Apart from other digital samplers that first hit the market in 1995, EIV is the most acceptable compromise in the last 10years. You have a record 128 polyphony, 128 memory, storage and best sampling tools (and samples), analog and digital inputs/outputs out there. Also, the highly regarded advanced EOS OS with its ease of use and interface, the best filters (even if they are digital) and some of the most exquisite powerful tools and sample libraries you can imagine from a sampler from 1995! The future for E-mu Emulator IV was obviously digital over the analog route for various reasons steaming from the newly developed technologies of the company's proprietary G chip and their H chip (handles the intense filtering), E-mu saw this as the evolutionary process with the development of the Emax II (digital) and then fine tuning and bring the technology over to Emulator IV E4K sampler shortly there after. E-mu always used the very best in expensive components (this is why the machines cost what they did) and were built as well as they could have been made back in the day without any skimping. The sounds of the E4k are still to this day nothing less than stunning! The third party sample/sound sets from different manufactures breaths life into the digital components thus making the E4k sound nothing less than incredible! Granted, it's not an EIII but, can kick the hell out of those watered-down, rinky-dink, soup-can sounds of the software-based samplers of today. For once in your life you could create with your sampler and use it as a production station not a workstation, with the flexibility on holidays without fear of not enough polyphony or memory reduction. Long live the 76 key beast!
