Synthony Music's Synth & Midi Museum

	S5000 & S6000 series samplers

S5000 and S6000 Digital Samplers

The S5000 and S6000 build on Akai's legendary strengths of sound quality, ease of use and value to completely redefine the future of sampling.

The hardware specs for the two machines are impressive and include 128-voice polyphony (standard on some configurations of the S6000 and upgradable from 64-voices on the S5000) and the ability to install up to 256 Mbytes of RAM. The operating system runs from easily upgradable flash ROM and the two MIDI In/Out/Thru ports allow 32-channel multi-timbral operation. Stereo digital I/O is offered as standard and both models are capable of handling up to 16 individual analog outputs which can be configured as stereo pairs. Two SCSI ports are also fitted as standard. The Wordclock connector allows the new samplers to be easily integrated into an all-digital studio and an optional ADAT interface provides sixteen digital outs, enabling the new samplers to be used in an all-digital environment with suitably equipped digital mixing consoles.

One of the most important new aspects of these samplers is that they use the DOS (FAT32) disk format and use .WAV files as the native sample format. This allows standard PC .WAV files to be loaded directly for instant playback from any PC formatted hard drive attached to the sampler - even samples downloaded from the Internet into your PC may be used. Of course, the S6000 and S5000 will also read the S3000 sound library.

Samples can be recorded into RAM or directly to hard disk and playback from either is transparent allowing you to play back long samples directly from disk without having to load them into memory.

User interface design has always been a major factor in Akai samplers sustaining a consistent dominant market share and the new interface takes 'ease of use' a giant leap forward. Immediately apparent is the large 320 x 240 graphic display with keys running down either side, ensuring that the most commonly used programming functions are just a button press away. And for more intricate operations there is a 'Window' function allowing deeper access into the samplers' processing powers.

The disk management system operates in a similar fashion to a PC or Mac with files and folders and there is an ASCII port to attach a keyboard for simplified naming. A unique feature of the S6000 is that the entire front panel is removable to become a full-function remote control.

Improved programming facilities allow for up to 128 multi programs to be loaded into RAM at any one time, a 'QUICKLOAD' function to load programs directly into parts, inclusion of Akai's own APM (Assignable Program Modulation), a comprehensive range of new filters, flexible envelope generators and LFOs and more.

On the sample editing front, Timestretch, Pitch Shift, BPM Match, 3-band digital EQ, Digital Fade up/Down and Resample are all standard and the Trim and Loop functions have been redesigned to incorporate many useful new functions. A new 4-channel 20-bit multi-effects processor (the EB20) is being developed which will be standard on some configurations of the S6000 and an option for the S5000. Applicable to both samplers is the ability to swap the internal floppy drive for an internal Iomega Zip drive. The S6000 can also house a 3.5" drive (i.e. Iomega Jaz) on the front panel.

