Yamaha A3000 Sampler

The Yamaha A3000 is a 64 voice sampler with 128 MB max. RAM, internal effects, optional internally mountable SCSI disk, two stereo out and optional output expansion and S/PDIF.
Get the complete specs i.e. from the Yamaha web site.
My comments are based on the operating system version 2.0, after working with the A3000 for about half a year.
Whats cool about the A3000:
- sampling audio sources is very comfortable. The A3000 can automatically trigger record and stop based on an adjustable threshold level and map the samples to note keys (allways same, white, black + white). It can also normalize automatically. This way sampling off an audio sampling CD is fun, as well as taking a series of performances. Only triggering by MIDI note is missing.
- though it is said to be a matter of taste, I find the user interface very intuitive and fast to operate (i.e. compared to the ESI4000). When trying out the A3000 in the store, I could almost instantly play with effects and even resampling in a few minutes without the aid of the manual.
- The flexibility (not the transfer times) of the disk storage is great. Every kind of structure (sample, program, sample bank) can be loaded into RAM or saved to any volume on the disk.
- the three effect devices offer much of the stuff I need. Compression, distortion, amp simulation, kind of ring modulators, real time time stretch and pitch shift and of course the standard ones like reverb, delay, chorus and so on. There are lots of others, like vinyl simulation, lo-fi and something called 'noise delay' which is really cool and there's much EQ everywhere.
- The organization of programs, samples and sample banks turned out to be very flexible and intuitive. There have been critics that the A3000 can not switch 'instruments' for each channel using program select in multimode. For me this is not a problem. I create a separate program for each 'song' where the channel/instrument settings are saved and keep them throughout the song. The good thing about this is that the effect settings are stored with that program and thus are exactly reproduced when switching to that program. Thus, all the individual settings for a 'song' are stored in a single managable unit.
- The filters are good and effective. There are low/high/band-pass, mixed, dual 'peak' filters and others, a total of 16. Especially the 24db low-pass can turn the A3000 into a 303 because of the high resonance and filter overdrive.
- The pitch wheel can even reverse the sound (i.e. for scratching) if you like.
- There are several ways to process loops. The A3000 can split loops into a series of rhythmic slices, map them automatically onto adjactant keys or rearrange them randomly to a new sample following different algorithms. Some samples may even be reversed during this process. Cool for remixing, this seems to be what people are doing with ReCycle!, but the A3000 does it in stereo.
- Sounds can be easily fattend by subtle changes to pitch and phase of the stereo channels.
- the envelopes are fast and can be well adjusted.
What's not so cool about the A3000:
- the knobs are sluggish and sometimes go one tick further after releasing them. One can get a bit used to it, but this one is a minus.
- the disk transfer rates are quite slow
- it was disappointing to realize that while resampling the max. polyphony is limited to four and that MIDI controllers don't work. Resampling is however ok for recording single sounds with effects.

I think the A3000 makes the ESI4000, which I've got too, look old. The ESI wins only in the disk transfer times discipline and maybe when creating crossfade loops.
In fact, the A3000 has become my most important sound device, because it sounds good and is fun to work with. It also has been stable all the time, no crashes, no loss of data so far.
Also the service from Yamaha Germany was excellent. When my dealer failed to get me the manual addendum for the OS version 2.0, I called them and the next day I had a manual in my mai

Software version 2. The simplicity of this machine is superb. The matrix system means that all the commands you want are there in front of you for easy access. Pushing the first knob on any page calls up the sample menu, and that's really useful. Editing is simple, setting up sample banks is simple. Sure, you can get lost within some pages, but this shouldn't put you off - after all this machine >>is<< a power house and some operational quirks are to be expected. The manual is massive, but to be honest with you, I hardly ever touched it - the interface is >>that<< intuative.

64 Note poly, 16 part multi, up to 128Mb RAM, SCSI as standard, 4 outs, Loads of filters, three effects units, HD Support up to 8Gb (Partition size 1Gb), internal HD mounting supported - and these are just a few of the features. The effects are great and relativley easy to use. There are some you'll probrbly never use (e.g. Turntable) but the Auto Wah is wicked, and the reverbs are of top quality. Expansion capabilities (apart from RAM and HDD) are pretty good too. The AEB1 output expansion board adds 6 futher outs (taking to 10) and digital I/O. Costs 149 UK Pounds (comes/w V2 software if you don't have it on your machine). It's got a scratch pad sequencer, but it's not really worth mentioning. Sample rates are 44.1kHz to 5kHz Lo-fi and up to 48kHz with the digi I/O.

The AWM2 tone generation system still holds fast. Once your samples are in there, they sound identical to the source (at 44 / 48 kHz). They can also sound completley dirty and contorted using different sampling rates, filters and effects. The sounds will have that "Yamaha" edge to them, which makes them punchy (but may not be to every ones taste), and so this is a sampler well suited to the dance market. Responds to Velocity and Aftertouch pretty well.

Built like a tank, although is very big (about the size of your average video recorder) but is quite light (about 6.5Kg). This thing should last for ages, although watch the knobs at the front, they could well get damaged. Live work would be no problem with the A3000. Front knobs to have a specific rate at which they mush be turned to get maximum response (due to internal optical sensors), but its never been a problem for me.

I've never had a problem, so I've never needed to ask for support!

I'd buy it again, and again, and again. I've had it for a while now, and it really is the best piece of gear I've bought for ages. It's worth what I paid, and is probably worth even the RRP of 1299 UK Pounds (Street value = 900 to 1000 UK Pounds). The A3000 is central to my set up, and It really does enable me to get on with it and make my music. My only wish is for a better quality Time Stretch, but the A3000's time stretch is still one of the best I've come accross. Please do listen to it before you buy any sampler, it may change your mind!