When E-mu released the ESI-2000 in 1999, they managed something rare: a professional-grade sampler that didn't require mortgaging your studio. At around $900, it positioned itself as the sweet spot between the entry-level ESI-32 and the more elaborate ESI-4000, offering serious sampling chops without the enterprise price tag.
This is a 64-voice rackmount sampler built around a 16-bit digital engine capable of sampling at 22.05kHz and 44.1kHz, with 4MB of memory standard and expandable to 128MB using 72-pin SIMMs. The filter section is where things get interesting: 64 digital 6-pole multimode filters with 19 different types give you serious tonal shaping options, and the interpolation quality means samples stay crystal clear even when pitched down several octaves or played at half their original sample rate. You get 16 MIDI channels for multitimbral work, 10 programmable trigger buttons for launching grooves directly from the unit, and a built-in SCSI interface for seamless computer integration. The standard configuration ships with 4 analog outputs plus a headphone jack, though the optional Turbo Expansion Board upgrades you to 8 outputs, stereo effects send, and S/PDIF digital I/O. Sample editing tools include time compression and expansion, parametric EQ, cross-fade looping, and a transform/multiply function for blending samples into new textures.
The ESI-2000 earned respect in working studios for its intuitive interface and powerful DSP capabilities, though users noted that processing longer samples or high-quality recordings could take several minutes, and the lack of real-time preview during edits meant some workflow friction. The sampler's strength lies in its filter character and editing depth rather than raw personality, making it a practical workhorse that rewards patience with professional results.
