Emu ESI-32
Category: Products / samplers / e-mu samplers
Added: 09-Nov-01 | Author: admin
New price: discontinued - was 800 ish (uk) | S/H price: 300 ish
Company Link: E-MU
Emu ESI-32
When it comes to choosing a sampler in the cheaper price range, above budget 1mb samplers.... there are a few contenders,.... we're talking the 16-32mb, 32note poly units, at about the mid K price..... In that small category, is the Akai S-2000, the ASR's from Ensoniq, the Roland S760, (slightly lower spec's), and this one,.... The Emu ESI, which when released a few years ago caused a storm, as it did coming in at just a grand yet offering what was at the time unprecendented features and power.... let's say, that before the ESI-32, samplers with that spec's had always been up in the 2k + area...... The ESI opened the gates to better, bigger cheaper samplers, and set the price point at a grand.....The ESI follows Emu's usual layout of menu's... with sampling in one section, Digital processing for any looping, and sample manipulating at the raw sample level, Preset definition, where the sample is mapped, and setup on the keyboard... Perset management, where the presets are ...managed, copied, opended ,saved etc....synthesis is in another section, and master & midi sections are all easily sectioned......
Ive never used one, but as a basic big sampler, (we'll say the new 128-256mb samplers are huge !!).... the ESI comes with 4 output's as 2 pairs, against the S200's basic un-expanded stereo out..... if you don't want to spend money to upgrade, this may be worth a thought if you're into outboard mixing..... I dunno if the outs are upgradable, so we'll have to get a proper review anyways from someone, who will et us know maybe.....
As far as I know, until I get spec's, it's up to 32mb ram, 4 outs, 16 part multi, 32 note poly.... an excellent unit.....comments please....
Product Manuals or Files
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Audio demo?
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Category: Products / samplers / e-mu samplers
User Comments
Product: Emu - ESI-32
Name: jon brown
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 14-Apr-99
The ESI32 samples at 22.05kHz or 44.1kHz and 16-bit in stereo or mono. It takes 30pin SIMMS for 32meg upgrade. Reads EmaxII and Akai s1000/s1100 banks. Has tools like Auto Correlation, Loop Compression, and Crossfade Looping. Digital processing like Sample Rate Conversion, Compressor, Digital EQ, Digital Tuning, Time Compression and Expansion, and Doppler Pan. Has 32 24db/octave lowpass filters with resonance. Has front panel trigger mode for triggering samples without a controller. 16 part multitimbral. 4 assignable outs(2-stereo/4-mono). Uses 3.5" drive for storage(SCSI option is about $185). You can add digital interface, and Turbo board.
Product rating out of 5:  |
Product: Emu - ESI-32
Name: L$
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 29-Jul-99
The turbo expansion, also known as the 'Calamari' board, adds 2 more stereo outs, FX with a FX out (this out reproduces the main outs, but with FX), and S/PDIF digital I/O.
A fully expanded ESI32 for 550-600 pounds is an excellent buy, but you'll need some kind of external storage like a zip drive (if you have the SCSI expansion).
Only downside are: no resampling, but at this price that's understandable; and no waveform display, but the OS will locate zero crossings for you so that's OK.
Product rating out of 5:  |
Product: Emu - ESI-32
Name: Skeptikal
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity:
Date: 30-Jul-99
Superb when it came out, but looking a but dated now. All those DSP FX (compression, parametric EQ etc are far too slow to be much use. Even normalize seems to take eternity compared to PC editing)
Very reliable and good value at 500GBP second hand, especially if it's got the full 32M RAM as the 32pin SIMMS are difficult to find and expensive too.
Can't read Wavs, in fact can't read DOS format disks full stop. Hence you have to have a separate drive for ESI samples only. The need to have duplicate sample sets is annoying.
Product rating out of 5:  |
Product: Emu - ESI-32
Name: brandon
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 13-Nov-99
really i think it depends on your needs. if you couple an esi-32 with a sample editor like soundforge, the possibilities are nearly endless. for $4-500 there just isnt anything better in that price range. especially if you have the latest OS with all the filters.
i paid $850 new for mine back in the day, and dont regret it.
