EMULATOR FROM MARS

The Iconic ’80s Sampler, Reimagined

Released in 1984, the E-mu Emulator II was the follow-up to the original Emulator (1981) and a landmark in making professional sampling affordable. At the time, digital samplers like the Fairlight CMI and Synclavier cost tens of thousands of dollars, while The Emulator II delivered much of that capability for around $8,000, which was revolutionary for the mid-’80s.

We've had this Emulator in our studio for while now, and for various reasons (it was always broken, and weighs a million pounds) we never ended up sampling it until now. And what blast it was to sample! The Emulator just oozes vintage vibes and immediately inspires. With its unique blend of 8-bit digital sampling and analog SSM filters, it delivered a sound that was at once gritty and warm, digital and alive - a timeless texture that still feels musical today.

Classic Sound Meets Modern Flexibility

The Emulator II symbolized the democratization of sampling - bringing creative sound design to a much wider range of artists and studios, helping define an era. Its lush choirs, cinematic strings, and grainy realism became the backbone of countless synth-pop, new wave, and early electronic records, used by Depeche Mode, OMD, Pet Shop Boys, Genesis, and countless others.

We have lots of love for the SP-1200 of course, which appears to share some similarities with the Emulator but in fact they sound quite different. The Emulator II’s analog filters and clever 8 Bit Companding technology gave it a smoother, more musical texture, ideal for pads, strings, and cinematic tones. And while the overarching concept here was to recreate acoustic instruments in sample form, with only 17 seconds of sampling time, you're often forced to loop the sounds in order to extend them, which can produce some odd textures, especially when pitched, adding to the unique charm of this primitive beast.

For the Emulator From Mars, we’ve captured that unmistakable tone in 40 patches that span bass, keys, leads, pads, percussion, vocals, and FX. The result is a rich and playable collection that channels the magic of the Emulator, without the agonizingly slow floppy disc load time.

Capturing the Emulator's Past Lives

After scouring through a couple giant books of floppy discs and .hfe files on our SD Cards, we sourced a diverse range of material from original factory patches and rare third-party sound libraries. We then captured every single note from each patch through our API and Studer consoles, employing a REDDI on some patches to thicken things up a bit and enhance harmonic saturation.

In addition to sampling some classic digital basses, vocal choirs, and lush strings, we also created some raw and punchy analog bass patches courtesy of the Moog Prodigy, Juno 60 and Soma Pulsar 23. We also leaned into some more esoteric and underused factory effects patches to give the whole pack a spicy modern edge.

Embracing the Emulator’s Chaos

Part of what makes the Emulator II so inspiring is how strange it can be. Factory patches weren’t always logical - sample zones were mapped unevenly, octaves are often repeated, and some patches have a few seemingly unrelated samples tossed in. It's quirky, unpredictable, and completely magical.

Instead of cleaning that up or “correcting” the mapping, we chose to preserve the chaos. We kept the odd mappings and unexpected sample placements intact to recreate the feeling of loading up a floppy disk and discovering something weird and wonderful every time you pressed a key.

In our various one shot and experimental patches, you’ll find sounds tucked away across the keyboard - some familiar *cough cough* and some bizarre - waiting to be discovered. You might stumble upon a crazy vocal buried at the top of the range, or a video game sound effect hiding between orchestral hits, foley effects and dog barks. That hunt for the unexpected is part of the fun! Some of the more bizarre samples can be heard here:

What You Get

You’ll find both authentic vintage tones and fresh reinterpretations, letting you create retro soundtracks, modern synthwave, ambient textures, or dreamy pop with ease. Whether you want nostalgic grit or polished clarity, Emulator From Mars bridges the gap between past and present, offering a versatile sound palette for any genre. As usual, all 40 patches are fully mapped and ready to play in your favorite sampler.

If you love the grit, warmth, and musicality of early digital samplers - and want those textures easily accessible in a modern workflow,  Emulator From Mars has you covered. It’s the sound of an era when sampling became art, and is now ready to inspire the next generation of producers.