Need advice from Akai S6000 users

[esaias]

Hello!

I am considering of buying S6000 to replace computer on a live gigs.
The S6000 should do the following tasks:

Play midifiles (btw. does s6000 read MIDI 1?)

Play backing tracks (long wavs)

Act as a sound module while playing the forementioned midi & audio
(I want to use my own samples and play then freely along with the song)

output or slave to midiclock. don't know the sync chain yet, but midiCLOCK will be used. if S6000 needs to be master, it is ok.

and it would be great if the S6000 could play midi out too (selected tracks on the midifile)


I know the long backing track wav-files can be played so that the wav is assigned to patch and the patch is played with one very loong note, correct?. how well does this work? does it keep in time with the midiclock? is it ok to use wavs bounced from the original session file (from which the midifile is made of too)? is there some lag/offset etc. issues? The songs are 3-5 minutes long.

How many parts I can play with S6000?

If you know any short comings in terms of using S6000 this way as live "sequencer" and sound module, please let me know. I am in a bit hurry because my live rig is still missing the main seq/playback device. And yes, I am not going to use laptop because I have had too many computers die on me.

Thanks,

-Tomi H

[DSMrehearsal]

What you need is an MPC 4000 with ram expansion to 512mb

[amino]

Where did you get the idea you need a S6000? It's a sampler, not a sequencer.

Like DSMrehearsal said, an MPC 4000 would probably be fine. Also, the keyboard versions of the Roland Fantom G- and X-series will do too (I don't know every detail), and probably a lot of other workstations as well.

[esaias]

the idea is to use it as a playback device, not really a like a sequencer. I have seen s6000 being used this way, I just don't know the details.

I do have rest of the setup sorted out, I just need something that plays some backing tracks in sync with the song. Rest of the features asked would be a great bonus.

-Tomi

[lord toranaga]

Originally Posted by esaias

Hello!

I am considering of buying S6000 to replace computer on a live gigs.
The S6000 should do the following tasks:

Play midifiles (btw. does s6000 read MIDI 1?)

Play backing tracks (long wavs)

Act as a sound module while playing the forementioned midi & audio
(I want to use my own samples and play then freely along with the song)

output or slave to midiclock. don't know the sync chain yet, but midiCLOCK will be used. if S6000 needs to be master, it is ok.

and it would be great if the S6000 could play midi out too (selected tracks on the midifile)


I know the long backing track wav-files can be played so that the wav is assigned to patch and the patch is played with one very loong note, correct?. how well does this work? does it keep in time with the midiclock? is it ok to use wavs bounced from the original session file (from which the midifile is made of too)? is there some lag/offset etc. issues? The songs are 3-5 minutes long.

How many parts I can play with S6000?

If you know any short comings in terms of using S6000 this way as live "sequencer" and sound module, please let me know. I am in a bit hurry because my live rig is still missing the main seq/playback device. And yes, I am not going to use laptop because I have had too many computers die on me.

Thanks,

-Tomi H

the s6000 will do all that you request.


the long baking tracks can be streamed from a hard disk


everything should work fine.




the s6000 in not impervious to crashes though. Mine crashed quite often

[Tibbon]

I am unsure if it outputs midi from the sequencer player however.

But I've used it for all of the above.

[lord toranaga]

you are right. I overlooked the Midi out question.


I do not believe it support midi out from the midi player.

[dijon]

As far as I know it does not output midi from the player also, it plays Type 0 Midi files not 1 -

The Akai S6000 will do everything in your list and many many live acts are still using them just for this purpose.

The reason you want this instead of the mpc4k is the cost. you can get a loaded S6000 for around $650-$800. Also it's rack and forget - try that with an mpc anything.

mpc's are awesome, don't get me wrong, but for this application they are totally overkill.

edit: btw, go to akaipro.com and download the manual for free! should answer all your questions!

[amino]

I say that there might be a few people still using it that way, but that's just because they're used to it. It's not very practical at all, and there are a lot more handy solutions today. The S6000 is rackmounted, yes, but it is a very, very large and heavy machine and it's way overkill for these needs. As I said, I would choose my Fantom X8, not my S6000, if I needed what you need. Many workstations can do the same thing, and I believe the sequencing stuff can be handled my many cheap hard disk recorders as well.

Anyway...if S6000 is what you want, you could still save some money and get an S5000 instead. They are extremely cheap nowadays and not as big and heavy as the S6000.

[esaias]

Ah, thank you guys very very much for your input!

The midi out would have been a luxury but I was quite certain it would not be available. I guess I can run the midi stuff elsewhere, I need it just for SH-101.

oh, one more question, how easy/fast it is to change songs? (our songs are not chained) Just wondering because I will be the one fondling the S6000 on stage... "...just a sec, just a sec..." scroll scroll click click :P

I think I'll go thru the manual now



-Tomi


edit: hmm I DO have a K2000 here and it has a seq... yikes. OK I have to admit that this S6000- enthuatism involves the thing that it is one piece of gear I've lusted for when they came out but never could afford one until now 10 years after. I think I'll try the K2000 seq right now (idea feels scary tho)

edit 2: oh forgot the backing tracks, so no k2000 then. too much coffee today.

[Jim Stout]

Just get the SP-404.

It's streams audio directly from Compact Flash up to 4 gig.

I know a lot of guys who use it to play back their backing tracks.

It's 395.00

[alexp]

Why not just get an Akai DR-4 HD recorder for like......... 100 bucks with a dece hd in it. It has midi so you just set it as a slave to run off a midi clock generated from something like an mc50/mmt8 or even your K2000... Way less hassle, you can run 4 tracks on the DR-4 so you can even do a basic mix for adjusting to diff venues.......

Just my 2 cents.

alexP

[chrisso]

Yes to the above.
And long audio files can drift out of time with other sequenced and midi parts.

[The Architecture]

I've been in the market for a rack sampler myself, and I have seen one with 256mb ram and USB go for 525, is that a good deal or should I keep looking out for something else.

Im mostly looking for something that has a good synth engine to it. I know about Kurzweils, but not a fan of their screens.

Alternatives to the S6000 would be any other S series sampler, The Yamaha A4000/5000 series, and or the Emu line of samplers.

[The Architecture]

yea I was looking at the Akai S6000, and it doesn't seem to deep as far as synthesis goes, maybe Im wrong.

I got plently of Vintage samplers, Ie the S950, S612 and SK-1, im looking for something that has a smooth sound to it, that very synth like.

The Yamaha A series is one of those that gots my interest.

Ive also seen a Emu 5000 Ultra going for 450 as well, don't know what s included with it. I could have picked up an Emu E4K Ultra not that long ago for around the same price

do the Emus have built in multi outs?

I also on the software side have the original Emulator X. Seems very deep, but id like to have something in the hardware format personally.

[MarcB]

Hi

The S6000 has a control for midi out in the "utilities/midi song file" tab - under Midi Output ... you can set it to A or B