Key Functions

POLYPHONY - Some configurations of the S6000 come with 128-voice polyphony as standard (check with your local Akai Professional dealer for details on the availability of specific configurations). The S5000's 64-voices can be expanded to 128 via an optional voice card.
USER INTERFACE - This is perhaps the most visible aspect of the new range with its large 320 x 240 LCD and its 'touch and tweak' approach to parameter editing. Certain important refinements and a greater use of graphics, icons and pop-up windows are included in the user interface to greatly enhance operation and ease of use.
WINDOW FUNCTION - As on the MPC2000, the user interface hides a lot of unnecessary functions from the user for day-to-day operation resulting in easy to use screens and user interface with added functionality available via the WINDOW key .
KEY PARAMETERS - Because of the WINDOW key, screens are clear and uncluttered and show only the commonly used 'key parameters' thus making operation quick and intuitive.
OUTPUTS - The new samplers offer up to sixteen outputs. Furthermore, these outputs can be configured as eight stereo pairs. There is also an option to install an ADAT board offering 16 x digital outputs.
MEMORY - Both samplers come with 8Mb as standard, expandable to 256Mb. ] FLASH ROM O/S - Software upgrades can be downloaded from Akai's website and saved to floppy disk. This can then be used to program the samplers' FlashROM.
2 x SCSI PORTS - The new samplers can sit in a SCSI chain more easily.
2 x MIDI PORTS - 2 x MIDI inputs, outputs and thrus fitted as standard allow 32 MIDI channel operation.
MULTIPLE MULTIS - The new samplers can have up to 128 multis loaded in RAM at any one time.
QUICKLOAD - This allows you to load programs directly into a multi part making it quick and easy to assemble complex multi-timbral setups.
KEYBOARD INPUT - Both samplers can use a standard PS2 QWERTY keyboard, making naming much easier. However, an auto-name function is also introduced to allow easy and automatic creation of names when recording and copying programs, samples, etc.
SAMPLE FORMAT - All samples are saved in the .WAV format. This has the advantage of being able to use any .WAV files on our samplers not only from PCs and CD-ROMs, etc., but also downloaded from the Internet. This also has the benefit that interleaved stereo .WAV files are treated as just one 'file' in the new samplers.
DISK FORMAT - The DOS disk format has been adopted on the new samplers thus overcoming the 512Mb maximum disk size restriction. This also has the added benefit that disks (floppy disks, hard disks, Zip and/or Jaz cartridges or other removable media) can be used directly with a Windows 95 PC or an Apple Macintosh computer. Not only does this allow standard off-the- shelf disk utilities to be used for optimizing, repairing and de-fragmenting disks but the adoption of the .WAV format means that commercial and shareware .WAV sample editors can be used directly on samples without any special transfer or conversion routines required. *(Requires the PC EXCHANGE control panel to be installed on the Mac OS.)
DISK O/S - The new 'folder' based disk O/S on the new samplers makes operation more like a Mac or Windows PC. Folders can contain other folders (which can contain other folders, etc.) thereby making sound library management much easier and more sophisticated. The fact that the new samplers' disks use the DOS format means that you can organize your sound library more conveniently on a PC or Mac.
UNDO - One level of undo is supported. (*This may be restricted to Multi, Edit Program and Effects in Version 1.00)
VIRTUAL SAMPLES - This allows you to assign disk recordings to keygroups so that long recordings may be triggered direct from disk within the context of a program. Not only does this allow disk recordings to be processed via the samplers' filters, LFOs, envelopes, etc., but a program containing 'virtual' samples appears in the Multi just like any 'normal' program where it may be mixed, tuned, sent to the effects, etc., thus integrating 'traditional' sampling and disk recording more seamlessly.
FILTER MODES - The S5000 and S6000 have a completely new filter with 15 different filter types available:
- 4-Pole Lowpass - A lowpass filter with a 24dB/Octave rolloff and variable resonance.
- 4-Pole Bandpass - A bandpass filter with 12dB/Octave rolloff either side of the passband and variable resonance.
- 2-Pole Highpass - A highpass filter with 12dB/Octave rolloff and variable resonance.
- 2-Pole Lowpass - A lowpass filter with a 12dB/Octave rolloff and variable resonance.
- 2-Pole Bandpass - A bandpass filter with 6dB/Octave rolloff either side of the passband and variable resonance.
- 1-Pole Highpass - A highpass filter with a 6dB/Octave rolloff and variable resonance.
- Notch - A simple notch filter. Resonance affects the width and depth of the notch.
- Dual Notch 1 - A filter with two notches spaced an octave apart. The effect is similar to phasing. Resonance affects the width and depth of the notches.
- Dual Notch 2 - A filter with two notches spaced two octaves apart. Resonance sets the width and depth of the notches.
- Peak Filter - An EQ type filter with variable boost.
- Dual Peak 1 - A sweepable dual formant filter with two peaks spaced an octave apart.
- Dual Peak 2 - A sweepable dual formant filter with two peaks spaced two octaves apart.
- 'HaLo' Filter - A combination of highpass and lowpass filters which are lowpass at the lower end of the frequency spectrum and highpass at the upper end.
- 'PeakoLo' Filter - A 12dB/Octave lowpass filter but with exaggerated resonance. 'Voweliser' Filter Creates vocal effects.
SAMPLE EDITING - Several new sample editing functions are also introduced on the new samplers:
TIMESTRETCH - Uses the Akai DD1500 algorithm which allows phase coherent processing of stereo samples.
PITCH SHIFT - A variation of TIMESTRETCH that allows you stretch a sample relative to how many semitones it is to be transposed by.
BPM MATCH - Another variation of TIMESTRETCH that allows you to stretch samples according to SOURCE and NEW BPM settings.
LOOPING - BACKWARDS/FORWARDS LOOP is introduced on the new samplers. Also, setting loops is now done using LOOP START and LOOP END parameters (as opposed to Akai's 'traditional' method of AT and LENGTH). A LOOP LOCK function allows you to lock the loop length.
DIGITAL EQ - A 3-band parametric off-line EQ function with control over each band's frequency, gain and Q is introduced.
AUTO FIND - Finds the start and end points of a sample automatically.
FADE CURVES - A choice of fade curves is now available for Digital Fade Up/Fade Down, Loop Crossfade and sample JOIN.

S6000 Only Features

REMOVABLE PANEL - This allows you to place the S6000 user interface on your keyboard or mixer or next to your computer/sequencer -wherever!
USER KEYS - These allow you to assign any page to these keys for rapid access to commonly used functions.
AUDIO INPUTS - Audio inputs are provided on the front and the rear panels. This allows the sampler to be wired up to a patch bay via the rear panel inputs but with the ability to override this connection simply by plugging something into the front panel inputs.