When the S1000 landed in 1988, it did to the studio what the S900 had only hinted at: proper 16-bit, 44.1kHz stereo sampling that instantly became the professional benchmark. For years, if a record had samples on it, odds are they passed through an S1000. Sixteen voices, sixteen parts, deep editing for looping, truncating, time-stretching and tuning, individual outputs for every voice, and a clean, slightly airy Akai character that producers still chase. It displaced the S900 as the studio standard and still earns its rack space today. Expandable memory and SCSI-ready, built like a workstation.

FEATURES & PROS:

• True 16-Bit Stereo: 44.1kHz pro sampling that set the studio benchmark in 1988.
• 16 Voices, 16 Parts: Full polyphony and multitimbral operation for complex productions.
• Deep Sample Editing: Looping, truncating, sample merging, time compression/expansion and tuning on board.
• Analog-Style Shaping: Filters and envelopes to mould samples like a synth.
• Individual Outputs: Separate out for every voice, plus stereo mix and stereo input.
• Expandable + SCSI: RAM expandable to 32MB, with SCSI and digital options for big libraries and fast storage.
• The Studio Standard: The sampler that displaced the S900 and defined late-80s and 90s production.

AS USED BY

• Depeche Mode, who sampled the "Violator" and "Songs of Faith and Devotion" drums on it
• The Chemical Brothers, Moby and Fatboy Slim
• Future Sound of London, on "Papua New Guinea"
• DJ Premier and RZA in hip-hop
• Pet Shop Boys, Jean-Michel Jarre and Apollo 440

THE WORD: Vintage Synth Explorer calls the S1000 an oldie but a goodie that still stacks up today, a professional vintage-status sampler that remains genuinely useful. Read more at Vintage Synth Explorer.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Year: 1988 to 1993
• Type: 16-bit, 44.1kHz professional stereo digital sampler (rack)
• Polyphony: 16 voices
• Multitimbral: 16 parts
• Filter: 18dB/octave digital
• LFOs: 3
• Memory: 2MB RAM, expandable (up to 32MB)
• Outputs: individual per voice plus stereo mix; stereo input
• Storage/Control: floppy, MIDI; SCSI and digital I/O options
• Effects: none on board
• Condition note: vintage unit; may benefit from a service

Further reading: S612 to S5000: Which Akai Sampler Do You Actually Want?