The Audio Playground Synthesizer Museum

E-MU

E-mu Systems E4XT Ultra

128 voice sampling synthesizer/sound module

Specifications:

E-MU SYSTEMS introduced the first
Emulator in 1981, setting the standard
for digital samplers and forever changing
the world of electronic music. Since
then, E-MU has given users new and
innovative technologies with each
successive Emulator generation in our
quest to produce the world's finest
samplers. Now E-MU proudly
introduces the new Emulator 4 Ultra: a
professional sampling instrument with
unrivaled speed, versatility and sonic
fidelity that allows you to realize any
sound imaginable.The success of the
Emulator line over the last 18 years has
resulted from the close ties between
engineers at E-MU and you, our
customer.
We recognize our users as the primary
driving force in the Emulator's evolution,
and the feedback and experiences you've
shared with us has resulted in useful and
intuitive features based on your
real-world needs. When you acquire an
Emulator, you are investing in a
professional instrument that will be
supported and developed into the future
with sounds, software upgrades and
hardware options. It's no wonder that
Emulators are found in countless studios
around the world and serve as the
standard against which all other
samplers are compared.

Ultra Hardware The E4 Ultra
features a completely new hardware architecture that
provides you with a host of benefits. The E4
Ultra's new 32-bit RISC processor gives you
ultra-fast MIDI response time, SCSI, DSP
operations and sampling, making your time more
productive. All E4 Ultra samplers are upgradeable
to 128 voices of polyphony (standard on E4XT
Ultra), allowing you to layer and sequence complex
sounds without fear of losing any notes, freeing
you to concentrate on the creative process and not
on the limitations of your sampler. You can install
up to 128 MB of RAM (E4XT Ultra ships with 64
MB standard, the E6400 and E-Synth Ultras ship
with 16 MB standard), offering you tremendous
flexibility in manipulating huge banks of quality
sounds. The E4 Ultra also accommodates Flash
ROM, allowing you to create and edit custom
soundsets that are instantly accessible. With its
combination of polyphony, memory capacity, and
blazing processor speed, the E4 Ultra will deliver
your most intense layered sounds and sequences
with dead-on timing and pristine fidelity.

Sonic Manipulation The E4
Ultra ships with the new EOS (Emulator Operating
System) version 4.0 operating system, which offers
faster and more intuitive loop point placement,
enhancements to the sequencer, and many other
breakthrough features. EOS has constantly evolved
through the years, providing you with an
unparalleled software upgrade path full of new
features that you can easily load into the E4 Ultra's
operating system memory via floppy disk. Inspired
engineering has been combined with user feedback
to create new EOS features like Beat-Munging,
providing you with solutions to real-world
problems and keeping your Emulator
state-of-the-art.

Beat-Munging is a new real-time DSP tool that
analyzes your drum loops and phrases,
automatically determines the tempo, and then
perfectly loops the sample for ultimate groove
preservation. Beat-Munging also allows you to
change your loop's time signature (i.e. from 4/4 to
7/8), tempo, swing factor and individually
manipulate beats within your loop, all in real time.
Beat-Munging gives you unprecedented rhythmic
control over your audio and may radically change
the way you create and manipulate loops and
grooves&emdash; and you will only find this
breakthrough technology in the E4 Ultra.

The E4 Ultra also provides you with a large palette
of DSP tools like stereo phase-locked time
compression, pitch change, Doppler shift panning
functions, sample reverse, transform multiply,
digital re-sampling, and an Aphex Aural Exciter®
algorithm to add clarity and brilliance to your
sounds. Together with a dual 24-bit stereo-effects
processor with over 40 algorithms, the E4 Ultra
provides the tools that allow you to transform your
original, raw waveforms into new, complex
timbres that will serve as the building blocks for
creating inspired presets. From sound effects and
film scores to the latest dance grooves, the E4 Ultra
will always deliver your sound accurately, placing
the creative power of sound manipulation where it
belongs- - in your hands.

