Forat F16

Last updated
Forat F16 16 bit digital sampler remote control.jpg
Remote Control
Forat F16 16 bit digital sampler view front left 300dpi.jpg
Forat F16 - 16 bit Digital Sampler / Drum Brain

The Forat F16 is the first 16 bit digital sampler optimized for use as an electronic drum module. [1] It dynamically responds to trigger inputs from MIDI and/or audio signals. With a response time of 0.1 milliseconds, the F16 is the fastest audio triggering digital sampler ever sold. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] It was manufactured by Forat Music and Electronics, introduced in 1987 at a list price of $5200 and was discontinued in 1994. An optional Remote Control and SCSI capability was available for $1385.

Contents

Features

The F16 Digital Sampler is a high-quality rack mount audio sampling and storage device designed to reproduce 16-bit sounds in response to MIDI or audio trigger inputs. Samples are recorded in full 16-bit linear format with 96 dB of dynamic range and superb signal to noise ratios.

Forat F16 16 bit digital sampler voice module 300dpi.jpg
Voice Module Board
Forat F16 16 bit digital sampler front panel 300dpi.jpg
Front Panel
Forat F16 16 bit digital sampler back panel 300dpi.jpg
Back Panel

The unit consists of eight voice modules.

Each module is capable of storing a sample up to 26 seconds. The combined total maximum sampling time with eight modules is three minutes and thirty seconds. Sample rates range from 10 kHz to 60 kHz. High fidelity is achieved at 35 kHz and above, resulting in full bandwidth sounds of over seven seconds per voice module; one minute for all eight modules. In addition to recording individual samples, the modules may be "chained" to form one recording almost seven minutes long. Editing commands allow you to trim and move samples.

Each voice module has its own volume, pan and pitch controls and an activity light which indicates when the module is playing. Voices are available as discrete outputs, or in a composite stereo mix. The mix output only contains voices not extracted using the discrete outputs. The discrete outputs may also be used as an effects send and return to add reverb or other processing to individual voices prior to the stereo mix.

Each module has a dynamic velocity sensitive trigger input. The trigger response time is 0.1 milliseconds, providing an amazing range of sensitivity with absolute repeatability. The trigger inputs accommodate virtually all dynamic sensitive pads, drum machines, sequencer trigger outputs, plus audio from tape machines and other audio sources.

An optional Hi-Hat Module provides variable hi-hat decay controlled via MIDI or a foot pedal. This feature is similar to the programmable hi-hat decay on the Linn 9000 drum machine.

Sounds are saved to or loaded from an optional internal SCSI Zip drive, an external SCSI hard drive or a fast 600 RPM floppy drive.

MIDI In, Out, and Thru are supplied with full dynamic velocity sensitivity. Each module may be assigned to any MIDI note number and independent channel, and several modules may have the same note number and channel, if desired. MIDI note and channel settings are preserved when the F16 is turned off or unplugged.

The F16 features mic and line level inputs for sampling and a headphone jack.

A Remote Control plus SCSI capability was sold separately. 16-bit samples were sold separately.

Brochure (1987)

Forat F16 16 bit digital sampler brochure page 1 300dpi.jpg
page 1
Forat F16 16 bit digital sampler brochure page 2 300dpi.jpg
page 2

Specifications

Notable Users

Many top artists, producers, engineers and drummers have used the F16 including:

Grammy Award-winning mix engineer, Dave "Hard Drive" Pensado says "the Forat F16 is my little secret weapon." [15]

When Alan Moulder (Nine Inch Nails) was asked: "Is there a piece of equipment you can't do without?" he replied: "I've got a Forat F16 that I use to trigger kicks and snares". [12] [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MIDI</span> Electronic musical instrument connection standard

MIDI is a technical standard that describes a communication protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and related audio devices for playing, editing, and recording music.

A music workstation is an electronic musical instrument providing the facilities of:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CV/gate</span> Analogue method of electronic sound production

CV/gate is an analog method of controlling synthesizers, drum machines, and similar equipment with external sequencers. The control voltage typically controls pitch and the gate signal controls note on-off.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sampler (musical instrument)</span> Device that records and plays back samples

A sampler is an electronic musical instrument that records and plays back samples. Samples may comprise elements such as rhythm, melody, speech, sound effects or longer portions of music.

