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DPX1 - Image 1

DPX1

RackmountHybridPolyphonic

Back in 1987, this 2U rackmount gem stepped in as a clever workaround for the floppy-disk era of sampling, letting you load and play disks from heavyweights like the Ensoniq Mirage, E-mu Emulator II, and Prophet 2000/2002 without needing the original machines.

It packs 8-voice polyphony with 12-bit sample playback into 1MB of RAM, dual floppy drives for 3.5-inch and 5.25-inch disks, and a resonant 24dB low-pass filter using the classic SSM2045 chip for that analog warmth on digital samples. Full MIDI In/Out/Thru supports 4-part multitimbrality, velocity, aftertouch, program changes, and controllers like pitch bend and mod wheel, with 100 presets and a simple front-panel volume slider for quick tweaks—no deep editing, just faithful reproduction of loops, filters, and mods from the source disks. A single stereo audio out keeps it straightforward, though later revisions added options like 8 individual outs and SCSI hard drive support.

Vintage enthusiasts love how it revives those irreplaceable '80s samples with uncanny accuracy, especially Ensoniq and E-mu sounds, making it a studio lifesaver for retro workflows despite its no-edit limitations.

Released

1986

Status

Discontinued

Synthesizer
Format
Rackmount
Type
Sample-based
Internal Battery
No
Voice
A/D
Hybrid
Polyphony
Polyphonic
Oscillators
-
Oscillator Type
-
Voices
8
Filter
Lowpass, 24dB/oct (4-pole), Resonant
Envelopes
-
LFO
1
Effects
No
Expression
Aftertouch
Monophonic
Velocity
Yes
MPE
No
Additional
-
Software
-
I/O
Audio In
-
Audio Out
1x 1/4" mono
Headphone
-
MIDI
In, Out, Thru
MIDI Type
DIN (5-pin)
Ports
Floppy Drive
Wi-Fi
No
Workflow
Arpeggiator
-
Sequencer
-
Mod Matrix
-
Memory
1 MB
Measurements
Dimensions
18.97in x 14in x 3.47in
Weight
18lbs (8.28kg)
Last updated Mar 17, 2026