Looking for the user manual?


Check the heading on this page:

Product manual or files


Or search our  Samples/Files/Manuals  section!
We have hundreds of manuals added to the site!

You'll see this reminder one more time after which it will not appear.

Hide
skin: 1 2 3 4 |  Login | Join Dancetech |

Akai S900

19-Mar-2024

Info-line:   [synths]    [sampler]    [drumbox]    [effects]    [mixers]     [mics]     [monitors]    [pc-h/ware]    [pc-s/ware]    [plugins]    -    [links]    [tips]

Akai S900



Category:  Products / samplers / akai samplers

Added: 05-Jan-99  |  Author: admin

New price: out of production  |   S/H price: 350-400 , (UK)


Akai S900

The silver box from Akai, was for most, their introduction to professional quality/featured sampling...... At the time of release, only the Casio FZ series, the Emax, and the Mirage were real consumer options to the S-900, and the Emax was way expensive (at around 3k in the UK), the FZ was also more expensive, and the Mirage was an 8 bit nightmare... (hey don't get me wrong here, I've got 2 mates with Mirages, and their tapes kik some serious butt!)..... But anyhow.... Designed at Southampton University in the UK, (if the stories are true), the S-900 quickly became THE sampler of choice in the UK... (although it wasn't so popular in the states apparently, where Emu ruled supreme)

Now the S-900 is actually a tad more expensive secondhand than the mighty Emax..... so I'd have to recommend the Emax, FZ, and Roland S series above the S-900, due to those samplers synthesis features which are distinctly lacking from the old S-900...... However, it's a good little unit for sampling, looping etc, and will certainly do the job, with lots of 12 bit gusto....

The Akai S900 is 8 note poly, 12-bit sampler, featuring a maximum of 11.75 seconds of sample time at its highest sampling rate of 40kHz, or even more with sampling rates as low as 7.5kHz. Ram memory is 750KB and is not upgradable.

You get 8 pages for editing.... (Play, Record, Edit sample, Edit program, MIDI, Utility, Disk, and Master) which are accessed by pressing one of the eight buttons along the bottom of the good-sized display screen. To the right of these buttons is a numeric keypad, curser control buttons, and a playback button (plays back a sample after recording it, which is well useful when editing !!).

On the right side, there's the control wheel, mic and line inputs, input and output level knobs, and trigger input for triggering recording start or play-back.

Editing on the S900 gives you looping, and you get crossfade looping in Version 2.0 of the operating system. There is also a few analog-like editing parameters including a filter (non-resonant) controlled by its own ADSR envelope generator, an additional ADSR controlling amplitude, and an LFO.

There is also a function called "Warp" which is a very basic envelope controlling pitch, causing the sound to slide up to pitch. Velocity switching of two samples was also available.The S900 is equipped with a mix out, a left/right pair, plus eight separate voice outputs (one for each voice). Options for the S900 included the IB-101 A/S HD interface, and Marion Systems' MS-9c which changed the S900 from 12-bit to 16-bits. When it's successor, the S950, was released, Akai offered a software upgrade for the S900 that added many of the S950's features....... Don't know anything about these upgrades tho....

So..... not my first recommendation for a s/h sampler in this budget, but for loops and general sampling, it's a good little unit.... I did a remix of a track once where the client was using one of these, dunno how well it sold, but it got played on one of the top UK TV shows...... quality is fine....But apart from the spec's above, I don't know alot about them, as I chose the Emax for my first sampler....







S-900 SPEC'S

Sampling System 12 bit linear
Sampling Rates 40.0 kHz -- 8.0 kHz
Memory 750 kB
Polyphony 8 voices
Maximum Samples 32
Maximum Programs 32
Filters Digital moving low-pass filter (-12 dB/octave) ( v4.0 operating system only)
Envelope Generators 2
LFOs 1
Display Back-lit 40 x 2 characters (640 x 60 dots)
Storage Devices 3.5-inch 2DD floppy disk
Standard Inputs 1/4-inch phone jack (unbalanced) x 1
Optional Inputs 1/4-inch phone jack (unbalanced) x 8 (ASK-90 drum trigger board)
Standard Outputs 1/4-inch phone jack (unbalanced) x 3
Assignable Outputs 1/4-inch phone jack (unbalanced) x 8
Footswitch 1/4-inch phone jack x 1
MIDI DIN-5P IN x 1, OUT x 1, THRU x 1





So.... the S-900 workhorse..... eventually upgraded by the newer S-950, which retained the 12 bit system, but added better facilities from the S-1000 OS such as time-stretch..... I've no idea what the s/w updates for the s-900 gave the user....... So.... comments please !!!.......















