Page 1 of 2
Hardware samplers
Posted: 04 Nov 2017
by Gorgon
So, I am now the proud owner of a Roland SP-808. Anyone have one? The ZIP disk was fucked so I ordered another one from ebay, should be getting it in a week or so.
Nice addition to my Roland W30 and DJ70MK2
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 04 Nov 2017
by Carly(Poohbear)
Nice bit of kit.
I do have Roland W30 and a Casio SK5 (<-my first sampler).
Back in the early 90's Roland UK offered their sample banks out free, you just had to turn up at their head office and copy the samples your self, their head office was only about 15 minutes away so I spent a day there getting a hold of 100's of samples. (about 100 floppy disks worth)
I also have D70 (which I need to take apart yet again to blow the keyboard bed out, slightest bit of dust messes it up) and Korg T1 (my work horse).
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 05 Nov 2017
by Vince-Noir-99
The SP-808 has been my first sampler/workstation. Loved it!
The zips are a bit noisy. I remember they were already not so easy to find 15 years ago, and rather expensive.. Perhaps there are ways to use HD or SD?
The effects are quite nice, and there's also a virtual analogue oscillator that can be sequenced.
It was one of the first samplers with time stretching, and after long debating, I went for it as my first sampler, instead of the MPC-2000, because of the 4-track recorder, which I used extensively to record guitars and vocals. That's before I even remotely considered a computer as part of my musical activities
I used it to print audio and mix/arrange tracks from the MC-505. This type of workflow is something I try to emulate often in Reason. I like the constraints of audio against the forever editable MIDI.
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 05 Nov 2017
by Gorgon
Carly(Poohbear) wrote: ↑04 Nov 2017
Nice bit of kit.
I do have Roland W30 and a Casio SK5 (<-my first sampler).
Back in the early 90's Roland UK offered their sample banks out free, you just had to turn up at their head office and copy the samples your self, their head office was only about 15 minutes away so I spent a day there getting a hold of 100's of samples. (about 100 floppy disks worth)
I also have D70 (which I need to take apart yet again to blow the keyboard bed out, slightest bit of dust messes it up) and Korg T1 (my work horse).
Nice! Do you have the SCSI mod in the W30 also?
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 05 Nov 2017
by Gorgon
Vince-Noir-99 wrote: ↑05 Nov 2017
The SP-808 has been my first sampler/workstation. Loved it!
The zips are a bit noisy. I remember they were already not so easy to find 15 years ago, and rather expensive.. Perhaps there are ways to use HD or SD?
The effects are quite nice, and there's also a virtual analogue oscillator that can be sequenced.
It was one of the first samplers with time stretching, and after long debating, I went for it as my first sampler, instead of the MPC-2000, because of the 4-track recorder, which I used extensively to record guitars and vocals. That's before I even remotely considered a computer as part of my musical activities
I used it to print audio and mix/arrange tracks from the MC-505. This type of workflow is something I try to emulate often in Reason. I like the constraints of audio against the forever editable MIDI.
Apparently there's only one SD reader that works, and that's the one from the AKAI MPC2000-XL (the blue one). Everything else is a no go. I ordered a 250Mb ZIP drive instead. Shame that it won't do anything without a ZIP in the drive.
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 05 Nov 2017
by Carly(Poohbear)
Gorgon wrote: ↑05 Nov 2017
Nice! Do you have the SCSI mod in the W30 also?
Not yet, it's something I have thought about over the years, do you have any drives\zips setup for it?
TBH I have not played my keyboards much (last 10 years) due to way my house has been setup, I'm hoping to move soon so all my music stuff will once again be together and then.... the fun can begin
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 17 Nov 2017
by Gorgon
My SP808 is alive with the new ZIP drive! Awesome!
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 17 Nov 2017
by Gorgon
Carly(Poohbear) wrote: ↑05 Nov 2017
Gorgon wrote: ↑05 Nov 2017
Nice! Do you have the SCSI mod in the W30 also?
