Primtive World's E-mu SP-1200 sampler - Gear Guide

The E-mu SP-1200 is one of the most iconic samplers in the history of electronic music.
A staple of hip-hop production during the 1980s, it's still coveted by modern artists like Kanye West for its unique sound, hands-on controls and ability to create an entire track using just one box. The Akai MPC is more widely know, but the SP-1200 is the connoisseur's choice.
The sampler is also beloved of Sam Willis, a techno producer best known as R&S Records artist Primitive World. Willis impressed us so much with his SP-1200-centric Against The Clock session that we asked him to take us inside the machine to find out what makes it tick.
Check out his video tour below along with close-up shots of the machine, and download an exclusive sample pack made by Willis with SP-1200 sounds.
www.factmag.com/2016/01/29/pri...
Sample Pack: www.primitiveworld.net/
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[@sp1200fanatic]

Good to see producers from other musical genres rocking on the SP.

[@_fig.8]

samplers are time machines. limitations give character. inspired!

[@deanlee7556]

A classic sampler,this thing forces you to be creative.Some of the greatest hiphop has been made on this sampler.

[@gorillabraudcast474]

I got mine for 400bucks in 2002.. every one was all about mpc and I remember people saying I wasted my money!! Now look !!

[@deepsocietygaming9915]

Still got it?

[@gorillabraudcast474]

@@deepsocietygaming9915 yep! It's the center piece of my setup. Years ago I got a electrical engineering degree for the sole purpose of being able to fix and modify vintage samplers! I got my sp1200 with expanded memory... a crushing 20 seconds total!!!! It was project for the class and funny thing is I failed because we were supposed to make something from scratch not improve existing equipment.. I should have just built a custom outer shell so it looked liked the whole thing was built by me

[@deepsocietygaming9915]

Thats fucking amazing man. I think the 10seconds are nice and a challenge, but double the time must be perfect for that machine. How is it done? You have now 5 secs for every bank? And where did you get the chips for that? Is it hard to do? Congrats on that project :)@@gorillabraudcast474

[@gorillabraudcast474]

@@deepsocietygaming9915 no unfortunately that would have taken different parts and alot more time.. I still have to chop longer samples but I can easily fill all the banks and for some reason the added time doesn't register with the main board. It still says 10 seconds but when I hit 10 it just lets me keep going... I'm pretty sure for this to show I would need someone to build a custom board an os

[@intnrmri]

Gorilla Braudcast this is basically the boldest claim regarding the SP. you better post a video of your SP having 20 seconds or it didn't happen :)

[@rcecil88]

His track for against the clock was great!

[@eratic0311]

Can’t wait for the SP2400 to come out

[@BillyBatsonMarvel]

And come out it did in 2021.

[@SamplingPercussion]

24-bit poser product. No 12-bit DAC in the unit. Fail.

[@amontri3246]

his intro about the sp1200 is exactly right on point extremely fun to use, very warm and fat

[@arkhitektz3150]

i dont know what all of yous are talking about...its not "fun" to use AT ALL.its a fuckin royal pain in the ass.cumbersome as all fuck.i got to use it for a few weeks in 2001 (coming from the mpc3000) and it was very frustrating ....nothing beats its sound tho (that i agree on 100%) .best in the business bar none

[@MK-vi2cm]

@@arkhitektz3150 skill issue

[@michaels8597]

nice...best examples and tutorial about this monster...

[@digitalsketchguy]

Liam Howlett - The Prodigy - used the SP-1200 on Firestarter.

[@ashfaq1999]

Legendary drum sampling machine. But very expensive to get one today.

[@adamharris7775]

The E-mu SP-1200 was heard in the 1987 The Vaselines version of the 1984 song "You Think You're a Man".

[@michaschertenleib2500]

i love the sp 1200

[@DJROCKCEEENTERTAINMENT]

The Emu 1200 is a Great sampler !!!!! But I’m still a Akai MPC 3000 fan for life !!!!!

[@RadiumAudioLtd]

1200 + S950 Combo but also MPC 3000 is essential

[@googledriver8795]

Different kettle of fish tho...

[@leibweiss]

I love mine!!!!!

[@alanladdseinekatze859]

Everything said so, so true. I myself sadly never had the pleasure using this, since I used MPCs, but the limitations of the SPs and MPCs are similar, same with the sample based concept. With DAWs and plug-ins the focus on the fundamentals is almost lost completely, so you have to constantly force yourself to keep the needed focus. This here shown philosophy of reduction seems the right one for me. Seems no way around giving rebirth to my beloved original, full blown MPC 2000. By the way: Is that a Freestyle Shark watch being worn? If so, I feel real sync of mind here...

