looks like theres an easy way to add up to 28MB (using a 32MB chip) sample ram to an AWE64 gold, which is the newest of the AWE cards...
HERE
i am impressed with the tightness of the sequences when using AST. i can see how budget musicians made this thing work for them! true its nothing special by todays standards, but i think limitations make you get creative...
case in point, i think this (AWE32/AWE64) is a popular platform in mashup particularly.
(example)
plus this thing is compatible with WAV files! and if its not enough for you, you can program your MIDI synth/sampler from it too!
i spent total less than $100 on this whole idea, including the computer.
if youre a fan of the sampling sound of the late 80s/90s, this method has that sound. the filter is pretty good, and the effects are base, but they can be done.
just let me run this thing out of the 20bit spdif into my E4 platinum, where i can pump it through some filters and use its dac stage... or even pump it to my korg oasys over lightpipe where there are some real effects. woah. what the hell, why not back into the E4 and then into the DAW? MUAHAHAHAHAHAAA!