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ADVANCED APPLICATIONS
PART 1: TAKING THE BEST POSSIBLE SAMPLE
What comes out of the Emulator can only be as good as what you put in: Strive for
maximum fidelity when sampling. Here are some ways to increase sample quality.
GENERAL TIPS
Live sampling: Sample "live" whenever possible, rather than recording a sound on tape
then sampling from the tape.
Beware of overloads: The Emulator II is a digital recording device. Unlike analog
recording devices, distortion does not increase slowly past a certain level; rather, it
increases rapidly above the overload point, and produces a "non-musical", splattering
type of distortion. Monitor your levels carefully.
Sampling direct vs. sampling via microphone: Whenever possible, sample electronic
instruments directly into the Emulator II. Avoid using a recording console, direct box, or
other device in between the instrument and Emulator II.
Maintain the instrument to be sampled: Tune your instrument and carefully check the
intonation; change strings (if applicable); and check that the instrument doesn't have any
loose parts that rattle, squeak, or make other noises.
Sampling acoustic instruments: Choose the microphone and mic placement as
carefully as you would for any recording project. Musicians sometimes note how hard it
is to get a good "sound" in the studio, but that's what sampling is all about...getting a
good sound, and once you've got that sound, keeping it.
Play naturally: Sometimes it's a lot harder to play one note than several hundred.
Unless you're trying for a special effect, play the sample as you would normally play the
instrument. It's often a good idea to play several notes, and use truncation to zero in on
the best of the bunch.
Avoid ground loops: Ground loops occur when electricity can take two different paths
to ground. If there is a resistance difference between the two paths, this can generate a
signal (consisting mostly of digital "hash") that can work its way into the recording chain.
With all the instruments patched in place and connected to each other, turn off the
Emulator II and insert a ground lift adapter between the Emulator II plug and the wall.
CAUTION: Removing the ground connection defeats the safety advantage of using a
three-wire plug. Make sure the Emulator fl chassis has some other path to ground
(usually via the audio input and output cables). Having two paths to ground can cause
ground loops, but having no paths to ground can cause a potential shock hazard if
there's an equipment malfunction in the studio.
Using signal processing while recording: Just as with regular recording, there are no
absolutes about recording signals with or without signal processing. Some engineers
feel that tracks should always be recorded flat to allow for the maximum number of
options during mix down; others prefer to record with a bit of processing, especially if the
processor might be needed on another track when mixing.
© 1985, 1986, 1987 E-mu Systems, Inc.
Page 196
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