Akai S1000 / S1100 samplers

>I am looking into getting a sequencer and was wondering what 
>sequencers ya'll have found that works best w/ an s1000.
>Thanks again,
>Ben

big question.  anything with midi is the short answer!  };-)

i started using the internal 8 track sequencer on an ensoniq sq80, moved up to the akai asq10 and stayed there for a while.  once i needed to include large audio loops & vocals i switched to an apple mac running cubase, and been there ever since.

the immediacy of the asq10 was awesome and is still the best hardware sequencer ever made (think mpc3000 without the drum sampler & pads!) but the tweakability of the mac-based sequencer is now, for me, a mastercard moment - priceless.

i currently record albums, remixes etc on an apple mac g4/933 with os9.2.2, 1gb ram, dual 80gb hds, cubase vst5 (for sequencing), bias peak (for stereo editing) plus powercore & uad1 for fx.  all audio i/o is through a motu 828 (8 track adat i/o plus 8 track analogue i/o) in to a yamaha 02r, with midi routed via 2 steinberg midex8s & 2 midex3s (22 seperate midi outputs to all my hardware).  2-track recording (ie the stereo output from the mixer) is via an 'old and obsolete' powermac 9600/g3-450 running os9 & bias peak, through a lynx one 24-bit pci card.  think 24-bit DAT.

quite a few 'professionals' immediately criticise me for still being on os9.2.2 and using 'old obsolete technology', but their results on protools systems & mega-bucks plug-in costs usually can't beat my productions.

so, just remember, its not what you've got but how you use it that counts!!


for a computer system you can start with something like an apple ibook g3/500 (or pc equivalent), simple usb midi interface & a version of cubase / logic / digital performer.  that'd cover you for midi-only, but if you want to incorporate soft synths then you'll need as much power as you can afford.

hardware sequencers have their strong points too - akai asq10 / mpc series, roland mc500 etc, yamaha qy series (eg qy300) etc.

also heavily depends on what other gear you have, because one of your synths might already have a sequencer built-in that'd do the job for you, though just make sure that the unit can save sequences to floppy / hd.

and another thing.  your choice will also totaly depend on the style of music you want to make, and how far you want to make it.

i told you it was a big question!!!!

};-)
moose @ midizoo