Price Paid: US $500 used
Ease of Use: 10
SP-12 Version 2.6 turbo. My favorite presets ever. Used in all the classic Marlrey Marl productions...the snare is worth getting this machine for alone (maybe not). Trimming sounds is by number w/ sliders, there is no wave form. The second best thing about the SP is its simplicity. The instructions are basically printed on the top of the machine, I never read the manual.
Features: 5
Has great sequencing. I never got a disk drive, but I heard they load very slowly. The floppies are the big thin ones. One bad thing is that you can't both tune & decay a sample, it's one or the other.
Expressiveness/Sounds: 9
This is the machine that helped build and shape rap music. Anything you sample in is at 12 bit. Samples have the warm processed sound, and the presets are very crisp. Sometimes it gets too gritty. Due to sampling in at 45rpm and tuning down samples, your sounds can get really distorted. You have to sample in fast since it's time is short.
Reliability: 10
It never mesed up on me, but it does get very hot.
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: 8
I would not purchase another sp-12 if it was stolen. I own an MPC 2000, Akai S950, & had an Ensoniq EPS. When I make stuff on th SP it isn't at all like my MPC tracks...i'm not sure if it's a good or a bad thing. It's just that with all the new gear it is easier to give your stuff the "now sound". I would buy an Sp-1200 because it has an internal floppy drive and more sample time...but for $1500 you could buy 3 SP-12's and have 15 seconds (stupid comment)
Submitted by will nino at 07/16/2002 15:29
