The third generation of Akai samplers, the S2800 and S3000 series, represented the ultimate at the time.

They are true samplers, which impress with their ability to record anything, and can be used in multi-timbral mode. I used them a lot, and I still use the most souped-up version (the S3000), but I still have a bitter feeling about them: at the time (1994), the S2800 cost…

…more than 17,000 Francs (yes, you read that right)!

I had to take out a bank loan (the first in my life) to buy it. At that price, it only had 4 MegaBytes of memory, the additional memory sticks (4 maximum and very expensive) were optional, as was the coaxial input/output card for direct digital recording, and it didn’t even have a hard drive or CD-RW drive (just a floppy drive). On reflection, it was a scandalous scam!

Nowadays it’s worth nothing on the internet… and only a crazy person like me still uses it (but after all, I also use an Atari ST!).