Akai S1000 / S1100 samplers

I agree with you in that using tubes will add warmth to the mix and 
also that warmth and character are other words for some sort of 
distortion...

However, tubes aren't the only source of distortion in hardware 
samplers.  Every sampler that is not entirely software-based will add 
some "distortion" to the sound which comes from all of its elctronic 
components.  This is the reason why even some of the best audio 
producers still use "outdated gear"... the ones that like the 
character, ofcorse.  

Samplers like the Emu sp-1200 and akai s950 are very hard to 
reproduce with software preciesely because of what goes on inside the 
sampler itself.  First the sample is converted to 12-bit through its 
a/d converters and then ran through actual analogue parts of the 
smapler. Even if it's a digial sampler, only the conversion itself is 
digital but much of the rest remains analogue (like sometimes 
filtering amplifying etc).

I'm basically trying to find a middle ground in sound coloration.. 
nothing as "grimmy and raw" as s950 or sp1200... I actually already 
have something to take care of that type of sound (the emu Emax).  I 
read somewhere else that the s1100 gives your samples a very musical 
quality...whatever that means.  They said that if you would listen to 
fine instrument like a flute and other clean samples you would "know" 
it was sampled with a 1100... this could be total b.s. for all I 
know, but there might also be some kind of validity in the opinion.

Other questions I have are:

Are the effects any good?  How would they stand against some of the 
top VST sftware effects?

When using the digital optical outputs, can the sound that is being 
inputed be ran through the sampler and out the digital outputs in 
real time?

Does the digital output contain audio divided in tracks or is it just 
a stereo signal?

Thanks!



--- In akaiS1000S1100Samplers@yahoogroups.com, "daddio" <mrmarz2@...> 
wrote:
>
> Sampling vinyl is already inherently "warmer" than say sampling 
cd's.
> Glass bottles - tubes, that's what you're looking for.
> Maybe rusty strips of plastic - tape.
> Add them in the mix somewhere or do it in Sonar with plugins.
> You won't get that sort of thing from a digital sampler, afaik, at 
least
> that's not their forté.
> That said pick the sampler that has an interface you're comfortable 
working
> with.
> "Character" and "Warmth" are nice names for what is basically 
distortion or
> poor reproduction.
> If you can get a "clean" "accurate" recording, you can add to it, or
> subtract from it,
> and have a "better" end product.
> 
> -daddio-
> www.tapewarm.com
> 
> __________________________________________________________
> I will be sequencing on Sonar SX3.
> 
> I have an RME Multiface II
> 
> I will be strictly sampling into the sampler and not using any pre-
made
> samples.
> 
> I will sample mostly from vinyl
> 
> As can probably tell from my setup, I'm mostly looking for a 
sampler that
> will add some character to my samples.
> 
> The sound I'm shooting for can best be described as a Warm Hi-Fi
> representation of my Lo-Fi vynil samples and the effects I will 
also add to
> them.
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
>