Akai S1000 / S1100 samplers

Thanks for the very detailed and informative
details! It was very helpful and clear to me. :)

I will continue to look for a sampler and hope to have
one soon! 

Thanks again! :)

Allan


--- In akaiS1000S1100Samplers@yahoogroups.com, "PeWe" <ha-pewe@...> wrote:
>
> >>>
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: mlcsixand78s
> To: akaiS1000S1100Samplers@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2007 10:11 AM
> Subject: [akaiS1000S1100Samplers] Re: New Member (Interested in
Mellotron 
> Samples for S1000 or S2000) Advice Neede
> 
> 
> >Hi again,
> 
> Hi ... ;-)
> 
> >So if I understand right you are saying that the S1100 with its DAs &
> >Burr-Browne converters are superior compared to the ones in the S1000,
> >S2000 and even the S3000XL?
> 
> There´s audible difference in sound in general.
> The S-2000 was never my choice because of it´s very reduced user
interface 
> panel, it´s small display in addition and it has stereo outs only in 
> standard version.
> 
> >Also, if I follow what you are saying about polyphonic.... In my case
> >I will want to play polyphonic (Mellotron sample chords via midi keys)
> >so the S1100 is best for this...?
> 
> It was just a example what happens in a sampler if you play more
than one 
> voice and more than one sampler.
> Most digital instruments w/ single outs and a stereo out have DA
converters 
> for the stereo out and "multiplex" for the single outs. This is
common not 
> only for samplers.
> The bit-depth of the S-series samplers is 16Bit which is also for the 
> converters.
> The bit-depth represents the dynamic range of the instrument, - so,
if you 
> use the stereo out only, it changes nothing if you compare between the 
> S-series models regarding playing one voice w/ one sample only or more 
> voices w/ more samples. If you play one voice w/ one stereo-sample,
- this 
> can profit from the full bit-depth of 16 Bits in each of the L and R 
> channels of the stereo out ´cause the sampler has 2 16bit
converters, one 
> for the left and one for the right channel.
> If you play polyphonic this way, - all the voices/ samples together
use this 
> bit-depth which is quite good if all voices/samples have the same
level, - 
> theoretically best 0dBfs,- if there´s enough headroom at the output !
> 
> In real world usage, this might be not the case, -. levels of
voices/samples 
> are been changed by velocity, filtering and different overall levels of 
> layered samples p.ex. and in such cases, a signal at lower level in
a sum of 
> signals uses less bits ( less than 16 ) compared to other signals in
this 
> sum and that reduces soundquality of the lower level signals at the
stereo 
> out. So, the usage of bit-range depends on the level of any signal
if more 
> than one signal is mixed digitally inside the sampler and running
via the 
> stereo output.
> 
> Most samplers have single outs in addition to the stereo out.
Therefore it´s 
> possible to route samples of a program to these single outs (which
b.t.w. 
> are monophonic if analogue filters are used but are polyphonic w/
digital 
> filters, - depending on brand and type of the sampler ).
> If all of these single outs have a dedicated 16Bit converter of high
quality 
> and oversampling in addition to the stereo converter of the stereo
output, - 
> w/ 8 single outs, you´ll get 10 16Bit/44.1 KHz outputs to which 10
(or more) 
> samples of 16Bit/44.1Khz can be routed at full level  and running to
a good 
> console for mixing/blending samples without any loss of bit-depth by
mixing 
> digitally inside the sampler.
> In a recording situation, you´ll get best results that way and w/
the S-1100 
> which converters themselves have better sonic quality compared to
the other 
> candidates of the S-series samplers.
> Think of a drumkit p.ex. w/ every single drum is running out of the
single 
> outs at full scale w/ a mix and panning of only the cymbals at the
stereo 
> output.
> The result is most punch and soundquality via the single outs w/ one 
> converter each.
> 
> All above is in general for digital gear and doesn´t depend on
mellotron 
> sounds.
> I pressume, melotron sounds don´t have a full dynamic and frequency
range 
> which 16Bit/44.1KHz converters w/ oversampling can deliver, - so,
eventually 
> this sound quality isn´t nesseccary for mellotron sounds, - but I don´t 
> think you´ll not only play these.
> 
> 
> >Also I seen that what ever sampler I get it would be best to load it
> >up with maximum RAM (32MB) to get the most out of the Mellotron
> >samples and to be able to play a full Mellotron keyboard.
> 
> If the overall volume of samples in any program doesn´t exceed 32MB,
- yes.
> 
> >Since the original Mellotron had 36 keys/samples and each tape loop
> >was 8 secs long. Then a true Mellotron bank of samples would be 8
> >seconds long each and add up to lots of MB if at the max audio
> >quality. But it would seem to me for a needed compromise a shorter
> >(less that 8 sec) Mellotron sample looped should be
> >quite effective (like a 4 sec samples looped to save memory)
> 
> Sampling time @44.1 KHz of the S-1000/1000PB/1100 and 2000/3000
series is 
> 368 sec. mono or 184 sec. stereo max.!
> 36 keys/samples mono à 8 sec = 288 sec. for a bank of  mono-mellotron 
> samples, - so you´re pretty fine w/ 32MB and you can loop the
samples at 
> full length of 8 sec. having 80 sec. of sampling time free for other 
> purposes.
> 
> Frequency range of a mellotron is not wide, - experiment w/ lower 
> samplingrate of 32 KHz. If it sounds good enough ( can be ! ), -
you´re able 
> to load several banks of mellotron samples at once, - playing ´em on 
> different midi-channels and via different outputs.
> With S-1100 you can decide using FX and route ´em to the stereo outs
only or 
> to outputs #7 and #8 as a "wet" signal.
> 
> If you sample a real mellotron yourself, you´ll have only bandhiss
in the 
> upper end of the frequency range, - reduce this by lowering of SR
and save 
> memory by less unused data. Eventually, record the mellotrons
samples to a 
> audio wave program/editor befor transfer to the S-1xxx, - cut, loop,
tune 
> and process the samples in the sample-editor and save to a SCSI
harddrive, - 
> connect the harddrive w/ prepared samples to the Akai and load the 
> samples, - then, - make your programs.
> Look for S-1100 at ebay ...
> 
> hope that helps ...
> 
> >Br
> >Allan
> 
> PeWe
>