Chopping up samples on the Emax?

[THEODICY]

I can't seem to figure out what I'm doing wrong or if it's even possible, but seems like it should be. So I recorded a 4 bar loop from vinyl directly into my Emax. Then I copied the loop across four different octaves, all is fine and dandy there. What I can't figure out how to do is make each octave start at a different point in the loop so that they act as "slices" for which I can sequence and arrange the 1 bar loops how I want. I can use the "turnicate" function in the "digital processing" module to alter the start and end point for the selected octave ranges individually, but if I don't make the turnication "permanent" then the altered points are lost once I exit "digital processing." If I do permanently alter the loop start and stop point then all of the copies I've spread across different octave ranges are altered as well. Is there a solution here or do I need to sample my 1 bar loops each one by one? Sorry if it's confusing but I'm sure if you know the Emax then you'll know what I'm kinda trying to say.

[ninja6485]

What you want to do is if for instance; you want the sample chopped into 5 sections, make 5 copies of the sample. Then assign each to its own key. All identical. Now, use the "truncate" function to edit the start and end points permanently so that each key now has a different section of the sample. The best way to do it is to come up with a uniform length in samples for 4 bars according to your time signature, and ten calculate your chops and loops mathematically. If you use this calculation for all subsequent samples you will save massive amounts of time trying to get everything in time and looping in time etc.

[THEODICY]

Yes, but no matter what I do, after I turnicate one of the copies for my "slice" all the other copies also turnicate the same way. Am I missing something? I'm copying using preset definition and I copy the octave range of the original sample to the next octave range below it and so on and so on.

[mp3]

You have to copy the voice to a different preset. Then when you go to truncate the copied voice, it will give you the option of altering the original voice or making a copy of the underlying wave data and altering the copied voice only.

But really your best bet is to sample the parts and pieces you want. Don't fight the machine.

[THEODICY]

Yeah, I just ended up re-recording the vinyl for each loop. Works a lot quicker that way. I figured out the "copy preset" juke but that just makes the memory fill up very quickly. Anyway, chopping up by hand is cool for the rough and ready feel. Good machine, I wish it could sample in stereo.

[calyx93]

Unfortunately the Emax and its brethren of the time really weren't cut out for chopping loops into slices as was implemented in samplers from the mid-90's and onwards. Takes a lot more effort. I look at them more as sampling synthesizers with samples as your waveforms or as dedicated drum samplers utilizing the multiple outs.

Good luck - try lowering the sampling rate to squeeze more out of the small memory - sounds crunchier that way too

[madtheory]

If your Emax has SCSI, Recycle is the best thing for doing this.

[mp3]

If your Emax has SCSI, Recycle is the best thing for doing this.

Nah the EMAX is not capable of SMDI. You can dump samples via MIDI (if you have 20 minutes/sample to spare...) but not via SCSI.

[madtheory]

Ah, you're right. But it does have an RS422 port designed for fast transfer to and from computer. EMXP supports it, if you buy their USB adapter. So you could still use Recycle to chop up the beats. Not as slick asSMDI but better than the tiny screen on the Emax.

[0e0]

I would love to sell my emax..but everytime i turn it one and run a sound through it...it's just too good.

j

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[0e0]

Anyway, chopping up by hand is cool for the rough and ready feel. Good machine, I wish it could sample in stereo.

you should try the Zoom st-224. it has that e-mu sp/emax crunch (it's own' version of that but comprehible). and it samples in stereo..and is super fast to chop on.

j

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[THEODICY]

Thanks for the tip on the Sampletrak. I was intrigued by it so I bought on off eBay for just under $100 shipped and it's surprisingly great! I dig most of the effects too, the phaser has that french house quality to it, not as good as the DP/4 but still good for in the box. I kinda dig this thing a bit better than the Octatrack

I watched the Lifelike interview in the latest issue of Future Music. He's running an Emax with an old Mac SE/30 running Sound Designer and connected with RS422. He edits samples this way and can make the samples stereo by loading the stereo sample into the computer, then editing the sample to split the L and R channel to layer 1 and 2, then with panning through the software. Cool trick.