I just saw an ASR X in the music store and I'm thinking about gettin it. i've heard a few producers...especially early 90's...rave about it. What is it about it that makes it unique?
It is the ASR-10 with pads as opposed to keys. Cop if you have no hardware.
People will say this and that about the sequencer and its tightness.
Its all about the painter and the paintbrush.
I own an EPS 16+, the precursor to the ASR-10. people associated with these units include:
El-p Timbaland RZA Neptunes
"The only competitor to Akai's MPC-series, the ASR-X has superior filters (low, high and bandpass with resonant modes), dead-easy and quick resampling with effects and filters (of sequenced or played parts even) and totally kick-ass effects as standard, 2MB more max RAM (no big deal).
It's 24MB soundblocks (Dance, World) are said to be KICK-ASS.
Not nice: standard 2-line display (which IS extremely readable however), lack of extensive sequence editing (use a PC or Mac), slow diskdrive. OS version 2.0 (which I have) has a few problems: slow and sometimes unreliable SCSI (using an IOmega Zip), no timestretching, no pattern chaining, no sample-dump via MIDI. BUT...I've been told that these are exactly the problems solved by version 2.5!!
Apart from the SCSI-problems, I like this box. The resampling is way cool, the filters are phat, the effects are phatter even...check the OS version before buying: 2.0 is a no no...mu"
3. "That jawn is a Beast!!!!!" In response to Reply # 0
...Off the realest, samples are clear/crisp as fuck, drums sound real 'warm' on it. That jawn truly is a serious workhorse when you develop a strong command of it and the filters/effects are solid+.
My ONLY gripe with it was, as someone said, the sequencing and the floppy load-times. But sheeiitt...in terms of the sequencing, I just streamlined that whole process by recording the sequence into Cool Edit.
*sheds tear for fallen ASR-X-Pro(my OS crashed a couple months ago) but please believe, if I stumble accross another one, I WILL recop.
Gon'head and cop that jawn Homey!
-These catz drink champagne, and toast death & pain, like slaves on the ship talkin' bout who got the flyest chains- -Talib Kweli
here's the deal... the Black ASR-X is the center of my world so I know this joint like my mama. I bought mine when it first dropped, that's old school player! LOL! If you take the time to learn it, it can work wonders for your beats. The built in effects are wonderful as are some of the built in sounds as I never have to sample hi-hats or latin percussion, i just use the internal sounds and drop effects on em or detune em to switch em up. Keep in mind that it has a 2 line display so you will be editing by numbers, so if you are used to visual waveform editing, this is just gonna frustrate you. But I have been doing it so long it's second nature, plus the ASR does it by percentages which is a bit easier than straight numerical style. But I love how the pads are set up like a keyboard vice MPC style. I would suggest that you buy the RED ASR-X Pro vice the black one because the black one does have some sequencer issues. It slips time when you start to mute tracks on the fly. You have to catch it on the beat when you mute or you will throw that bitch off. The red one supposedly fixed that problem plus it has an updateable Flash OS so you can get the latest OS from the web or some bootleg OS and update it by floppy. Also the red timestretches, the black doesn't although you can do it the old fashion way (change speed and tune up). Anyway for what they run for on ebay now.. youget more than your money's worth. hope this helps.
> I would suggest that you buy the RED ASR-X Pro vice the >black one because the black one does have some sequencer >issues. It slips time when you start to mute tracks on the >fly. You have to catch it on the beat when you mute or you >will throw that bitch off. The red one supposedly fixed that >problem plus it has an updateable Flash OS so you can get the >latest OS from the web or some bootleg OS and update it by >floppy. Also the red timestretches, the black doesn't although >you can do it the old fashion way (change speed and tune up). > > Anyway for what they run for on ebay now.. youget more than >your money's worth. hope this helps.
I am here to confirm that the time slip problem was not fixed in the red one but, that is so minor compared to what DOES work on the ASR-x. It is a great piece of gear no doubt about it. I miss mine badly.
7. "DO NOT MAKE THIS YOUR MAIN MACHINE" In response to Reply # 0
As an owner/lover of the ASR-X that has been using it since the month of its release (used an MPC 60 before and recently went back to the 1000) I would definately not recommend making it you primary joint. For collection or as an add on because of what it can do with samples yes but not as your first machine. No one here that has used the X for more than 4 years can argue with the fact that the machine is for all intents and purposes a lemon in that the knobs will eventually fail and malfunctions will inevitably happen. And I mean that there is a %100 percent chance. And in all likelihood it will happen right when you fall in love with it. My effects processor went out on me the 3rd day that I had it and I never sent it in cause I couldn't go a day without makin' beats on it.
Add to this the fact that Ensoniq was absorbed by E-mu and they discontinued support for the X because they felt that it was in direct competition with 2 beat machines that they had that were super garbage!
I've owned an ASR-X since around 2000. The knobs failed in probably 2001. By failing, basically you will spend 10-15 seconds minimum every time you need to change a preset (more when scrolling through larger directories, like drum sounds; in fact I often just give up first).
The numbers go up when you want them to go down, etc. VERY frustrating, and from my readings online this is a common, maybe universal thing with these machines.
Other than that, the thing is fun but with this critical failing it is unuseable for the most part (though I still use mine here and there but then I'm just too lazy/cheap to buy something else.)
8. "It deserves the rep that the MPC 1ooo has for being poorly built" In response to Reply # 0
it has great effects like all Ensoniq produts but I can't recommend it as a piece of equipment it's just not worth it for my money I've used two of them and both crashed on me after only a few weeks while I curretly own a 3ooo LE and it's never given me a second of a problem
Printer-friendly copy 
Email this topic to a friend
Make The Music
