E-mu’s drum-centred PX-7 Command Station appeared in 2003. A June shipping announcement described a new drum sound set, a pattern sequencer and Version 2.0 software in the Command Station format.
The machine in the record
Modal Plane / the machine to keep.
Modal Plane identifies a loaded E-MU PX-7 as the machine they would choose first if starting again. It is an ownership-and-preference account, not a named recording credit, and it makes a good case for the obscure expander as a lasting creative companion.
Read Modal Plane — Zwuoosh ↗More records in the archive
The machine keeps turning up.
Frizzo / self-composed and recorded work
Frizzo’s artist profile lists an E-MU PX-7 in the gear behind his self-composed and recorded work.
Read Frizzo and the E-MU PX-7 ↗In the market
- 30 June 2003: GBP 699 — Launch-period retail price accompanying reported shipping. UK PX-7; lower street prices anticipated Source ↗
- 30 June 2003: USD 995 — Launch-period retail price accompanying reported shipping. US PX-7; lower street prices anticipated Source ↗
On record
- Modal Plane — Artist-use account; no named recording. Modal Plane identifies a loaded E-MU PX-7 as the machine they would choose first in a restart. Source ↗
- Frizzo — self-composed and recorded work. Frizzo’s artist profile lists an E-MU PX-7 in the gear behind his self-composed and recorded work. Source ↗
Drums under thirteen pads
Play a rhythm on thirteen velocity-sensitive pads, then build it into a pattern. The PX-7 puts acoustic and electric drums and percussion into a 32 MB ROM sound set, with a 128-voice synthesizer behind them. Its starting material is the installed sound library: the player edits and sequences those sounds rather than recording an incoming drum hit.
PX-7 Owners Manual, FI12700 Rev. A ↗ New E-MU Command Station Announced ↗
Keep the pattern moving
The sixteen-track sequencer offers real-time, grid and step recording. E-mu’s manual says the player can move between those methods without stopping. Sixteen Mute/Select buttons bring tracks in and out or select a part for work, so a running pattern can become the place where an arrangement is made.
A sound set, not a fixed kit
Presets can contain four synthesis layers, switched or crossfaded by velocity, key position or a controller. Filters and envelopes reshape the installed sounds. Three additional ROM sockets let the player add other sound libraries; this is expansion through sound modules, not extra time for recording samples.
Sixteen knobs for the wider setup
The sixteen programmable knobs can edit internal sound parameters or address other MIDI equipment. They also serve as volume and pan controls for the sixteen MIDI channels. The PX-7 can therefore work on its own sounds while acting as a sequencer and control surface for a larger setup.
The drum-centred Command Station
E-mu showed a pre-production PX-7 at the March 2003 Musikmesse. The June announcement reported shipping with Version 2.0 software at £699 including VAT in the UK and $995 in the US. Later announcement and dealer coverage continued the drum-centred description. Its drum library joined the shared Command Station operating system, whose Version 2.00 changes E-mu documented in a separate addendum.
New E-MU Command Station Announced ↗ E-MU PX-7 Command Station ↗ E-MU’s all-new PX-7 Drum Command Station ↗ Command Station Operation Manual Addendum, Software Version 2.00 ↗
Sources
The visual archive
Further visual evidence.
Sources for images shown earlier (1)
Additional visual sources (3)
Original publications and related image sources.
- Command Station Operation Manual Addendum, Software Version 2.00 ↗
Undated · E-MU Systems · Cover; pp.4–6, 19–20 - New E-MU Command Station Announced ↗
30 June 2003 · Sonicstate · Embedded launch product image - E-MU PX-7 Command Station ↗
11 June 2003 · Xavier Blanco / Hispasonic · Embedded launch product image