Emu MP7 Command Station

The new MP-7 combines the powerful synth engine of E-MU's Proteus 2000 and the brand-new Mo'Phatt soundset with a new grooving multi-track sequencer in a hands-on, tabletop package.

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Emu MP7 Command Station reviews

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118 People rated this product : * * * * * * * * * * 8 out of 10

 

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* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10 zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.

"Best product I could find for my needs."

If anyone considers the EMU XL7 or MP7 a toy I have to wonder just what they are comparing it to. As far as being sample based, that is true however EMU's zplane filters and modultion options can make any of the samples unique, interesting, and very usable. It took me about 4 months of daily operation to get comfortable on the box because their are so many options. The sequencer is very usable, although not as user friendly as the RM1X. Emu is about to release a major OS upgrade which I am looking forward to - especially since recordable track mutes are supposed to be included! The effects section is usable for those that do not have good outboard effects gear (I personally use the ouputs as outputs for further processing). It has crashed on me twice in hundreds of hours of abuse. Once, it lost some patterns and once it lost all patterns and songs (shame on EMU as that should NEVER happen short of physical damage). Other than that it has been outstanding. Some minor complaints - I see no way to back up user arps which just sucks. BTW the arps are very flexible and you can many, many at a time. The real time controls are great - the track buttons work well but you have to be careful how you push them if you want them to engage/disengage :) Mine is loaded with the orginal MP7 rom, the custom proteus, and the world expedition soundset. If you want instant gratification - get the RM1X (although it has many drawbacks as well). If you want a decent sequencer with a mature and highly editable sound generation system get the MP7/XL7 (in hindsight, I probably should have purhased the XL7 as I am more into dance music than hip hop). If you have questions about the box before you buy, and you should go to emu's site and download the manual. Then go to the XL7 yahoo newsgroup (link available from emu's site in the XL7/MP7 section). Some of their techs hang out in the newsgroup and are very helpful. Getting through to them on the phone is a different story. Email support turn around takes about a week - which is enitrely unacceptable. The box, however, rocks.

Submitted: 11/11/2002

Style of Music: Experimental, Ambient, Trance, Dance, GOA, DUB


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* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

"MP-7 Satisfied!"

Feature:
It came with software but it would be a bonus if it had sampling so you can just blow your mind with your own sounds.

Quality:
It is built very well and has become a favorite in my studio. It is not too heavy but weighted enough to let you know you're dealing with a real tool not a toy. The cosmetics are not exactly for me with the purple and lilac colors but it gets the job done.

Value:
When I purchased mines the price dropped after 3 months of me learning it.

Desirability:
The aesthetics is good but the color was just not my thing but it would work if it was only 3 colors and perhaps masculine colors or what not an option in color schemes?

Sound:
I am impressed with the sound of this instrument and I especially enjoy the fact that it is user-friendly. It may sound contradictory but it is as difficult as you want it to be but also you can get great sound if you were to use it for the first time. The versatility of this product is great . The only thing that I could possibly suggest to make it better is to add some type of loadable media for extra sounds but that would be long after you have exhausted your millions of options already offered when you consider that you can alter the sounds. Sampling capability would probably be a nice extra too.

Support:
I have not needed any support for this product so my score is neutral.

Overall:
I am totally satisfied with my purchase of this item and my only complaint is that I wish it had more memory but isn't that the complaint with everyone who creates music daily?

Submitted: 10/19/2003

Style of Music: Rap, Jazz, R&B and Gospel


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About This Product!
Description
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The XL-7 and MP-7 Command Stations put all of the advanced features and sonic quality of E-MU's flagship Proteus¬ 2000 sound module at your fingertips in highly tactile, intuitive tabletop packages. Each Command Station ships with over 1000 waveforms (the XL-7 and MP-7 feature Electronica/Dance and Hip-Hop soundsets respectively), but can be expanded and customized with any of the Proteus 2000 expansion ROMs available (up to 128 MB total) or even burn your own custom ROMs using E-MU's E4 Ultra samplers. 128-voice polyphony ensures that you can play and sequence your fattest, layered sounds with confidence, while 32 MIDI channels give you access and control over a huge palette of internal sounds and all of your external gear.

To match this powerful sound engine, the Command Stations give you 13 quality velocity-sensitive pads with aftertouch to play your sounds and input data. These pads have been specifically designed for the Command Stations and are extremely responsive, capturing all of the nuances of your performance. The XL-7 and MP-7 Command Stations truly represent the ultimate melding of E-MU's pristine sound quality, powerful sound engine, and cutting edge controller technologies are uniquely qualified to serve as the control center of your MIDI studio.

Tweak
The Command Stations not only provide you with over 100 BPM-based parameters per preset, but they also deliver dedicated, real-time control over these parameters with over 40 programmable knobs and buttons for an incredible number of modulation possibilities. Pick a preset and instantly have 16 knobs dedicated to synth parameters, or quickly program the knobs to control any MIDI parameters - even in your external gear! Tweak E-MU's legendary 12 pole filters for extreme sound sculpting, change LFO rates on the fly, and modify your envelopes in real-time - without ever touching a menu.