The Ensoniq Mirage is one of the earliest affordable sampler-synths, introduced in 1984 as Ensoniq's first product. Introduced at a list price of $1,695 with features previously only found on more expensive samplers like the Fairlight CMI, the Mirage sold nearly 8,000 units in its first year - more than the combined unit sales of all other samplers at that time. The Mirage sold over 30,000 units during its availability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korg Triton</span> Workstation synthesizer

The Korg Triton is a music workstation synthesizer, featuring digital sampling and sequencing, released in 1999. It uses Korg's "HI Synthesis" system and was eventually available in several model variants with numerous upgrade options. The Triton became renowned as a benchmark of keyboard technology, and has been widely featured in music videos and live concerts. At the NAMM Show in 2007, Korg announced the Korg M3 as its successor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ensoniq EPS</span> Digital musical instrument

The Ensoniq Performance Sampler (EPS) was one of the first few affordable samplers on the market. It was manufactured from 1988 to 1991 by Ensoniq in Malvern, Pennsylvania, US. The EPS is a 13-bit sampler and replaced the Mirage - widely regarded as the first truly affordable sampling keyboard.

The DTX range consists of electronic drum kits and percussion controllers manufactured by the Yamaha Corporation. They currently cover levels from entry-level to pro-range. DTX kits use sampling for their sounds, meaning each kit has built-in digital recordings of real drums, and cymbals. When the drum or cymbal pads are hit, the digital recordings are played back to replicate what is being played. On all kits, the sounds are editable – the pitch can be made higher or lower (tuned) and many other features. The higher the range of the DTX, the more functions there are editable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nord Modular</span> Line of synthesizers

The Nord Modular series is a line of synthesizers produced by Clavia, a Swedish digital synthesizer manufacturer. The Nord Modular series, in common with their sister range the Nord Lead series, are analogue modelling synthesizers, producing sounds that approximate those produced by conventional analogue synths by using DSP chips to digitally model analogue circuitry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akai S3000XL</span> Sampler

The Akai S3000XL is a sampler with 32 polyphonic voices, and 2 MB of built-in RAM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sound Blaster Live!</span>

Sound Blaster Live! is a PCI add-on sound card from Creative Technology Limited for PCs. Moving from ISA to PCI allowed the card to dispense with onboard memory, storing digital samples in the computer's main memory and then accessing them in real time over the bus. This allowed for a much wider selection of, and longer playing, samples. It also included higher quality sound output at all levels, quadrophonic output, and a new MIDI synthesizer with 64 sampled voices. The Live! was introduced on August 11, 1998 and variations on the design remained Creative's primary sound card line into the early 2000's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E-mu SP-1200</span> Sampler

The E-mu SP-1200 is a sampler created by Dave Rossum that was released in August 1987 by E-mu Systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roland MS-1</span>

The Roland MS-1 digital sampler was a compact, 16-bit digital audio phrase sampler produced by Roland in 1994 as a straightforward, inexpensive, entry-level sampler. In 1998, the MS-1 was succeeded by the Boss SP-202 sampler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronic drum module</span>

An electronic drum module is an electronic or digital music device in an electronic drum kit that serves as the central processing unit and sound module. The drum module creates or produces the drum kit sounds or other sounds selected by the drummer. By itself, a drum module cannot play or sound drum beats. It only produces drum sounds when a performer strikes electronic drum pads or acoustic drum kit instruments that have electronic "triggers" attached to them. When the electronic drum pads or trigger-equipped instruments are struck, this sends a signal to the drum module, which produces the corresponding electronic drum sound. Even when drum pads and/or triggers are connected to a drum module, the drum module by itself does not make any audible sound. Like other electronic instruments such as the synthesizer, the drum module only outputs an electronic signal. The performer can hear this signal by connecting headphones to the drum module or by plugging the drum module into an amplifier and loudspeaker or PA system for audible practice or live performances. The drum module's output signal can also be patched into an audio console for concerts or sound recording. The nomenclature varies. For example, electronic drum modules are called "percussion sound modules" in the case of Roland Corporation, or sometimes simply modules. A common colloquial term for this device is drum brain..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E-mu Systems</span> American music technology company

E-mu Systems was a software synthesizer, audio interface, MIDI interface, and MIDI keyboard manufacturer. Founded in 1971 as a synthesizer maker, E-mu was a pioneer in samplers, sample-based drum machines and low-cost digital sampling music workstations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linn 9000</span> Electronic musical instrument by Linn Electronics

The Linn 9000 is an electronic musical instrument manufactured by Linn Electronics as the successor to the LinnDrum. It was introduced in 1984 at a list price of $5,000, and about 1100 units were produced.

