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SP-12
SAMPLING
PERCUSSION SYSTEM
OWNERS MANUAL
By Craig Anderton
Version 2.3
© 1985 E-mu Systems, Inc. Scotts Valley, CA. All Rights Reserved
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CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................6 WHAT IS IT? ............................................................................................................. 7 SP-12 GROUND RULES........................................................................................... 8 Activating and De-activating Modules ................................................................... 8 Accessing Funct
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CONTENTS 1N PLAYING BACK SEGMENTS..................................................................... 21 1O SETTING TEMPO........................................................................................ 22 1P PROGRAMMING THE METRONOME ........................................................ 23 PART 2: RECORDING SEGMENTS .............................................................24 2B ERASING A SEGMENT ....................................................
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CONTENTS 3G CHANGING THE SONG DRUM SOUND MIX.............................................. 47 3H SETTING SONG TEMPO ............................................................................ 48 3I PROGRAMMING TEMPO CHANGES WITHIN A SONG............................. 49 3J JUMPING TO A SUB-SONG........................................................................ 50 3K PROGRAMMING TRIGGER OUTPUTS ...................................................... 50 3L STARTING AT A SPECIFIED P
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CONTENTS 6C INTERNAL SYNC (SYNC 1) ........................................................................ 73 6D MIDI SYNC (SYNC 2) .................................................................................. 73 6E SMPTE SYNC (SYNC 3) ............................................................................. 74 6F CLICK SYNC (SYNC 4) ............................................................................... 75 6G WRITING SMPTE TIME CODE ON TAPE...........................
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INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION WHAT IS IT SP-12 GROUND RULES SETTINGS AND VALUES THE TRANSITORY NATURE OF SEGMENT MODE BEEP MESSAGES © E-mu Systems, Inc. 1985 Page 6 Enhanced by The Emulator Archive 2002 www.emulatorarchive.com
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INTRODUCTION WHAT IS IT? The SP-12 is the latest member of E-mu’s family of high - technology musical instruments. It combines the most popular features of our first drum machine, the Drumulator, along with the Emulator II’s sampling capabilities, modular design, and extensive use of display messages. Thanks to 12 bit sound digitizing, the drum sounds have a crispness and dynamic range unattainable with the more common (and inexpensive) 8 bit digitizing technology. Best of’ all, despi
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INTRODUCTION SP-12 GROUND RULES Here are all the background terms you will need to know in order to make sense of the manual. Activating and De-activating Modules The SP-12 is organized as seven modules: Set-up, Cassette/Disk, Sync, Sample, Master Control, Programming, and Performance. The Set-up, Cassette/Disk, Sync, and Sample modules are used less frequently than the others, and are normally inactive. To access the functions in one of these modules, it must be activated by press
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INTRODUCTION SETTINGS AND VALUES There are two ways of altering the SP-12’s parameters. One is to alter a slider setting this is typically done when changing levels, pitch, and so on. The other is to specify a numeric value with the keypad. This is typically done when telling the SP-12 how many measures long a segment should be, the time signature, and so on. Entering During the process of specifying a setting or value, it is necessary to tell the SP-12’s computer when the data you
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INTRODUCTION THE TRANSITORY NATURE OF SEGMENT MODE Segment mode is the SP-12’s “scratchpad” where you work up rhythmic segments prior to combining them in songs. Therefore, tempos, mixes, and most other segment parameters set while in segment mode (except tuning and dynamics) are retained only while you are in segment mode. When going into song mode, the song parameters for tempo, mix, and so on replace the parameters worked out in segment mode. If you return to segment mode from song mo
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GETTING READY PART 1: GETTING READY 1A SETUP 1B INSTANT GRATIFICATION! 1C BACKGROUND: THE PERFORMANCE MODULE 1D SELECTING DRUM SOUNDS 1E ADJUSTING THE MIX 1F TUNING THE DRUMS/CHANGING DECAY 1G BACKGROUND: ADDITIONAL SOUNDS 1H ACCESSING/EXITING MULTILEVEL 1I ACCESSING/EXITING MULTIPITCH 1J ACCESSING DYNAMICS 1K STORING (DEFINING) A MIX 1L AUDITIONING (SELECTING) A MIX 1M ASSIGNING DRUM SOUNDS TO OUTPUT CHANNELS 1N PLAYING
