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The Emax is a 12 bit sampler and changed
alot over the course of it's production run. Because of this there are
5 different Operating Systems. It is still very desirable because it
contains true SSM analog filters creating a warmth and punch most modern
samplers don't have.
Operating Systems
-
Emax 3.2 - for
base model
-
Emax HD 1.1 -
for models with internal hard drives
-
Emax SE 1.1 -
adds SE functionality to non-HD models
-
Emax HD SE 1.1
- adds SE functionality on HD models.
-
Emax Plus 1.0
- adds the ability to select a SCSI ID for an external HD.
The Basics
- 5 Octave velocity sensitive keyboard
C to C or 3 space rack
- 512k of proprietary memory (not expandable)
- 3.5 inch floppy disk drive (uses
double sided, double density (DSDD) 720k floppy disks)
- 14 Velocity curves
- Velocity can control VCA level, VCA
attack, VCF cutoff, VCF attack, and VCF Q.
- 32 Character Backlit LCD
- RS-422 connection
- MIDI In connection
- MIDI Out/Thru connection
- Programmable Arpeggiator
- 16 track "scratchpad" sequencer
- Clock In (Clock In can accept 24,
48, or 96 ppq, the pulses should be at least 1ms wide and 1 to 5 volts.
- Clock Out (Clock Out sends a 24 ppq
which is 5 volts and about 6ms wide)
- 2 Programmable wheels for real-time
control over pitch, filter cutoff, AHDSR attack rate, level, LFO modulation
index, etc.
- 2 Footswitches
- 1 Footpedal
- HD models came with a internal Miniscribe
model 8425S 20Mb Hard Drive
Audio Out and In
- Right / Mono Output
- Left / Stereo (headphone) Output
- 8 Individual mono outputs (individually
assignable)
- Sample In (mono)
| Sample Rates |
Time |
| 10kHz |
52.0 secs. |
| 16kHz |
33.5 secs. |
| 20kHz |
26.0 secs. |
| 28kHz |
18.8 secs. |
| 31kHz |
16.6 secs. |
| 42kHz |
12.4 secs. |
Voice Architecture
Each of the 8 voices has it's own
set of the following analog processors:
- Lowpass voltage-controlled filter
(VCF) with AHDSR envelope generators
- Voltage-controlled amplifier (VCA)
with AHDSR envelope generators
- 8 LFO's with adjustable rate, delay,
and speed variation
The Emax CAN chorus its voices
without loss of polyphony.
- Truncation
- Looping (Crossfade and Equal Power)
- Digital combine
- Sample reversal, as well as rate
and pitch conversion
- Splicing
- Advanced Split and Layer
- Velocity controlled crossfading between
samples
- Individual tuning and attenuation
for each sample
Synthesis (requires SE or SE HD OS)
Transform Multiplication
Transform Multiplication is a digital effect which merges
together 2 sounds in such a way that frequencies common to both sounds
are accentuated while uncommon frequencies are discarded. It works best
on harmonically rich sounds.
Spectrum Synthesis
Spectrum Synthesis (SE) allows you to specify up to 24
complex waveforms, (called Spectrums) and to either step or fade through
them during the course of a sound. The 24 waveform locations are called
Time Slices, since they represent the waveform at that slice of the sound.
This method allows more complex and interesting sounds to be created.
In addition, each partial (sine wave) can have a 24 point envelope that
determines the pitch of that partial over the course of the sound.
Each Emax SE voice can consist
of two synthesized timbres, a synthesized timbre and a sampled sound,
or two sampled sounds. The resulting voice can then be processed using
the Dynamic Processing features and placed anywhere in the stereo field.
Portions of text
taken from the Emax SE HD Owners Manual © 1986 E-mu Systems Inc.
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