Akai S3000XL
Technical specifications
For adding sounds to the sampler, the S3000XL features a 3.5" floppy drive that reads Akai-formatted floppies, and a SCSI port which allows for connection to an external storage device, a CD reader, or a computer for editing samples via the MESA editor. The device can also play back MIDI files, which is useful during live performances, as the Akai can take the role of the computer to trigger internal samples or external MIDI devices. The built-in 2 MB of RAM can be upgraded up to 32 using 2 16 MB SIMMs that Akai provided; other upgrades include cards such as the EB-16 effects board and the IB-304f filter board.The S3000XL has 8 outputs, and two 1/4" phone connector inputs, which meant that it could also operate as a hard disk recorder. The front panel consists of 32 buttons, three knobs, and a four-key directional pad for navigating the 240×64 display, which is located in the upper-middle portion of the sampler.