MD RX950 User Manual
V 1.1.1
Table of content
Introduction 3
Installation 4
Customer support 5
The RX950 6
The interface 7
The Input Gain knob 8
The Audio Bandwidth knob 8
The Filter knob 9
The Output Level knob 9
The Mono button 9
Presets suggestions 10
The Settings panel 11
Display Scale setting 11
Audio Bandwidth Brilliance knob 11
Parameter Value Keyboard Typing 11
The Back panel 12
MIDI Control Change table 12
Default NKS controls 13
End-User License Agreement (EULA) 14
Disclaimer 16
Credits & Thanks 17
2
Introduction
FOREWORD
Does the Akai S950 need an introduction? If you’re reading these pages, probably not. Also, you
probably already know the holly reputation this iconic sampler, released in 1989, still has today.
Personnally, I had the chance to learn to use one of these when I was 7. At the time, I was fascinated
by the ease of use of this hefty machine for seamlessly playing back anything we would throw into it
(not to mention the « reverse » feature that is quite hilarious to play with when you’re a child). Years
later, I only heard about this device’s sound characteristic its fans call the « grit ». And I eventually
could personnally experience it. Yes, this instrument affects the sound. This is not an audio myth.
Everybody talks about the 12-bit resolution. But is it all?
This simple question gave birth to the RX950. And to a whole year of work. Because it required a lot
of precision and patience to gather such subtle ingredients.
FOR CURIOUS PEOPLE
The answer to our foreword’s question is: no, the 12-bit resolution does not make it all. A disassembly
and a long reverse engineering of our own S950 has revealed an actual poem of conception signed
by Akai.
This sound « color » comes in particular from the gain applied to the input signal that is later
generously ltered before being sampled. At this state, the spectrum is already nicely altered. Then
comes the very analog-to-digital conversion with a 12-bit resolution (which is all by itself an actual
masterpiece that we managed to replicate). During playback, the sound, converted back to analog is
affected by a last lter whose the frequency cut depends on both the playback setting, but also on
the bandwidth setting while recording. This allows to reduce aliasing artifacts as much as possible,
thanks to, in particular, the use of 6th-order Butterworth low-pass lters.
At each step, it has been fascinating to note that Akai’s ambition had obviously been restrained
by technical limitations (as well as costs) at the time, but in any case these issues were solved in a
musical way.
We hope you’ll love to play with our plug-in as much as we had pleasure to develop it.
Sincerely,
Mathieu Demange
3
Installation
VST2, VST3, NKS, AUDIO UNIT, AAX
https://www.mathieudemange.fr/rx950-classic-ad-da-converter/
Windows Minimal requirements: Windows Vista (32/64-bit) and higher
Mac OS X Minimal requirements: macOS 10.7 (32/64-bit) and higher
1. Download the installation program from your order conrmation email
2. Run the installation program
3. Choose the desired plug-in versions
4. Run your DAW and nd the RX950 in the effects list
RACK EXTENSION (PROPELLERHEAD REASON)
https://shop.propellerheads.se/rack-extension/rx950-classic-adda-converter/
Windows / Mac OS X Minimal requirements: Reason v7.1 and higher
1. Download the RX950 from the Propellerhead Shop
2. Recommanded: sync your Rack Extensions for ofine use
3. Run Reason and n the RX950 in the effects list
AUv3 / IAA
https://itunes.apple.com/app/rx950-classic-ad-da-converter/id1406136418
iPhone / iPad / iPod Touch Minimal requirements: iOS 9.3 and higher
1. Download the RX950 from the App Store
2. Run the RX950 or open it as an effet from a third-party musical app.
4
Customer support
Thank you so much for buying our product!
We swear we won’t let you down if your have questions:
‐ Read our FAQ,
‐ Contact us for any information,
‐ Report a bug...
Reach us at: https://www.mathieudemange.fr/support/
You can also get in touch with us on social networks:
https://www.facebook.com/mathieudemange.fr/
https://www.instagram.com/mathieu.demange
https://twitter.com/mathieudemange
https://www.youtube.com/MathieuDemange
https://soundcloud.com/mathieu_demange/
5
The RX950
The RX950 Classic AD/DA Converter is an effect plug-in designed to be used in your DAW running
on Windows, macOS or iOS.
The RX950 has been designed to give your sound the unique color, the warmth and grit of the
Akai S950 sampler. Indeed, this iconic sampler from the end of the 80’s was famous for its musical
qualities, and even if the hi- standards weren’t entirely met, it induced a soft saturation, a 12-bit
resolution, a subtle aliasing effect and a low-pass lter everyone recognize. These are all the
qualities you can expect from a real music instrument that played its part in the birth of major music
genres like hip hop and house music.
To perform the entire range of these characteristics, the RX950 follows, step by step, every stage
of audio processing of the original machine, as if your sound had been sampled then played back in
real time:
‐ Line input
‐ Analog gain
‐ Pre-ltering
‐ A/D conversion
‐ D/A conversion
‐ Post-ltering
‐ Line output
Our own S950 has been paintaskly studied and its sound thoroughly compared in order to obtain
these unique sound capabilities.
The RX950 is used :
‐ to process separate tracks (beats, basslines, synth parts, loops...)
‐ to process the master output bus of your entire composition
‐ to process wet signals of your delays or reverbs
‐ to process things we probably don’t know yet.
We hope that the RX950 will give you full satisfaction, and that as a connaisseur (or not) of
the legendary sampler our plugin is inspired of, you’ll like the sound of it and the creative possibilities
it offers.
6
Loading...