E-MU Emax II Rack

See the archives of the net. If you are reading this review, then you probably already know a little beast.

UTILIZATION

bought used on the Rhone-Alpes region: solid package, a rack in an absolutely amazing condition, like new. Finally a manual in French, very well done indeed.

SOUNDS

The converters are anything but transparent: The sound comes out with fishing, very fat, a tad less acute in some cases but we forgive him no problem, 12-bit technology.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for more than a year: Mine is a modified device, the floppy disk has been replaced by a player-recorder flash card, loading speed and incredible storage capacity and more samples. (Thanks Philip ...)
To return to sound like we are all now in the sense that we work with more and more plugins. But in truth, nothing really beats the grain nor the power of these machines of yesteryear "cling" to the mix for the little that embeds: no work to re-eq or boost the gain in post prod, is left like that and it does.
Virtual instruments are great, the sound is generally very clean and like the painters, it is good to have a palette of colors and different sounds depending on what is called. EMU has produced few series (I also have a EIII but he, on the other hand leaves me cold ...) who have a very strong personality and a unique sound. And of course the Emax II is undoubtedly one.
(PS: note some sample banks made for EMU and are just excellent Do not look for realism, but rather for what they lack. Highly synthetic sounds used in numbers of albums and groups prestigious ... I can not list here, the night would not be enough)

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UTILIZATION

Manual in English

SOUNDS

- The A / D converters and D / A are transparent? no, they add heat to the sound. it's going to prampli input or output
- Effects and filters are effective? yes
- The dynamic is meet? absolutely

OVERALL OPINION

It is a "Sampler" that I use for 1 month. It's a sampler that personality. It's "safe", it is easy to use, while the menus are srigraphis on the front (also on the keyboard version). I could not get enough back, because it is the first sampler "old school" I use REALLY (+ 1 month), but it has the sound I was looking for (typ SP12 - 1200) . I bought OCCAZ and for the price it cost launch and one to which I had the choice I would do without hsiter! advisor to the hiphop music or having a great dynamic on rhythmic.

16 votes that may be composed of two "voices" indpendantes (as many multitimbral parts in super mode, dynamic allocation, optional monaural)

converters not as those typs of emax I, trs but even though qd (16 from 18-bit output)

no effect dsp rel time, but:
chorus in an adjustable intensity (duplication detune a "voice" who does not eat polyphony)

chorus combined with the options of panning allows spatialization effects and effective enlargement Stereo TRS

assign the same sample with two voices of a preset produces a flanger / phaser INTERESTED (if VLOC route to the pitch of one, we get a chorus flexible bonus .. .)

ct dsp:
no pitch shifting or time stretching (the pitch shift simply transposes the _en altrant_ the sample on the keyboard, + / - 0 ~ 35.99 semitones)
but a slow convolution algorithm (20?? minutes ...) to interpolate between two spectral samples, and samples of gnrateur down on a rudimentary form of fft / synthse additive ( rudimentary but INTERESTED).
Sampling rate conversion (10000 ~ 44100 khz)

Well, it's not a Fairlight ... eh ...

Possibility of closure of all samples is honntes, memory pokey (8mb. ..) but part of the charm, solid construction, and full output (4 Stereo)

UTILIZATION

Everything is srigraphi front: gnial.
not too many options, simple and intuitive (a lot of strumming, but DDIS button, so will a)
original architecture but comprhensible flexible and trs (all custom settings can be adjusted indpendamment for each key on the keyboard if you feel like a ...)

SOUNDS

The filter is rsons numrique but (rsonnance a little aggressive), good dynamic.
It really shines in mdiums, not bad for the bass (although quite warm draft) INTERESTED aliasing effects in the treble.

OVERALL OPINION

The price of the occasion, saying anything,
but
is a sampler (all dpend of what we put), trs crative synthse not yet effective.

Ct's him I think I emax I prfre the SE, it has less options (non-adjustable chorus, transposition of samples over limits, memory / 4), less polyphony (8 votes, 4 if you want the primary and sec rgler voices indpendamment)
but more of personality: the analog filters (which have nothing transcendent) are less aggressive and converters REALLY trs spciaux ...

16 voice polyphony

converters are Excellent, the spring is emax with a grain IComparable.

Effects? a chorus that gives the width of the sound.

2 MB of memory expandable to 8 original mo but impossible to find.

It has 8 outputs from a sampling spares (it has mono MODELS 2202 and the last sample in Stereo 2212), taking three for MIDI and an RS 422 to connect a mac edition of the sample well on the SCSI

There are lots of software on the web edition for mac and pc in emax

UTILIZATION

The configuration is very clear, there are trs quickly resumed her and it was fun really begins.
The edition is a rgale because all functions are listed on the facade.
Almost all parameters are ditable time rl and assignable midi (filters ,.....)

The manual is an option that is not essential.

SOUNDS

For the sound I find it to die, you come very quickly to make sounds standard, a wave of Sampler minimoog the edit in 3 min with a resonant filter 24 db assign a modulation and is happiness . it's more a minimoog emaximoog but with a grain very special. Not counting the 808 Drumkits and more.
For the dynamic Watch your monitor as it has the resource.

OVERALL OPINION

It's a great machine I can see why depeche mode was used all the time.
This is a really well thought out version with respect to the one that was sorely lacking emax polyphony and scsi. It is true that this version has lost FITRE analogue to a ca numrique but honestly did not hurt the sound.
For those who do not know I highly recommend this machine, it will add a grain to your prod and warmth to your studio.