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Product: Emu - ESI-32
Name: ~Fusion
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 14-Nov-99
Just picked one up for $400us. Came with 16megs of ram, the latest OS(3.2), SPdif expansion, and the SCSI option...i feel like a thief at that price. Don't regret it for onw second. I use the the SCSI connection thru a zip drive and into my PC's SCSI adapter. Ultra fast sample dumps from Soundforge via SCSI...note the acronym "SCSI" causing a trend here? Loading samples via the onboard floppy is a drag. But the OS is in ROM so this thing boots fast...and "hands free". It's got some great filters too...i spose the turbo card's effects would've been nice, but i'd personally rather have outboard FX. If i saw another at this price i'd be tempted to sell my kids for another one...great machine for $400..or even $600......
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Product: Emu - ESI-32
Name: Phil Gee
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 01-Dec-99
Does the Adaptec 2904 SCSI card in my PC work with the EmuEsi32.I can't seem to pass samples from one to the other.Please help.
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Product: Emu - ESI-32
Name: Paul Armstrong
Email: Email supplied but hidden
http://www.wcrockets.com
Activity: Professional
Date: 01-Dec-99
A fully loaded, fully upgraded (including 3.02 O.S., 32mb ram, turbo kit, mega GB scsi hard drive and cdrom, ESI-32 sampler in your rack with your other gear, with a fader, controller, and maybe a launchpad (I do use one) is still great for live performing. I use higher end gear in my studio environment but for gigging.. I just download my samples into the ESI-32 and go.. this sampler just keeps going and going. It was a great investment.
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Product: Emu - ESI-32
Name: Face
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 02-Dec-99
This was my first sampler, and I've had
it for about 2 years now, and I just
keep slapping on upgrades. It's now all
maxed out and a monster of a budget
sampler (kind of a oxymoron there). I
got a hell of a deal straight from E-mu
this october where they gave me the
Turbo card with the formula 4000 series
(all 5 cds) for $398......quite a
bargain in my opinion, cuz all the CDs
have great sounds and are incredibly
usable. Very happy with
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Emu - ESI-32
Name: Dr. Siebeling
Email: Email supplied but hidden
http://listen.to/elab
Activity: Professional
Date: 04-Jan-01
I bought the ESI 32 several years ago, and experienced it as a piece of gear that won't get used that much. OK, it's an emu-sampler, so there's the image-factor, but nowadays, where we have to deal with Gigasamplers or whatever, there's no reason to buy and use an ESI. OK, in a basic setup, where you might need some additional drum-sounds, it might come quite handy to use an ESI as additional sound-processing unit, but nonetheless, there are enough software-samplers out there fitting your needs much better than any low-cost hardware-sampler could do...
Product rating out of 5:  |
Product: Emu - ESI-32
Name: Mike G.
Email: Email supplied but hidden
http://www.mp3.com/goatman
Activity: part-timer
Date: 04-Jan-01
to DR. Siebeling. But at least with hardware samplers you gets zero latency and reliable solid performance. I can't see someone playing a live show with ONE cpu and running the sequencer and and sound modules at the same time. The computer would skip or crash and that would really blow! That's why we get hardware right?
I dunno, what does everyone else think?
Product rating out of 5:  |
Product: Emu - ESI-32
Name: evancipation
Email: Email supplied but hidden
www.mp3.com/evancipation
Activity: part-timer
Date: 05-Jan-01
Most definitely....I've used an ESI-32 for years,and it's sturdy, reliable, NEVER crashes, and has more capabilities than the average unit. The filters are AWESOME, the dsp is a bit slow, but that's where your good old software comes in Dr. Siebling eh? and it works just fine as my primary unit. The live play and the convenience of actually manipulating hardware like an instrument is something software will never have, and this thing is the best bang for the buck...peace...Evan
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Product: Emu - ESI-32
Name: pulaski
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 05-Jan-01
i have to agree. a maxed out esi-32 is the best bang for your buck sampler available now. i got mine for $500 with the 32 megs of ram and the turbo board which gives you 6 extra analog outputs, loads more filter types, onboard effects, and spidf. my only complaint thus far echoes that of many other users--NO MIDI SYNCABLE LFO! was that an oversite, because i think even the lower end akais have syncable lfos? still, you can get pretty close to the tempo of a track you're working on by just manually adjusting the lfo freq in hz intervals. all in all worth every penny and more though. i've had it for a few months and still have yet to fully realize its capabilities. so all in all, a great, affordable, bread and butter, center of one's studio sampler.
