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Emu Emulator Synopsis

Professional sampler series

• Emulator: While very basic by todays standards, it was the first sampler at an attainable price point for many musicians.
• EmulatorII: Significant improvements in both sampling and voice/performance control.
• EIII: Another significant upgrade to sampling, voice and performance control, forming the sample base for romplers to come (e.g. Proteus series).
• EIIIX: Slightly tweaked EIII rack.
• ESI-32: Slightly scaled down EIIIX.

Voice architecture is subtractive (i.e. Sample->VCF->VCA), except Emulator (sample only). A monophonic mode is provided

Key Features

1. Aftertouch: (see Models)
2. Architecture Class: sampler subtractive
3. Audio IO: sample input (see Models)
4. Audio Source: (see Models) (see Sibling Comparison)
5. Communication Interface: (see Models)
6. Effects: None (see Models)
7. EG: (see Models)
8. Expansion: (see Models)
9. Filter: (see Models)
10. Form Factor: (see Sibling Comparison)
11. Key Scaling: (see Models)
12. LFO: (see Models)
13. Memory:
• Multi Memory: None
• Patch Memory: (see Models)
• PCM Memory: None
• Sample Memory: (see Sibling Comparison)
• Sequencer Memory: (see Models)
14. Multitimbral: (see Sibling Comparison)
15. Pedal Inputs: (see Models)
16. Performance Control: (see Models)
17. Polyphony: (see Sibling Comparison)
18. Power: AC
19. Released: (see Sibling Comparison)
20. Sequencer: (see Models)
21. Signal Class: digital
22. Velocity: (see Models)

Sibling Comparison

Emulator

Additional Features:

• Audio IO: Upper, Lower, Mix (phone and XLR)
• LFO: Vibrato
• Audio Source: Up to 12 samples (6 upper, 6 lower, fixed sample points). Sample editing includes truncate, reverse and loop
• Expansion: 5.25" floppy drive
• Pedal Inputs: release, sequencer
• Performance Control: pitch and mod wheels
• Sequencer: realtime, 2 songs
• Sequencer Memory: ? notes

EmulatorII

Additional Features:

• Audio IO: ?
• LFO: Vibrato with delay and rate mod
• Audio Source: Sample editing includes truncate, reverse, mix, splice and loop (with auto-looping)
• Communication Interface: MIDI, RS-422
• EG: Dedicated VCF and VCA ADSR
• Expansion: 5.25" DS/DD floppy drive (optional dual drives), optional 10MB hard disk, 1MB memory expansion
• Filter: analog resonant low pass
• Key Scaling: sample crossfade, filter cutoff
• Pedal Inputs: two programable footswitches (sustain, release, sustenuto, patch increment, sequencer)
• Performance Control: programable pitch and mod wheels (pitch, filter, attack, level, LFO), arpeggiator (up and/or down, random, prog)
• Patch Memory: Shared with sample memory
• Sequencer: realtime, 8 track, 99 song, MIDI/internal/external/SMPTE clock
• Sequencer Memory: ? notes
• Velocity: crossfading/switch, VCA level/attack and VCF cutoff/attack/Q

EIII

Additional Features:

• Aftertouch: See performance control destinations
• Audio IO: stereo and 16 individual outputs
• Audio Source: Sample editing includes truncate, cut/copy/paste, loop (with auto-looping), digital effects (e.g. tuning, taper, gain, reverse, delay, filter, EQ, compressor)
• Communication Interface: SMPTE In/Out, RS-422, SCSI, MIDI In, Out, Thru
• Expansion: 3.5" DS/DD floppy drive, 40MB hard disk, E3 (16MB, 32 voice)
• EG: Dedicated VCF and VCA AHDSR
• Filter: resonant low pass
• Key Scaling: sample crossfade, filter cutoff
• LFO: routed to pitch, VCF cutoff, VCA, pan with delay and rate mod. Waveforms are triangle, ?. Aux LFO destinations are pitch, pan, LFO rate or LFO destinations.
• Patch Memory: Shared with sample memory (99 max)
• Pedal Inputs: two programable footswitches (sustain, arpeggiator, cross switch, patch increment/decrement, sequencer), programable pedal (see wheel destinations)
• Performance Control: programable pitch and mod wheels (pitch, filter cutoff, attack, crossfade, VCA, LFO, pan), arpeggiator (up and/or down, random, forward, backward)
• Sequencer: realtime, 16 track, 99 song, MIDI/internal/external/SMPTE clock, metronome
• Sequencer Memory: Shared with sample memory
• Velocity: routed to pitch, VCA level/attack, VCF cutoff/Q/attack, Pan, Sample start, Aux Env (14 curves)