Not yet, it's something I have thought about over the years, do you have any drives\zips setup for it?
TBH I have not played my keyboards much (last 10 years) due to way my house has been setup, I'm hoping to move soon so all my music stuff will once again be together and then.... the fun can begin
I got my SCSI zip working on the DJ70 but haven't tried it yet on the W30 (I'm not sure if the SCSI kit is in there).
Need to open it up anyway to replace an encoder.
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 07 Dec 2017
by Gorgon
So now a guy from Spain sent me a new OS for the SP808 and also the original demo disk. Isn't internet awesome?
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 26 Apr 2021
by Re8et
My take on the Casio Sk1 to the Op1... wondering if also the Sk5 makes this kind of fat-highcut sampling.
I just put the midi kit in the Sk1 after years of hesitation...
Does also the Sk5 auto-power off? I hate that... I lose my samples every time if I'm not fast enough...
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 26 Apr 2021
by Re8et
Carly(Poohbear) wrote: ↑04 Nov 2017
Nice bit of kit.
I do have Roland W30 and a Casio SK5 (<-my first sampler).
Back in the early 90's Roland UK offered their sample banks out free, you just had to turn up at their head office and copy the samples your self, their head office was only about 15 minutes away so I spent a day there getting a hold of 100's of samples. (about 100 floppy disks worth)
I also have D70 (which I need to take apart yet again to blow the keyboard bed out, slightest bit of dust messes it up) and Korg T1 (my work horse).
This reminds me of the early Reason 1.0 exporting projects on floppies....
good times
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 27 Apr 2021
by Despondo
Still rocking my Ensoniq ASR-10. Installed an internal Zip drive many years ago to replace the external SCSI Syquest drive I started with. I still have that drive kicking around somewhere in storage. Haven't really used it much since I converted all of the samples and instruments over to NNXT filled combinators in Reason.
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 28 Apr 2021
by fullforce
Despondo wrote: ↑27 Apr 2021
Still rocking my Ensoniq ASR-10. Installed an internal Zip drive many years ago to replace the external SCSI Syquest drive I started with. I still have that drive kicking around somewhere in storage. Haven't really used it much since I converted all of the samples and instruments over to NNXT filled combinators in Reason.
ASR-10, great machine.
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 04 May 2021
by bxbrkrz
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 04 May 2021
by raymondh
Cool thread guys!
I used to have a W-30, 25 years ago. What a great sampling workstation.
I still remember the demo "This is my song".
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 12 May 2021
by fullforce
raymondh wrote: ↑04 May 2021
Cool thread guys!
I used to have a W-30, 25 years ago. What a great sampling workstation.
I still remember the demo "This is my song".
This is indeed a great thread. It was started by an awesome guy. A legend in some parts.
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 12 May 2021
by bxbrkrz
I forgot I used to own a Roland S-50. It was plugged to a black and green monitor.
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 14 May 2021
by madmacman
Great machine! I have the rack version FZ10M. But currently out of order, because it heavily requires service: backlight & some broken output jacks.
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 14 May 2021
by bxbrkrz
madmacman wrote: ↑14 May 2021
Great machine! I have the rack version FZ10M. But currently out of order, because it heavily requires service: backlight & some broken output jacks.
Have it estimated and, if it's not too insane, fix it. Maybe fixing it yourself could be a surprising possibility. From my personal experience with old gear, once I knew the outcome no matter what, it felt less than a dead weight in my head and my little Oasis.
You never know
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 14 May 2021
by madmacman
bxbrkrz wrote: ↑14 May 2021
Maybe fixing it yourself could be a surprising possibility. From my personal experience with old gear, once I knew the outcome no matter what, it felt less than a dead weight in my head and my little Oasis.
You never know
Absolutely! I‘m not shy of repairing stuff myself.
My trusty TG77 recently got a treatment with new battery, all new display (blue) and button replacements. It‘s more a matter of spare time and getting the parts for it. But is is on my todo list.
