Emu SP1200 vs the Rossum Sound Comparison Shoot Out

In this clip, the original Emu SP1200 from 1987 is put against the 2020 Rossum SP1200. So which would you choose?! See them in the 'sonic shooutout' and decide for yourself!
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Technical details of 'captures'
I used only Mogami Gold 1/4" cables for this demonstration. Both Samplers are 12bit,, which means any one of 4,096 values are available for their converters to choose from.. 26,040 times per second, otherwise referred to as 26.04kHz (the Sample rate).
I used an RME Fireface interface set to 24bit (which means any one of 16,777,216 values are available for the RME converter to choose from) at 48,000 times per second, also referred to as 48kHz (the Sample rate).
The signals were pushed to, what I refer to as the 'humanly-accessible ceiling' of what each Sampler could accept before 'clipping' (aka distorting). Doing this, reaches into an optimum amount of 'Bit depth', thus.. making the most of the available dynamic range from both.
it should be stated, that this is by no way a measure of the actual analog to digital converters.. but rather, a measure of 2 independent devices that share some aspects of various hardware.
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Index:
0:00 Introduction
4:09 Round 1
17:00 Round 2
29:58 Round 3
40:43 Round 4
51:19 Bonus Round
#sp1200 #sound #comparison

[@thadirtyabbott33]

Thanks for taking the time to do this. They both sound amazing..! You really do it right Tonelab!👍🏾

[@tonelab]

Thanks, hopefully peeps can use them to decide what kind of 'sound' they want out of their next Sampler🙏🏻

[@MadCandor]

Listening to this video without being able to watch it.. you can only tell such a small difference in volume, and maybe a little bit of low end information. I couldn’t tell which one was which until I looked. Thanks for taking the time to put this video together.

[@river718]

Any chance of you doing a Rossum SP-1200 vs. Isla Instruments S2400 comparison?

[@davislewislove1314]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZO5na2Cr8-ZptE

[@project-95]

That would be a great comparison

[@SamplingPercussion]

Why? That would be super retarded. The Isla 2400 is a 24-bit native machine with a “12-bit mode”. It doesn’t have a 12-bit DAC. Then they release a 24-bit effects card for it lol. Good marketing though. Hard pass.

[@pierrenic.7682]

@@project-95 no need. Its very différent. Not thé same purpose. Isla Is more a modern normal Sound. SP are oldies with a path audio , analog filtres, eighties 12 bit Converters

[@bradfordmay]

Sounds amazing!

[@tonelab]

Download 'Ready-to-Play' Kits for SP1200, MPC & ASR now from TONELAB tonelab.merchi.co/products Comprehensive deep-dive tutorial to suit both Emu & Rossum SP1200 👉🏼kzbin.info/www/bejne/nHvPnYCfi9Z_abc

[@iknNR]

Thank you @tonelab, you da man!

[@tonelab]

🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@shawndiggz8904]

They both sound great! I wished I could afford either one.

[@ytb917]

great demo.

[@user-kb2gv8vf3z]

I really would like to hear a sound comparing with a sampled record at 45 rpm than tuned down...like we used to do it in the 90s and that wasn't only to save memory, the sound was there, tuned down..

[@autoy]

I feel there's a slight bump in the low end on the Rossum but that's about it. The difference is so tiny it's negligible. Aliasing, behaviour, dynamics are all the same in both machines. Extremely faithful recreation.

[@politefilters5312]

For the 808, when sampling, was the pattern sampled separately into each unit? If so, the analog nature of the 808 could explain some of the variables people are hearing.

[@Chicle777]

"This exercise isn´t that difference to wine tasting" Amen

[@piynubbunyip]

how about a phase flip to see what nulls?

[@Cody404_]

the og seems to have less obvious bit crushing going on, and a tad less presence? the rossum seems to carry more low end and have a stronger presence, id never say it sounds bad, but when side by side with the og id say it sounds like its trying really hard to be the OG and does that basically perfectly.

[@HarrySteed]

The BassDrum 808 in the outputs 1 section is open on the Emu1200 and closed on the Rossum1200 (muffled) Bank C/D Pads 3/6/7/8. SSM2044 definitely different but negligible depending on the style of music!

[@leibweiss]

10:47 I like the both I have the one from 1987🔥

[@billB101]

How about sequencer comparisons. Like, the same kick snare hat pattern running on both machines?

[@frankjamesbonarrigo7162]

Totally same code.

[@bradylasserre9320]

The difference is real apparent on drums. Especially when played back at an incredibly low pitch. The original digitally aliases much more. Other than that, they're identical. I cant tell the difference in a blind shoot out.

[@jasoncaldwell0613]

Busting out the dx7 og 808 and model D. Lol now you are just showing off.

[@1234bcadlog]

any chance of a sp2400 vs 1200 swing and sound comparison? not too convinced on 2400 being the same

[@tonelab]

Only problem is I don't have a 2400, but.. if someone loans me one, sure! 👍🏼

[@fighttheempire]

Do you hae any plans to do a Rossum 1200 V Isla 2400?

[@tonelab]

Well, I don't own one.. but, I'd make time in my schedule to do it.. if someone (local to me) was kind enough to part with theirs for a day 🙏🏻

[@Ishamel88]

Sounds the Same to Me

[@Bagheera_Smoov]

I definitely hear a difference. The E-mu introduces more static noise. It was especially noticeable when you played sounds from the TR-808. And then when you played a bass note from the Moog, specifically when you played the note down a step, it sounded just a bit more crunchier on the E-mu. Maybe that can be argued, but the static noise it introduces cannot. It’s still an amazing sampler and one the best ever. Also, I heard noise coming from the Rossum as well, but just not as much as the E-mu. Peace

[@asiwas]

Any chance you could a tutorial on how move your floppy beats from the old SP to the Rossum SP?

