Akai-S612 + MIDI Front Panel Animator (FPA)

Classic sampler with added MIDI control allowing animation of the controls in real time.

100v unit - see below for more information on voltage.

There were around 12 of the prototypes of the Front Panel Animator designed and built by Dan Wilson at Hideaway Studios; we had a few to sell and the rest are out in the studios of a handful of early adopters including several heavy-weight names from the world of Electronic Music (modesty prevents us from naming names...). These machines on this listing are the first featuring a limited first production run of the FPA boards. Each board has been fitted by Dan himself and he has been through the samplers giving them a full service. These exclusive machines feature a metal Hideaway Studio badge on the rear.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND:

Designed by David Cockerell in the early 1980s the Akai S612 was one of the first "affordable" studio samplers on the market. With its 1 second sample memory in max sample rate and ultra basic MIDI implementation the 612 is clearly not able to compete with modern gear on those terms. However, it still has many fans due in part because of its simple usability and the idiosyncratic manual splicing control permitting the start and end points to be moved and even reversed in real time.

What this feature has been waiting for is a means of animating the controls in real time. The FPA board, designed and built by Dan Wilson at Hideaway Studios allows just this: under the control of 5 MIDI CC channels it controls the Sample Start, End, Filter Cut-off and Vibrato Controls from a sequencer, all this in warm scratchy 12-bit audio with surprisingly fast MIDI response.

As Dan himself says:

“This opens a whole new creative path on this old beast resulting in weird glitchy loops, reversed effects and general chaos...”

You can find out more on the original forum post where Dan first talked about what he was doing: read the Gearslutz Akai S612 Midi Front Panel Animator thread here.

Scroll down to can hear the recordings of Dan's first tests with this machine and more info on the mod.

For sales in UK/EU the price will include VAT. VAT-free sales are possible to businesses and individuals in the EU (outside the UK) with a valid VAT Number - please get in touch if you wish to buy this way.

• The 100v Japanese model will run fine on North American mains 115/120v without a transformer (we run all our tests using 120v power); however, a step-down transformer is recommended for extended use.
• A step-down transformer is required in the UK/EU
• We do not recommend using cheap generic Chinese mains transformers.

MORE INFORMATION:

The board is a high quality piece of electronics, the result of considerable work and testing by Dan. The pcb is quite a job to fit as the main motherboard has to be removed from the chassis but is extremely neat in situ and there is literally just one flying lead to another external circuit. The board picks up on a mounting point to the chassis on a metal standoff.

AKAI S612 FPA Demos:

One of the things happening in this first one is what Dan describes as an arpeggiator offset effect. It's about 40 seconds in and he's sampling an arpeggiated sequence and then playing it back on 16ths whilst moving the start point via CC 20 in the sequencer. When the start point crosses the end point the sample reverses which under sequenced control can get (in his words) “pretty freaky”.

And in the test below he takes a 2 second sample of Vivaldi and uses the MIDI control to create a continuously morphing sound over 3 minutes.

Some of our gear will have VAT at 20% added in the UK/EU, but a lot of it won't. This should hopefully clarify the situation but if you have any questions then please get in touch.

ITEMS WITH VAT:

• These items will have two prices visible: with and without the tax.
• If you are buying in the UK/EU you will receive an invoice showing the tax component.
• If you are buying these items outside the EU when you get to the check out and enter your shipping location you will be charged the ex-VAT price.
• VAT-free sales are also possible to businesses within the EU with a valid VAT number. You will need to contact us in order to buy via this means.

ITEMS WITHOUT VAT:

• Much of what we sell is classified as "Second Hand Goods" and so while we still pay some tax, there is no recoverable/deductible component for sales to any part of the world.
• So, the price you see is the price you pay wherever you are.

ALSO NOTE:

• Shipping charges are also subject to VAT at 20% within the UK/EU - this is included within the prices you see for shipping to those areas - it is not shown separately in the cart but will be shown on the VAT invoice you receive with your goods.

We are very experienced at packing and shipping valuable and sensitive gear worldwide. Binson Echorecs, large valve amps, vintage synths, rare racks, and even a CS-80 or two - you name it, we've sent it and it has arrived in one piece and ready to play.

SHIPPING DISCOUNT ON MULTIPLE ITEMS:

We keep it simple: if you buy more than one item you only pay the shipping on the item that has the highest shipping cost. This is the same no matter how many items you buy together (so the more you buy together, the bigger your shipping discount). If you check all the items out all together this will be calculated automatically at checkout. However, if you make an order and then wish to add to it before it ships please get in touch and we will refund the shipping on the item(s) that are cheaper to ship.

Note that this also allows you to purchase add on items such as transformers and other accessories, and also t-shirts and other merch, without paying any extra shipping on them.

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CAN I COLLECT MY GEAR (and save on shipping?)

Yes! If you want to use this option either get in touch before you purchase, or contact us afterwards and we will just refund you the shipping. Note that collection is by appointment only and only during weekday office hours.

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MORE SHIPPING INFO:

The shipping prices for our gear vary considerably depending on the type of gear, value and destination. To see shipping costs put the item you are interested in the cart and then either use the shipping estimator or go into the check out process. Or just contact us and we'll tell you what you need to know.

It is a fact that, with vintage items, there are going to be times when gear arrives in need of some adjustment or calibration, and some times a piece of gear that was working 100% just chooses the day after arriving for a new fault to develop. However, having been working with sensitive vintage gear for many years, we are very experienced at dealing with these occurrences and will always work with you and get the problem solved as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Note that we have have not entered automatic shipping for every country. The countries we ship to most often will have shipping rates and we are in the process of adding more shipping fees to the check out process. But if you are looking at an item that doesn't have the fee information you need then please use the contact page or call on +44 1773 856475.

Which carriers do we use?

We usually use Royal Mail, UPS and DPD/Interlink - it depends on the item and destination as to which is the most economical. If you have a preference then we should be able to accommodate it (but we may need to pass on any additional costs) - just let us know what you need.