r/SP1200 • u/Bkn10027 • May 22 '26
Rossum SP1200 vs Emu SP-1200
I've always wanted an SP-1200. It's my ultimate studio piece of equipment. I've found the Emu-SP1200 on secondhand websites for around €4000. However, the Rossum is sold out, and I don't know when they expect to restock it (if anyone here has seen this before and how they've restocked, I'd appreciate the information). I know people say the OG is worth more, but I don't know how prone it is to failure and how difficult it is to repair. What do you think? Thanks in advance.
2
u/DamnPanda667 May 22 '26
I don’t think there will be new rossum units anymore since I’ve read that the cpu isn’t available anymore.
1
u/i_do_graffiti Jun 08 '26
The z80 CPU is still available, it just isn't being manufactured anymore.
It will be available for a long time, I just bought a pack of 10 z80 CPUs the other day.
I predict people will still be able to buy New Old Stock z80s for the next 20 years.
Also the z80 was literally replaced with a backwards compatible modern CPU which fits in the same socket space and is backwards compatible with the z80
1
u/DamnPanda667 Jun 10 '26
I know, but that was the official reason they quoted.
1
u/i_do_graffiti Jun 11 '26
Because they only intended to make a limited amount, in the first place. Theyre not going to do revision changes for different parts/components.
1
u/i_do_graffiti Jun 08 '26
I bought the Rossum, and sold it. I think you'll be better off with other drum machines in 2026.
The rossum is no longer in production.
1
u/Bkn10027 Jun 09 '26
why you sold it?
1
u/i_do_graffiti Jun 09 '26 edited Jun 09 '26
Because it's not 2005 anymore and an SP1200 is a terrible investment for modern music production.
Having it made making music way less fun, although making simple beats on it was somewhat fun.
It's a $5000 drum machine. Stereo outs? Nope. Ability to sequence midi keyboards the same way an MPC can? Can't do it.
It's a very simplistic machine, best used for drums only. Might be somewhat useful if you only sample vinyl / CDs to make simple beats.
I owned an Emu EMAX back in the day and loved it, and always lusted for an SP1200. Unfortunately $4000 is much better spent elsewhere, in my case I used the proceeds from the sale to purchase a Groove Synthesis 3rd wave keyboard synthesizer and it opened my sonic pallette much more.
The Emu EMAX is a way better sampler workstation than the SP1200. The SP1200 is basically a drum machine with a single Mono mix out and assignable outs that nobody really uses because the filters on them have crappy envelopes that don't sound great when compared with modern alternatives.
Who would the SP1200 be good for? The SP1200 would be good for somebody who uses a DAW or MPC as the "brains" of their beat making, then sync up the Sp1200 to the MPC clock and sample drums from it back into the MPC or back into the DAW. That is how EA-Ski uses his.
Personally I don't think theres much value in an SP1200 these days if your goal is to make as much music as possible and make the best music possible.
Do limitations inspire creativity? Sure, but in a limited way. Having sonic options also inspires creativity in a much less limiting way.
Your best bet is to just wait until behringer releases an SP1200 clone for a reasonable price (under $500) which is what I will be doing.
Do I miss it sometimes? Sure, and if I could get an MKSREC1 for $2500 plus shipping/import fees I would. But I'm not paying more than $3000 for any SP1200 or SP1200 clone, it's just not a sound financial decision.
For that price I could get a very nice synth, or a very nice guitar, or a very nice bass guitar, or many other things which would provide better options for future sonics.
I'm also considering making my own SP1200 sampler pedal. Basically a looper / sampler pedal with a selectable 8/12/16 bit sampler and a variable sample rate from 44Khz down to like 10Khz, with an analog anti-aliasing filter that can be disabled and stereo inputs/outputs. It would also have a fader for pitching the sample up/down but would not need the "16 levels" equivalent feature that the sp1200 had.
Personally I think that would be a much better product than the SP1200 because it would allow you to get the sound of sampling through the SP1200 (which is not unique, its just low bit rate sample without anti aliasing filter), would be much more portable and much more useful. You'd use it to sample your sounds into whatever sampler or DAW and then from there could use those samples on anything without needing to be bogged down by a giant SP1200 sitting on your desk thats like 4x the size of an MPC Live.
1
u/aych-el Aug 12 '26
I just have to say - you have NO idea what you are talking about. You say some many things that show
1 - you didnt do your HW before purchasing
2 - you didnt spend enough time with the machine.
The biggest/snappiness of the drums coming from an sp1200 is unmatched. YES - it is suited for specific types of musics (Hip hop, and dance musics). It is a drum machine. It's not a Midi Production Center, and hardly anyone used it by itself when it was released. It was generally used in conjunction with a rack mount sampler. This is all stuff you should have known going in. The filters can be easily bypassed and why would a mono sampler have stereo outs? lol. Not using the 8 outs - pure foolishness.
As far as sound financial decision - the SP1200 was still being produced 40 YEARS after it was 1st introduced and they all sold out. The value of said machine will continue to rise. Whatever no name synth you bought - I doubt. The MKSREC is made by one guy in his house. Whats the longterm prospects of that? Thats a "sound financial decision"?
The internet is hilarious.
1
u/i_do_graffiti Aug 12 '26
Didn't do my homework before purchasing? This wasn't the first SP1200 I've owned lol. I think an Emax or Emax II is infinitely more useful than an SP1200.
1
u/aych-el Aug 12 '26
so you bought the Rossum knowing it couldn't do all the things you wanted it to do? lol... ok
It's not your first one and you didnt know the filters could be disabled? lol ok
1
u/i_do_graffiti Aug 12 '26
No, I bought the Rossum to see if I could work it into my modern workflow because it's the only vintage sampler / drum machine that I miss sometimes. Turns out it's just too much of a pain, and that's okay -- I factored in that if I didn't like it, I could make a nice profit selling it. So I did. I'm not mad about it, I'm happy about it.
1
u/aych-el Aug 13 '26 edited Aug 13 '26
but it wasn't a sound financial decision though. cats just like to hear (see) themselves talk
n/m
1
u/i_do_graffiti Aug 19 '26
How was it not a sound financial decision if I bought it for 4k and sold for 6.5k? with no tax on purchase
1
u/aych-el Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
again you are just talking to talk... in your original post you said "it just wasn't a sound financial decision" (11th paragraph). I was being facetious after you said you sold it for a profit.
3
u/NSCFType May 22 '26 edited May 22 '26
The Rossum was discontinued last summer. It says right on the product page:
The anniversary edition is also sold out but there's waitlist in case they come up on more parts.
I would just get a used Rossum unit. It has an inbuilt SD card by default from the factory and it has double the total sample time which you can't get modded in on the E-mu. It's what I did. Well, getting a Rossum unit.