Reprinted with Permission from Keyboard Magazine December 1989

E-mu EMAX II
16 - BIT SAMPLER
By Jim Aikin

FOR THE TYPICAL MUSICIAN, other compromises. Some digital to make a really smooth, clean
the big news about the Emax II filters are static - that is, the filter sound. The digital filters on the
isn’t really the dig ital filtering chip. cutoff can be controlled from Yamaha TX16W were the only
The big news is that at $3,495, this velocity but will remain at the same ones we can think of offhand that
16-bit sampler provides both level throughout the note. Some had resonance (also known as Q),
stunning sound and a very digital filters are dynamic but not and they didn’t sound anywhere
attractive alternative to higher- real-time - that is, you can program near this good. Before you can
priced rack units like the Akai a filter sweep from an envelope or filter anything, you need an
S1000 and Dynacord ADS. Only LFO, but the sampler has to oscillator, right? The Emax II starts
the technologically minded are calculate it and store the result in out with the same oscillator chip
likely to zoom in on the fact that the memory before you can hear it. used in the E-mu Proteus (see
Emax II represents a real (This type of filtering can also be Keyboard Report, Aug. ‘89). This
breakthrough in circuit design. 16-bit gizmo not only sounds great
While the box is black rather than Emax II but also has the unprecedented
gray, the front panel is virtually ability to shift samples either up or
identical to the one on the original Description: Sixteen-bit sampler/ down through five octaves without
Emax, as is the operating system. synthesizer with built-in sequencer. Introducing horrible artifacts into
But the II is far more than another the tone. At the output of this has
update to an often-updated Memory: 1Mb or 4Mb (shared by been added a filter chip that
sound data and sequences),
instrument. (Our original Keyboard expandable to 7 or 8Mb in 2Mb handles 32 channels of sound at
Report on the Emax appeared in blocks. Up to 100 presets. once, allows for smooth
January ‘87; the hard disk update modulation (not granular stepped
Features: Dynamic digital filters
was reviewed in Nov. ‘87 and the with Q, 16 two-oscillator stereo garbage), and has real, beefy,
SE synth functions option in the voices, dynamic voice allocation, analog-sounding resonance.
May ‘88 issue.) The sound- velocity and positional cross-fades When we heard it, our jaws
generating section is completely and cross-switches. Additive and dropped. Not that you need swept
wave interpolation synthesis
new, there are twice as many functions, arpeggiator, MIDI data resonant filtering every day of the
voices, and a number of subtle but analyzer, reconfigurable modulation week, but a pinch of resonance,
vital features have been added. inputs, disk-handling utilities. Can even without enveloping, definitely
read Emax presets from disk. adds personality to many sounds,
Digital Filtering. The digital filter Interfacing: 3.5” floppy drive. Eight especially in combination with the
on the Emax II won’t necessarily 1/4” audio Outs plus mono mix out. richness of the Emax Il’s two-voice
sound to the uninitiated like a Stereo headphone out. Sample in, chorusing (detuning). Filter
breakthrough. The reason: It clock in and out, footpedal and two tracking of the keyboard can be
footswitch ins (all 1/4”). SCSI and
sounds more or less exactly the computer ports. MIDI in and from 0 to 1 .87 (greater than unity).
way analog low pass filtering switchable out./thru.
sounded 15 years ago, complete Other New Features. Like the
Suggested Retail Price:
with resonance and envelope $3,495.00 with 1Mb internal RAM; Proteus, the Emax II has both
sweeps. Ah, but this is digital $6,495.00 with 4Mb internal RAM main stereo outputs and stereo
filtering. When the sound of an and 40Mb internal hard disk; sub-outs that can double as
instrument starts out digital (as is $1,195.00 for memory expansion effects send/returns if you use
board (required for expansion from
the case on almost all of today’s 1 Mb) plus 2Mb RAM; $995.00 quarter-inch stereo plugs. (The
instruments) and is then converted each for 2Mb blocks. Proteus only has four sub outs, but
to analog for filtering, noise is the Emax has six, for a total of
added. Analog filtering also adds to Contact: Emu Systems, 1600 eight outputs in all.) These returns
Green Hills Rd., Scotts Valley, CA
the expense of the instrument, 95066. (408)438-1921. allow you to use the effects
since a separate filter is needed for devices of your choice and still
each voice. So an all-digital signal performed by some sample editing plug only a stereo output from the
path is desirable. Up to now, software.) The digital filters on some [max into the board, or, if you
though, digital filtering has involved instruments are real-time dynamic, prefer, assign up to eight sounds
but the processor isn’t fast enough

