E-MU Systems SP-12 Turbo 8-Voice Sampler

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"Classic machine in excellent condition. Turbo Edition with double the sampling time (5 sec). Newly pro serviced with:

- Bright new screen

- New internal battery holder and fresh battery (these need to be replaced every 5-7 years; the holder replaces a soldered-in battery and allows replacement without handing off to a technician for replacement)

- Completely cleaned and lubed as necessary for perfect triggering of all buttons and sliders

- Dynamic touch system calibrated

- Latest firmware

Better than the SP1200. I have both. Only keeping the 1200 because it’s what people want to see when they come into the studio just because of its history. That said, SP12 is better because:

- It has internal battery-powered RAM. You have time to run some errands while the 1200 loads off a disk at every startup. And if you don’t save your sounds and work to disk before power down, say goodbye to them. The SP12 lets you start up right where you left off with barely any loading time, and forgetting to save is not going to destroy hours of work because saving is automatic.

- Floppy disk storage as a feature isn’t a feature anymore. Software like SP12 Librarian and EMXP allow you to save and load more sounds and sequences to and from a computer, and keep them all organized in one place. Floppy disks run about $5-20 each, if you can find them, and they’re a lot less reliable. The drives are also prone to failure, and then your SP1200 is essentially bricked until you get it replaced.

- Five seconds sample time is more than enough to do what you want if you’re creative, and if you’re considering this machine then I’d wager you probably are. You can easily get around the 5 seconds of sample time vs the 1200’s 10 seconds, by sampling sounds at 2x-4x speed, then pitching back down to original speed in the machine, effectively doubling or quadrupling the sampling time to 10-20 seconds. Not only does this “expand” the storage space, but this is exactly the technique used by the greats to get that signature lo-fi, gritty sound this machine is known for.

- Slightly better sound (arguably). Sampling rate is slightly higher on this machine compared to the 1200, and although I doubt anyone could actually hear the difference. But it's on paper, at least.

- Cooler look, less stereotypical, different, off the beaten path. I’m actually a little on the fence about selling this one because it matches my Emulator II better. Avoid the, “Oh, you used an SP1200? You must be a fan of [insert 1200 artist].” No. You used an SP12. You’re different. You’re original. You don’t follow the crowd. You carve your own path.

- Sample time is essentially moot with the proper setup. Many people use the SP’s along with another sampler. The samples are recorded through the SP for the grit, then transferred to a second sampler. The second sampler, usually a rackmount Akai, is used for sample storage and longer samples. The SP is then used as a sequencer to trigger both machines. In this way, the signature SP sound and swing are retained, and sample time is expanded by as much as the other sampler can hold. The SP12 and SP1200 are both equally capable in this technique.

- The SP12 has a set of good onboard stock sounds. These are written in ROM chips that are (theoretically) replaceable. So you get a cool set of stock sounds that are always ready with zero loading time, and you can burn EPROMS or use an EPROM burning service to replace those chips and customize those sounds. The SP1200 has no stock sounds - it’s a totally blank slate.

- The SP12 is much rarer than the 1200. It was only produced for a few years before the 1200 came in. Production on the 1200 went on until 1993, then the second run didn’t end until the late 90’s, then came all the reissues all the way up to the current Rossum issue. 1200s are a dime a dozen.

- Everything else is essentially exactly the same as the SP1200. Get a fully-serviced, vintage SP1200 that’s better than an SP1200 for less than an SP1200."