esx or emx question

bobbslo · Post by **bobbslo** » Sun Sep 19, 2010 6:23 pm

Hi all, Im going to buy either an emx or esx tomorrow but i have a couple questions. im very very new to electronic music, i know these questions are probably noob.
i have a lot of samples from my Apple Logic program, i can see the .wav files on my hard drive, can i simply upload those into the esx and/or emx?
when i put a sample on the esx, does the bottom keyboard part of the electribe spread the sample amongst the buttons like they are keys on a keyboard? can the emx load things like this as well?
i see the new esx has larger storage with an SD card, is this that big of a deal? i can get the original one for $150 less.
thanks so much for the help.
much appreciated.

Pastor-of-Muppets · Post by **Pastor-of-Muppets** » Sun Sep 19, 2010 8:00 pm

bobbslo wrote: i have a lot of samples from my Apple Logic program, i can see the .wav files on my hard drive, can i simply upload those into the esx and/or emx?

If they're 16bit 44kHz files you can load them on the ESX, but the EMX can't load your own samples.

bobbslo wrote: when i put a sample on the esx, does the bottom keyboard part of the electribe spread the sample amongst the buttons like they are keys on a keyboard?

The ESX has two keyboard parts, when a sample is loaded on one of those parts it can be played by the bottom keys, like a keyboard. The other parts are (intended) for drums, so don't behave like that.

bobbslo wrote: can the emx load things like this as well?

No.

bobbslo wrote: i see the new esx has larger storage with an SD card, is this that big of a deal? i can get the original one for $150 less.

It's not a big deal, but SmartMedia cards are obsolete, so a little harder to get hold of (but you can order them from ebay without too much trouble)
Whether the larger size offered by SD cards matters would depend how many samples you want to save.

you might want to wait longer than tomorrow to do some more research and decide which one suits you

bobbslo · Post by **bobbslo** » Sun Sep 19, 2010 11:18 pm

thank you very much for the response. one more thing, everyone seems to make some sort of techno music with the esx, is that just out of personal taste or because that is what the electribes are used for? im not big on techno and dance music, but i like electronic music. more ambient type stuff. ive checked a few other grooveboxes and samplers and thought this was the one for me, but now im kinda doubting it.

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 12:33 am

bobbslo wrote:thank you very much for the response. one more thing, everyone seems to make some sort of techno music with the esx, is that just out of personal taste or because that is what the electribes are used for? im not big on techno and dance music, but i like electronic music. more ambient type stuff. ive checked a few other grooveboxes and samplers and thought this was the one for me, but now im kinda doubting it.

It is an instrument. The music you make with it is entirely down to you. Especially with the ESX, where you can load whatever samples you feel are most appropriate.

On the EMX you're stuck with the same sounds which I think have a more electronic grounding.

There are few limitations that may stop you experimenting too much in certain directions/genres, like the lack of any non-straight time signatures - only 4/4 and 3/4 AFAIK.

bobbslo · Post by **bobbslo** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 9:41 pm

I hate to ask this on an electribe board, but I'm wondering if there are any other recommendations for samplers? I want one that has a lot of options but is relatively simple to use. I've looked at the Roland SP series and those look ok, but I like the fact that the electribe has all the knobs on the unit itself. I have about $500.
Thanks again.

Dr Feelgood · Post by **Dr Feelgood** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 10:36 pm

bobbslo wrote:thank you very much for the response. one more thing, everyone seems to make some sort of techno music with the esx, is that just out of personal taste or because that is what the electribes are used for? im not big on techno and dance music, but i like electronic music. more ambient type stuff. ive checked a few other grooveboxes and samplers and thought this was the one for me, but now im kinda doubting it.

The ESX is actually quite versatile and fully featured in comparison to other samplers in it's class, especially in regards to other hardware samplers currently out there on the market going for the same amount of money.

As with all machines though, what kind of music you choose to make with it is entirely up to you. People seem to have the misconception that MPC's are solely for hiphop production or R&B type productions (this couldn't be any further from the truth), or that Electribes are only for dance oriented kinds of music. Again, all of these assumptions are largely false. The ESX especially, is capable of making all kinds of music.

bobbslo · Post by **bobbslo** » Tue Sep 28, 2010 4:28 pm

so there is no way to do a song in any time signature other than 3/4 or 4/4? is that typical of most grooveboxes?

Pastor-of-Muppets · Post by **Pastor-of-Muppets** » Tue Sep 28, 2010 4:43 pm

see "Setting the last step" on p63 in the ESX manual, which gives 11/16 as an example

bobbslo · Post by **bobbslo** » Tue Sep 28, 2010 11:45 pm

ok thanks. if i was going to get a synth to go with my esx, would you recommend the emx? i was also reading about the radias and that looked like a better version of the emx. I have about $500 for the synth. i want something with lots of knobs so i don't have to scroll through menus on a screen. also im not really into dance music, more dark ambient type stuff.
thanks again. this is really my first piece of electronic music equipment and i just want to make sure im getting what i really want.

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 7:49 am

The Radias IS a much better synth, however it has none of the pattern based sequencing that makes the electribes useful.

If you plan to play the Radias by MIDI keyboard, then absolutely go for it. It also has a smaller and less featured little brother called the R3.

Also remember that a synthesizer is really a blank canvass. The 'presets' are usually there to show off what the machine can do - from a technical point of view. The genre you apply it to is completely up to you.

bobbslo · Post by **bobbslo** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 8:50 am

I thought the radias had a sequencer built into it as well.

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 9:40 am

It can play a static sequence which is a part of a single program. Actually it can play two sequences and an arpeggiator at the same time.

But you're stuck with that one sequence throughout the entire program until you change program or reprogram it on the fly. You can mute steps and such but that is about it unless you want to get fiddly. You can't switch between patterns seamlessly like you can on the electribes, and you can't string them together into a song. It is more of a performance synthesizer than a groovebox. You can turn the sequencer and arps on and off whilst you are playing though.

I have one and I've used it in progressive rock, dance/electro, ambient (it does AMAZING evolving pads), soundtrack music, etc.

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