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Reprinted with Permission from Keyboard Magazine December 1989

to individual outputs. The outputs For those with mondo storage available for the Emax II, so
are dynamically allocated. needs, the II has a SCSI port that there’s no shortage of high-quality
will allow it to access up to seven (!) sounds.
The Emax II has 16 voices outboard drives, including E-mu’s
compared to the eight on the own HD300 and RM45 hard drives. The Emax II will read original [max
original [max. As on the original It’s even compatible with the new disks - not just the sound data, the
[max, these are two-oscillator 600-Meg Sony and Ricoh read/write way the S1000 reads S900 disks,
voices - sort of. That is, if you optical drives. The disk operating but all of the data that makes up
assign separate sounds to the system provides a number of new the presets. The sounds are
primary and secondary layer, the utilities for taking advantage of the interpolated up to 16-bit form
polyphony will be cut in half. (For storage devices, including user- (though this won’t clean up any
those who insist on 100% technical configurable backup routines. existing noise in the files) and can
accuracy, this is true unless the be stored in Emax II format. We
sounds are given the same While its sound data is in 16-bit found that percussion presets
keyboard range and the preset is linear form, the Emax II has 18-bit sounded slightly punchier but not
put in stereo mode. In the latter DAC’s, which allow multiple voices as crisp on the original [max,
case, you get full polyphony.) to play back without clipping. That’s presumably because of the analog
Stereo chorusing on the original not unusual these days. (The filters. The cutoff frequencies also
unit also reduced the polyphony, Dynacord ADS, for example, has seemed to be slightly lower on the
but on the new one the full 16 20-bit DAC's.) What’s unusual is the II. When high-pitched sounds were
voices are retained. (Chorus depth user adjustable headroom control (0 being transposed down by several
is also programmable, which it - 15dB), which allows you to keep octaves, the II sounded much,
wasn’t before.) Finally, the two more headroom if you’re going to be much, much better than the older
oscillators can be used on the playing dense passages or reduce it unit when playing an identical
Emax II to produce a true phase- for recording solo lines with the best sound file.
coherent stereo image without signal-to-noise.
reducing the polyphony. You’ll Oh, yeah, and one more thing:
have to port stereo samples over The SE synthesis section, LCD contrast can now be
from your favorite sample editing previously avail able as an option, adjusted. (Thank kew veddy
software, however, as the Emax II comes standard with the Emax II, much.)
still has only a mono sampling and we’re told that the faster
input. This is a definite bummer, processor in the new instrument Old Features. The Emax has the
but we’ve heard rumors that stereo means that these time-consuming usual selection of sample-editing
sampling may be made available number-crunching routines run twice utilities. It also has a very nice little
as an optional upgrade, so if this as fast as before. SE synthesis modulation routing scheme that
feature is important to you, call E- includes additive, interpolation, and lets you reconfigure the wheels,
mu and let them know. wave form-processing algorithms. If foot pedals, and incoming MIDI
you’re willing to devote the time to it, controllers to perform the chores
Two models of the Emax II are this resource could give your music of your choice (filter modulation
being shipped. The first has 1 some unique and beautiful sounds. from the pitch wheel, for example).
megabyte of RAM, while the Separate configurations can be
second has 4 Meg RAM and a 40 The sound banks shipped with the stored in each preset. Cross
Meg hard disk, with a price tag to Emax II are thoroughly impressive. fading and cross switching from
match ($6,495). Memory is The Pop Composer bank contains a velocity and key position are
expandable to 7 Meg for the basic wide selection of usable sounds, supported. It has velocity curves, a
unit and to 8 Meg for the turbo. including percussion, basses, and MIDI data analyzer, and an
Frankly, we don’t think 1 Meg is organ, and the wonderful Bombay arpeggiator. And hard-disk loading
enough for a 16-bit machine - and Band bank includes sitar, a variety can be automated over MIDI.
since most people will probably of tabla hits, and several other
want more memory, the $1,195 Indian instruments. Ten 4-Meg Old Non-Features. As with any
price tag for the upgrade from 1 banks are included on the hard disk other tech-no-miracle since the
Meg to 3 Meg brings the real price in the turbo model, and a selection invention of the wheel, the Emax II
of the unit up to $4,690, which is from among this material is included walks a careful line between hot
not horse feathers. on a set of 12 floppies if you buy the new selling points and cost-
basic model. E-mu is making the conscious corner shaving. The
entire Emulator Three sound library good news for those who are

