Here it is. An overall package you will not find anywhere else on planet Earth. This is special. If seriously interested in buying it after reading this post, please contact me via email at
ovelectrosity@yahoo.com and I'll direct you to a photo gallery of current images.
This is the "Emulator II+" which is the higher memory version of the Emulator II. This very Emulator II+ in my possession came from Western Studios in Hollywood, Ca (known as Ocean Way Studios at this time) and this very one in my hand has more than likely been immortalized and directly used on dozens of hit records from 1985-1992 by legends who recorded at this studio such as Madonna, Rod Stewart, Whitney Houston, Phil Collins, and the list goes on. They may have even put their own hands on this very one themselves. Disclaimer: I do not have paper documentation of this, otherwise I'd list it with an auction house for a $20k reserve or more. However, I personally believe it to be reliable. The price does not reflect its history. The price only reflects the unit in its own right. This information is just an interesting bonus.
I got this in 2008 as 3rd/4th owner. The major studio got it custom ordered from EMU in 1985. It cost more than the average new car at the time. $10k in 1985 and would have cost $28.5k if made & sold today. Only big artists and serious studios could afford this at the time. It was the secret weapon of the music industry that separated big hits from independent artists. A studio intern (could be considered still 1st owner) purchased it in 1992 on his way out and later sold it to an independent recording studio in Phoenix. When the Phoenix studio went out of business in 2007, I purchased it from them and I've had it since. I was told that they didn't even use it in Phoenix because they didn't want to take the time to learn, so it was stored away in a climate controlled environment for over 10 years.
This is the best and most original Emulator II or II+ for sale anywhere in the world that I know of. Everything is all original. All parts. No issues at all. No refurbishment. No rebuild. No aftermarket parts. All original and all perfectly functioning (both drives too) with no signs of imminent problems.
At the time of this posting, there are only 2 in the world for sale on eBay. One listing is for $7.2k refurbished and repaired from overuse, abuse, or neglect and has replacement parts with an interface from a completely different model type (a sign of wear and/or neglect). Thereby it's not original (mine is), no original manual (mine includes this), no extensive disk collection (mine includes this which is a gold mine), and no new case (mine includes this). There is also another one on eBay for $6k with high wear and chips all over and dirty wear around the buttons and knobs and does NOT come with any disk collection or a cool history, or original factory manual or hard road case. Also, you'll have to pay another $600-$700 in sales tax on eBay for a lesser product with who knows how many times it's been taken apart and worked on. I have not listed mine on eBay because of the high eBay seller fees.
Every Emulator II or II+ I have seen, has been "Frankenstein-ed" to work with replacement parts and missing disk drives replaced by digital sd slots or other rebuilds and fixes. That's not the case here, though. It's all original and in perfect working order. This is more than a cool machine. It's an investment like a classic car or work of art. It has been appreciating consistently over the past 10 years and still going up right now. It is a sampler which means you can "steal" sound banks from any synth in the world whether old or current and this could essentially become a thousand synthesizers in one. You can sample any sound out in the world and make it sound like anything you want. New floppy disks are still readily available online for good prices. Want that Stranger Things sound? This is what was used at the time in the music that inspired the show's soundtrack.
This one is perfect in every way and every single key is tight in its original white color (no discoloration) and all original parts and face. You can even see the clean insides between the keys in the pics. Every feature works perfectly. The faders are nice and tight. The buttons are solid and it sounds fantastic. All lights work. Never stored anywhere other than indoors. Never in a garage. Never gigged with, only taken out for glamour shots (music videos). Original hard binder manual with the pages still white. Original power cable. Original disks from the Emu factory including the disk that the Pet Shop Boys made "West End Girls" and Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach" on. I even have Phil Collins' signature drums samples he used on songs like "Sussudio". The Phil Collins disk was passed down before me and it may possibly be the data copy from the actual disk used on the song. That's speculation though. In any case, it IS Phil's actual drum samples that you'll hear on his song. I even have the disk for the popular Emu SP-12 drum module.
I have disks with sound banks from the awesome Fairlight, Roland Jupiter 8, Yamaha DX7, Moogs, Synclavier, sound effects, just so many. It comes with a hard case made specifically for this machine. The disk collection (there are a lot more than in the pics!) of Kodak and signature Emu company disks alone are worth thousands of dollars and even priceless for some people for these very samples used on hundreds of famous hits of the 80s. Those are included! I will not sell those floppy disks separately unless you want to drop $4.5k on them.
It was the soundtrack of many tv shows and movies such as Miami Vice, John Carpenter films, martial arts movies, tv themes, etc. It was Depeche Mode's go-to workhorse for many years, and Ferris Bueller even played it in the movie! Paul McCartney hired an Emulator II professional to his studio staff just to use this on his 1986 album "Press To Play".
I will not ship it. I will only hand deliver it to you at a public location so there are no problems. I know for sure it's one of the most special pieces of vintage synth equipment anywhere in the world and is irreplaceable. It has survived almost 40 years of flawless care. The only blemish is above the "Emu" area on the back where a few small paint chips are. See pics. $460 hard case in photos included! Feel free to ask me any questions using the form at the bottom.
Price is absolutely firm and locked. This thing should be at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, but it could be in your home studio.
Package Includes:
- EMU Emulator II+
- Original hard binder manual and original power supply
- Entire Disk Collection of factory and custom sounds and samples (priceless)
- Custom Rolling Hard Case
Notable Users:
ABC, Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys), Daft Punk, David Bowie, Depeche Mode, Dire Straits, En Vogue, Enya, Eurythmics, Ferris Bueller, Front 242, Genesis (Tony Banks), Herbie Hancock, Jan Hammer, Jason Mysteria, Jean-Michel Jarre, John Carpenter (horror soundtracks of the 80s), Kenny Loggins, Laura Branigan, Level 42, Madonna, Magnificent Lie, Miami Sound Machine (Gloria Estefan), Michael Cretu (Enigma), Midge Ure / Ultravox, Mike & the Mechanics, Mr. Mister, New Order, OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark), Paul McCartney, Pet Shop Boys, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Rick Astley, Rod Stewart, Rush, Simple Minds, Stewart Copeland (The Police), Stevie Nicks, Stevie Wonder, Tangerine Dream, Tears For Fears, The Grateful Dead, The Residents, Til Tuesday (Aimee Mann), Yes, & countless blockbuster movie soundtracks, and who knows how many more famous artists.
Check out the links below.
https://youtu.be/YAUMQzGP1xs?feature=sharedhttps://youtu.be/qPmbaKNgyjg?feature=sharedhttps://youtu.be/SSoNZu-_n0E?feature=sharedWill not ship no matter what. Only ways to get it:
- Phoenix area meet-up included in price. If you live in the U.S., a cheap flight for you would be trivial for something like this.
- I will drive it and hand deliver it to you in Tucson, Southern California, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, El Paso, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Oklahoma City, or Tucson, but will require my basic expenses paid via PayPal or Zelle in advance.
For the actual sale... No digital payments. Cash only.
Thank you for reading!
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