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 14 May 2021
by bxbrkrz
madmacman wrote: ↑14 May 2021
bxbrkrz wrote: ↑14 May 2021
Maybe fixing it yourself could be a surprising possibility. From my personal experience with old gear, once I knew the outcome no matter what, it felt less than a dead weight in my head and my little Oasis.
You never know
Absolutely! I‘m not shy of repairing stuff myself.
My trusty TG77 recently got a treatment with new battery, all new display (blue) and button replacements. It‘s more a matter of spare time and getting the parts for it. But is is on my todo list.
I bought a couple of 2032s recently for my old friends myself
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 18 May 2021
by danc
bxbrkrz wrote: ↑14 May 2021
madmacman wrote: ↑14 May 2021
Great machine! I have the rack version FZ10M. But currently out of order, because it heavily requires service: backlight & some broken output jacks.
Have it estimated and, if it's not too insane, fix it. Maybe fixing it yourself could be a surprising possibility. From my personal experience with old gear, once I knew the outcome no matter what, it felt less than a dead weight in my head and my little Oasis.
You never know
My first hardware sampler was a second hand FZ-1... it had barely any memory and the UI was fiddly - very fiddly. Great bit-crushed dirty sound though. I also had a Casio VZ-10m synth which had some very interesting sounds (well - mine was the replica Hohner HS-2/E). Plus a Casio CZ-101.
I then sold the FZ-1 and got a brand new Ensoniq ASR-10 in 1992.. I think I went with Ensoniq because at the time Adamski was well into his Ensoniq gear and I liked his Killer track and aspired to do similar. Anyway the ASR-10 had a SCSI drive and all the memory upgrades. LOVED IT!
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 18 May 2021
by bxbrkrz
danc wrote: ↑18 May 2021
bxbrkrz wrote: ↑14 May 2021
Have it estimated and, if it's not too insane, fix it. Maybe fixing it yourself could be a surprising possibility. From my personal experience with old gear, once I knew the outcome no matter what, it felt less than a dead weight in my head and my little Oasis.
You never know
My first hardware sampler was a second hand FZ-1... it had barely any memory and the UI was fiddly - very fiddly. Great bit-crushed dirty sound though. I also had a Casio VZ-10m synth which had some very interesting sounds (well - mine was the replica Hohner HS-2/E). Plus a Casio CZ-101.
I then sold the FZ-1 and got a brand new Ensoniq ASR-10 in 1992.. I think I went with Ensoniq because at the time Adamski was well into his Ensoniq gear and I liked his Killer track and aspired to do similar. Anyway the ASR-10 had a SCSI drive and all the memory upgrades. LOVED IT!
Is there any good emulations for the FZ-1 and Ensoniq?
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 18 May 2021
by danc
bxbrkrz wrote: ↑18 May 2021
danc wrote: ↑18 May 2021
My first hardware sampler was a second hand FZ-1... it had barely any memory and the UI was fiddly - very fiddly. Great bit-crushed dirty sound though. I also had a Casio VZ-10m synth which had some very interesting sounds (well - mine was the replica Hohner HS-2/E). Plus a Casio CZ-101.
I then sold the FZ-1 and got a brand new Ensoniq ASR-10 in 1992.. I think I went with Ensoniq because at the time Adamski was well into his Ensoniq gear and I liked his Killer track and aspired to do similar. Anyway the ASR-10 had a SCSI drive and all the memory upgrades. LOVED IT!
Is there any good emulations for the FZ-1 and Ensoniq?
Yes... D16 Decimort emulates the sound (but not the GUI).
https://d16.pl/decimort2
Re: Hardware samplers
Posted: 18 May 2021
by EdGrip
The TAL Sampler also emulates various classic sampler ADC/DACs, (as well as Akai timestretching), though I'm not sure it does those specific ones. It's a really fun machine for messing with samples.