Retrosound
DAVE
The character of the S950. Your sounds, reimagined.
The original instrument
The S950 combines 12-bit sampling, variable sample rate and playing parameters. The original manual describes envelopes, filtering, LFO and timestretch; these hardware features do not yet constitute a feature list for the future software.
Why DAVE?
DAVE honours David Cockerell, credited alongside H. Takemura among the S950’s designers. The name recalls the engineering behind a machine that became a creative instrument.
Banks and musical behaviour
Native banks bring together recorded sounds and playing settings. Explore the original-machine catalogue while we develop the instrument. Supported software formats and included libraries will be listed at release.
Philippe’s choice
Retrosound begins with machines Philippe enjoys playing: a presence that makes him want to hold a note, explore another register and turn a bank into a new idea.
The next chapter
DAVE is in development, inspired by the Akai S950. Follow its progress and release news. The historical features above describe the original machine; the software’s final features and release date will be announced here.