The Rise of a Hip-Hop Legend: The E-mu SP-1200 Story
In August 1987, E-mu Systems released a machine that would help define the sound of hip-hop's golden age - the SP-1200 sampling drum machine. Created by Dave Rossum, this unassuming piece of equipment became legendary for its distinctive "warm," "dirty," and "gritty" sound, characteristics that would keep it in demand for over three decades despite technically superior alternatives.
The journey to the SP-1200 began with E-mu's evolution from analog synthesizer manufacturer to digital pioneer. The company, founded in 1971, initially supported itself through synthesizer sales and royalties from analog chips created by Dave Rossum and Ron Dow. Their expertise led to consulting work with industry giants like Linn, Oberheim, and Sequential, with Rossum notably reviewing the electrical design of the groundbreaking Linn LM-1 drum machine.
A pivotal moment came in 1980 when E-mu shifted focus to digital sampling technology. The company's co-founders, Scott Wedge and Dave Rossum, recognized an opportunity to create an affordable digital drum machine using shared memory. This led to the Drumulator, their first sub-$1000 programmable digital drum machine, which sold over 10,000 units between 1983 and 1985.
The SP-12 emerged as E-mu's first sampling drum machine, initially advertised as "Drumulator II" in early 1985. The "SP" stood for "Sampling Percussion," with "12" referencing its 12-bit linear format. Priced at $2,745, it offered an accessible alternative to competitors like the $5,000 Linn 9000 and Sequential's Studio 440.
The SP-1200 refined this foundation, doubling the sampling time to 10 seconds and integrating a disk drive for storing sounds and sequences. Priced at $2,995, it democratized sample-based music production. Its limitations - including the 26.04 kHz sampling rate and drop-sample pitch-shifting - paradoxically became its strengths, creating a signature sound that producers coveted.
The machine's impact on hip-hop was profound. It enabled artists to create entire songs within a single portable device - a revolutionary capability that reduced production costs and increased creative control. As the Village Voice noted, the SP-1200's distinctive characteristics - from its crunchy digitized drums to murky filtered basslines - defined the vintage New York sound.
Producers pushed the machine's boundaries, developing techniques to overcome its limitations. They would pitch up samples on turntables before recording them, allowing longer samples to fit within the memory constraints. The practice of "chopping" emerged, where producers would slice samples into smaller pieces and recompose them into original productions.
The SP-1200's popularity led to multiple production runs. After its initial discontinuation in 1990, persistent demand prompted a 1993 reissue with an improved power supply and black chassis. Production continued until 1998, when the unavailability of crucial components, particularly the SSM2044 filter chips, forced its second discontinuation.
The story didn't end there. In 2021, Dave Rossum, through his new company Rossum Electro-Music, announced a reissue of the SP-1200. This modern version doubled the sampling time to 20 seconds, replaced the disk drive with SD card storage, and used new SSM2144 filter chips while maintaining the original's cherished sound characteristics.
Technical Specifications:
Sampling:
- Rate: 26.04 kHz
- Resolution: 12-bit linear
- Maximum total sampling time: 10 seconds
- Individual sample limit: 2.5 seconds
- Memory: 32 sounds across 4 banks (A, B, C, D)
Sequencing:
- Pattern capacity: 100 patterns
- Song capacity: 100 songs
- Maximum sequence memory: 5,000 notes
- Features: Real-time recording, step programming, swing, quantization
- Sync: SMPTE, MIDI, analog clock generation and sync
Interface:
- Eight channel sliders for pitch/volume control
- Dynamic-sensitive buttons with piezo sensors
- Integrated 3.5" disk drive
- Individual outputs for first six channels (unfiltered option)
- Two SSM2044 analog filters on channels 1-2
- Additional filters at higher frequencies on channels 3-6
- Unfiltered outputs on channels 7-8
The SP-1200 remains a testament to how technical limitations can shape artistic expression, creating an enduring legacy in music production history. Those of us who are not able to buy it at USD7500 (current price at the vintage gear market), could go the Rossum SP-1200 way which is almost 1-1 recreation from the creator, Dave Rossum, costing USD4000.