Support
:
1
E-MU WILL SADLY NOT HELP YOU WITH IT.
Try emulatorarchive.com
Overall Rating
:
10
I would buy one again if it was lost or stolen..I have a huge sound library for it. No single new machine can replace it. I use it on a lot of music along with..SEM, 2600, PPG, JP-4, JP-6, OB-8, Prophet-5, Prodigy, Tr-808, etc..
It sounds warm, it has character and life to it's samples.
I don't like that it sometimes can be unreliable..How did Depeche Mode tour with these things?
The sequencer is kind of fun to experiment with.
Product: E-MU Emulator II
Price Paid: N/A used
Submitted
07/15/2001
at
12:59pm
by
sonni_cheeba
Email: sonnicheeba11a<at>webt dot net
Ease of Use
:
9
you do not even need the manual-dont be fooled the emulator 2 sounds superb....easy to use....tis is vers......3.1 i do not have a large 5.25 library but its slowly growing---if you have sounds for the emulator 2 email me they must be on emu formatted disks or work with the dpx1.....
Features
:
8
this big bad boy was at its prime in the mid 80's---most rap records used its warm sound..it has midi controlling,foot switch,ease of use,keys feel great, onboard sequencing...i have added a 3.5 drive to lower bay ...to accept saved samples & loops....
Expressiveness/Sounds
:
9
the emulator 2 is good for that nice grungy warm thick punchy sound when used with a quality preamp,its sound is comparable to the sp1200 ,mpc60, although it says 8 bit it sounds very clean and loud --how can an 8 bit sampler sound so good just say emulator 5 times...its a sp1200 on steroids minus the disk drive and ok less sampling time, but it has filters...and octave up & down a classic usefull tool in producing rap/hip hop.....
Reliability
:
10
i would not recommend this big bulky sampler to be moved its to heavy and once set its a back breaker.....try lifting a 30" tv set on your own ..not easy ...i will use this sampler till it dies out ...it very dependable...
Customer Support
:
8
i have upraged disk drive b-to a 3.5 drive ,,if you would like the same upgrade try emulator archives.com......this upgrade was done only because 5.25 disks are extremely rare and do not hold enough info .....any how if i can change the top drive to 3.5 i'll be even happier .....emu its self has very little support .....search the net for more info....
Overall Rating
:
10
it worth the price,, i will buy another for parts ..my lettering has been rubbed out somewhat.....remember it was $4,000 plus ^.....so what if its old it works like brand new...it just has short sampling time ...if it had a 1 minute sample limit i bet it would be an even hotter vintage sampler on some peoples wish list...
