use converter, for example chicken sys translator

make program in format you like, for example kontakt
and then convert it, save in akai format

a small korg electribe as sequencer for the akai can do the job.. together around 200.- or you pay a bit more for a second hand mpc 1000

I love that idea =] Hopefully they interface with each other seamlessly that would be my main concern. Would I have to map the Sampler to the Electribe? How do I figure out how to set up the Electribe as a Sequencer for the Akai Sampler?

thank you for any help you can give me

Ok, I am now confused? Is Don talking about the Key span feature? I have always felt it slow to map samples across specific keys? Perhaps I am missing something? I would love to know!

sure you have do the mapping.. the akai is not one of this teleptahic samplers..

I don't have access to the sampler now, but detailed "how to" is described in the S1100 manual. I managed to map three key ranges (three samples) per one second. Thus 5 octave (62 samples) takes roughly 20 seconds. Same job using mouse in NI Kontakt took me 5 minutes. This is why i prefer Akai (next to its great sound).

I really like the interface of the EMX-1

Korg ElecTribe MX (EMX-1) | Vintage Synth Explorer

But it's a lot more expensive than the old Electribes obviously...like the EA-1.

Korg ElecTribe A (EA-1) | Vintage Synth Explorer



I have a few questions regarding if the EA-1 (the less expensive model) will be more than enough when setup to control the Akai sampler.


It says that it's a 2 voice, 2 part multitimbral instrument. Does any of that matter when controlling the Akai?

The EMX-1 has a lot more buttons on it. The extra ones that I'm curious about are the ones directly under the PLAY button labeled "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B" Will those provide me any major benefits when programming drum patterns that trigger the Akai over the layout that the EA-1 has which doesn't have that row of buttons?

Thank you for any help!!

Very cool, I will look over the manual! I don't remember this. Thanks

You should first go to PROGRAM EDIT. Then go to KGRP and then to SPAN. The goal is to get to the page where you have the key ranges in front of you. Now select the cursor and do one "click" till you come to the first sample in the list and its low note. As of that moment you are setting ranges using a midi keyboard and cursor will automatically advance from key range to key range.

If you're building a drum set, what you do is basically strike each key on the keyboard twice and you do it fast. Hence the speed(!). You hit it twice because: first for the low range, second for the high range. After that cursor automatically advances to the next sample. And so on.

I've learned that trick on S3000XL since it is mentioned in its manual (but maybe not in S1100 manual?).

Optional1: go to SMP1 and set ED: ALL. Now move cursor down and set pitch to CONST. As of now, no need to tune samples and mess with the EDIT SAMPLE menus. All the samples will now play at their original sample rates.

Optional2: Go to SMP2 (make sure ED is still set to ALL) move cursor to playback and select TO END. This will ensure each drum will play properly to the end.

There. Your 62 key drum set is finished in about 30 seconds. How'bout that!

lol 90s flashback!!!! just got an image of myself doing that in a dark studio in south london....

soft samplers for me now... and occasionally the S1100 for FX

booooooo!!! ssssss!!!!

but i got an S1100!! in the rack!!!!! ready to go....

isnt the main thing that I own one? F making music.. it's all about owning the gear is it not?

Thanks! Trying this today!

What's your SCSI set up? Are you using an older computer for this, or does it work just fine on a modern PC/Mac with SCSI interface? What software are you using?

What's wrong with a cheap pad controller? Listen, look at the pads, or anything else, while you play/record. Fix if you need to. Editing a sequence on an MPC isn't all that nice (for me anyway). I find a mouse + screen to be a good design though. I'm guided by what I hear, not what I see. The interface just lets me change things faster, with the extent of control that I like to have. I often leave or deliberately edit musically inaccurate timing. It's just feel that counts in the end.

From memory, MPCs have editing features, including editing several events at once, and popular swing too. Watch some videos first though, and find out what you are in for. I never owned an MPC, but a friend had one for a while. I didn't love the sequence editing on it. The re-sampling was great fun though, and a good selling point at the time for the emerging breaks scene. It allowed for the often tedious process to be something more hands on, faster, and directly interactive.

I thought it was all about getting the gear you don't have yet. The stuff you've already got is hardly exciting, surely?

My current method for getting sample into the S1100 fast; I use mainly for drum sounds.

Mac MDD w/UL3D SCSI card
OS9
S1100
Adaptor SCSI cable
Recycle software (when it still supported SCSI)
Emagic's AMT8 USB

@OP: honestly i would stay away from the rack sampler & electribes combo. just get an MPC, preferably the 3000. rack samplers are a PITA to program, and the electribes cannot compare with the sequence power and tightness of the 3000. besides everything will be centralized on the 3000 including saving sound&sequences (which would be separate and another PITA to manage). sampling, editing and creating programs is also a lot faster & simpler then on the rack models (albeit more limited, but fine for drums)... there are a lot of akai rack afficionados here that will attempt to sway you their direction and tell you working on them is a breeze, but chances are they've been on them for 15-20 years... i hear you're considering the switch to hardware to get away from DAW headaches, be careful not to step into a whole new arena of frustrations.. my advice: get the MPC first...once you master it, if you still find the need, add a rack sampler for the added features/sound

...does anyone want to buy a S1100?

PM me with a price and I might.....

Yes! I've been searching for one in good condition

They seem to be hard to find.

I just got one off Craigslist in Nashville. Whining power supply, dead backlight, dead floppy, no internal storage, 4 MB of RAM for $150. Didn't know any of the defects ahead of time. My friend who lives in town had to drive 45 minutes to get it and ship it to me, so I was gonna take it no matter what condition it arrive in.

So far, even with all the BS, it's a really cool unit! I have no storage at the moment so sampling is a little tough, but it's really responsive and the workflow seems pretty decent. I certainly sounds good, that's for sure. Very Akai, yet smooth and musical.

I have another coming from Canada from eBay that I believe is in better shape, but only 2 MB of RAM. I need to get a zip drive and probably some more RAM, but I want to play around first. Hopefully the floppy on the one coming works (AND IT DOESN'T WHINE LIKE CRAZY).

Assuming the next unit is better, this other one will be on eBay if anyone wants to put the energy into it.

I waited ages for an S1100, but nothing came up locally, or on eBay. Dubtek kindly sold me his. For the next three months after I bought one, I saw many become available, some not too far from me. It seems to have quietened down again since. Some things seem to come in waves of activity.

I think it's really worth getting these with max RAM, and working SCSI and effects from the outset. The parts can be difficult to find, and relatively expensive. It doesn't cost that much more to get something well equipped from the outset.

I just bought a S1100 off trademe in NZ. Having trouble with the Iomega zip drive. It worked for a bit then stopped altogether. Thinking of getting a trusty old Apple CD 300 external drive to load S1000 Akai CD-Roms.

I had similar problems from my "Ex Microsoft" S-1100. I thought I needed a new SCSI card, so I pulled it out and after look at it for a few min, the pins were half soldered and some were cold jointed.... About 5m later with my soldering iron, she works great.

Btw, Zips suck and I find the older jam drives almost given away now free. If you go with media they are my recommended old school sampler storage device, but the SD and Compact Flash card options work the best!