Price Paid: US $335 used
Ease of Use: 8
Since this was my first sampler, I was concerned about not having a large graphical display, however the 16x4 character LCD display has proven to be more than adequate. Editing and other functions are very easy to figure out, I hardly needed to use the manual at all.
Features: 6
16 voice polyphony, with MIDI support and expandable RAM. some come with hard drives as well, mine did even though it's an EIIIx. modern samplers have better features though, since this sampler is almost 10 years old.
Expressiveness/Sounds: 9
the analog filters on this are great, the sounds are fantastic sounding, possibly superior to even the best samplers today.
Reliability: 5
i've heard they are touchy, but i've had mine for a few months with no problems. still, i wouldn't beat it around too much.
Customer Support: 3
i ordered a manual from E-mu... they charged my credit card, and then informed me they were out of stock, so instead of giving me my money back i have a credit at the e-mu store. great, just what i need. i'm not sure if support would be better if my unit broke.
Overall Rating: 8
this unit is basically an ESI-32 only with 16 voice polyphony. it's a great easy to use sampler with fantastic sounds. for the price it's quite a bargain.
Submitted by Anonymous at 06/17/2000 23:27
