More info:
https://vu900.com/

Beta now available through discord:
https://discord.gg/KYBQjkuaUK

 

Last edited: Dec 19, 2025 at 4:31 PM

I know that the time-stretch option was introduced with the S950, but it's an understatement to say that it would prove to be a highly useful addition. That time-stretch algorithm is synonymous with Akai samplers of the time. Also, an option to sum to mono would really bring it home. Sounds good.

 

Last edited: Dec 19, 2025 at 5:08 PM

That's always a big problem with reincarnations: what do you add and where do you stop adding features?
The beauty in these old things often was the absence of something that stimulated your creativity.

 

interesting, I like hardware restrictions but mimicking the hardware buttons and encoder is a big mistake and unacceptable unless its a true hardware and OS emulation like Sonic Charge Cyclone which is a freeware

And it's unfair to say that we only have effects on the market, we have Tal Sampler and Amigo Sampler

 

Apparently I think he's staying true to the limitations of the original sampler, even down to the 11 seconds of audio sampling. Not an issue for some, myself included, since thats more than enough time for what I normally sample plus the option for multiple instances is there if needed.

 

I really see it as a benefit, big sampling time, cheap memory, multisample libraries killed the art of sampling

 

Beta now available through Discord:
https://discord.gg/KYBQjkuaUK

 

vu950 / S950 is planned as a future plugin. Confirmed by the developer.

 

I am waiting for the VU1100.

 

if all you want is the sound of the classic Akai timestretch, there is Akaizer: https://the-akaizer-project.blogspot.com

"Akaizer is a donationware application for Windows which can time stretch (and/or pitch shift) any WAVE or AIFF sound file in the style of the 'cyclic' time stretch which featured on old Akai sound samplers, like the S950 / S1000 / S2000 / S3000 series. This is ideal for DAW-based music producers who want that classic metallic-sounding effect, as used in many old school Hardcore / Jungle / Speed Garage tunes from the 1990s, without the need for an actual Akai sampler."

You do not need a realistic 24bit audio i/o emulation of one, or an expensive early model to do just this kind of function. You aren't using it to create nice warm analog lo-fi sounds (this is where a plugin version is necessary). The nasty timestretching was one of those things where people discovered a very cool sounding error or problem, at least in the earliest models. If you really want to go a little further, stick TAL-DAC or something on the waveform when you get it into your daw.

 

Last edited: Dec 19, 2025 at 8:31 PM

OK, I downloaded VU900. No ADSR? No looping? Seems that many things need to be done before the final release.

In the meantime I'll stick with BOBONA Just-a-Sample.

 

nice. but the real thing is always the real thing. the best hardware is the real akai... some plugins come close but i choose to own the real unit.

 

The soundclips sound good but are too short, I can't check out the video because!!!
An Enormous FU to youtube's neverending "Sign in to confirm you’re not a bot" F***ing BS I wish that any and all software developers will use https://rutube.ru/ instead its 100% better and will probably one day replace it. Do they want to demonstrate and sell their products or constantly kiss utubes ass.

 

Last edited: Dec 20, 2025 at 4:06 AM

I love these kind of plug-ins. Tal Sampler (among with Tai-Drum) being one of my favourites. I think this is bit of a niche thing but there's market for them. I might try and buy this one too it looks really interesting to me. It looks to me that he went quite deep with the emulation also taking account the converters etc.

 

Akai adds middle, that's also evident in examples und Roland adds a bit of bass, preferred Roland but tiddly screen so used a Akai 1000xl.

Had an Emu for a while and i prefered its sound though.

What would be useful is Akai S1000 keyboard, when you play reverse samples, it plays them back in chunks so they have a real character.

 

...also, Akai S900 had the maximum sample rate of 40 kHz. While this plugin has only 16 kHz (if we can trust the description). Why is that?

 

Historical workflow and artistic choice: Producers in the late '80s and '90s (especially in hip-hop, house, and electronic music) rarely used the maximum sample rate on hardware like the S900. Higher rates meant drastically shorter sampling times due to limited RAM (750 KB in the S900, non-expandable). To fit longer loops, breaks, or multiple drum hits, they commonly dropped the rate to mid-to-low ranges (e.g., 10–20 kHz).

This introduced:
Rolled-off high frequencies (darker, muffled top end). Increased aliasing artifacts when pitching samples down or up. A punchier, "crunchy" or "warm" quality from the combination of low-rate sampling, 12-bit quantization noise, and analog circuitry (preamps, filters, converters).

 

Years ago, when I was using those classic samplers (S900/950, Roland W-30) I usually selected sampling rate matching the character of a given source (e.g. low sample rate for radio chatter, max freq for orchestral samples). I had a choice.
Where is the sense to limit the plugin's sampling time to EXACTLY 11,75 seconds, when the approach to sampling rate is so loose and arbitrary?

 

He doesn’t understand (a hollow AI help attempt at knowledge) that historical context is irrelevant. If you’re doing emulation, it should match the hardware exactly and, at a bare minimum, include all the same parameters—such as s900 had a variable sample rate from 7,500 Hz to 40 kHz and in steps of 2,5Hz.
Regarding the plugin, I think the developer, judging by the channel, is immersed in these nuances and understands them, so maybe he just didn’t have time to implement it. You can ask him on Discord.

upd: On the other hand reading his page now it seams to me that its not a professional emulation as it should be, more of a just he's trying to release or sell something based on legend of 900

 

Last edited: Dec 20, 2025 at 1:30 PM

The limitation to exactly 11.75 seconds in such a plugin stems from its design as a faithful emulation of the vintage AKAI S900 hardware sampler. The original S900 had a fixed RAM capacity (approximately 750 KB), which directly constrained the maximum sample length based on the chosen sampling rate. At the unit's highest rate of 40 kHz—offering the best audio quality and bandwidth (up to 16 kHz)—this memory allowed for precisely 11.75 seconds of sampling time.

In a modern plugin cloning the S900 (such as the VST mentioned in recent developer demos), enforcing this exact limit preserves the authentic workflow and sonic constraints of the original. It encourages the same creative decisions without the "unlimited" flexibility of contemporary software samplers, which can dilute the vintage vibe. If the plugin didn't impose these bounds, it wouldn't truly capture the essence of those classic units—limitations often sparked innovation in sound design back then.

EDIT: 20.12.2025

Maximum sample rate
40kHz = 16kHz audio bandwidth, 11.878 secs max

Minimum sample rate
7.5kHz = 3kHz audio bandwidth, 63.351 secs max

 

Last edited: Dec 20, 2025 at 8:54 PM