Pricing and availability
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Average Price: $5,495
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$500
$1501+
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Description
Released commercially in 1984 to huge acclaim, the Emulator II (or EII) was E-mu's second sampler. Like the original Emulator, it was an 8-bit sampler, however it had superior fidelity to the Emulator due to the use of digital companding and a 27.7 kHz sample rate. It also allowed more flexibility in editing and shaping sounds, as resonant analog filters were added. The EII also had vastly better real time control. It was priced similarly to the original Emulator, at US$7,995 for a regular model, and $9,995 for a 'plus' model featuring extra sample memory. Several upgrades, including a second floppy drive, a 20 MB hard drive, and a 512K memory upgrade were also available. Despite its price tag it was still considered very good value compared to the Fairlight CMI Series II, which, when first released, was priced at $30,000.
Product specs
| Brand | E-MU Systems |
| Model | Emulator II 61-Key 8-Voice Sampler Workstation |
| Finish | Black |
| Year | 1984 - 1988 |
| Made In | United States |
| Categories | Samplers, Workstation Keyboards |
| Analog / Digital | Digital |
| Key Size | Full Size |
| Keyboard Action | Synth Action |
| MIDI I/O | MIDI Input, MIDI Output |
| Number of Keys | 61 Keys |
| Polyphony | 8 Voices |
FAQs
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Is the E-Mu Emulator II polyphonic, and how many voices does it support?
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The E-Mu Emulator II is polyphonic and supports up to 8 voices, allowing you to play multiple notes simultaneously for richer, more complex sounds.
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What type of sampling capabilities does the E-Mu Emulator II offer?
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The E-Mu Emulator II is an 8-bit sampler workstation that allows you to sample and manipulate sounds, providing flexibility for creative sound design.
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Does the E-Mu Emulator II have MIDI connectivity?
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Yes, the E-Mu Emulator II features both MIDI input and output, enabling it to connect with other MIDI-compatible devices for expanded performance and recording options.
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What is the keyboard action like on the E-Mu Emulator II?
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The E-Mu Emulator II features a synth action keyboard, offering a responsive and smooth playing experience suitable for various styles and techniques.
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Can the E-Mu Emulator II be used for live performances?
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Yes, the E-Mu Emulator II is designed for both studio and live performance settings, with its robust sampling capabilities and MIDI connectivity making it versatile for different musical applications.
Videos
Alex Ball
FERRIS BUELLER'S SYNTHESIZER
Reviews
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about E-Mu Emulator II.
Comparisons
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The Emulator 6400 Ultra offers classic EII and EIII sounds with more memory, polyphony, and support for modern hard drives.
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The Emulator III offers more memory and features but lacks the distinctive sound texture of the Emulator II.
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The MicroGranny sampler and Isla S2400 are potential hardware alternatives for the 8-bit sampling approach, though they may not fully replicate the Emulator II.
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The Mirage and AKAI samplers can sample in 8-bit but lack the distinct "thing" of the Emulator II.
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Several users prefer modern samplers like the Waldorf Quantum MK2 and Nord Wave 2 for better technology and ease of use.
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Software and compatibility
User experience
Features and functionality
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The Emulator II's 12-bit playback of 8-bit samples adds grain and texture, particularly noticeable in lower-pitched samples.
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The Amigo Sampler plugin automatically downsamples to 8-bit and 22kHz, offering a digital approximation of the Emulator II's sound.
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The Emulator II utilized 8-bit companding sampling with SSM analog filters, crucial for its unique sound quality.
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The Emulator II has slow load times and relies on a library of floppy disks.
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Use cases and applications
Value and pricing
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Collectors may find value due to its iconic status and sounds reminiscent of 80s bands like OMD and Depeche Mode.
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Critic Reviews
4.5 out of 5
Based on 1 Review and 17 Ratings
367
Sampler
The legend of the samplers! Digital but with analog circuits, it processes the sampled sounds in a different way.
