Trend price : 100€
A popular budget spin off sampler module from more expensive models S3000 / S3000XL with smaller display but lacking some functions.
Company: Akai
Model: S2000
Class: Sampler module
Dates: 1995
Price: 100-150€
Display: 16 x 8 backlit
Resolution: 16 bits
S. Rate: 22 / 44 kHz
Polyphony: 32 voices
Multitimbric: 16 parts
Memory: 2 -> 32 mb
Filter: digital low pass
LFO: 2 modulators
Envelope: 2 EGS
Effects: optional with board EB16
CPU: D-70236
DAC: PCM69AP
ADC: AK5359
OS: latest 2.0
Demo: 1
Video: 1
Review: 1
DOWNLOAD: user manual -
Overview
SAMPLER MODULE 2 rack units. Main panel features a 16x8 backlit display, a data encoder, 2 knobs and 16 buttons.
Terminal connectors:
-
main signal out
- Midi interface
- SCSI interface
- 8 individual output (optional board)
- Digital I/O (optional board)
- headphones out
-
stereo signal input (for sampling).
Voice
up to 32 digital voices polyphony.
The stereophonic sampling engine works at 16 bits resolution - fixed recording frequencies at 22,05 and 44,1 kHz.
A single sample can be modified with various edit functions:
- timestretch from 25% to 2000% with two analyze modes: cyclic or intelligent
- trim sample length
- loop mode
- tune sample
- normalize amplitude
- reverse mode
- fade IN or OUT
- resample
bandwidth
Edit
a single or more samples must be placed in a keygroup and once mapped they make a program. Each Keygroup features individual edit parameters:
- Midi channel
- keyboard zone assignment
- EG amplitude
- LFO settings
- filter cutoff
- volume gain
- velocity switch.
Performance
s2000 handles up to 16 parts each with individual functions:
- Midi channel assign
- stereo panning position
- analog out assignment (IB-208P optional board + SPDIF digital I/O)
- semitones transpose
- keyboard zone assign
- note polyphony priority
- monophonic legato triggering
-
portamento - with rate and time modes
- Midi song import (up to 300 kb max.).
Filter
a 2-poles resonant digital dynamic low-pass filter; IB-304F second filter ADD 1 filter EG ADSR.
Keyboard track filter at 1 octave range.
LFO
2 delayed modulators with variable depth and 4 shapes (triangle, sawtooth, square and random).
- LFO 1 generally acts as a standard vibrato or can be assigned to APM matrix
- LFO 2 is AUX and can be assigned to APM matrix.
APM: any modulation source may be routed to virtually any control input, summarized in this table:
Envelope
there are 2 EGs with available preset templates:
1- EG1 amplitude with 4-segments ADSR + 1 Hold time
2- EG2 filter ADSR + 4 times.
Memory
- 255 samples
- 254 programs
-
sampling 2 Mbytes factory, expandable to 32 Mb using standard 72 pins SIMMs (no parity).
STORAGE floppy disk drive format 3.5 DD/HD 1440 /720 Kb capacity with auto-boot.
Floppies formatted in Akai proprietary file system: S2000 is not directly Ms-DOS compatible.
It is possible to link a standard zip disk100mb or some old HD (max partition 500mb) - too bad s2000 is often incompatible to most CD-ROM player models.
Review
OK: -cheap-
flexible
NOT : - display- edit- limited SCSI compatibility
"today they are cheap as hell: a lot of synth programming there, not a mere static sampler with advanced APM modulation like a true synth. For oldschool ravers with Atari ST :) "
Text , review, special demos copyright polynominal.com / Eric Pochesci
