Akai S20 (1997)

Compact stereo phrase sampler for DJs and home studios, with resampling, beat looping, and floppy-based storage.

Overview

The Akai S20 is a stereo phrase sampler produced in 1997. It is a repackaged hybrid of the mono Akai S01 with added features from the Akai Remix16 DJ sampler. Akai positioned it as an affordable, good-quality budget sampler for DJs and home project studios. It has a 16-pad interface, a real-time sequencer with 30,000-note capacity across four tracks, and a built-in 3.5-inch high-density floppy disk drive for sample and sequence storage. It supports resampling and has easy loop functions: Beat, Sample Tempo, New Tempo, and Master Tempo. These allow tempo-matched playback across loops.

Specifications

Polyphony	8 voices
Bit Depth	16-bit linear encoding
Channels	Stereo
Standard RAM	1MB
Expandable RAM	Accepts 4MB or 16MB 72-pin SIMM
Maximum RAM (installed)	17MB
Sampling Time (standard RAM, mono, 32kHz)	14 seconds
Sampling Time (max RAM, stereo, 32kHz)	131 seconds
Sampling Time (max RAM, mono, 4kHz)	over 17 minutes
Sample Rates	4kHz, 8kHz, 16kHz, 32kHz
Sample Banks	16 (each contains one sample and a VCA)
Effects	None
LFO	None
VCF	None
VCA	Level and release controllable
ADC	4th order delta/sigma 64x oversampling
DAC	4th order delta/sigma 64x, 8x interpolation filter
Sequencer Capacity	30,000 notes across four tracks
Keyboard	16 pads (not velocity sensitive)
MIDI	16 channels, 2x IN, 1x OUT/THRU
Onboard Storage	3.5 inch high density floppy disk drive
Inputs	2 x RCA pin jack (line-level)
Outputs	2 x RCA pin jack
Headphone Output	1 x 1/4 inch stereo phone jack
Power Supply	12V DC unit
Dimensions W x H x D	300 x 86.9 (108 max.) x 323.9 (329.5 max.) mm
Weight	6.0 kg
Original UK Price (1997)	£499

Design

The Akai S20 uses an edit matrix interface with two rows of LEDs, printed columns, four cursor buttons, a large 4-digit display, and +/- buttons for parameter entry. Front panel controls are Rec, Erase, Hold/Loop, Stop, All Stop, Reverse, Seq, Edit, a large Tap button, and 16 Bank buttons. The stereo I/O is on RCA jacks. There is a 72-pin SIMM slot for memory expansion, and the floppy drive's data cable is soldered directly to the board. The Beat Loop function matches loops of different BPMs by adjusting playback speed, and it calculates BPM automatically, with beat count ranging from 1 to 64. Master Tempo shifts the tempo of all loops while keeping them synchronized.

Context

The S20 was based on the table-top Akai S01 but added stereo I/O, greater memory expansion, and a sequencer. It shares design elements with the closely related Akai Remix16. Marketed as a budget sampler in 1997, it offered excellent value for DJs and home studio users who wanted an easy-to-use, portable sampler.

Market

The Akai S20 had a historical market price between 2004-2008 of under $120, sometimes around $80. Common issues are floppy disk errors ("ERRD") and the power transformer overheating when the unit is left plugged in. The service manual is difficult to find, and the unit has no SCSI port.

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