I did this video a while back, to test how different I could make a drum loop sound in the s950 when sampled at different speeds and resampled withe the s950s resample effect.
Thought I would share it here. Looking forward to test this on the s2400.
Awesome vid!!
No question the s950 sounds “better” (at least to me anyway, second pad up on the left to be precise)
I have a question regarding the S950.
So, thinking about getting an S900 (ok not the S950 but I’ve heard they sound the same, the S950 has more features, and from what i have read if there is a sound difference the S900 sounds “better”, god knows if there is any truth to that.) the time-stretching being the obvious pro/con between the two. Using time stretching is VERY important for me when chopping samples in Ableton. I guess i’m just hoping that the S2400 will eventually do this (fingers very tightly crossed).
The S950 would be my first choice it’s just the price that comes with it, the S900 is still crazy expensive but I can get one in very good condition at a fairly reasonable price…very close to pulling the trigger.
What i would like to know is this…
Is there a way I can just bypass the whole floppy disk malarkey?
With a method such as:
Send samples via SD card to the s2400
Record samples straight from the S2400 into the S950
Send back recorded samples from the S950 into the S2400
Is this possible and are there any downsides to this method of doing it in your opinion?
Would appreciate anyone to chime in with opinions
Is it worth it?
S950 VS S900?
Your workflow using either samplers?
Etc etc…
Thanks, glad you found the video useful.
The time-streatch you mention is actually a transpose or a down or up pitch in the s950. So I Record the sample in at high speed and pitch it back down. The sample becomes slower and longer. And with that comes aliasing, it colors the sound in different ways depending on how much you do it, and how loud you record it in. And for me thats the essential way to get the grit and lofi sound, combined with the internal “resample at half bandwidth” that the s950 have.
That is the same for the s2400, just without the resample option. Or there is a resample option in the s2400. But not with half bandwidth i think?
The time-streatch you think of is maybe another thing?
You can definitely sample from the s900 or s950 to your s2400 or to ableton (if you have a interface)
I manly use the s950 to sample into. Get the sound I want, like in the video and then resample that into my mpc live and chop and make my beats there. I don’t even save on the s950. So that answers the floppy question. I should mention, that you need to have a midi controller of some sort to trigger the samples so you can resample, I use the mpc 3000.
I would wait till you get the s2400 to decide weather you need a s900. If the s2400 can do what im pretty sure it can, then you don’t need a s900 or s950.
Only for nostalgic reasons or to really achieve a certain sound, and in that case it would make sence. They do sound different the the sp 1200, and they sound Super dope. But im sure the s2400 dose too! And with more modern technology combined with classic sampler workflow and sound. My bet is that the s2400 is more than enough. My s950 will be collecting dust when my s2400 arrives im sure. And once in a while I will use it.
I don’t think you need a s900, Im pretty confident that the s2400 is awesome!
I hope it answers your questions?
More than answered my question yeh…appreciate a lot dude.
And yes…lol…i thought it meant time stretching like you thought i thought it meant…always wondered how that would work on a sampler like that…well…now i know ha
So the s900 doesn’t have a function to transpose samples at all?
And truth be told i wasn’t in the market for a s950 or a s900…i had a s950 very briefly years ago and sold it for around £250… major regret
The biggest reason i want one now is (apart from the fact its just one of those things i wanna play with) is that i got a guy who has one in absolute pristine condition, basically looks brand new and untouched…in the box…etc…for much cheaper than most charge fir beat up ones on ebay and everywhere else too…would be a nice investment even if i never used it…
If it’s cheap, then get it! They are fun and easy to use compared to other old rack sampler. I had an asr10 rack, but Never really got acquainted with the workflow.
After a little research I found out that there is a time streatch function. I just never used it! 
Yeh was watching the same video yesterday…
Btw…heres some pics of the s900 i might get…
Getting sent from overseas if i buy…and im not gonna be there to test it…
But what you think? Looks weird to be in that good condition…unless ts been in the box for 34 years…
I dunno…looks too good to be true almost
…like those buttons are not just white, they are white white whiteOk, so found out its actually brand new (as in never been used…obviously…lol)
ÂŁ500 including delivery
So roughly $650
It looks super nice, But I would not go for it personally.
