E-mu Emulator III (1987)
The E-mu Emulator III was E-mu's flagship professional sampler, released in 1987 as the successor to the Emulator II. It sat above the Emax in the company's lineup. EQ magazine (May 1994, p.90) noted that it shipped standard with 8 MB of RAM and an option for maximum expansion to 32 MB. It was a big step up from its predecessor: a 16-bit linear sampler running at 44.1 kHz, with 16-voice polyphony and 16-part multitimbrality. Mix magazine (July 1990, p.54) described it as a complete, affordable digital sound factory - a 16-bit audio computer with an SMPTE-based event sequencer that could record, edit, and produce music and sound effects without the drawn-out, expensive routines that had previously dominated studio production.
The standard configuration shipped with 8 MB of RAM (expandable to 32 MB via SIMMs), a 76-key velocity-sensitive keyboard, and a 2-line by 40-character LCD. Storage came via a 3.5" floppy drive and an internal 40 MB SCSI hard drive, with a SCSI port for external drives. The rear panel offered eight individual audio outputs plus a stereo main pair, each output with its own dedicated DAC. It also had AES/EBU and SPDIF digital outputs, MIDI in/out/thru, and a stereo analog input. Signal-to-noise was rated above 90 dB, with total harmonic distortion under 0.001%. There were no built-in effects. Processing was done on a host computer connected via SCSI.
The original list price was around $7,000-$8,000 depending on the source. That was a serious investment, aimed at studios and film/TV composers. Period reviews compared it directly to the Akai S900 and Ensoniq Mirage, and later competitors included the Akai S1000 and Ensoniq EPS. The resonant filter was noted as musical and smooth, not as harsh as some digital filters of the era. The keyboard action was described as a bit stiff but playable.
Today, the Emulator III is a mixed bag for collectors. The sound holds up, punchy on drums with a solid low end. But the original 40 MB hard drive is the number-one failure point, and the lithium backup battery needs periodic replacement before it corrodes the board. The internal fan is audible in a quiet studio, and the menu-based OS takes time to learn. Working units with original drives have sold around $1,200. Upgraded units with SCSI2SD and 32 MB RAM have gone for $1,500-$1,600. Parts are no longer available from E-mu, but SCSI2SD replacements are the de facto standard fix.
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