Total Integration With the increasing convergence of digital and analog technologies, the E4
Ultra has been designed to seamlessly integrate with your computer and the rest of your studio. The E4 Ultra
ships with EOS Link, a software application that allows you to control the Emulator from your computer
desktop. Combined with EOS Browser and EOS File Assistant from Gallery Software, you can now fully
integrate the E4 Ultra with your computer to catalog your sounds and transfer samples, presets and multimode
setups between your E4 Ultra and various storage media. And the E4 Ultra's 50-pin SCSI connector offers you
compatibility with a variety of mass storage devices, including external hard disks (up to 18 GB), CD-ROMs,
DVD-RAM, Jaz, Zip and others, giving you true flexibility in storing your sounds and projects. You can use
the E4 Ultra with a wide variety of audio/MIDI software by third party manufacturers to enhance the Emulator's
many professional features even further, including some specifically designed to support E-MU samplers. The
E4 Ultra also integrates into your digital studio with AES/EBU digital I/O, Word Clock I/O, and the optional
16 output/8 input ADAT card, keeping your audio entirely in the digital domain.

Powerful Synthesis The Emulator 4 Ultra is more than just a sampler&endash; the E4 Ultra's
Digital Modular Synthesis (DMS). DMS technology lets you patch control sources to the synthesis parameters
found in each preset for an incredible number of modulation possibilities. E-MU's roots go back to the days of
analog modular synthesis, and we developed DMS to allow you to recreate desirable analog synth features and
effects while staying entirely in the digital domain. You can use the E4 Ultra's virtual Patch Cord architecture to
easily target the 21 patented Z-Plane filters, 2 LFOs, tuning functions, and three fully independent six segment
envelope generators (per sample!) to create any sound imaginable. The E4 Ultra provides you with the world's
most powerful, professional synthesis tools to allow you to create that "just right" sound that is uniquely yours.

Legendary E-MU Sound Our Emulator samplers have always been known and trusted for
their musical warmth and sonic integrity. The E4 Ultra gives you 128x over-sampling sigma/delta conversion to
ensure that every subtle nuance of your original source material is captured during sampling. Our proprietary
chip technology with 32-bit processing provides you with virtually distortionless pitch transposition over an
incredible 10-octave range, giving you unmatched flexibility in the use of your samples, free of aliasing, clock
noise and other digital artifacts. The discrete 20-bit digital-to-analog converters and balanced outputs provide you
with increased headroom and the assurance that the E4 Ultra's pristine audio quality is accurately translated to the
analog domain. The E4 Ultra also imports other sample file formats with optimal sound quality, including the
Roland S-700 Series and AKAI S-3000/1000/1100 sound libraries, as well having the ability to read AIFF and
.WAV files from floppy. This compatibility allows you to play all of your old favorite sounds, while giving
you access to the legendary Emulator sound library.

Versatility Since the inception of the Emulator line, E-MU has offered a variety of models and
configurations tailored to the way you work. You can choose from three different E4 Ultra models depending on
your needs and budget: the E4XT Ultra is our top-of-the line 128 voice sampler and comes loaded with a host of
professional options. The mid-priced E-Synth Ultra gives you 64 voices with instant access to onboard ROM
sounds. Our highly affordable E6400 Ultra offers you a way to harness the power of the Ultra series on a
budget. And in keeping with our product upgrade philosophy, the E-Synth and E6400 Ultra's can be fully
upgraded to E4XT Ultra specification. All E4 Ultra's are equipped with ten expansion ports (seven internal and
3 rear-panel) that accommodate additional hardware options like the new 16 output/8 input ADAT card, the
revolutionary 32-bit, 32 channel R-Chip FX card (available Summer '99), sound ROMs, and additional analog
and digital I/O options that allow your E4 Ultra to integrate into any studio environment.

The new 16 and 32 MB Flash ROMs for the E4 Ultra are of particular interest to musicians who work on long
term projects or have the need to take their rig on the road. These ROMs provide non-volatile storage of sounds
with instant access, avoiding the need to load banks. Flash ROMs can be re-written again and again, with the
added bonus of being able to create custom sound ROM sounds that can also be used in the Proteus 2000,
E-MU's new 128 voice, single rack space sound module. The E4 Ultra and Proteus 2000 combination is the
ultimate system solution for composers, recording studios, location based entertainment installations and
touring musicians.

A Sound Investment We believe that purchasing an E-MU sampler is an investment: if you
already invested in an E4X, E4XT, e6400 or E-Synth Rack, you can upgrade your rackmount sampler to the
new Ultra hardware platform with a processor and software upgrade, performed either at the E-MU factory or
E-MU approved service centers. We can turn your already powerful Emulator investment into the most advanced
sampler in the world at a very reasonable price. Our commitment to protecting your investment is just one
more reason to choose an E-MU sampler.

