The SP 1200: A Golden Dance with the Familiar – MusoTalk Reviews the Legend

Hooray, the legend lives! That’s how MusoTalk starts the video about the resurrection of the SP 1200 in the limited Rossum edition. The machine celebrates 40 years of sampling history in a noble black and gold design. For the proud price of 4000 dollars, there are only 100 copies—a piece for collectors and for those who want to experience the history of the drum machine first-hand. MusoTalk gives a first hint of what we can expect in the following minutes: a deep dive into the details of this reissue.

At first glance, little has changed. The SP 1200 proudly wears the old layout – only the Rossum logo reveals the fashionable update. Original buttons are passé, but the control panel stays true to the iconic design. However, the true progress is revealed inside: away from the troublesome floppy drives that once bottlenecked this machine, towards modern SD card slots. For those who miss the nostalgic quirks of data exchange, this is a bittersweet farewell. But the necessity of the new slot is only highlighted by recalling the former frustration with the floppy drives – a problem many original SP 1200 users know all too well.

Rossum Electro-Music has placed great value on reconstructing the original circuit of the SP 1200 as faithfully as possible with this reissue. The connections with components from the Zilog family, known from early home computers, are a nostalgic detail that excites fans. The machine remains true to the 12-bit and 26 kilohertz sampling—purists breathe a sigh of relief. At the same time, the doubled sampling time of 20 seconds has opened up many musical possibilities. This harmonious combination of retro charm and contemporary innovations gives the SP-1200 reissue a unique nuance—a dance between old and new.

A critical look at the modifications reveals interesting subtleties. The filter settings, which were hidden inside the original SP 1200, are now accessible via the front panel. This allows for intuitive sound control through direct access via faders—a change that sound tinkerers find truly relieving. The outputs are now clearly separated and offer separate channels for filtered and unfiltered signals—a blessing for the sound archaeologists in our studio. It is also noteworthy that the machine now possesses a monitor output function, making silent experimentation refreshingly clear. The special thing about this SP 1200 is not only its ability to revive old masterpieces, but also the opportunity to intervene in history with contemporary technology and reinterpret it—an absolute celebration for sound space architects.