[@tonelab]

Yep, already done 👍🏼 kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmPXaY2qdsyYqqcfeature=shared

[@asiwas]

@@tonelab can you transfer with only the use of the floppies?

[@tonelab]

Do you have Floppy Disks or a Floppy Emulator?

[@asiwas]

@@tonelab THanks so much for the reply. I have the disks. Was hoping there was another way to get those beats into the new SP when it arrives the end of May/June.

[@tonelab]

Oh I see, yeah well.. if you have the 3.5" Disks.. you could source a Windows PC, with 3.5" Disk Drive.. and use OmniFlop to convert your SP Disks to Image Files. The Rossum can load image files of that nature 🙏🏻

[@Chicle777]

Could you please do a RX1200 vs Rossum comparison?

[@NachtSchreck13]

The RX1200 is a software emulation of the SP1200. It's a toy. There is no comparison. You cannot get the sound of a vintage hardware sampler with software. Sorry. It's IMPOSSIBLE. It's just like the plug-in emulations of analog synthesizers. You cannot get the sound of a Jupiter 8 with a plug-in, even if the GUI looks the same and the developers say it's indistinguishable. Every component of the SP1200, or any 12-bit or 16-bit hardware sampler for that matter, affects the sound. Every transistor, every capacitor, every opamp, etc.

[@Chicle777]

@@NachtSchreck13 Perfect! If the real hardware is so superior as you describe it, it should outmatch the vst any day. Let´s see that comparison. The RX has superior features like stereo playback (optional), adjustable gain distortion, separate decay and pitch but most importantly infinite sample length and faster workflow. The output of either software or hardware is what is important in the end so no matter how many transistors or hardware woo their is, it should still be comparable.

[@leewightman8619]

They both sound amazing but all have to give it to the em u the rossem does sound a like it has more low tones but tbh if u had to em us they would probably sound different from each other

[@SPOD_ZONE]

When my Rossum gets fixed, I wanna do a similar thing between it and my SP12 as I swear the 12 sounds beefier.

[@CutThroat_Kid]

What happened to your Rossum? Shits brand new..

[@SPOD_ZONE]

@@CutThroat_Kid Yeah bit of bad luck. The 2nd pad started triggering the start stop, but they organised a tech and shipping in Australia so it should be all good soon.

[@CutThroat_Kid]

@@SPOD_ZONE What? Haha thats a weird one. Guess it wouldn’t be be a classic drum machine without some classic buggin! Cool they came through with the customer service though!

[@CutThroat_Kid]

@@SPOD_ZONE damn ever since reading this comment I’ve heard of two more Rossum units having problems. Makes me skeptical to cop one… 😓

[@nicholausbernardini20]

The 12 is beefier At least the turbo is anyway, It’s noticeably rounder/punchier/beefier however you wanna describe it, than the og 1200 the reissue and the rossum.

[@frankjamesbonarrigo7162]

Are u using unbalanced cables on the Rossum?

[@tonelab]

No, all the outputs on the Rossum are balanced

[@frankjamesbonarrigo7162]

@@tonelab the paper that comes with the Rossum says "To duplicate the original sp-1200 sound, use unbalanced TS cables"

[@tonelab]

Correct.

[@leibweiss]

0:26 i have the SP-1200 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@socialnarcotics1147]

The OG has a layer of dust sprinkled on top of the sound

[@197979jones]

Guess you own an OG

[@NachtSchreck13]

​​@@197979joneshaha yeah right. 👍 you always have these tools in the comments talking up whatever piece of gear they personally own, trying to convince themselves that it's the BEST and has some special quality that can't be replicated. Some other goofball in these comments is trying to say the SP12 is "beefier," whatever that means. These machines sound virtually IDENTICAL. Any slight variation could be due to the age of the components in the original - no 2 original SP's will sound identical at this point. The new SP is SPOT ON

[@197979jones]

@@NachtSchreck13 You missed my sarcasm there! I actually own the Rossum.

[@frankjamesbonarrigo7162]

The 1200 is unbalanced. The Rossum has balanced outs , so you need to use ts cables on the Rossum to compare

[@socialnarcotics1147]

@@NachtSchreck13 ​I don't own either but the OG clearly has a slightly different characteristic that gives it more noise. Maybe get better headphones​

[@yackman4368]

32:33 lol Roygbiv by Boards of Canada

[@SaintThomas13]

Lol, they are the same exact machine if you ask me

[@Urbek077]

I would've thought they'd sound the same but they don't if anything the rossum seems louder. of course I'm listening on laptop speakers like a pro, but still

[@duart310]

Rossum is noticeably louder

[@river718]

The Emu is grainier but the Rossum is very close.

[@NachtSchreck13]

Bullcr4p. They are virtually identical. Close your eyes and listen.

[@SamplingPercussion]

@@NachtSchreck13 They are different. The character of the aliasing of the grey boy is darker. The Rossum aliasing is pitched higher and not as pronounced. They are 98% the same. The advantages that the Rossum has makes it equal or better than the OG.

[@smiauu]

maschine or mpc sp1200 emulation vs the real deal

[@tonelab]

Here’s the Akai MPC X versus Emu SP1200 Sonic Shoot Out kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5DWmqmjnalln5I

[@ernieg]

You Mean 1991 sp1200

[@tonelab]

How so?

[@Dewane1511]

First !

[@c-f-productionscom]

It's a good sampler but for the price I would only pay about $1500 for it because you have other companies with dope samplers.