Go With The Leader Whether you compose in the studio, work as a sound designer or
perform live, E-MU's Emulator 4 Ultra line of samplers offers you the greatest power and flexibility of any
sampler in the world to deliver your unique sound. E-MU virtually invented affordable, high performance
sampling, and we are committed to providing the quality and features you need and have come to expect from
the leader in digital sampling. Visit your E-MU dealer today and experience state-of-the-art sampling for
yourself.

Specifications

· Controls
Power switch, Data Entry Control,
Master Menu Select, Disk Menu
Select, Preset Manage and Edit
Menu Select, Sample Manage and
Edit Menu Select, New Sample
Menu Select, Sequencer Menu
Select, FX Menu Select, Cursor
Control, Page Control, F1-F6
Function Keys, Audition, 10 Key
Pad, Enter, Exit, Increment,
Decrement, Master Volume, 240 x
64 Custom Blacklit Display

· Menus
· Master Menu
Memory; Utilities (assignable
keys, channel volume, tones,
re-calibration, tests); Bank (erase,
name, auto load, flash copy);
Setup (tune, output (headroom,
output boost, format, clock, AES
Boost); Miscellaneous (contrast,
screen saver, undo/redo enable,
SCSI (ID, termination, Mac on
SCSI bus, Play while Xfer),
import, memory allocation); FX
(FXA setup, FXB setup, bypass,
control channel); Sequencer, MIDI
(mode, controls 1, controls 2
(MIDI A-H), preferences 1
(velocity curve linear, 1-23,
control #7 curve), preferences 2)

· Disk Menu
Utilities (mount, copy system,
format, backup, search); Browse
(drives, folders, banks, presets,
samples, sequences); View; Load;
Save (save as EIV, EIIIx, AIFF,
.Wav); Info; SoundSprint™

· Preset Manage Menu
Utilities (erase, dump, re-map);
Name; New; Copy; Export; Info

· Preset Edit Menu
Voices (1-255) = one sample, or
Multi-sample
Per Voice Parameters:
Volume, Pan, Course Tuning, Fine
Tuning, Transpose, Original Note,
Key Range Windows (fade,
switch), Key Velocity Windows
(fade, switch), Key Real-Time
Windows (fade, switch),
Non-Transpose, Chorus (amount,
width, delay, start offset), Glide
Rate, Glide Curve, Solo Mode
(multiple trigger, melody (last,
low, high), synth (last, low,
high), Finger Glide), Assign
Group, Latch Mode, Amp
Envelope Depth, Submix,
Amplifier Envelope (6 rates, 6
levels), Filter Type (21 types),
Filter Frequency, Filter Resonance,
Filter Envelope (6 rates, 6 levels),
LFO 1 Rate, LFO 1 Shape (17
types), LFO 1 Delay, LFO 1
Variation, LFO 1 Sync (key, free
run), LFO 2 Rate, LFO 2 Shape (17
types), LFO 2 Delay, LFO 2
Variation, LFO 2 Sync (key, free
run), Lag 0, Lag 1, Auxiliary
Envelope (6 rates, 6 levels), Patch
Cords (24, >60 sources, >60
Destinations)

· Editing tools:
Voice Select, Copy, Delete, Solo
Voice, Group 1-32, New Sample
Zone, Get Multi- sample, Split,
Combine, Subsume, Edit Zone, Edit
Group, Edit All
Preset Common Parameters:
Effects: FXA (>30 algorithms,
delay, high frequency damp,
FXB->FXA send, send amount), FXB
(>30 algorithms, feedback, LFO
rate, delay, send amount), Initial
Controllers (A-D), Transpose,
Volume, Internal Preset Links
(1-255), External MIDI Links
(1-255), Links (program, volume,
pan, transpose, fine tune, key and
velocity windows, MIDI filters)

· Sample Manage Menu
Utilities (erase, dump, re-map,
de-frag); Name; New (source,
threshold, monitor, length, trigger
key sampling, arm/rorce sampling,
ADC gain, auto normalize, auto
placement, auto loop, auto truncate,
auto crossfade, sample rates (22.05,
24, 44.1, 48kHz); Copy; Export
(EIIIx, .Wav, AIFF, EIV); Place;
Info

