Sonic State
Sonic State
Sonic State   News Synth Site Studio Amped - Guitar news Gas Station Samplenet Articles Store
Sonic State The World's Greatest Synth Site
Search:
Add a model New Reviews Help   samplers  drum-machines  workstations  sequencers  analog  VAs  digital  dance  arranger keyboards 
 
mailing list:  latest mailout

Recorded LIVE! Weds at 4pm GMT


 


Synth Site |  Simmons |  SDX

>> More Drum Machines  Samplers
  SDX At a Glance
Click for larger view
arrow Released: 1988 Specifications
arrowUser rating: 4.3/5 >>  Read reviews (3)
 

Advertisment
Justin Bennitt (justin.bennitt@btinternet.com) writes:
Late eighties drum sampler that developed into a fully fledged keyboard sampler just before Simmons went under. Sampling is 16 bit full-bandwidth. Editing is via the integrated 9" CRT or on an optional external monochrome/green screen. Features include full graphical sample editing with normalize gain, bi-directional looping, crossfade looping, reverse sample (on user selected area of sample), resonant low-pass filters (self oscillating) with dedicated 5-stage envelopes for both filter cut-off and resonance with envelope depth controllable by velocity and MIDI controller (assigned to drum pad position). Additional envelopes for sample amplitude, pan position, noise generator level and pitch (all per voice). There are also 4 LFOs (also per voice) with MIDI depth control modulation. The "Zone Intelligent" pads send MIDI values for both velocity and pad position (sent as a MIDI controller message) with the snare and cymbal pad both having an additional zone on the rim, there is also a dampen feature on the cymbal pad to cut samples short. Pads can be assigned up to 9 layers (i.e. individual samples plus a noise source) with velocity or pad position determining sample switching or fading (or filtering, or panning, or pitch, or sample start point, or sample length, or just about anything!). The main unit also houses 16 velocity sensitive pads and there is even an integrated trackball. Even today no other dedicated drum sampler approaches the power of the SDX however no other drum sampler is even half of the size of this beast or a quarter of the weight (it dwarfs an SP1200 and MPC60). The unit as standard came with 2Mb of RAM upgradeable to a maximum of 8Mb. Supports both 12-bit and 16-bit MIDI sample dump standards.

Comments About the Sounds:
The sounds are as good as your samples but the resonant analogue filters are fantastic. The filters self-oscillate - well.

(Thanks to Justin Bennitt for this info.)

Links for the Simmons SDX
Click on the X to report a broken link
 More Synth Gear  Best US prices on many current models
x Goto Studio/Drums UK based rock band which only uses SDX drums. In fact they use two SDX systems!
x My show off page Info and opinions on synths I own or owned
x Simmons SDX #118 for sale SDX #118, well cared-for, refurbed by Bill Bruford's engineer. Included: Manual, OS 3.11, 2 flight cases, samples, internal and external hard drive, SDX hi-hat pedal, Tama kick pedal, Ultimate Support racks, 8 ZI pads (2 Symbals, snare, 5 toms), Hexabass.

Try the Simmons links page for more..

SUBMIT LINK to this page
(Links submitted here will also be added to the manufacturer page)
Please tell us if any of these links are broken


Copyright Sonic State Ltd. 1995-2012. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission from Sonic State is prohibited.

About us - Ad enquiries - Contact - Privacy Statement
  
Pop'pea Rig rundown  ( 16:43)
TALK 268 - 12 Inch Pianist  ( 67:41)
Roland JP50 Product preview  ( 30:58)
TALK266 - 909 Bikini  ( 107:11)
Dinahmoe Hum  ( 53:58)
 
RSS feed here