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Product: Emu - ESI-32
Name: ixtlan
Email: Email supplied but hidden
www.anirae.net
Activity: part-timer
Date: 15-Aug-02
I JUST LOVE IT!!!
probably one of the best sampler ever made! even if it's getting old (release in 1995) the ESI32 is still in the range of the best sampler. it loads banks fom SCSI device 4 times speederthant new yamaha smpler! a option FX card can be added which will add 2 new outputs to the 4 normal outputs. The SOUND IS WICKEd! really it has this special "emu sound" which is thousands time more expressive than japanese sampler (akai, yamaha sounds fucking cold!) here it's hot!
Just one thing if you can afford it ( but it's not very expenssive) update to the latest OS (3.02) and the best of all if to have it full opion with the 32Mo RAM and the FX card
now let's play the music!
PS: there's a small software for window 9x (not working with XP) which allow you to export sample directly from your computer to your ESI32 by floppy or directly through SCSI connection. It's called ESI-WIN (find on the internet)
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Product: Emu - ESI-32
Name: gido
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 18-Mar-04
Yep guys,
I am calling for help from germany. Yes, sorry for this, but I have to do this way, 'cause I've problems with ESI-WIN. I'm working on Windows 98/2, but when I create a CD Image file, there is no chance for me to put .wav in it. This means, that I have no chance to burn this image (empty thing, makes no sense) on CD-ROM to put this suck in my SCSI-CD-ROM, connected with my ESI-32. Yes, I also created an EMPTY BANK, but this doesn't work, either. What can I do? Only thing, without connecting ESI-SCSC directly to the computer, I can do is making a floppy, okay, but this is bullshit'n'slow, you know.
Please help me!
Guido
adamski@gmx.de
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Product: Emu - ESI-32
Name: John
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 18-Jun-07
I've had the Esi-32 since 1995. Paid $1200 for it back then. Added scsi, 32 megs, the s/pdif option. I never upgraded the OS to 3.02. I still have 2.1. One thing with my esi-32, was that the left stereo out always played alittle louder than the right. Besides that, I love it. I still use the esi today, even though there are apps like Reason and Ableton Live. It's really easy to use and it's really fast to sample and play. Use it most to turn sequenced beats into sample loops, sampled usually at 22k, which I find to be warmer than 44.1k. Then adjust the VCF Q and cutoff, then put the pitch wheel of the keyboard to control the VCF cutoff and have fun! I use a zip drive to save everything.
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Product: Emu - ESI-32
Name: leomendez
Email: Email supplied but hidden
no
Activity: part-timer
Date: 01-Apr-09
necesito conseguir un tutorial o un manual en español para poder entender algunas cosas .
alguien sabe de algun sitio?,saludos !!
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Product: Emu - ESI-32
Name: Trevor Vichas
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 01-Aug-11
I have esi-32 and i am looking for two 3.0 os chips.
Please contact me if you have some some. trevor.vichas@gmail.com
-t
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Product: Emu - ESI-32
Name: jorge ignacio
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 13-Apr-12
Hi I have an e-mu esi 32 sampler in excellent conditions and Im willing to sell it in a great cheap price, it also has a cd-rom player and like 11 hard to find cd-roms with excellent sounds from classical, world to electronic & vintage sounds etc. and it also has a scsi cable and midi cable for free. Well if anyone is interested my email is : jorgearpadeaura@hotmail.com thanks!
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Last added comment
Product: Emu - ESI-32
Name: adrian
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 10-Jun-15
Don't waste your time with this piece of of **** Get an akai s-series instead, then thank me later!
Workflow I'd score a 0 out of 10 alone. Sound is a solid 8 out of 10 but you'll be puzzled what to do for 10 minutes after sampling how to actually put the sample into place nevermind hearing it back!
I wouldn't buy one if it was £0
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'Emu ESI-32'
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Total stars: 82 | Total votes: 22
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