The S3000 was designed as a direct replacement for the popular S1000/ S1100. It's a 3U rackmounting sampler that builds upon Akai's reputation for reliability while introducing significant improvements and innovations over the previous flagship models.

The S3000 features a familiar angled front panel design reminiscent of the S1000/ S1100, but with radically altered buttons. The major function buttons now light up when pressed rather than relying on associated LEDs. The traditional Cursor Knob has been replaced with a "diamond" of four direction buttons similar to those on the DD1000.

Like its companion the S2800, the S3000 has its sample input jacks located on the rear panel (which the author criticizes), and includes user-friendly improvements such as a front-panel headphone output and an on/off switch for the LCD built into the contrast knob. The SCSI port is available only as an optional extra.

The S3000 offers advanced sample editing capabilities with waveforms displayed as complete bargraphs on screen. Beyond standard features like adjusting start/end points, truncating, looping, and crossfading, it introduces innovative editing functions similar to expensive digital editing systems:

• Chop, Cut, and Extract functions for editing specific sections of samples
• Normalize and Rescale functions to optimize sample volume levels
• Fade facility to create digital fade-ins and fade-outs

A major new feature is the Assignable Program Modulation (APM), allowing routing of MIDI controllers to various "modules" in the sampler. The S3000 includes 12dB/octave low-pass resonant filters to alter the tonal character of samples, controllable via modwheel, pitchbend, LFOs, envelope generators, or external controllers.

The S3000 offers significantly improved dynamic range compared to the S1000, with exceptional bass response and clear highs. It's described as transforming expectations of how digital sound generation equipment should perform.

AKAI S3000 Technical Specifications

Hardware specs

• Polyphony: 32 voice
• Internal processing: 28-bit
• D/A conversion: 20-bit with 8x oversampling (L/R); 18-bit with 8x oversampling (individual outs)

Sampling

• Sampling resolution: stereo 16-bit linear with 64x oversampling
• Sampling rates: 44.1kHz, 22.05kHz
• Default sample RAM: 2Mb (2 slots, 1+1Mb).
• Maximum sample RAM: 16Mb (2x8).
• Maximum number of samples: 255
• Maximum number of programs: 254

Sampling time:

• 16 Mb (two EXM 3008 board):
  2.97 minutes mono @ 44.1kHz

• 32 Mb (four EXM 3008 boards):
  5.94 minutes mono @ 44.1kHz

Filters, Modulation and Effects

• Filtering: Low-pass, -12db/oct with resonance
• Envelope generators: 2
• LFOs: 2
• Effects: Stereo flanging, chorus, multi-tap delay, delay, pitch shifter

Sound library

• Fully compatible with Akai S900, S950, S1000, S1100, S2800, S3000, S3200, S2000 and S3200XL.

Connectivity

• REC IN: 2 x XLR (balanced) 2 x 1/4-inch phone (balanced)
• STEREO OUT: 2 x XLR (balanced) 5.0 dBm/600 Ω 2 x 1/4-inch phone (unbalanced) 5.0 dBm
• ASSIGNABLE OUTS: 8 x 1/4-inch phone (unbalanced) 7.5 dBm
• HEADPHONES: 1 x 1/4-inch stereo phone
• FOOTSWITCH: 1 x 1/4-inch phone
• MIDI: 3 x DIN5P (IN, OUT, THRU)

Interface boards (optional):

• IB-301S - SCSI (factory installed in the S3000i)
• IB-302D - AES/EBU digital I/O with real-time digital outputs 
• SMPTE interface

Display

• 40 characters x 8 lines (text), 240x60 dots (graphics);
• blue backlit
• adjustable contrast

Memory&Storage

• 4 RAM Slots (support EXM-3002, EXM-3008 proprietary memory modules, compatible with S2800/ S3200)
• Optional Flash (8Mb FMX-008)
• 3.5" DSHD/DSDD floppy drive
• Optional HDD when the IB-301S SCSI board is present, included in the S3000i
• HS-D650 - 3.5-inch MO disk drive set 

Physical parameters

• Casing: full-metal 3U 19"
• 483mm (width) x 133mm (height) x 410mm (depth)
• Weight: 8.8kg