Emulator II V by Arturia sampler plugin interface

Emulator II V: Sampler Plugin by Arturia Free Download

Rated 4.9/5 on Plugin Boutique (15 ratings)

Emulator II V is a virtual sampler plugin from Arturia that recreates the E-mu Emulator II, with 8 multitimbral voices, per-layer filters and envelopes, and a factory sample bank from the original hardware.

VST2AUAAXStandaloneWindowsmacOS64-bit

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Free trial available from the developer

01Overview

Emulator II V models the E-mu Emulator II, a digital sampler from the 1980s known for its lo-fi character. Each of its eight voices has its own filter, LFO and amplifier, so you can layer and split samples across the keyboard. Users can also choose between an original 8-bit companding mode and a cleaner conversion, and the plugin includes an integrated arpeggiator, 250 factory presets and a built-in display for deeper editing.

Best for

Lo-fi sample textures
80s-style sampled sounds
Layered keyboard patches
Sample-based percussion
Retro sampler sound design

Developer: Arturia
Category: Synths
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

8-voice multitimbral sample engine with per-layer filter, LFO and VCA
Original 8-bit companding plus a cleaner conversion option
Factory sample bank taken from the original E-mu hardware
Per-layer insert effects and 11 master effect types
Integrated 6-mode arpeggiator
Two assignable expression wheels
Brightness, Timbre, Time and Movement macro controls
250 factory presets

03In depth

Sound Character and Sampling Architecture

The plugin keeps the original Emulator II feature set: eight multitimbral voices with a 27.7 kHz sample rate and original 8-bit companding technology. Each layer has its own VCF with ADSR, an LFO and a VCA with ADSR. Arturia says the instrument uses TAE technology to reproduce analog filter behavior.

You can switch each layer between the original companding and a cleaner conversion, so the same samples can sound either gritty or clean. The factory sample bank comes from the original hardware.

Controls, Editing and Effects

The arpeggiator, two expression wheels and the master control section let you shape performance directly. The built-in display opens deeper sample editing, including transpose, looping, play direction and trigger delay for each voice.

Each voice can run its own insert effect, and the master section offers 11 effect types, including reverb, delay, chorus, flanger, phaser, overdrive and a bitcrusher. Macro controls for Brightness, Timbre, Time and Movement group related parameters for faster tweaking.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	Arturia
Type	Plugin
Category	Synth
Formats	VST2, AU, AAX, Standalone
Operating systems	Windows, macOS
Architecture	64-bit
Free trial	Yes

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What formats does Emulator II V support?

Emulator II V is available in VST2, AU, AAX and Standalone formats. It runs on Windows 10 and later (64-bit) and on macOS 10.13 or later.

What do I need to use Emulator II V?

It runs as a standalone application or as a plugin inside a compatible 64-bit DAW. The system requirements list at least 4 GB RAM, a 4-core CPU, 3 GB of free disk space and an OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU. ARM processors are not supported on Windows.