my friend,idk about the s950,other fellow members here will help you & have more info,but i've used an Akai s20 like in this vid,good times old times :

 

I used the s950 like a Plugin to sample 70s drumbreaks and 1shot drumsounds to get that superb 90s hiphop 12 Bit sound, i love what the a/d converters & the 12 bit do to drums (it u like the kev brown/dj premier/pete rock sound you already know whats it all about).
A very good and cheaper Alternative to the sp1200 to get the same sound is the
emu emax 1, which is also 12 bit, Sounds like a sp1200,maybe a little Bit softer, but supergritty with the right Bitrate. The ensoniq eps 16 plus used by wu‘s True Master seems to have a superb sound too, unfortunately I dont own one.
Although you can emulate the to-tape sound from back then, I don’t feel any plugin yet came anywhere near the real 12 bit sound, not sure if its possible ever. So yeah, the s950 is a super machine for anyone with love for the boom bap sound!

 

@Retrolize77 You might want to give a spin to TOGU Sampler. It is really good. I use it quite often.

Although not as good as when I sample something into one of my samplers and record it through a mixer and some fx.

 

Yeah, tried it along with the Morgana soft sampler, but both sounded not convincing enough for me.
But like Pete rock said when he stopped working with the sp,it’s mostly about the right eq‘ing that your drums can sound like that. So I rely on my digitalized akai&emax drums, and integrate new sounds thru layering or right eq/saturation plugs. Thx anyway

 

Yes, Morgana sounds like digitised Mirage. I like the sound of Mirage, but Morgana takes everything that's wrong with it and doesn't emulate right what's right with it - the nice analogue filter. It could be useful to really dirty up something nicely in a digital way, but it seems like a two tricks pony to me. TOGU sampler has a pretty good filter for a VSTi, at least. I also like it because everything is so easy to edit in it. But indeed, digital is digital. It's always too perfect and the plugin developers pay too much attention to just saturation and EQ curves, whilst forgetting the analogue sound is more "alive" due to constant small changes in phase, EQ and noise that all contribute to that "more 3D sound". VladG made an interesting plugin - T Analog Channel, that emulates these quite well.

 

yeah, I gotta try that 1, thx for the hint!!
I like the richness waves nls do to sounds , maybe a similiar appeal. Thx man

 

T Analog Channel is far more subtle than Waves NLS, but its effect is cumulative. If you're using buses for different stems, try putting it on all of them and hear the difference. The difference will sound as if you're sending them through a very high quality outboard mixer - more "3D". I don't use it that much these days, because I use a hardware mixer now, but it's really good. It's weird that it isn't more popular and even Vlad made it "just for kicks" - to show people what a real analogue channel does to audio. He should make an updated version with more models or something.

There's another plugin that does a similar thing, called "Insert", from Voxengo. I used to use that one years ago.

Supplemental info: I don't think Waves NLS adds anything beyond saturation, noise and different EQ curve [maybe DC filter, too], so there should be no "3D" widening effect with it. Same with many other saturators. Once you're able to hear what TAC is doing, you'll be able to hear if some other plugin is doing it - subtle phase and EQ changes, widening at ~10kHz + noise, gentle LPF and DC filter like TAC.

 

Last edited: Dec 20, 2017

More better than the sound of the Akai is the workflow it brings that clearly inspired a lot of creativity.

Personally I think the magic quality of the Roland S550! & S330! is far better than the Akai 950 and waaay nice filters too.

 

Wow, sounds very promising, big thank you for that rich info, will def try the vlad & the voxengo plug!!!
I’ll give feedback after trying them!

 

Believe me, I was very happy when I saw that Vlad G's plugin. Since "Insert" is only 32-bit and I'm generally using 64-bit plugins lately, I was thrilled and it sounds better and does better things to my tracks than "Insert" anyway. I do like the sound of my mixer more, though. I just like things really dirty... in every way. But for gentle, acoustic productions TAC is incredible. Want those strings to stand out all around the main vocals and bass? TAC will do it.

 

I absolutely agree. I still use S-760 for many things. Generally bassy stuff. It's so nicely dirty. I love it.

 

Look my progression
Would u like?

 

my s3200 is coming.....yesyes...

the s950 is the only 12 bit sampler.....the other are 16.....an 8 bit sampler sounding even better when resampling and playing on very low notes

the list
http://www.dancetech.com/article.cfm?threadid=71

must watch

 

I saw one at this shop this morning. http://master-wave.com/produit.php?ref=AKAIS950&id_rubrique=34
I think he can send it. + 6 month warranty + excellent condition on everything sold there (tested way beyond on/off)
It's pretty rare in this market.

 

I have pay my 950 300€

 

Its wrong the memories is in kword not in mega

 

950 are the most expensive now....950's are the hip hop S's....1100's are the jungle S's...i kno no rules but bla

i need to pay 350 for my akai s3200....i saw on go for 250 when i was broke...
the 3200 better 3200xl is also a synth i have read....you can load waveforms in it..
and the ad converters from all 90ies samplers are burning everything...

EDIT::::
the 3200 was the last proper generation.....EDITEDIT s2000 are chopped of versions of the 3000XL or 3200XL but fully loaded there are many who love them....and i think instead of display you can upgrade a s2000 to an s3000XL

https://www.ebay.de/itm/Akai-S900-1...844459&hash=item1ee82b728d:g:ixoAAOSwTPBa7oW0
the ones i saw all the time was minimum 800 bucks....but the question is always which upgrades it has had..but japan sells always cheap cause high shipping price...thats the point...i think japanese have the best ebay market...followed from UK,DE;US

check out mesa and recycle2.0 not highr or old wavelab to drop samples into akai from puter directly

 

Last edited: Sep 6, 2018

got to check the thing with the Leuchtfolie display upgrade

 

EDIT
leucht-folie =
luminous foil


DISPLAY UPGRADE RENEWING for all s' samplers available

these black negative display's are so much better....but 150 bucks...

https://www.ebay.de/itm/Akai-S1100-...993472?hash=item23a91b4ac0:g:aVEAAOSwqxZbWa2e

the luminouus fool aeh -foil upgrade is much cheaper 25 bucks...worlwide shipping from what i have seen..

http://www.midi-rakete.de/eng/preise.htm
-------------
im curious what somebody would want for an fully upgradet and expanded AKAI S (+flashrom's)and with negative Tri-Axis Black LED Display...
there must be shops for rich people which have such stuff en mass

 

Last edited: Sep 7, 2018

must be a really really good read

1994 KEYBOARD Magazine Samplers
-Magazin-Sampler-Oberheim-OB-MX-AKAI-S2800-S3200-Farat-F16

• 

https://www.ebay.de/itm/1994-KEYBOA...753027?hash=item56b4ef0e03:g:Gn4AAOSwkbdbRhwR

you guys in the US have nice market with old mag's