vintage gear

Producer J.Force bangs out the beats, with a whoppin’ 256 KB memory, on the EMU SP-1200 Sampler.

The E-mu SP-1200 is a classic drum machine and sampler released in August 1987 by E-mu Systems as an update of the SP-12, which was originally created for dance music producers. It became famed for its gritty texture and ability to simulate the “warmth” of vinyl recordings.

The SP-1200 became an icon of hip hop’s golden age, due to its ability to make the bulk of a song within one piece of portable gear. This resulted in reduced studio costs and more creative control for artists.

Specifications

• 8 voice poyphony
• 22KHz 12 bit sampler
• Sample memory: 10 seconds, in four 2.5-second blocks
• SSM analog filter
• 100 pattern, 100 song sequencer
• Sequence capacity: 5000 notes minimum (depending on density of parts)
• 32 patch memory
• 8 Touch Pads
• Inputs: Sample, MIDI, SMPTE/Sync, Footswitches (3)
• Outputs: Mono mix Individual channels, (eight, programmable. tip = unfiltered. ring – filtered). MIDI out. MIDI thru, SMPTE, Metronome/Clock
• Storage: 3.5″ floppy diskette

Resources:

• Kid Nepro offers EMU SP-1200 samples
• SP-1200 forum
• Info at Emulator Archive
• EMU SP-1200 at Vintage Synth

Overview

The Sequential Circuits Studio 440 is a classic music production center from 1986 that combines the best features of drum machines and samplers, and has a crunchy 12-bit sound that people still respect:

If you combine a high quality digital sampler featuring individual outputs with a 50,000 note SMPTE/MIDI based sequencer, all you need to create a superior drum machine is velocity and pressure-sensitive pads. The 440 has eight, organizing its 32 sound samples into four kits and four banks over these eight sound pads. In addition, every sound has two sets of sound parameters that include sample play back direction, pitch-bend envelope, loop types, loop points, start point modulation, and the familiar VCA VCF controls.

The four programmable kits allow for infinite variations of the same sound by editing only the performance parameters. Performance parameters can be assigned to any pad and include sound number, pan, pitch, volume, and a choice of one of the two sound parameter sets. These performance parameters are easily edited in real-time, and settings for all eight pads can be stored and recalled instantaneously from any one of the kits. And since the alternate parameters can have individual start/end points for each sound, there are actually up to 64 “different sounds” available at one time.

Sequential’s factory library includes over 300 sounds, and is immediately available. In addition, any Prophet 2000 or 2002 sample can be loaded directly into the 440, so the actual number of sounds now available is too numerous to list. The STUDIO 440 is the ultimate drum machine. 

The highlights of the Studio 440 are probably the analog lowpass filter and the 8 track sequencer, which can be used to drive external MIDI instruments. The biggest limitation, on the other hand, is the 440’s paltry 520kb of sample memory! 

While these sold for 5K originally, these now sell for around $1,000. 

Specifications:

• 8 track sequencer
• LCD display
• 8 sound pads
• Selectable sampling rates of up to 41.667 kHz
• Computer assisted looping functions (including cross-fade looping)
• Multiple sample locations for storing up to 32 different samples in memory at one time.
• True stereo outputs (2) plus separate audio outputs per voice (8) for individual processing of each.
• 32 levels of programmable panning per voice.
• Separate analog and digital controls per voice, including fully sweepable filters and VCAs for modifying any sample.
• 768K bytes on board memory with access to hard disks or CD-ROMs via the built-in Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI).
• A 3 1/2 inch double sided disk drive
• Real-time sample monitoring. 

Resources:

• Wine Country offers Studio 440 sample disks, parts and repair
• The unofficial guide to the Studio 440
• Studio 440 information at VintageSynth

What would you do if you had a vintage, classic LinnDrum Drum Machine?

If you’re this crazy half-naked guy, you’d blow it away with your S&W .500 Magnum.

I say crazy not because LinnDrums routinely sell for hundreds of dollars, even for parts, but because he could have at least given a little speech, out of respect to the vintage gear, before blowing holes through it.

Here are some suggestions half-naked guy, if you plan on shooting any more drum machines:

• “Are you feeling lucky, Linndrum?”
• “Go ahead, play another 4 on the floor house beat and make my day!”

If you’ve got other suggestions for clever things to say before you shoot vintage music gear, or other gear that you think should get shot with a  S&W .500 Magnum, let me know in the comments.

via Matrix

Microscopics’ Mat Jarvis shares a collection of extreme close up vintage gear porn of the Roland AP-2 Phase II, a superb phaser from the 70’s that is used on a lot of classic recordings. 

Unfortunately, it came with some vintage kinks:

I decided to treat myself for my birthday (Friday 26th) and bought a vintage phaser from eBay to add to my SX-150 in the Gas / High Skies studio. Of course the combination of the Post Office and being from 1975 killed it on arrival, but when it does make noise, it makes gloriously vintage noise.

I’ve had similar experiences with the post office with a Sequential Circuits Six Trak and a Kurzweill K-2500. Fortunately, both are now making “gloriously vintage noise.”

Got any “gloriously vintage noise” experiences of your own?

This is a short documentary look at Chandler Limited of Shell Rock, Iowa.

Chandler specializes in remaking and reintroducing classic recording equipment based on classic EMI and Abbey Road designs that are no longer available or in some cases never were.