SP-1200: The genesis of modern Hip Hop production
Two historically significant drum machines released during the mid 1980’s were the E-MU SP-12 and E-MU SP-1200 in 1985 and 1987 respectively.
Conceived by American sound equipment company E-MU Systems, these “samplers” were essential to the development of Hip Hop production, especially the SP-1200: its four memory banks enabled users to combine multiple sample loops. This gave users the freedom to produce the bulk of a song on a single machine, a first in the music industry.
The SP-1200 could simulate several pieces of equipment, hence studio costs were lowered significantly. Producers on a budget were now able to create more complex “beats” in small home studios. This led to the emergence of independent labels and ultimately more creative freedom for the artists.
