E-mu Emulator

E-mu Emulator series
E-mu Emulator II (1984)
ManufacturerE-mu Systems
Price$7,995 (Emulator II in 1984)[1] equivalent to $23,447 in 2023
Technical specifications
Polyphony8 voices (Emulator II)
TimbralityMonotimbral Emulator, 8-part Multitimbral (Emulator II)
Oscillator8-bit 27 kHz sample (Emulator II)
LFOSine wave
Synthesis typeSample-based synthesis
Filter24 dB/octave resonant analog low pass (Emulator II)
Aftertouch expressionYes (Emulator II)
Velocity expressionYes (Emulator II)
Storage memory512 kB to 1 MB (Emulator II)
Input/output
Keyboard61 keys
Left-hand controlPitch bend, mod wheel
External controlMIDI (Emulator II)

The Emulator is a series of digital sampling synthesizers using floppy-disk storage that was manufactured by E-mu Systems from 1981 until 2002. Although it was not the first commercial sampler, the Emulator was innovative in its integration of computer technology and was among the first samplers to find widespread usage among musicians. While costly, its price was considerably lower than those of its early competitors, and its smaller size increased its portability and, resultantly, practicality for live performance. The line was discontinued in 2002.[2]

  1. ^ Wyeth, Stefan (October 16, 2021). "E-mu Emulator II: How I upgraded a 1984 sampler for modern production". gearnews.com. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  2. ^ "30 Years Of Emu". www.soundonsound.com. Retrieved February 1, 2023.