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 Emax II : Sample Editing
Overview The Emax II followed on from the Emax
and enabled computer based sample editing. Digidesign and Passport provided support via the RS422 serial cable. The RS422 computer port on the back of the Emaxs II is internally connected into the main processor, so that
samples can be transferred to a computer via a serial cable at 500k bits/sec. This makes sample transfer possible in less than 10 seconds.
All versions of the Emax II support computer based sample editing.
This is a great way both to edit and store samples, as well as exchanging them over the Internet. The only downside is that MIDI can not be used at the same time, and the MIDI cable should
ideally be disconnected, because the same serial interface chip is used for RS422 and MIDI.
All of the sample editors that support the Emax II over RS422 are now out of production. You will need to locate one second hand.
 Sound Designer II Digidesign continued to improve the software, and moved into the 2 track, and then the multitrack
computer based recording market (Sound Tools, then Pro Tools). Sound Designer II was introduced with improved computer editing and DSP functionality, and with more samplers supported than
ever. However as Sound Designer II was further developed, after version 2.5 sampler support was dropped completely. SD II supports a range of samples rates, 8 - 24 bits, mono and stereo
samples. The Emax (RS422), Emax II (RS422), Emulator II (RS422), Emulator III (SCSI) and SP1200 (Sample Dump over MIDI) are fully supported.
Passport Alchemy Blank Software introduced this software in the late 1980's to support the Emulator III over SCSI. Blank subsequently went bust, and the software was bought by
Passport (who also went bust in the late 1990's). Alchemy supports the Emax II over RS422, and provides a nice range of sample editing functionality. It can also transfer all the samples in
a bank at once, unlike Sound Designer (II). Alchemy supports a range of Digidesign sound cards, including the Audio Accelerator, Audiomedia, Audiomedia II, Audiomedia LC. A wide range of sample
rates are supported, as well as mono and stereo samples at 16-bits.
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RS422 Cable
The Emax II needs connecting to the Mac via a special serial cable, with a miniDIN 8 plug at the Mac end, and a DB9 pin serial socket at the other. These cables (wired up correctly) are
very difficult to locate. The best option is to make one up. Buy a 2 metre Mac miniDIN 8 to bare wire cable, and a female DB9 socket. 
* Emax II RS422 Serial Cable
* 2m in length