E-mu PK-6

Price Paid: US $485

Ease of Use: 9
It is really easy to use if you are familiar with E-mu's products. I am an E-mu fan, so it is pretty easy for me and I don't need to read through the manual thoroughly to get start working. Manual is thick and simple and comprehensive !!!!

Features: 10
64 poly. I prefer 128 though. But it is ok since I use other gears for arrangement too. Keyboard action is good compare to the same price range keyboard. I use E-mu normal expansion board and it got an extra board ( ensoniq sounds) which cannot be used for E-mu module (P2K, mo-phatt etc .. but available for the command station). I give it a 10 because editing a sound is so easy. It got 16 jump button which can straight jump to the part that need to edit. The patch cord editing system include aux env, filter env., and 6 stage volume env, 2 LFO, 1 filter with Q and some odd z-plane filter. 200 + 100 user defined arpegiator is available for every single channel. I also like the 4 knobs which can be used to control 16 assignable controller events to tweak the preset parameter. All 16 controller can be patch to whatever parameter you can think of!!!!

Expressiveness/Sounds: 5
sounds is think on bass. The preset is not so good. I almost ended up editing the preset to get what I want in my songs. But with the extra ROM card installed, it is unimaginable of what sounds I can get by combining instruments of different ROM. This sets of ROMs are versatile for any kind of music you can think of.

Reliability: 5
I play the keyboard hard and some black notes makes "tac" sounds when I released it fast. I guess I need to be more gentle with it!!!

Customer Support: N/A

Overall Rating: 9
It suits my need.

Submitted by K.C.Lau at 06/27/2002 18:42

Price Paid: US $840

Ease of Use: 7
After getting a feel for how to edit the voices, it's no problem. Going from preset to preset is easy enough, and there's a Category Search function which makes it easier to find the sound you want. The manual is gigantic, but very thorough and easy to understand.

Features: 8
The features of this synth is where it shines. The keyboard is great. Not just the semi-weighted action, but the actual tactile feel of the keys is excellent. Tons of presets (which get repeated in the User bank), and tons of samples to use when making new patches. It has built in effects which really doesn't do much for me, but it's good to know they're there. It's got an insanely flexible arpeggiator. It can be expanded using the many ROM upgrades E-Mu offers. Installing them sounds pretty simple. It's also got 16 buttons on the front panel which can be assigned to any of the internal patches, allowing you to quickly switch between the most used presets--a great feature. Hell, even the somewhat "goofy" appearance in pictures looks good in person.

Expressiveness/Sounds: 3
The sounds are where the synth falls totally flat. Every patch, most noteably the pianos, sounds good either in the low half of the keyboard or the upper half. Nothing sounds good across the board.

This was replacing an ESQ-1 by Ensoniq and I was looking for a few basic sounds that I used the Ensoniq for previously. The first was a digital bell. No sale. All the bell sounds were either spacey, weird, warbly sounds, or actual instrument sounds (like a xylophone). Though I could sort of force the sounds I wanted through editing, it again either sounded good low or high, never both.

The second sound I wanted was a basic, analog synth pad. Nothing doing. I got a great high sound, but the low sound was very thin and sounded almost like an electric guitar patch. Or I got a good, fat low sound and high it sounded hollow and lost its resonance. Terrible.

The last was a synth string sound. Every synth has a good one of those, right? Wrong. The synth string sounds in this had one of two horrible effects: they either swelled in or had a harmony note (5th or octave) above the note you played. This was a part of actual sampled sound, it couldn't be removed by editing the patch.

Reliability: N/A

Customer Support: N/A

Overall Rating: 5
I was sorely disappointed with this synth. I really wanted to love it, but I just couldn't. No matter how much I tried (and we're talking days and days of programming) I couldn't get a useable sound out of the thing. I don't know, I guess if you don't need good sounds across the board or like a bunch of weird, New Age sounding stuff this would be right for you. Not for me though. I've returned the synth and will be getting something which will undoubtedly have fewer features, but will at least have one or two sounds that don't make me cringe every time I pass middle C.

Submitted by Dan at 06/10/2002 00:15

Price Paid: US $825

Ease of Use: 8
Just got this board one week ago...without spending two days reading the manual, right out of the box I was able to access the patches..

Just got this board a week ago...without having to spend 3 days
slaving over the manual..I was able to go straight to the presets,scroll
through the banks with no problem. The presets are well thought out,
and sound very clean...Although the manual is pretty thick..it is very
well written...with screen illustrations and simple explanations.

Features: 9
64-note polyphony has always been plenty for me, even with this synth using
up to 4 tones per patch. The effects are not overdone,even when used
in the multiset for sequencing, they hold up well. The PK-6 doesn't
have an on-board sequencer but the playback Jam and built-in Riff
patches are awesome...excellent for practicing solos or scales behind
a nice rhythmic bass, keyboard and drum setup...the action is very smooth.
Emu provides expansion through their ROM packs, featuring a wide selection
of sounds fit for every genre....the unit also features 16 syncable
arppegiators...nice! A few knobs enable you to edit the patches..LFO's,
Frequency cutoffs,etc.

Expressiveness/Sounds: 8
From a recording and sequencing standpoint, The PK6 stands right with
the Roland XP series and Korgs Trinity...I gave up a Roland RS9 for this
synth...the sounds are quite usable...Organs..not to versatile, guitars..
adequate...plenty of Basses, both synth and electric...Pianos are very nice,
the electric pianos quite sensitive and with the mod wheel a touch of
vibrato for that "70's Fender Rhodes" sound is there. Drums, lots of thick
kits for every style, however the toms of sound of the acoustic kits
sound sort of unrealistic. Excellent vintage synths, strings...on
the down side the brass patches may be the weakest link...but placed
correctly in a sequence or live situation they could suffice. I do
jazz, pop/r&b, and originals this board got chosen over a TrinityPlus
and an XP50...simply because the architecture of the entire board
seem to fit the ol'school/ contemporary flavor that I still love.

Reliability: 9
I haven't gigged with it yet, but I think it's going to do well with
the jazz/funk/pop that my band plays. I rarely need a backup board..
since i do what I need to to protect my keys.

Customer Support: N/A
Haven't had to deal with any..............yet!

Overall Rating: 10
If It were lost or stolen..I think I buy it again..simply because it
feels good and sounds like what I need. In my modest home studio...I wanted
a board that I could write and record with, without the presets sounding
"cheezy". I used to own an Alesis QS6, the PK6 reminds me a lot of that
synth, very light but thick when it needs to be..I think the design
could have been a little less "artsy"...As a songwriter, I needed a
decent synth that was inspiring and interesting to play...the PK6 does
the job for me...over 1000 sounds for under $900 bucks...what can I
say...good to the ear,easy on the wallet....makes for a great unit!

Submitted by Anonymous at 04/03/2002 10:23

Price Paid: US $899

Ease of Use: 8
The new software on the machine. The patch editing is the best the sounds are great. Was thinking about getting trition for sounds but was sold on these after listening. The manaul is good, pretty thick.

Features: 10
128 poly the keyboard action is very good, semi weighted and alot better than that on the triton le. many effects on this thing. Bought the pure phatt rom card for it, installed with no problem and the sounds are banging. emu has a lot of expnaison boards. No on board sequencer for recording just one for play back

Expressiveness/Sounds: 10
Sounds, all i can say is off the hook. good for hip hop, r&B and pop

Reliability: 9
Just got it so it works for now

Customer Support: N/A
haven't dealt with them

Overall Rating: 10
If it was lost I'd beat the thief with the left over cables. it is worth the price i paid

Submitted by Demetris at 03/28/2002 15:16