[@borrisrichards7454]

The great machine of all time

[@raidernationfullmoonrecord9516]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@vinylselektaz6475]

Do this come with stock 808s?

[@kylebrown5718]

but after my scathing an cold critique, I still think his logic as far as his preference for vintage hardware is dope

[@obey_is_not_my_thing]

let him do against the clock !!!

[@asura6733]

reaching down for those 500 series modules though.....

[@RadiumAudioLtd]

I was gonna ask Sam about that .. personally .. hate equipment on floor level... no access = no use

[@rosspalumbo]

I love it - 1:09 - "Go for an 808 kick" > Nothing like an 808 kick because the SP mangles everything so much.

[@EARART]

buying one this year for my bday

[@RadiumAudioLtd]

Did you get it yet?

[@nanoloopbandit]

EAR ART please buy me one while you’re at it. I can mail you the address to ship to😊

[@MikeBaas]

Hey yo, spell his alias right in your description!

[@angelreed2276]

Wish someone would reissue it with all of the old effects and limitations.

[@someweirddude64]

www.islainstruments.com/product/sp-2400/

[@Metamophisis]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqvXY36Eqdh8Y9U

[@woabeatz9717]

House music.....nice

[@utydvh]

this guy mean with it haha

[@LAMEHERC1]

When I was young and impressionable I was like omg it’s not hip hop unless it’s on an sp 1200. Now I’m like that shit is stupid, just use your damn computer

[@JohnB.123]

*cue prices skyrocketing*

[@Lynnaverym]

these things are already a few thousand a piece. I think the price wall is probably stable as it is lol

[@BillyBatsonMarvel]

@Lynn Murphy 4yrs later and the price is still going North.

[@angryredsquirrelyoufreakin1496]

"In the history of Electronic music"? Hip Hop?

[@Saur-One]

Don't you know nothing about 80s hip-hop? For example Africa Bambaataa...?

[@midinerd]

hip hop is electronic as fuck. it's not like it came out in the 50's before that equipment existed.

[@turmulus9658]

so when's a reissue coming??? seems like they could make it smaller/cheaper and people would cream

[@jake5265]

+Turm Ulus look up the volca sample.

[@turmulus9658]

+Jake I guess I meant a clone, not a reissue. seems that some company could make a 12-bit sampler with indiv outs/big sliders/etc for hella cheaper than they could back when this was fresh. am I wrong?

[@jake5265]

Turm Ulus No you're right. If Roland can bring out a super cheap remake of the 7x7, 808 and 909 combined in the form of a Tr-8 then yes absolutely. Korg just brought out the Volva FM which is effectively a DX7. Seems the trend at the moment is for synths but if they did this well it would sell like hot cakes.

[@erickozak8246]

+Jake That is a mighty different machine. No analog filters firstly. The aliasing when pitching samples on the SP is critically different and gives it that ring mod sound (which you can hear on this clip on the 808 kick drum). Perhaps most importantly, the Volca doesn't sample in which is a huge component in the sound of the SP. Depending on how hot you hit the input it can drastically affect the tone of the sample.

[@turmulus9658]

+Eric Kozak I was so disappointed when I learned the volca sample had no a/d converter. those two big knobs would've been perfect for trimming samples. oh well. it had to be priced the same as the rest I guess :(

[@derrik-bosse]

Andy from the office

[@osi9567]

Type-o in the title, Primitive ...

[@bigmoneysteppa]

Gangster

[@fawkkyutuu8851]

TR-808 and Emu SP-1200's fame should be associated first and foremost with Hip-Hop.

[@BillyBatsonMarvel]

HIP HOP, FREESTYLE and H.O.U.S.E are sides of a three headed coin…

[@tattoo576]

id rather have use a DAW on an underpowered pc than limit myself with this antique

[@tattoo576]

i wasnt boasting about DAWs i was just noting how outdated this hardware is. im a hands-on guy myself

[@tattoo576]

also im not saying this machine is bad or that i wouldnt like to have one. i just think its practical use is very...novel?

[@tattoo576]

im sure i would like to play with it and i love the way it looks but... 10 seconds of memory? i just cant do it bruh

[@erickozak8246]

+Siccmade79 With the exception of perhaps the Emax, not really any old school sampler has the sound of the SP1200. You can get other lofi sampler (or variable samples like the Emax or or Akai S950) but they don't have the same ring modulated bump. This and the SP12 are very unique in character and in ease of use. I've owned a LOT of old school samplers... this is a unique beast.

[@SPAZZOID100]

youthful juice incorrect.

[@nanoloopbandit]

When I see the SP1200 I get aroused, sexually. It’s looks, it’s sound & it’s overall history drives me nuts!!!!