500 ÂŁ is a lot I think. I would wait too see if you stumble upon one for a good price locally. I payed around 200ÂŁ for my s950 5 years ago. 3 months ago I bought a emu emax rack for the same price. So it happens that they go for cheap.
But it’s up to you.
And you have the s2400 coming soon!
What gear do you have now, and what kind of music do you make?
Yeh i got an s950 around 2016 for £250…sold it for the same price…little did i know *facepalm
There is another one going for cheaper in the uk, but only £30 cheaper and with scuffs and buttons missing etc…
At the moment i have absolutely zero gear…i make hip hip btw…boom bap
The s2400 will be the start of a new workflow and mindset
The reason i want an s950 and a s2400 is well…being totally honest
Its a combo that my music idols have used and its something i would love to have
But also, as good as the s2400 might sound…
I wouldn’t necessarily want my beats to have the exact same “sound”…
My method in making beats “itb” has simplified drastically over the recent year or so…
Ive gone from throwing every plug in i can find to narrowing it down to Rx950, decimort, some eq, and compression…a reverb, delay, flanger here or there but for the main crux of getting my beat sound “fat” and “crunchy” is basically from the rx950 and decimort.
I tend to sample drums with the mpc60 emulation and my samples with the sp1200 Emulation (in decimort)or something else…but quite religiously for drums i will use the mpc60 preset…its not just a placebo effect plugin, they just sound better in my opinion…
Ive heard that the s9500/900 is very very similar sounding to a 60…
With the s2400 coming i now have the reality of turning both my everyday itb plugins to actual real in the flesh pieces of hardware…
The s2400 has a lot more to offer than the s900 does…but i guess i just wanna try em both together…”YOLO”…and if its pointless ill just re sell with an extra £100 slapped on…lol
I get you withe classic combo. I uset to have mpc 60 and s950 and it is dope! Sold the 60.
But the biggest reason they were used together back in the day, I think Was because of the lack of sample time. Mainly in the Mpc 60 and sp 1200. The s950 do offer other things, it’s sound. Lowpass filter ect…
You don’t have that limitation now with the s2400. You have the sound, filters, sample time plus so much more…
And if you look on ebay there’s many s900for that price. You can always get one.
Yeh but “brand new” untouched and in the box…i dunno, i passed on a sp303 brand new a few months back and still kicking myself…
Btw…he just sent me a pic of it turned on
I could be wrong but from what i have read they did not come with a backlit lcd display…and one of the “downsides” to the s900 was its very dim display…
But as you see in the pic it looks like one of those modded upgrade screens…
I could be wrong…but if im not then why would a un used sampler have an upgraded display… hmmmmmm,
enjoy and load some of your audio here now you have this classic
we all hope it is what you dream it is
Nice, Congrats! Yeah post some sounds when you get it!
Got it delivered in less than a week from netherlands to uk, no customs charges…only downside is im in indonesia…hoping to be back in January in time for the s2400 (fingers crossed)…but yeh will definitely try uploading some stuff
From my perspective, when I see the photos, I would have bought it with my eyes closed. congratulations!
I know right, totally wasn’t in the market for one but how could you pass up on this…id go crazy for a brand new super nintendo…the s900 has got a good few years on them…nice little piece of history
have a beautiful trip - it is pretty crap in our land right now
Great video, nicely annotated. Personal preference is the second one, sampled at full bandwidth at 45RPM then slowed down to original pitch. It seems to have more upfront smack you in the face presence compared to all the others. I sold my original S950 back in '96 to buy an S3200 (bad move!) and lost all that lovely 12bit grit in the process. Took me years to realise the mistake and finally got hold of another unit about 6 years ago just before the process went silly. Now I’m just waiting for the S2400 to arrive so I can FINALLY get the real deal aliasing I always tried but failed to emulate using filters, ring mods and bit crushers.
