What the heck is up with Emulator X Studio?

[MegaPowerBoy]

I plan and scheme and plot and save my cash, and just when I'm ready to lay it all down for the E-mu Emulator X bundle with the 1820M, it's gone with the wind! Just about every single outfit I check out has dropped it from their site, and when I do find a link, it shows up as discontinued?! I've been all over the place looking for news, but I keep coming up blank - no one's saying. I wanna know! I've GOT to know - are we waiting for a new bundle with the new X2 software included? I've set my heart on this thing - I've built my entire studio around it in advance, and now one of the most popular devices out there is gone? If anyone knows ANYthing, please spill it here and now!

[Justin]

It was replaced with the EmulatorX2.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EmulatorX2/

The major difference is the new software, and that the audio interface has been replaced with just a USB midi interface. Part of this decision was probably to make this hardware accessible to laptop users, since they coudn't use it before because the PCI card acted as the copy protection dongle.

You can still get it, but you'll have to bring your own audio interface.

[MegaPowerBoy]

But this makes very little sense to me as laptop users aleady had, and still have, several choices, such as the 1616, the USB 0202 and 0404, the 16 even coming with bundled software of it's own. I think someone just suddenly got very cheap, and now the difference is coming out of our pocket books. If PCI was the issue, why still make availiable a PC Card laptop version? When it comes to laptop computing, I'd want a PC Card setup anyway, rather than USB... Ahhhh, oh well - looks like I need to save up some more.

As I understand it, the new X2 software can now be used independant of the previous hardware constraints, so all this wouldn't be so bad except that it all seems to have coincided with the mass dissapearance of both the 1820 and 1820M systems, even sans software. I still wonder if there isn't something deeper going on here. Thanks for the reply.

[MegaPowerBoy]

Perhaps I should also point out that I have one of these bundles on order, and it's been on order for some time now. It's not with Sweetwater because they didn't have any, but with a "competitor" I won't mention, but I'll give a good hint: on their page for the Emulator X Studio it says Availability: Usually ships out in 2 - 3 days. But of course the very next day I receive an email saying it's back ordered. No idea given about how long that'll be, so after a few days of waiting, I send them an email asking - no reply. So, to summerize, I've got my money currently tied up with nothing to show for it, and I've done this before, but never for an item that mysteriously disappears right after I buy it. I'm left trying to figure out what to do. I'd cancel the order, but I'm not yet convinced that's a proper solution, because maybe, just maybe more will come in as an updated version, and then what if there's a waiting list? Perhaps having an order in will ensure a quicker fullfilment, OR maybe I ought to yank out the money and try something else, only nothing else floats my boat at the moment.

[MegaPowerBoy]

Bit of an update if anyone cares - I decided to hang on and see what happens, and lo and behold, a shipment of these things came in through this "other" retailer who, out of respect for Sweetwater, will remain nameless, AND my order is out and on its way to me even as I type. I'll post again later to verify if there are any changes to the package contents, or if it is just the same. Sure don't know why so many are showing disco. on these though, but I'm awful glad I'm getting mine. Even if it turns out still being the old software, upgrading will still be over a hundred dollars less than having to buy the 1820M hardware/X2 software separately - if you can still track down this particular piece of hardware. It has seemed just a little scarce lately, as well.

[MegaPowerBoy]

Last and final update to complete the story: I received the X Studio - everything is cool, only no mystery, because it was just the same old version; no new software. So I still need that, but I guess I wasn't really expecting it anyway. I'm just happy to have it after all the fuss and bother, so now I just need to UPGRADE to X2! And..... that's all!