And if you do need to access a menu, dedicated jump keys instantly take you to specific menus screens - no searching through pages in the heat of your performance. Two internal effects processors round out your arsenal of sound tools, providing you with a host of quality effects, everything from tempo-based delays to reverbs, distortion, and more. Each Command Station also gives you 2 footswitch inputs and a touchstrip for even more real-time control. Never has this much sonic power been so easy to control!

Perform
While the XL-7 and MP-7 give you total real-time control over your sound, these Command Stations are unmatched in the performance arena. Under the hood you'll find a 16-track interactive sequencer with real-time, step, and grid record modes that can be switched without ever stopping the creative flow. 16 dedicated Mute/Select buttons allow you to add, monitor, and modify parts on the fly without the usual cumbersome menu scrolling. Each Command Station can store over 300,000 notes, and with E-MU's E-Loader program, you can import and export MIDI files to and from your Mac and PC with ease. In addition to its powerful sequencer, each Command Station can play up to 32 programmable, synced arpeggiators simultaneously. These arpeggiators are powerful performance tools that can be saved with your sequence for instant recall and can be modified in real-time using the control knobs. And the lightning-fast processor in each Command Station provides dead-on MIDI timing for your most intense sequences, ARPs, and layered sounds. In a market littered with toys, only E-MU's XL-7 and MP-7 Command Stations bring this much real-time performance power to your tabletop at such an affordable price. Take command of your music today!

Upgrade your current OS with a FREE 2.0 update from Emu! Check out their website for details.

Features in 2.0:
XMix: allows you to replace tracks of the currently playing pattern with tracks from another pattern. It's designed both for performance use and as a quick way to experimentally swap tracks.

Direct Pattern Access: You can now select one of 16 patterns using the Trigger buttons.

Explode/Combine Tracks: These new functions facilitate the interchange between single multi-channel tracks and multiple single-channel tracks.

Key Up Layer: The synthesizer layers can now be programmed to play when a key is released instead of when it is pressed.

Many other features as well as a couple of bug fixes.

Technical Info

Audio Channels: 128

MIDI Channels: 32 Internal/32 External

Pads: 13 Velocity Sensitive, 7-octave Range, Aftertouch

Controllers: 16 knobs - Quick edit, Mix, Programmable (MIDI channel, CC#)

Controllers: 2 Footswitches, 4 button switches, 16 triggers (Latch, MIDI Channel, Note, and Velocity)

Controllers: Center Detented Touch Strip

Displays: 2x24 LED, 4-digit 7-segment LED

Navigation: Data Knob, 2 Cursor buttons, 2 Track/Channel select buttons, 16 synth edit menu jump buttons

Lamp: 12 Volt goose-neck adapter

Presets: 512 RAM, 512 User

Layers Per Preset: 4

BPM/ MIDI synchronized parameters per Preset: >100

Sound Memory: 32 MB (expandable to 128 MB)

Internal Expansion slots: 3 additional

Expansion format: ROM (16/32MB) Flash (16/32MB)

Filters: 6/12th order (50 types)

Sequencer PPQN: 384

Songs: 512

Patterns: 1024

Tracks: 16 per pattern, 16 MIDI channels per Track, plus 1 Song Track (16 MIDI channels)

Record Types: Real Time, Step, Grid

Sequencer Format: XL/MP-7, SMF import/export

Sequencer Storage Size: Internal, > 300,000 notes. External, unlimited using E-MU's E-Loader software file assistant (Mac/PC)

Arpeggiators: 32 simultaneous pattern based or traditional

Arp Patterns: 300 ROM, 100 User

Arp Editor: 32 steps - Key, Velocity, Duration, Repeat

Effects: Dual 24-bit

Audio Outputs: 6 analog (configured as 3 stereo), Stereo S/PDIF

Audio Inputs: Effects Return 1 In (Stereo), Effects Return 2 In (Stereo)

MIDI: In, MIDI Out A/Thru, MIDI Out B/Thru

Data Encoding: 16-bit linear, 24-bit DACs

Signal to Noise: >100 dB

Frequency Response: 20-20,000Hz (+0.0/-0.1dB)

THD + Noise (DACs): <0.002%

Power Consumption: 15 watts

Voltage Input: 90VAC - 260VAC at 50Hz - 60 Hz

Maximum Output Level: +6dBV

Output Impedance: 1000 Ohms

Dimensions: Height 5.25" (Highest point), Width 18.60" - 20.10", Depth 10.50"; fits in standard 6 space rack when you remove the end caps (requires optional rack ears)

Modes: Song, Pattern

Views: Song, Pattern, Preset, Mix

Menus: Song Edit, Pattern Edit, Preset Edit, Global, Controllers, Arpeggiator, and MIDI

Additional functions: Audition, Compare, Save/Copy Home/Enter, Tap Tempo
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