· Sample Edit Menu
Utilities (cut, copy, paste, insert
(linear mix, equal mix, source
amount (0-100%)), truncate, taper);
Tools 1 ( loop (fix size, auto
correlate, crossfade), digital tune
(filter type), sample rate convert
(filter type, sample calculator);
Tools 2 (DC filter, swap sides,
stereo->mono, reverse, integrity);
Tools 3 (gain change/normalize,
compressor, parametric EQ, phase
linear filter (5 types), Aphex® Aural
Exciter); Tools 4 (transform
multiply, doppler (8 paths), pitch
shift, duration, repeat, time
compression (12 types, ratio,
original tempo, new tempo), pitch
change (12 types, ±1200 cents), Bit
Convert (bit resolution 0-15), Beat
Munging (tempo, swing, loop, bar
edit, metronome, process,
re-analyze)) ; UNDO
· Sequencer Manage Menu
Select (50 RAM, 50 Flash); Erase;
Copy; Memory; Jukebox (1-7); Name;
Export (EIV, Standard MIDI File);
Loop Song

· Sequencer Edit Menu
Utilities (cut, copy, paste, track
delete, track copy, UNDO); Tools
(quantize, swing amount, transpose,
velocity scaling, channelize, extract);
Setup (metronome/click, clock, input
quantize, record, loop, transport,
locate (1-10))

· Multi Setup
MIDI channels 1-32, Volume, Pan,
Submix, Pitch, Modulation,
Controller (A-H)

· Whole Setup
FX, Sprint, Load, Save, Layer, Split,
Arpeggiator

· Technical Specifications

Audio Channels: 128 (E4XT Ultra); 64
(E-Synth Ultra/E6400 Ultra,
upgradeable to 128)
MIDI Channels: 32 (E4XT
Ultra/E-Synth Ultra); 16 (E6400
Ultra, upgradeable to 32)
Presets: 2000 (1000 Ram, 1000
Internal/Flash)
Layers: 32
Zones: 255
Crossfade/Switch zones: 128
Sound Memory: expandable to 128
MB (RAM, Flash or ROM) (72-pin
simms)
Filters: 6th Order (21 different types)
Data Encoding: 20-bits
Signal to Noise: 105db
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
±1db
THD + Noise: .044%
Power Consumption: <50 watts
Voltage Input: 100-250 VAC,
50/60Hz. auto select
Maximum Output Level: +10 dBv
Output Sample Rate: 44.1Khz, 48Khz
Effects Engine: 24-bit internal
processing

· Analog Inputs/Outputs
Balanced Stereo 1/4", 8 Balanced 1/4"
(upgradeable to 16 balanced outputs)

· Digital Inputs/Outputs
AES/EBU (optional for E6400),
Optional 16 out/ 8 in ADAT card

EmulatorÆ: ('em-ya-lat-er) n. A musical instrument with power, performance, superb sound
quality, advanced synthesis, and ease of use. Sets the standards for sampling and synthesis.

The E4X Turbo and E4X digital sampling synthesizers are E-MU's latest masterpieces created for the
musical and sound design worlds. These products have the grace and power to reproduce all the
sound ideas you can imagine. The E4X Turbo and E4X break down the barriers of musical and sound
creativity and bring your ideas to reality. Sampling, synthesis, sounds, DSP, FX, and sequencing are
standard features.

Sampling and Sound Design
The E4X's intuitive user interface makes sampling easy. Automated tasks like looping, normalizing,
truncating, and sample placement make sampling easily accessible to everyone. Sample your own
sounds or playback any of the 400 MB of sound data that come standard - there's no limitation to the
sounds you can have. The E4X includes 1000 sample and preset locations and the ability to upgrade
to 128 MB of memory, that's over 12 minutes of stereo sampling at 44.1kHz.

Superb sample playback is but one of the E4X's outstanding features. The E4X is armed with a
comprehensive palette of digital audio sculpting tools. These include loop, truncate, taper, cut, copy,
and paste as well as innovative DSP tools such as stereo phase locked time compression, pitch
change, doppler/pan, reverse, exciter and transform multiply. Another feature of the E4X is its
internal digital re-sampling capability. This is a very powerful feature that allows any sound generated
at the output, including FX and sequences, to be recaptured as a single new wave. Combined with
Digital Modular Synthesis (DMSTM), DSP, and FX, basic waveforms can be turned into new
complex building blocks.

