The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

--- In AN1x-list@y..., Randy Johnson <daltec@p...> wrote:
> Hello all, and thank you for the opportunity of introducing myself. 
I have
> been a lurker for sometime, but this is my first official post.

Hello Randy, always nice to have someone chime in :-)


In previous
> posts there have been a few mentions of samplers being used as AN1X
> emulators. I do not know much about samplers, so perhaps my 
question is an
> uninformed one, but I was wondering, what is the advantage of using 
an
> actual sampler to do this, as opposed to just recording the AN1X 
sounds into
> software?

Recording into a software DAW is a pefectly acceptable solution. The 
'advatage' of using a hardware sampler as opposed to tracking would 
be the benefit of using the samplers EG's, Filters, LFOs and possibly 
the native DSP features and/or effects (depending on model type, 
obviously.) Granted, you could use plug-ins to Filter, modulate, or 
otherwise process your digitally recorded track but that solution 
isn't always condusive to real time performance or manipulation of 
the sound data. Not too mention plug-ins can sap your CPU where as 
hardware sampler is a stand alone solution.

The reason I ask is because a friend has offered his old ESI
> sampler to me for next to nothing, and I was just wondering what new
> abilities this would provide me with. What do I get for the money, 
that is.

The ESI series are good samplers with a solid selection of DSP tools 
and an okay synth hierarchy. The ESI2K/4K have a improved variety of 
Filters to choose from and double the polyphony of the ESI32. I think 
the SCSI port was standard on the ESI2K/4K and optional on the ESI32. 
My problem with the ESI series was that the OS was not significantly 
improved over that of the Emax series. Granted, the user interface 
was easier to navigate (IMO) but the modulation options and real time 
controller mappings were nearly identical to that of the old Emax 
models. I found this perplexing as so much effort had clearly been 
put into these items with the Proteus spin offs I still can't 
comprehend why they would permit the ESI series to lag behind?! Oh 
well. *sigh*

> Because as it is now, I record sounds, loops, etc onto the hard 
drive, edit
> them, monkey with them, drop them into Deck (yeah yeah, I know, but 
old
> habits die hard), and go from there. Would a sampler simply make 
this task
> easier, or do they have capabilities of which I am simply unaware? 
(As I
> said, I do not know much about samplers.)

Well, it would allow some additional flexibilty in working with Loops 
that may or may not be attractive to you. The ESI series is 
compatible with ReCycle (I assume you're familiary with ReCycle) so 
you could perform some loop manipulation with ReCycle and easily 
transmit it to the ESI sampler and create a program out of the data. 
My sampler is not directly supported by ReCycle so I have to do this 
manually :-( Anyway, you could then process the chopped looped bits 
on a key by key basis. Ex: Apply some LFO mod to some Snare hits in 
the loops but not others. You're only limited by your imagination!

FYI - BIAS has recently announced an upgrade is coming to Deck.

> 
> BTW feel free to e-mail me privately if this is too off topic. 
Thank you for
> your patience.

Not a problem - we all want to learn something here!

regards,

Jon