Bruce Forat is an electronics engineer, computer programmer, music producer, songwriter and co-founder and president of Forat Music and Electronics Corporation, founded in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forat F9000</span> Drum machine

The Forat F9000 is a software- and hardware-upgraded version of the ill-fated Linn 9000, an integrated digital sampling drum machine and hardware MIDI sequencer manufactured by Linn Electronics and released in 1984 at a list price of $5,000.

The Roland DDR-30 "Alpha Drum" is a digital PCM drum module built by Roland, in early 1985. It was introduced during 1985 Summer NAMM industry trade show in New Orleans.

References

  1. ↑ "Forat Electronics - History".
  2. ↑ "Forat was the fastest sampler/trigger around - still have mine too". 80's Snare Sound - Originally Posted by raal - Gearslutz.com.
  3. 1 2 "Then I went through the "Forat F16" world, which was really quite innovative for its time. It was an old mono triggering sampler, which would trigger faster than anything". John “JR” Robinson.
  4. ↑ "The trigger times on the Forat as extremely fast". Digi Sound Replacer vs Forat F16 - Gearslutz.com.
  5. ↑ "Getting this to work reliably, without missed beats and false or double triggering, can be pretty difficult- back in the late '90s when I was doing a lot of recording the only one I encountered that worked well enough to replace conventionally recorded drums was the Forat F16,..." CosmoQuest.
  6. ↑ "There are very few things that trigger in microseconds yet; I think Forat [F-16 Sampler] does". Jane Child.
  7. ↑ "There have also been electronic drum "brains" which could accept audio from miced conventional drums as a trigger signal. Getting this to work reliably, without missed beats and false or double triggering, can be pretty difficult- back in the late '90s when I was doing a lot of recording the only one I encountered that worked well enough to replace conventionally recorded drums was the Forat F16,..." Electric Drum Kits [Archive] - Cosmoquest Forum. Archived from the original on 2015-02-04. Retrieved 2015-02-04.
  8. ↑ Adams, Bryan (January 19, 2006). "I was a Forat user in those days..." Bryan Adam's Drum Sounds (1990's) - Avid Pro Audio Community. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  9. ↑ Allen, Rick. "Equipment: Drum Workshop drums, Zidjian cymbals and sticks, Acupad pads, Forat electronics". Biographies: Richard John Cyril Allen. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  10. ↑ Console Confessions - The Great Music Producers in Their Own Words. Published by Backbeat Books - 2005 - "When we were recording Boyz II Men's "End of the Road" at Studio 4 in Philly, Babyface turned to me and said, "What we have here is a very good song."... We only had six hours to record all the vocals on "End of the Road," which is not a lot of time. Each guy sang on his own track and then the group sang together live while an MPC-60 drum machine and a Forat F-16 sampler kept the backbeat."
  11. 1 2 Shipley, Mike (June 1, 1999). "Q. Do you trigger with that antique Forat I see there? A. No, that's just got a lot of my sounds stored in it". Mike Shipley: HAVING TOO MUCH FUN TO STOP - Mixonline. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  12. 1 2 Moulder, Alan (February 2000). "Q. Is there a piece of equipment you can't do without? A. I've got a Forat F16 that I use to trigger kicks and snares". The NIN (Nine Inch Nails) Hotline - Alan Moulder - From Trident To Nine Inch Nails. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  13. 1 2 Moulder, Alan (2003-10-28). "He had a Forat F16 which he used to trigger samples to sit under the real drums". Alan Moulder info??. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Forat F16 drum sampler & remote control w/programs in custom made padded airline cases. Owned by legendary producer, Ron Nevison..." atrixsynth.com. September 27, 2011. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  15. 1 2 Pensado, Dave (September 2001). "And the Forat F16 is my little secret weapon". Mixonline - by Maureen Droney. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.