AKAI: State of the Art in 1994

My look at vintage samplers (and the subsequent buying frenzy!) has lead to an interesting video. 1994's AKAI Promotional VHS! A clip (which prominently features the sounds of a Korg Wavestation - for some reason) that is sure to fill older tech heads with nostalgia.

Featured are the AKAI S3000 range, which includes the interesting CD3000 - a sampler with no analogue inputs(!) - it plays back AKAI floppy disks, AKAI CD's and can sample directly from regular Audio CD's. As someone who rarely samples - relying on MIDI, SCSI or floppy transfer, I will be looking at this model more closely in future. The initial specs - up to 16MB RAM, multiple loop points, digital filters and FX may warrant a spot in my studio - even to just check out those libraries!

Also featured are a range of digital recorders. The optical disk based DD1000 offers four tracks of 16-bit recording and playback. Digital editing of your takes is - of course - possible on the nice big screen. Usefully, DSP operations like time-stretching also make an appearance. It was £7,750 RRP - nearly £18,000 in today's money!

If you weren't that flush - their DR4 could be had for as little as £1599 (with comprehensive upgrade path). This hard disk recorder had a crude LED display, but would have certainly got the job done. In fact, the simple tape-like transport controls may have endeared it more to those raised on tape.

These days, the bar to recording music digitally is at an all time low - your phone can do it. But has music actually gotten better? Was the magic in friction, compromise and graft? I'll leave you to ponder that - and admire these digital behemoths from a time where access to technology acted as a musical gate-keeper.

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