www.mp3.com/daladidoo

I'm using OS 2.11 and it has ben very stable so far. The 6000 is now very reliable.

PROs are: -Great interface -USB absolutely rules -Wav format (I'm sure this will be the next unviversal format for samplers. Bravo Akai!) -Huge memory that can eb combined with virtual samples. Not that useful for studio use but awsome in gigs: I can play a whole song from my s6000 stored on the HD. Actually I tend to use it as a DAT. -Sound is crystal clear. Nothing to do with an emu but not worse,just different. I also use my s6000 as my main mastering device so I prefer a clear uncolored sound.

Bottom line: forget about all the bugs. It's now a rock solid machine at un unbeatable price (I got mine for 3000$ with a 20 Go HD (IDE), the USB interface, 128megs of RAM . Some features are still missing (gee, how come I can only use one external controller at a time??come on akai, that shouldn't be hard to improve that!!) and the filter part is a bit weak. So if you're a techno freak you might be better off with an emu. I personaly make a lot of house and sometimes the lack of midi controllers does piss me off. Oh well, I guess I'll end up buying a Sherman filterbank!

Great machine but I'l give it a 4 for the lack of external ontrollers.

Bottom line: no bugs so far, GREAT interface and clean sound. But what really appeals to me is the USB card that enables me to transfer all my samples to my PC and edit them with 3rd party software. It's always been an issue with my a3000 (SCSI problems) and the yamaha file format was also a big restriction. Now I can tweak all my sounds on my computer and send them back to the s6000 in a second. All of you who keep on fighting with SCSI know what I mean. And that's why I think the s6000 wins over any sampler on the market. I don't care about that emu sound: I prefer to get a clean sound and tweak it with soundforge or reaktor and send the result back to my s6000. No sampler offers such PC compatibility and that's definitely where the future of samplers is.

Hi !

I read many contributions on this site and also on many others ones to try to make my mind about the S 6000.

I decided to buy one because I needed a sampler with large amount of memory.

Had tested a lot gigsampler : a great piece of shit and waste of time : full expanded bugs !!!

I currently own : XV 5080 128M° + SRX 01, SRX 02 cards (piano, drums cards) + many others srjv cards JV 2080 JV 880 Emu proteu 2, proteus 3 Kurzweil pro 1 Kurzweil pro 2 Yamaha TX 7

and S 6000 256/30G° int. HD

This baby is really a DREAM come true.

I can't explain all that critics. I guess it was buggy when it was launched. But with current OS (v. 2.00) no problem !!!! I use it more than 8h/day.

SOUND is fantatstic : I mean it's transparent, clean and hot.

Emu samplers are also great, but they colorize sound, though it's done beautifuly, you don't 100% get what it was sampled.

I believe ( I tested a lotwith a friend of mine who have it E4 XT ultra) you have more editing stuff on the E4 XT (filters), but really S 6000 is very powerful.

Effects are great (can't replace a lexicon). I own classic libraries (Vitous, Adv Orchestras, Roland) + many Drums and Bass stuff, Symphony of voices, distorded realities, synclavs stuff, and so on.

I paid a lot but can't regret. Its's so wonderful. Indeed, I sampled my kurz, roland and emus in my akai : sounds the same !!! (but eats a lot of memory)

My S6000 is my ultimate and now main tool for scoring, producing and programing.

I'm glad I could instal an IBM 300G° internal disk with akai optional kit for non scsi disks.

Works OK : no problem.

Really this baby is a killer !!!

I'll wait fot 2 or 3 years before going to software stuff : i tried EX4s and giga sampler : need too much power mac can allow for EX4S emagic. Gigampler is buggy though the idea is great.

But I can tell you : you get the same quality of sound with a S6000 128M° piano samples than a gigasampler with 1,6G° sound(east west steinway B)

Exept the bugs.

At least, want to tell you that folks who say S6000 stinks and later add that ultimate synth is juno 106 or Roland SH 101 make me laugh... Come on !!! I've owned a juno 106, and also memory moog, syntex, PPG wave 2.3, Ob8 and Matrix 12. Sold them as I sell all my stuff, except my S 6000.

I Know why. So does all my musiciens friends when they heard my samples and when they compared them with my old stuff (I sold) who was just near.

best regards to any body.

Arnaud.