This video, via RetroSound, explores some of the iconic sounds of the E-Mu Emulator II sampling synthesizer.
Video Summary:
The E-MU Emulator II is a classic sampling synth from the year 1984. Demo with some legendary sounds from the E-MU library, including Liquid Stack (Depeche Mode) Etheral (Tangerine Dream, Enigma, Peter Gabriel).
The EII was the direct successor of the Emulator and maybe the most famous sampler in the world.
8-bit sampling, 27.7 kHz sample rate, SSM2045 24 dB/oct analog 4-pole low pass resonant filters, awesome sound quality.
Used a lot by Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Genesis, ABC, Front 242, Peter Gabriel, Enigma, Tangerine Dream and a lot more.
nah, “liquid stack” wasn´t depeche mode, but “miami vice” (jan hammer).
Iconic? Yes
Mega expensive in its day? Definitely.
Most famous sampler in the world… I’d say it’s a pretty close call between the Emulator II, Fairlight CMI, and… the Casio SK-1
Where can we get the samples in WAV (or other) format ?
I thought Pet Shop Boys, Peter Gabriel and ABC did their albums with a Fairlight…
Pet Shop Boys were using both the Fairlight and the Emu II. Famous Marcato Strings on “West End Girls” are a factory preset on the EII
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6pvczKUT5w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iImTfpRW60