[@extraniceness]

👍😆👍

[@mvolle]

this video would have been alot better if he actually made a decent track. that was terrible

[@billyshears8270]

He says modern software can just never compete with the mouse. Very true... except modern software (well some modern software), easily allows you to hook up all sorts of boxes with buttons, control knobs, and more which are far superior to what the sp1200 can do. I'm an engineer and i know and won't be fooled. Also with properly written software, you can even do amazing things with just a mouse. Just because something is different doesn't always equal inferior. Now, if you want the exact same box, the same layout, the same 1200 and you are used to that, then I understand... but it's not accurate to pretend modern software can only be controlled by a mouse. Not true at all. If people think we are going backwards and in the future will all be sitting in front of only an sp1200 or nothing can be done, they are mistaken. That said, as a producer I've owned this and a lot of other pricey gear and much new software and the on screen interfaces (if done right - and that's key), can give more control, not less. So again, it's not about things needing to be clones. It's about being fair and giving credit where it's due. That said, I love the sp1200, or samplers with sounds and controllers or whatever I work with.

[@billyshears8270]

Just want to add.. I understand his "sterile" comment, and no disrespect, but it's like he's sort of living in the year 2003 or something. Or 2007. As of now, what can be done in the daw with the right plugins is anything but sterile or lifeless. What I think he means is he doesn't know how OR may just have gotten settled down and is comfortable with what he likes. And And neither did I know how to get these sounds at first in a daw, especially early on. You don't get things for free. You must work for them. It took me quite a while to learn some techniques and it's easy to get stuck in the past because having to relearn things all over again is a bitch, lol. But I fought for it, and wanted that old sound back again, and ways of mixing that sounded like it used to be, and after hard work I achieved it. Another culprit is anyone with the sp-1200 knows they sell well and once they have it, they like to ham it up and get people drooling and thinking they will never make music like it unless they fork out the cash for one. Not so. If someone out there can't make this work, or at least amazingly close, without an sp1200, they simply do not know what they are doing as those sounds (while beautiful) where easy to make. At least for me. Another thing is some of Emu's expensive sampling gear (note it's the same company), in the hands of someone experienced can quickly get all sorts of similar sounds, and then sounds that the sp1200 wishes it could make but can't. I'm not putting down the 1200. Just keeping it real. The newer emulator x3 for example has so many control surfaces, functions and more, pretty much anything can be done. However I find on youtube most people don't ever get into the amazing things possible Emulator X3. One function not even mentioned is Emu added a bit effect so you can even change the resolution from 16, 12, 10, 9 all the way down to 1 bit. Not that that's all that's needed but just that it has that plus oodles of other functions and pretty impressive.. yet again, so over looked. The one saving grace for this 1200 is it's simple, fun and I do get that. But to say it's this or nothing is pretty inaccurate.

[@PiMpMyCoMpUtEr]

wtf are you doing with this masterpiece, do fucking rap beat bro !

[@bayradionews415]

This guy said absolutely nothing

[@NachtSchreck13]

Blah blah blah I have a bunch of gear blah blah blah

[@NachtSchreck13]

Fuckin wanker

[@keridudouze6143]

am I the only one thinking his demo is awfull ?

[@Aquamethods]

Snare sounds terrible

[@G1Z]

12 BIT. Should've stopped right there.

[@MrDannyLaRusso]

My beats are way better than this guys...

[@ButtJolokia]

this is why real musicians crack on electronic artists

[@corneliuscorgi7011]

Butt Jolokia Oh shut the fuck up already with that "real musician" bullcrap!

[@georgieporgie1791]

I always find it funny when assholes say this shit. You think it's easy because he makes it look easy. You try it I'm sure you'll be cranking out hits right away.

[@BillyBatsonMarvel]

That comment worked in the 80’s. It’s A Brave New Musical World today.

[@PSICK1234ikillallracistrolls]

This is wack AF.

[@joebloggs4925]

The machine is mostly made of plastic it's like 80% plastic.Even the pads are made of hard plastic.The Beats even sound plastic.Get an Akai Mpc 3000 it's better.All of that plastic has a Fisher Price type feel to.it.Time to grow up.

[@MK-vi2cm]

Put the bong down.

[@admiraldrunkenstein]

The machine is mostly made of plastic it's like 80% plastic.Even the pads are made of hard plastic.The Beats even sound plastic.Get an Akai Mpc 3000 it's better.All of that plastic has a Fisher Price type feel to.it.Time to grow up.

[@deepsocietygaming9915]

@Blake Ronan Cause he can't afford one :)

[@MK-vi2cm]

Lay off the bong, pal.