akai s-5000 or e-mu esi-4000?

Post by **novielo** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:32 am

hi everyone, i need your help i'm looking for a sampler and i would like your feedback on these models.

wich should i buy? i don't realy mind the difference speeking of ram between both. i'm more concern about the ease of use and sound they provide, looking on the fidelity (reproduction) of sound.

thanks alot for you help

Hugo76 · Post by **Hugo76** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 1:07 am

Without much experience with either, I'd have to definately say Akai.

nick_emulated · Post by **nick_emulated** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 1:35 am

forget the esi, and try to get an eos series like an e4,e6400, e5000....perferably an ultra, altho alot of ppl(myself included)prefer the sound of the classics...but the ultras do have a more mature os and expanded features....more lfo shapes and beat munging being the 2 biggest expanded features...the esi's are really cut down compared to the eos series...especially if u are planning on using it as your main studio sampler.

the akai's are nice, but i think the emu eos series really is the best 16bit samplers out there...im really surprised they arent mentioned on the vse itself, only here in the forums by users....the modulation matrix on them is super powerful....more like a modular synth then a sampler really....not to mention the filters on the eos destroy everything else out there.

the only downside to the eos compared to the akai's...no usb....scsi can be a nightmare if u have never dealt w/ it before.

Post by **tallowwaters** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 2:26 am

people from both camps talk about how easy they are to edit. I am an E-mu man myself, though all the ones mentioned here are capable and easy enough machines.

Post by **novielo** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 2:45 am

thank you, so i just look and when i found a good opportunity i'll just go for it. since i never had samplers i'll just get use to the one i got.

then wich one should be the cheapest? both without the expension bord. i think it would be the esi series? i haven't come across eos series as talked earlier, so i can't compare with this option.

my budget is 300$ shipped and ready to run, including hard drive or the scsi compact flash thing. i would keep the hdd only if it comes with it.

maybe this will give any other idea.

hageir · Post by **hageir** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:58 am

IMO, if it's your first sampler, the s5000/6000 and those E-MU's would be bit of a overkill, right?

I'd suggest something more limited and "easier"

Post by **novielo** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 1:38 pm

hageir, uumm. well i'm not sure that i would buy one in the mind that i would have to buy another one when i get use to that one... i rarely think that things are overkill, in fact, i like to know that it will take a while before i get to know everything about a device.

i deffinatly need to store on a pc what i've done. i would overpass that criteria only if the unit is ultrasimple, like a s-612 (but they are kinda rare to find). but that would be as a second device.

but i'm all ears, what would you suggest, more limited and easier? the boss dr-202... hahahaha

esqoner · Post by **esqoner** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 4:14 pm

yamaha a3000? about 150 dollars. has effects. not the easiest...not the hardest either.

but just an idea

thing is huge though...esi are smaller and lighter which is nice.

meh.

hageir · Post by **hageir** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:10 pm

trust me, I've had my share of overkill in samplers

I had the Roland S-750 with a monitor+mouse..
that thing was frightening!

I'm dying for a s1000 now..

After all this time of GAS-ing and going through a ton of gear, I've come to the conclusion that the simpler things are indeed "better".. IMO

I'm also dying for an SH-101

Hugo76 · Post by **Hugo76** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 1:26 am

Since you are open for alternatives, I would have to recommend the Yamaha A4000. It is a killer sampler.
However; in what way are you planning to use it? Just for triggering samples, or for sound design? If it's just a playback device you want, then usb is a huuuuuge plus. If so, then go for the Akai and never look back

Post by **novielo** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 2:52 am

the akai seem a good choice, partly because of the wav format as native.
how about the esi-4000? is there a way to convert wav to it's format? i'll probably use the cf card adapter with it, if i get my hands on one.

hageir · Post by **hageir** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 1:10 pm

novielo wrote:the akai seem a good choice, partly because of the wav format as native.
how about the esi-4000? is there a way to convert wav to it's format? i'll probably use the cf card adapter with it, if i get my hands on one.

I read that the ESI series has some impossible to decrypt file standard.. (or maybe it was the A series, nah it was the ESI)
so transfer back+forth is nearly impossible or something?

nick_emulated · Post by **nick_emulated** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 1:36 pm

hageir wrote:
novielo wrote:the akai seem a good choice, partly because of the wav format as native.
how about the esi-4000? is there a way to convert wav to it's format? i'll probably use the cf card adapter with it, if i get my hands on one.
I read that the ESI series has some impossible to decrypt file standard.. (or maybe it was the A series, nah it was the ESI)
so transfer back+forth is nearly impossible or something?

not at all, you can transfer back and forth to esi/eos with soundforge, recycle, zero-x beat creator, chicken systems translator, and a few other programs w/ no problems, as long as you have scsi connectivity...other wise, u can still transfer back and forth if u have chicken systems translator, and to a limited degree with cd-xtract....also any eos series w/ os4 or higher can natively read/write to fat formatted disc's(hard and floppy)...and also import/export to wav.

Post by **novielo** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:46 pm

nick_emulated wrote:
hageir wrote:
novielo wrote:the akai seem a good choice, partly because of the wav format as native.
how about the esi-4000? is there a way to convert wav to it's format? i'll probably use the cf card adapter with it, if i get my hands on one.
I read that the ESI series has some impossible to decrypt file standard.. (or maybe it was the A series, nah it was the ESI)
so transfer back+forth is nearly impossible or something?
not at all, you can transfer back and forth to esi/eos with soundforge, recycle, zero-x beat creator, chicken systems translator, and a few other programs w/ no problems, as long as you have scsi connectivity...other wise, u can still transfer back and forth if u have chicken systems translator, and to a limited degree with cd-xtract....also any eos series w/ os4 or higher can natively read/write to fat formatted disc's(hard and floppy)...and also import/export to wav.

when you say with scsi connectivity... can i use a scsi to usb cable?? because i'm using a laptop for recording

Post by **madtheory** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 6:05 pm

The S5000 does not compare to an ES4000, better to compare it to the EOS or EIVXT Ultra. The big advantage for you with the S5000 is better connectivity to a PC/ Mac than the Emus.