This review has been translated automatically into English. See originalArtist usage
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"But now I've got an Emulator and an Emulator II, two DX9's, an Oberheim, a Prophet, a Roland JX3-P and so on, and I'd say at this point that the synth has a generic sound of its own; when I wrote parts for the synths I used to write "woodwind" and "brass" to indicate the kind of sound, but now I tend to just write "bass synth" or "wind synth" because they have sounds of their own. And even when you think you're hearing an acoustic instrument on the albums there's a synth doubling it an octave below, which gives you a bigger bottom end."
Sleazy frequently mentioned that the main sound source for the early records was the E-mu Emulator II, although its sounds were sometimes exported to the Fairlight via MIDI and edited on it.
Apart from the Chamberlain and an Emulator 2, other keyboards featured on Woodface include a Mellotron, a Baldwin Electronic harpsichord, an old Cox organ, a Hammond, a Prophet 5, and a Piano Optigan, "a very trashy organ brought out in the '60s which reads a kind of optical disk. It sounds very low-fi but is very atmospheric. There are what you could call 'samples' on them of things like brass bands playing. It's pretty wild."
Ed and Phil in Nigel’s “The Hospital” studio in late 2006, during the recording of In Rainbows. The synths on the left are an Analogue Systems The Spawn and Analogue Systems RS-15 rack (featuring an RS-200 Sequencer System and an RS-370 with RS-375 expander), a Korg MS-10, a Sequential Circuits Prophet 5, a PPG Wave 2.2/2.3, and an E-MU Emulator II. The synth on the right is an ARP 2600, which might belong to Thom or Jonny based on other photos from the recording of In Rainbows.
"I got the EII a day or two before we started work on the third Asia album and it didn't have a sequencer on it at the time, and the MIDI hadn't come through on either the Fairlight or the Synclavier (which I was on the point of buying), so the Synthex's MIDI sequencer was really useful for sequencing the EII."
Yanni used the E-Mu Emulator II up until 1991 when it was replaced by the Emulator III. You can see it in this video at timecode 15:20.
"To me, 'Lovesong' had a real '60s feel," he explains. "So we used an [E-mu] Emulator II Vox organ sample from the [OMI] Universe Of Sounds CD. We ran it out into the studio through an amp to make it sound distorted, as if it was recorded in the '60s. And the organ sound on 'Untitled' is the harmonium sample from the same CD. At first we were going to use one of the church organ sounds, but that felt two pompous, too grand. The harmonium brings it down because it's a bit out of tune; it actually sounds as if it's being pumped with your feet. Somehow 'Untitled' creates an atmosphere of the Wild West."
Sintetizador utilizado en discos como "Pateando Piedras", "Corazones" entre otros.
"I chose to use the largest part of the space for the control room, in order to accommodate my video equipment (a small Sony 3/4-inch editing system, Fairlight CVI, and a large screen Barco projector over the mixing board) along with a large battery of electronic percussion (E-mu SP12, Linn 9000, and assorted Simmons and PPG modules) and my new Fairlight Series III and Emulator II."
Album Usage
The E-Mu Emulator II has been featured on the following albums:
Pateando Piedras
Los Prisioneros (2016)
Ride The Tiger
Geoff Downes (2015)
Rendez-Vous
Jean Michel Jarre (2015)
展覧会の絵 ultimate edition
Isao Tomita (2014)
In Rainbows
Radiohead (2007)
Enlighten Me
Masterplan (2002)
Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi!
Enigma (1996)
Wild Mood Swings
The Cure (1996)
The Cross Of Changes
Enigma (1993)
Woodface
Crowded House (1991)
MCMXC a.D.
Enigma (1990)
Corazones
Los Prisioneros (1990)
Pretty Hate Machine
Nine Inch Nails (1989)
They Live - Expanded Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 20th Anniversary Edition
John Carpenter & Alan Howarth (1989)
The Celts
Enya (1987)
Hall Of The Mountain King
Savatage (1987)
Life As We Know It
REO Speedwagon (1987)
Rage For Order (Remastered) [Expanded Edition]
Queensrÿche (1986)
Invisible Touch (2007 Remaster)
Genesis (1986)
Power Windows
Rush (1985)
A Cappella
Todd Rundgren (1985)
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use E-Mu Emulator II, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
Community setups
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