The different sound of samplers

[Electronicant]

It´s said that different samplers sounds different, for instace Akai compared to E-mu. But does it mean even with unfiltered samples? (if it´s the same sound, sampled with same bit and same frequency) how come?

[v-un-v]

Different components, different DAC's different everything pretty much. Also because different manufacturers were different, they didn't all share the same output boards etc.

You have to get away from the sampler being a PC- because its not. But it has been a long time since someone made a hardware sampler (well maybe there are exceptions- such as all those grooveboxes etc). Unfortunately most PC's share the same way of out-putting sound. Like for eg a similar soundcard or whatever. This makes it very difficult to change the sound unless you either do it in software (still very little change) or you do it by spending hundreds on an I/O that no one else can afford- or only few can afford.

I still think dedicated hardware sounds better than PC hardware (and by PC, that includes Mac's too). My old E-mu E4 had so much weight. The old Akai S950 too also had a 'sound' that was unavailable on our Macintosh computers.

[EdisonRex]

Don't forget that a lot of dedicated hardware samplers have output stages with equalisation and shelf filters, etc.

My S-6000 has both. Samples played on it sound different than samples played directly from my Mac, even though that has arguably better (newer) electronics.

many people assumed that samplers in the day were accurate. They were hardly accurate! they were instruments. As much as a Mellotron was.

And here now I have samples of a Mellotron on my S-6K. Not quite full circle. Tape had flavour too.

[v-un-v]

[hachiman]

henrik you really need some basic digital education