 Keyboard Magazine 1989 This document created by The Emulator Archive July 2000 Page 2 of 4
Reprinted with Permission from Keyboard Magazine December 1989

already familiar with the [max is but we do think there’s room for been the Volkswagen of the E-mu
that there’s almost nothing new to improvement here. product line, has emerged from its
learn in the Emax II, except for the chrysalis (don’t you love mixed
voice output assignments and the Conclusions. The crystal clarity of metaphors?) as the Mercedes. If
disk utilities. (So the tips in our the sounds on the Emax II gave us you’re looking for a pro-level
Feb. ‘89 Emax programming clinic a nearly ungovernable case of sampler, take it out for a test drive.
are still valid.) The bad news is that Hardware Lust. True, it’s not a
certain aspects of the Emax that cheap instrument - especially when
weren’t exactly state-of-the-art two loaded with RAM - but those
years ago haven’t been updated. multiple outputs make it so flexible
that you could easily justify the cost
The sequencer should be thought of the extra RAM as eliminating the Pros & Cons
of solely as (a) a scratchpad and purchase of another synth. Or two. If
Pros: 16-bit sound, dynamic
(b) a way to carry sequences, you’re willing to tote around an digital filtering, dynamic voice
downloaded from a real sequencer, external hard drive, you can allocation to multiple outputs,
to your gigs. It doesn’t even have probably save $700 to $1,000 by get optional internal hard disk.
punch-in or quantization. The LEO ting the basic unit and expanding it
has only one waveform (triangle). rather than buying the turbo model. Cons: Very limited sequencer,
The keyboard isn’t pressure- While we would have liked to see no pressure sensing on
keyboard, limited memory on
sensitive, although channel some of the old limitations of the basic stock unit, small LCD.
pressure can be received over [max overcome on the new unit, our
MIDI. The instrument is functional one big complaint is that it really
but certainly not inspiring as a MIDI ought to be able to sample in stereo.
master keyboard. And the 32- Balanced against this are the SE
character LCD is not the largest synthesis section and the wonderful
we’ve ever seen. We’re not going digital filtering, neither of which is
to belabor E-mu about the head offered by the competition. In sum,
and shoulders with a whiffle-bat, the Emax, which up to now has

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Reprinted with Permission from Keyboard Magazine December 1989

E-MU SYSTEMS EMAX II : AUDIO SPECIFICATION TESTS

By Michael Marans

The original version of the Emax contained a VLSI chip called the E-chip that
was capable of driving eight voice channels with 12-bit resolution. At the heart
of two of [-mu’s current products, the Proteus and our test subject, the Emax
II, lies the 16-bit G chip, a sliver of silicon that serves as the basic sound
generating mechanism for 32 voice channels. The instrument’s analog filter
section has been replaced by digital filters courtesy of the H chip. Judging
from the Emax II test results, we can safely presume that as long as E-mu
continues to work their way through the alphabet, each generation of
samplers they manufacture will continue to advance the state of the art.

Frequency Response. The Emax Il’s input-plus-output response curve is relatively flat up to 16kHz. The
response then drops sharply to 17kHz, where the signal level is 6dBV below the level measured at 1 kHz. The
output stage-only curve is nearly identical except that the drop off is much more gentle, extending all the way to
19kHz before the -6dBV level is reached. There are small deviations (±1 dBV) in the 2.5kHz-to-12kHz range, but
these shouldn’t prove to be significant in musical applications. The Emax II
ranks fourth in over all frequency response in our ongoing series of tests
behind the Dynacord ADS, the Akai S1000, and E-mu’s own Emulator
Three.

Dynamic Range. The Emax II boasts

residual noise characteristics that are
below -100dBV, beating our previous
first place winner, the Dynacord ADS.
The Emax II places third in the
quiescent noise category, just behind
Frequency response: Input-plus-output
the ADS and the S1000.
(gray), output stage (black).

 Keyboard Magazine 1989 This document created by The Emulator Archive July 2000 Page 4 of 4