EIIIX

Additional Features:

• Aftertouch: See performance control destinations
• Audio IO: stereo (XLR and phone) and 8 balanced individual outputs, SPDIF/AES/EBU input and output (optional analog inputs)
• Audio Source: Sample editing includes truncate, cut/copy/paste, loop (with auto-looping), digital effects (e.g. tuning, taper, gain, reverse, delay, filter, EQ, compressor, etc). Akai and EmaxII sample import supported. Digital sample rates are 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz. Analog sample rates are 29.4kHz or 44.1kHz
• Communication Interface: SCSI, MIDI In, Out, Thru
• Expansion: 3.5" DS/DD floppy drive, optional hard disk
• EG: Dedicated VCF and VCA AHDSR. Auxillary DAHDSR routed to pitch, pan or LFO (rate or destination level)
• Filter: resonant low pass
• Key Scaling: sample crossfade, filter cutoff
• LFO: routed to pitch, VCF cutoff, VCA, pan with delay and rate mod. Waveforms are triangle, ?.
• Patch Memory: Shared with sample memory (256 max)
• Performance Control: MIDI only programable pitch and mod wheels (pitch, filter cutoff, attack, crossfade, VCA, LFO, pan), arpeggiator (up and/or down, random, forward, backward)
• Velocity: routed to pitch, VCA level/attack, VCF cutoff/Q/attack, Pan, Sample start, Aux Env (14 curves)

ESI-32

Additional Features:

• Aftertouch: See performance control destinations
• Audio IO: headphone, stereo sample input, 2 main outputs, 2 sub send/return
• Audio Source: Mono or stereo sampling supported. Supports EIII sound banks (Akai and EmaxII via conversion). Editing includes truncate, cut/copy/paste, loop auto-correlation/compression/cross-fade, digital effects (e.g. tuning, taper, gain, reverse, delay, filter, EQ, compressor, etc).
• Communication Interface: SCSI (50 pin cent), MIDI In, Out, Thru
• Effects: chorus
• EG: DCF, DCA and Aux EGs are AHDSR (i.e. 1 level, 4 rates), while filter EG is invertable. Auxillary EG is routed to pitch, pan, and/or3 LFO (rate, pitch, amplifier, filter, pan).
• Expansion: 3.5" DSHD, SCSI, S/PDIF I/O card, sample memory (SIMM)
• Filter: resonant low pass (24dB)
• Key Scaling: sample crossfade, filter cutoff
• LFO: LFO can be routed to pitch, filter, amplifier and/or pan. Waveforms are triangle, sine, saw and square (with delay)
• Patch Memory: Shared with sample memory (256 max)
• Performance Control: Portamento and pan. MIDI CC sources can be routed to pitch, filter cutoff, amplifier level, LFO (pitch, filter and/or amplifier), pan, attack, crossfade. MIDI switch sources can be routed to sustain, cross/switch, preset inc/dec
• Velocity: Velocity is routed to sample switch, pitch, amplifier (level/attack), filter (cutoff/resonance/attack), pan, sample start, aux eg

Further Information

• Subtractive synthesis
• http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Subtractive_synthesis
• Sampler (musical instrument)
• http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampler_(musical_instrument)
• Digital synthesizer
• http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_synthesizer
• EmulatorII:
• http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug00/articles/emuretro.htm
• http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep00/articles/retroemu.htm
• Parts:
• http://syntaur.com/emu_emulator.html

References

• Pictures:
• http://www.synthony.com
• http://www.vintagesynth.com
• MSRP:
• http://emulatorarchive.com
• http://synthony.com/museum.html
• Vintage Synthesizers by Mark Vail
• Owners manuals:
• http://www.emu.com/
• http://www.emulatorarchive.com/