Akai S3000XL
Encyclopedia
The Akai S3000XL is a 16-bit
professional stereo
digital
sampler
. The instrument
has 32 polyphonic voices, and 2 MB
of built-in RAM
. While this may not seem like much compared to today's standards, when the S3000XL was released, it was top of the line. For adding sounds to the sampler, the S3000XL featured a 3.5" floppy drive that read Akai
-formatted floppies only, and a SCSI
port to link with an external storage device, such as a zip drive
for storage of longer, or more samples. The built-in 2 MB of RAM could be upgraded up to 32 with (2x16) SIMM
that Akai
provided. Iomega
Zip drives were very commonly used for storage and backup. This was especially important when you consider that the device could play back MIDI files to external MIDI devices, thus syncing samples with any number of other MIDI instruments. A great benefit was that during live performance the Akai could take the role of the computer to trigger the other instruments. Other upgrades included various extra cards such as the EB-16 & IB-304f. The S3000XL had 8 outputs, and two 1/4" inputs, allowing for the S3000XL to operate as a hard disk recorder
. The interface consisted of 32 buttons, eight of which were function keys, three knobs, and a four-key directional pad for navigating the 240x64 display, located in the upper-middle portion of the sampler.
The Akai S3000XL is widely considered to be one of the most versatile and useful samplers
money can buy, primarily due to the large screen, and easy-to-navigate interface allowing for quick and in-depth sampling. However, there were several problems apparent in the S3000XL and various other Akai samplers as age dawned on them; the LCD screen's backlight faded easily, built-in MIDI file playback functions were glitchy, and lack of ability to upgrade to a larger memory capacity.
Although Akai
has discontinued production and product support
for the Akai S3000XL, many units can still be found working in recording studio
s around the world. In order to obtain this sampler today, the only option would be to buy used from a local or online dealer, such as eBay
.
16-bit
-16-bit architecture:The HP BPC, introduced in 1975, was the world's first 16-bit microprocessor. Prominent 16-bit processors include the PDP-11, Intel 8086, Intel 80286 and the WDC 65C816. The Intel 8088 was program-compatible with the Intel 8086, and was 16-bit in that its registers were 16...
professional stereo
STEREO
STEREO is a solar observation mission. Two nearly identical spacecraft were launched into orbits that cause them to respectively pull farther ahead of and fall gradually behind the Earth...
digital
Digital
A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
sampler
Sampler (musical instrument)
A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or...
. The instrument
Electronic musical instrument
An electronic musical instrument is a musical instrument that produces its sounds using electronics. Such an instrument sounds by outputting an electrical audio signal that ultimately drives a loudspeaker....
has 32 polyphonic voices, and 2 MB
Megabyte
The megabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage or transmission with two different values depending on context: bytes generally for computer memory; and one million bytes generally for computer storage. The IEEE Standards Board has decided that "Mega will mean 1 000...
of built-in RAM
Ram
-Animals:*Ram, an uncastrated male sheep*Ram cichlid, a species of freshwater fish endemic to Colombia and Venezuela-Military:*Battering ram*Ramming, a military tactic in which one vehicle runs into another...
. While this may not seem like much compared to today's standards, when the S3000XL was released, it was top of the line. For adding sounds to the sampler, the S3000XL featured a 3.5" floppy drive that read Akai
Akai
Akai is a consumer electronics brand, founded by Saburo Akai as , a Japanese manufacturer in 1929. It is now headquartered in Singapore as a subsidiary of Grande Holdings, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate, which also owns the formerly Japanese brands Nakamichi and Sansui. The Akai brand is now used...
-formatted floppies only, and a SCSI
SCSI
Small Computer System Interface is a set of standards for physically connecting and transferring data between computers and peripheral devices. The SCSI standards define commands, protocols, and electrical and optical interfaces. SCSI is most commonly used for hard disks and tape drives, but it...
port to link with an external storage device, such as a zip drive
Zip drive
The Zip drive is a medium-capacity removable disk storage system that was introduced by Iomega in late 1994. Originally, Zip disks launched with capacities of 100 MB, but later versions increased this to first 250 MB and then 750 MB....
for storage of longer, or more samples. The built-in 2 MB of RAM could be upgraded up to 32 with (2x16) SIMM
SIMM
A SIMM, or single in-line memory module, is a type of memory module containing random access memory used in computers from the early 1980s to the late 1990s. It differs from a dual in-line memory module , the most predominant form of memory module today, in that the contacts on a SIMM are redundant...
that Akai
Akai
Akai is a consumer electronics brand, founded by Saburo Akai as , a Japanese manufacturer in 1929. It is now headquartered in Singapore as a subsidiary of Grande Holdings, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate, which also owns the formerly Japanese brands Nakamichi and Sansui. The Akai brand is now used...
provided. Iomega
Iomega
Iomega is an American producer of consumer external, portable and networking storage hardware. Established in the 1980s, Iomega has sold more than 410 million digital storage drives and disks. On April 8, 2008, EMC Corporation announced its plans to acquire Iomega for a consideration of US $213M...
Zip drives were very commonly used for storage and backup. This was especially important when you consider that the device could play back MIDI files to external MIDI devices, thus syncing samples with any number of other MIDI instruments. A great benefit was that during live performance the Akai could take the role of the computer to trigger the other instruments. Other upgrades included various extra cards such as the EB-16 & IB-304f. The S3000XL had 8 outputs, and two 1/4" inputs, allowing for the S3000XL to operate as a hard disk recorder
Hard disk recorder
A hard disk recorder is a type of direct to disk recording system that uses a high-capacity hard disk to record digital audio or digital video. Hard disk recording systems represent an alternative to more traditional reel-to-reel tape or cassette multitrack systems, and provide editing...
. The interface consisted of 32 buttons, eight of which were function keys, three knobs, and a four-key directional pad for navigating the 240x64 display, located in the upper-middle portion of the sampler.
The Akai S3000XL is widely considered to be one of the most versatile and useful samplers
Sampler (musical instrument)
A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or...
money can buy, primarily due to the large screen, and easy-to-navigate interface allowing for quick and in-depth sampling. However, there were several problems apparent in the S3000XL and various other Akai samplers as age dawned on them; the LCD screen's backlight faded easily, built-in MIDI file playback functions were glitchy, and lack of ability to upgrade to a larger memory capacity.
Although Akai
Akai
Akai is a consumer electronics brand, founded by Saburo Akai as , a Japanese manufacturer in 1929. It is now headquartered in Singapore as a subsidiary of Grande Holdings, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate, which also owns the formerly Japanese brands Nakamichi and Sansui. The Akai brand is now used...
has discontinued production and product support
Product support
Product support is a service provided by many retailers of various products, primarily electronics, that provides the end-user with a resource for information regarding the product, and help if the product should malfunction...
for the Akai S3000XL, many units can still be found working in recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
s around the world. In order to obtain this sampler today, the only option would be to buy used from a local or online dealer, such as eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
.
Options
- Akai EB16 'SampleVerb' 4x50 effects board
- Akai FMX008 8MB Non-Volatile Flash ROM
- Akai IB304f 'ProFilter' filter board
- Akai MESA editor
- Akai OS v2.0
- Akai SHD524 524MB 2.5" SCSI Hard Disk