The E-MU E6400 Ultra was introduced as the most accessible entry point into E-MU’s high-performance Emulator 4 Ultra sampler series. Despite being the budget model in the range, the E6400 Ultra retained the same core Ultra architecture as its flagship siblings, making it one of the most powerful samplers of its time. It shipped with 64-voice polyphony – expandable to 128 voices – and 16MB of RAM as standard, also expandable to 128MB via standard 72-pin SIMMs.
At the heart of the E6400 Ultra was a newly designed 32-bit RISC processor, delivering dramatically improved MIDI responsiveness, faster SCSI performance, and enhanced DSP power. It ran EOS 4.0, E-MU’s refined Emulator Operating System, which supported advanced features such as loop editing, sample sequencing, and Beat-Munging – E-MU’s real-time DSP loop manipulation tool that allowed tempo, swing, time signature and individual beat control without degrading audio quality.
The E-MU E6400 Ultra supported eight balanced analogue outputs with expansion options up to 16. Digital I/O, including AES/EBU and Word Clock, could be added via the optional D-WAM card. The sampler was also compatible with the optional 16-output/8-input ADAT interface and a suite of flash ROMs for non-volatile sound storage and instant access to user-defined sound sets.
On the synthesis side, the E-MU E6400 Ultra featured Digital Modular Synthesis with flexible patching, 21 Z-Plane filter types, multi-stage envelopes, and twin LFOs per sample. This architecture allowed users to shape sounds with deep modulation capabilities reminiscent of modular analogue systems—fitting, given E-MU’s background in modular synthesis.
Like other models in the E4 Ultra line, the E6400 Ultra offered a dual-engine 24-bit stereo effects processor, high-resolution 20-bit converters, and support for a broad range of sample formats, including AIFF, WAV, Roland S-700 series, and Akai S-1000/S-3000 libraries. The unit also supported extensive sample editing, with DSP tools for time-stretching, pitch-shifting, EQ, compression, and Aphex Aural Exciter processing.
Though more affordably priced than the E4XT Ultra, the E-MU E6400 Ultra could be upgraded to match its higher-end counterparts. Its modular design and optional expansion cards allowed users to scale their setup to professional studio requirements over time, reinforcing E-MU’s philosophy of long-term investment in sound tools.
The E-MU E6400 Ultra became a workhorse in project studios, post-production suites, and electronic music environments throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s. Its combination of sampling power, synthesis flexibility and upgrade potential made it one of the most versatile hardware samplers of its generation.
E-MU E6400 Ultra Options
- 6860 – 128 Voice Polyphony Upgrade: Expands polyphony from 64 to 128 voices
- 6861 – 16 Out / 8 In ADAT Interface: Adds 16 channels of ADAT output and 8 channels of ADAT input
- 6862 – D-WAM Digital I/O Expansion: Adds AES/EBU digital I/O, Word Clock, ASCII keyboard input, and 16 additional MIDI channels
- 6863 – EDI Interface: Adds multi-channel digital connection for EDI-equipped E-MU devices
- 6864 – R-Chip Studio Effects Processor: Adds advanced multi-channel 32-bit effects processor (available from late 1999)
- 6870 – E-Synth 16MB Sound ROM: Adds 500 presets and 16MB of instantly accessible sounds
- 6871 – Orbit/Phatt Sessions 16MB Sound ROM: Adds 500 electronic/urban presets from Orbit and Planet Phatt modules
- 6876 – 16MB Flash ROM: Provides rewritable, non-volatile storage for user soundsets
- 6877 – 32MB Flash ROM: Larger capacity version of the 16MB Flash ROM
- 6301 – Hard Drive Mounting Kit: Allows installation of internal hard drive
- 6313 – 8 Analog Output Expander: Increases analogue outputs from 8 to 16 balanced ¼” outputs
