Attention, sample choppers – this one’s for you. Software developer Inphonik has released the RX1200, a $30 plugin that puts the workflow and features of E-mu’s legendary SP-1200 vintage sampler in your DAW.
READ MORE: The E-mu SP-1200: How one sampler ushered in a revolution
The SP-1200 was pivotal in shaping 90s hip-hop and house music, with a gritty and warm lo-fi sound that producers still try to imitate today with hardware and effects chains. The RX1200 plugin makes this a breeze, with 12-bit resolution, a 26.041kH sample rate, an emulation of the SSM2044 low-pass filter, and the same aliased pitch tuning that makes the SP-1200 so distinctive.
Such features are a boon for producers wanting to add the SP-1200’s crunchy colour to their samples. But, for those wanting a more bona fide E-mu experience, the real hook is the plugin’s approach to sampling.
As Inphonik says, rather than being a “standard, General MIDI sampler”, the RX1200 is a software sampler that lets you load and edit your samples across four banks of eight pads, with faders to adjust note tuning, volume, and decay envelopes – just like the SP-1200. And, judging by Inphonik’s comparison video, it sounds impressively close to the hardware.
Inphonik has also designed the plugin to look like E-mu’s original hardware – a nice touch. However, the RX1200 is a little more accessible to producers that have never laid their hands on an SP-1200.
Along with a few system function buttons, the original SP-1200 sequencer has been omitted in favour of your DAW’s more accomplished sequencer. Inphonik says it “chose to lift a couple of restrictions that were justified in 1987 but possibly quite less defensible today.” This also means you’re not limited to 10 seconds of sample time as with the SP-1200, and you’re given a visual waveform editor for more precise slicing.
The RX1200 comes packed with a bank of over 900 samples in 50 presets, with new sample packs inbound from Inphonik on a regular basis.
At $30/£26, this plugin is surely tempting for old-school sampler lovers. It’s available on macOS, Windows, and Linux, across VST2, VST3, AAX, AU and Rack Extension formats.
Learn more about the SP-1200 in our interview with its designer Dave Rossum and power producers Easy Mo Bee, Nick Hook and Cookin Soul here.
Find out more about Inphonik’s RX1200 at inphonik.com.
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