Message 2/16
Date: 10-Aug-00 @ 04:03 AM -
RE: List Known Probs A3000 Please.
If you haven't already, you should get the A3K FAW from www.a3kcentral.com. It covers most of the known problems.
I only recently got mine but I love it and love blabbing on about it to anyone who will listen!
Known problems/issues I know of:
The optional digital output board is a bit noisy.
The knobs (rotary encoders) on the front need to be moved within a certain speed range or they can jump about a bit.
No graphical wave editing which makes loop setting slow. Everyone I know uses their PC + an editor to do it anyway so no big deal.
The internal sequencer is pretty much limited to record/playback and tempo.
There are not many native A3K sample CDs available and importing Akai ones is not perfect.
SCSI/SMIDI is quite slow but not too bad.
The floppy drive really is slow.
The only way to get A3K native samples that you got off the net into the A3K is via the floppy (it reads A3K and DOS formats) or by burning a CD after formatting them using a $100 app called A3K disky. Not a big prob.
Using internal hard-drives is supposed to be noisy. Most people go external for them and Zips.
Never heard any SCSI noise on my setup. Certainly internal SCSI is not audible and external SCSI noise is proabably down to adequate shielding / good cables.
It is a kick-ass sampler for dance. You can come up with great synth sounds on it without even loading a sample. I don't think you will be sorry.