FX Processing
An 24 bit dual stereo FX processor is included as a key feature of the E4X and the E4XT, adding
reverb and ambient effects to sounds without any signal degradation. An extensive selection of
algorithms provides all the necessary tools for spicing up presets and for creating interesting
re-sampled material. The FX engine includes over 40 reverbs and over 30 chorus, flanging, and delay
algorithms.

Audio Quality
The E4X continues E-MU's long tradition of professional audio quality. A key factor in this quality
(apart from the 18 bit DACs and internal 24 bit precision) is the elimination of aliasing and clock noise
normally associated with sample pitch transposition, by maintaining a constant yet selectable sampling
rate. This contributes to a warmth and smoothness in the Emulator sound that is quite unique.

Sounds & SoundSprintÆ
The E4X Turbo comes equipped with a 1 GB internal hard drive (E4X has 540 MB HD) loaded with
more than 400 MB of brand new sounds, together with some renowned E-mu classics. What's
exciting about these patches is not only the great way they sound using the real-time controllers and
the extended voicing architecture of the E4X, but also the convenient way that you can browse
through the standard internal and external drives. It's just as if they were sitting in a "virtual ROM
bank" - the big difference is that this particular bank is over 400MB wide! The SoundSprintÆ routine
quickly pulls presets into memory one at a time as you browse through the internal drive. Each sound
is sculpted with its own samples, keeping the presets sounding fresh and unique. And of course, the
E4X is fully compatible with the enormous E-MU CD-ROM sound library - including the AKAI
S1000/1100 and Roland S-700 series library.

Synthesis Features DMSTM
Digital Modular Synthesis describes the nature of Emulator sound design. Patching control sources to
synthesis parameters is the heart of preset modeling, and E-MU's early dedication to modular analog
synths is finding new life. Z-PlaneÆ filters, 2 LFOs, 32 sample layers with individual access to
variable loop and start points, tuning functions, and three fully independent six segment envelope
generators provide the basic synth elements. These synth elements, along with the raw sampled wave
data are then targeted by real-time inputs such as faders and wheels or other control sources to model
unique, complex and expressive sounds.

One Hundred Twenty-Eight Voices
A cornerstone of Emulator Technology is providing the user with high polyphony. Why is this so
important? There are two main reasons. One is the support that high polyphony provides for layering
sound elements - layering or stacking sounds is a natural, intuitive approach to voicing and sound
design. As long as there is polyphony to spare, extra layers can be molded into sounds to make them
richer and more complex. Another is sequencing, which typically places high demands on voice
availability. High polyphony means less chance of notes getting ripped off; it frees up the natural
creative process and is one of the most important and fundamental assets provided by the E4X Turbo
(128 voice polyphony) and E4X (64 voice polyphony).

E4X Turbo
Standard Features:
128 voice polyphony
16 MB sound RAM
2 GB internal hard drive loaded with over 400 MB of sounds
Dual stereo 24 bit stereo effects processor
8 balanced analog outputs
AES/EBU digital I/O
SoundSprintTM
Standard MIDI file playback and 16 track scratch pad sequencer
ASCII keyboard input
Expansion ports (three rear panel and one internal)
50-pin SCSI port
Onboard graphic waveform editing
Digital re-sampling
128 6th order Z-PlaneÆ filters (21 types)
128x oversampling sigma/ delta conversion
Load While Play
Stereo phase locked time compression
UNDO

(E4X comes standard with 4 MB of RAM, 540 MB hard drive and 64 voices of polyphony)

E4X and E4X Turbo Upgrade Options

128 voice polyphony card - increase the polyphony of an E4X from 64 to 128 voices
8 Output Card - increases from 8 to 16 balanced analog outputs
16 channel MIDI Card - allows a total of 32 MIDI channels
E-mu Product Sounds - over 20 CD-ROMS available covering just about every sound
imaginable plus countless other CD-ROMS created by third party sound developers

E-mu Systems E4XT Ultra $3595.00 List price

6800 E4X 64 VOICE SAMPLING SYNTH RACK $3695
6801 E4X TURBO SAMPLING SYNTH RACK $4895

Made in 1996