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GETTING READY 1A SETUP IMPORTANT!! Before you turn on your SP-12: There is a 115/230 Volt selector switch on the back of the SP-12, next to the ON/OFF switch. Make sure the AC voltage indicated on the switch agrees with the AC voltage present in your part of the world. If not, change the switch settings with a small screwdriver. 1. Set up the SP-12 on a hard surface so that the bottom plate ventilation holes are not obstructed. 2. Patch a standard, guitar type patch cord between t
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GETTING READY 1B INSTANT GRATIFICATION! Yes, the SP-12 is an extremely versatile device. But that versatility means that in order to learn about all the options, you’ll have to spend a few hours with the SP-12 and this manual. If you’re patient enough to actually do that right now, we salute your willpower. Chances are, though, you can hardly wait to start making some sounds. So, we’ll short circuit the learning process a bit with this little exercise. Follow these steps EXACTLY as gi
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GETTING READY 1C BACKGROUND: THE PERFORMANCE MODULE This module is where you select drum sounds, tuning, drum mix, and so on. All of these adjustments reset to their default values when the SP-12 is turned off. However, eight different drum mixes may be stored in memory and recalled when creating a song. 1D SELECTING DRUM SOUNDS The row of eight large buttons (Drum Play buttons) along the bottom of the SP-12 play the different drum sounds. The SELECT button (left of Play butto
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GETTING READY 1E ADJUSTING THE MIX 1. Press the TUNE-MIX-MULTI switch (towards the upper left corner of the Performance module) until the MIX LED lights. The display graphically shows the level of each drum in the selected bank. 2. Vary the slider above the corresponding Drum Play button to vary the level of each individual drum. As soon as you move the slider, the graph in the display will jump to its new position. 3. Note that MIX settings are not stored while in segment mode. I
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GETTING READY 1F TUNING THE DRUMS/CHANGING DECAY (SET-UP 18) 1. You may tune or change the decay time of any of the drum sounds. Cymbals may also be tuned, but due to the nature of the SP-12’s tuning change software, the sound will probably be different from your expectations of a “tuned cymbal” (SP-12 tuning creates more of a ring modulation type of effect). 2. Each sound may be programmed to have its tuning or decay (but not both) varied by its associated slider while the TUNE/DEC
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GETTING READY 1H ACCESSING/EXITING MULTILEVEL (SET-UP 12 & 13) 1. Activate the SET-UP module by pressing its button. Its LED will glow, and the display will ask for a function from the list printed to the right of the SET-UP button. 2. Key in 12 (MULTI-LEVEL). Select the sound to be multileveled by using SELECT to select the Bank containing the sound, then press the sound’s Play button. 3. To edit the factory preset levels, select MIX with the TUNE- MIX-MULTI switch and vary the s
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GETTING READY 1I ACCESSING/EXITING MULTIPITCH (SET-UP 11 & 13) 1. Activate the SET-UP Module by pressing its switch. Its LED will glow, and the display will ask for a function from the list printed to the right of the SET-UP switch. 2. Key in 11 (MULTI-PITCH). Select the sound to be multi-pitched by using SELECT to select the bank containing the sound, then press the sound’s Play button. That sound will now be spread across the Play buttons at factory pre- selected pitches. 3. If
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GETTING READY 1J ACCESSING DYNAMICS (SET-UP 14) Yes, the harder you hit the buttons the louder the sound. We did this in such an incredibly ingenious way that engineers across the country will burst out laughing when they take the SP-12 apart for the first time. 1. Activate the SET-UP Module by pressing its switch. Its LED will glow, and the display will ask for a function from the list printed to the right of the SET-UP switch. 2. Key in 111 (DYNAMIC BUTTONS). The display asks whet
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GETTING READY 1L AUDITIONING (SELECTING) A MIX (SET-UP 16) You may select an already defined drum mix (see Section 1K) which will assign the mix levels to the drum sounds in all four banks. 1. Activate the Set-Up module by pressing its switch. Its LED will glow, and the display will ask for a function from the list printed to the right of the SET-UP switch. 2. Key in 16 (SELECT MIX). The display will ask for the desired mix number (as defined according to the instructions in Section
