• Registered: 2008-10-14
  • Posts: 3

Topic: Emu SP-12 users?

I know there's a couple of SP users on here, and I was wondering if you could help me identify a fault with mine.

I foolishly bought a SP12 without testing the sampling capabilities, and by the time i got around to it, it was too late to call the guy up.

Anyway, I cant seem to sample anything without having a nasty click at the start and end of the sample, even when I sample complete silence with the input cable unplugged. No matter how much I truncate the sample, the clicks always play. Interestingly, when i put it in sample mode, the VU meter is a third of the way up when the signal path is silent (including when the input cable is unplugged). Do you know if its normal for the VU to disply a level like this when the signal path is silent?? Could this have something to do with the clicks?

Any help appriciated.

  • From: Austin, TX
  • Registered: 2008-07-07
  • Posts: 184

Re: Emu SP-12 users?

Hi I don't know anything about the SP-12 but it could be some sort of DC offset

  • Registered: 2008-10-14
  • Posts: 3

Re: Emu SP-12 users?

I dont think its a offset, or zero crossing issue.

This is a recording of a 0.4sec sample that i took with the gain knob at zero and the input cable unplugged. as you can see the sample is over 0.6secs, but its exactly 0.4 between the 2 peaks. Its almost like the SP is producing the clicks when it starts and stops accessing RAM, but this doesn't make sense, because there's no clicks at all if i load in library sounds from floppy disk?


http://spewis.com/dump/sp_wave.gif

  • From: Outer S.P.A.C.E.
  • Registered: 2008-07-07
  • Posts: 678

Re: Emu SP-12 users?

it's some sort of offset problem in the sp12 analog to digital converter. the offset doesn't show up there because of ac coupling in either the sp12 or your computer soundcard (or both.) it's still there in the sample though, you can probably see it when you dump it to the computer digitally.

Monkey see, monkey do.

biotek's Website

  • Registered: 2008-10-14
  • Posts: 3

Re: Emu SP-12 users?

Thanks biotek - a guy on another forum posted up some sounds from his SP, and he seems to have the same problem.

http://www.inthebox.dk/sp12/

Gonna get hold of the service manual and see if I can find anything in there about this, then start calling service shops.