Product Manuals or Files





Product Resources










User Comments

Product:  Akai - S900
Name: daniel
Email: Email supplied but hidden
http://www.come.to/erasemusic
Activity:
Date: 31-Jan-00

the s900 rox

Product rating out of 5: 

Reply |  Add review/comment



Product:  Akai - S900
Name: Rick
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 15-Mar-00

I worked some time with the 900. Loved
it. the 12bit stuff and low khz sampling
combined with the good filters did give
an analog sort of feel(very good
filters, try playing a 4khz sample on
your soundcard, the s900 does it way
better!) lower khz settings (for bass
for example) also saves memory. did some
nice things with it. Still use the 900
samples on my s/h s-1000 (scsi with
zipdrive, 10MB ram (never get it full!)
and 10 outputs.) my choice for a 1000
was more ram...but the 900 was m

Product rating out of 5: 

Reply |  Add review/comment



Product:  Akai - S900
Name: Mark
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 31-Dec-01

Great sound and the alternate looping function is sorely missed on my newer samplers. Makes a great drum machine

Product rating out of 5: 

Reply |  Add review/comment



Product:  Akai - S900
Name: gtryr
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 01-Apr-09

xcvhbx

Product rating out of 5: 

Reply |  Add review/comment



Product:  Akai - S900
Name: S G Spence
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 01-Apr-09

I have one to sell ultra cheap

Get me on above email

Product rating out of 5: 

Reply |  Add review/comment



Product:  Akai - S900
Name: RAMANANA
Email: Email supplied but hidden
xxxx
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 12-Jun-09

xxxx

Product rating out of 5: 

Reply |  Add review/comment



Product:  Akai - S900
Name: cris
Email: Email supplied but hidden
none
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 11-Dec-09

have an akai s900 1.2 model for sale [england]call01432344587 or e mail if intrested.......cris.

Product rating out of 5: 

Reply |  Add review/comment



Last added comment

Product:  Akai - S900
Name: Rosicha
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 16-Sep-12

i just bought an mpc 2000 it came wit the boot disk but no pmreoarmgd sounds i have midi cables and rec cables i cant seem to get my comp to sync wit the midi or my record in to record if any 1 has advice i would appriciate any positive feed back socoolwitit@ gmail.com

Product rating out of 5: 

Reply |  Add review/comment



Add your comments here for the product:

'Akai S900'

Looking for the manual? - Check this page above under the heading: 'Product manual or files' - We might have it!


Your Name   * required field!

Your Email   * required field! (will not be displayed)

Add your email if you want replies to any question you post - You will receive an email if someone replies!
To receive automated replies be sure to add a valid email address!

Comments   * required field! - NO weblinks allowed in this feild!

My user type is:    * required field!

Professional   Part Time   Hobbyist




Rate this product out of five:   * optional

   5 - TOTALY AWESOME POWER !!!!!...

   4 - TOTALY 'AUSTIN POWERS' !!!!....

   3 - HOT HATCHBACK POWER !!!.....

   2 - PIZZA-MOPED POWER !!......

   1 - HAMSTER/TRUNDLE-WHEEL POWER !.......

Please copy the displayed number into the box to post:

768509  

     

Note: To cut down on spammers, cookies must be enabled to post comments to this page.



Looking for the manual? - Check this page above under the heading: 'Product manual or files' - We might have it!



 [back to top]

1: No good!
2: Average!
3: Great stuff!
4: Excellent!
5: Awesome!
Rate this product!
  • Currently 4.3 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Currently: 4.3/5 | 87%

Total stars: 65  |  Total votes: 15

Read 11 comments
Add review/comment 

56 other
products from
Akai








Thomann deals

Help support the site & the users music space - Buy via our affiliate store. One fixed price delivery for most items!