EMUSIC-L Digest Volume 12, Number 3 Today's Topics: Results of request for back issues (2 messages) Magnetic Filings - second mailing Akai EWI/EVI, WX7/WX11, and other related controllers (12 messages) Akai VX70, or something like that? (9 messages) Electronic pianos (2 messages) Korg WS rumors... (2 messages) MT32 Your EMUSIC-L Digest moderator is Joe McMahon . You may subscribe to EMUSIC-L by sending mail to listserv@american.edu with the line "SUB EMUSIC-L your name" as the text. The EMUSIC-L archive is a service of SunSite (sunsite.unc.edu) at the University of North Carolina. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 15 Jan 90 10:20:00 EST From: JWK%OPUS@MCOIARC.BITNET Subject: Man-Machine interface. Metlay, I have a file which I believe cantains all parts of the Man-Machine interface series. At the end of the file it says that the file is archived by YOUNG@CTSTATEU. Or I can extract this file and send it to you directly, whichever you prefer. Congratulations on the CMJ invitation, I'm sure the readership will enjoy your particular brand of lunacy. Please don't water it down TOOoooo much for the 'serious' audience of CMJ. Joe JWK@MCOIARC ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jan 90 12:46:00 EST From: METLAY@PITTVMS.BITNET Subject: Awright, awready! I'd like to thank everyone who sent me copies of my articles, with the sort of promptness and enthusiasm that characterizes this group. Please cease and desist, though: you're gagging my mail quota! |-> I'll trumpet it from the rooftops when and if the CMJ publishes me. Thanks again, metlay PS. To those who asked: I can't give out my maile address here. This is a government computer system, and private mail is frowned upon. But thanks anyway, and if you feel like writing to relieve my loneliness, just Email to metlay@vms.cis.pitt.edu or METLAY@PITTVMS.BITNET, and I'll read it remotely. Take caqre! ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Jan 90 14:14:36 EST From: Cecilia Tan Subject: Magnetic Filings 2nd Batch Copies of Magnetic FIlings: The Emusic-l Compilation tape are going in the mail this week to the following people: Habourg@ Brownvm Tapio Ala-Nissila Denis Donnelly Yare Hluchan Stephen T. Pope Tim Stearns Richard Delker Eric Sassaman Haim Levkowits--you sent me a return envelope but no postage on it. Please e-mail me about this. That's it. COPIES OF THE TAPE ARE STILL AVAILABLE. Send me a blank cassette (prefereably Chrome either 90 or 100 minutes) a return envelope addressed to yourself with return postage affixed or a check for the amount. Please allow several weeks for me to get around to it, too... My address: Cecilia Tan 438 Wickenden Street Apt. 3 Providence, RI 02903-4428 USA If you are in another country, go to your local post office and get International Reply Coupons instead of stamps for the return postage. ctan ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Jan 90 10:16:01 EST From: Joe McMahon Subject: Akai EW1000 Has anybody any experience with this controller? I've seen it on sale here for what looks like a good price, but I don't know much about it other than it uses a modified sax/clarinet/etc. fingering system. I'm a moderately facile recorder player, so I figure that I could pick that up with practice. However, is it any good as a MIDI controller? Does it have any polyphonic feature that will allow me to play chords without a sequencer, or is it just a MIDI version of the old Lyricon? --- Joe M. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Jan 90 10:08:12 GMT From: Nick Rothwell Subject: Akai EW1000 16 Jan 90 10:16:01 EST <335.9001161831@lfcs.ed.ac.uk Disclaimer: I've never seen one, but I've read the reviews. The Akai wind controller is a controller/module pair. The controller is a touch-sensitive table-leg which connects through some proprietary system to the synth module ("EVI"?), which is a monophonic *VCO*/VCF/VCA job. The synth module has the ability to process external, analogue signals, and is responsible for generating and outputting MIDI. I believe there's something akin to a chord-hold facility where the module remembers chord voicings for all 21 notes, but I'd have to check up on this. Here's the rub: the module can't be driven by MIDI (there's no MIDI in); essentially the Akai is a closed system, although it can generate MIDI to drive other devices. The MIDI control is slightly inferior to the WX7 I believe (it has pitch-bend and breath-control output, but all note velocities are the same). You can record the output to MIDI, presumably, but can't then play back the EVI - it has no MIDI in. Presumably you'd have to essentially ignore the EVI's sound-generating characteristics if you wanted to use it in a MIDI set-up, and use the system purely as a controller. Let me know if you'd like me to read over the reviews again and check this out. I ended up ordering a WX7. I'll let y'all know about it when it arrives... Nick. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Jan 90 11:30:53 GMT From: Nick Rothwell Subject: Akai EW1000 >I believe there's something akin to a chord-hold facility where the >module remembers chord voicings for all 21 notes, whoops, better make that "12" notes. I'm not into microtonals just yet... Nick. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Jan 90 11:00:00 EST From: MCINTYRE@MSUPA.BITNET Subject: Yamaha breath controller A local music store has two Yamaha breath controllers in their close-out bin, a model 1 for $15 and a model 2 for $25. Can anyone tell me the difference between the two models? (The staff at the store sure can't.) The catch is the DX7 is at work and I seldom get custody of it. But every once in a while... Love that tubular bell sound. John McIntyre Physics - Astronomy Dept Michigan State University ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Jan 90 11:35:11 EST From: "David A. Roth" Subject: EWI/EVI EWV-2000 The EWI is the sax version and the EVI is the trumpet version. This is the only trumpet-like controller on the market that I know of. I have an EVI. THe EWV-2000 is the sound module that is used by either the EVI or EWI. The EWV-2000 can allow the EVI or EWI to sending velocity, volume, after touch and breath. I use my EVI with my K-1 and it has been a great help to be for sequencing since I am a trumpet player and not a keyboard player. That is a user's group newsletter for the EVI & EWI. Here is the info: THE FLIT GUN EWV-2000 NEWSLETTER 2235 Myrtledale Ave Baton Rouge, LA 70808 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ _TT /| |~ >====ttt===< | O| |~ att!osu-cis!david!david {_|||_} \| O| uunet!abvax!osu-cis!david!david David A. Roth Columbus, Ohio ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Jan 90 11:30:53 GMT From: Nick Rothwell Subject: Akai EW1000 >I believe there's something akin to a chord-hold facility where the >module remembers chord voicings for all 21 notes, whoops, better make that "12" notes. I'm not into microtonals just yet... Nick. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Jan 90 13:34:00 EST From: METLAY@PITTVMS.BITNET Subject: RE: Yamaha breath controller The Model 1 is a gizmo about the size of a matchbox, with a mouthpiece attached. You stick it in your mouth and blow. The Model 2, which I own and use with my MCS2, is a headset device with a breath tube at the mouth. I had origianlly thought that it would be handier than the 1, but with a headset mic it gets kinda crowded, even on a head as swelled as mine |->. I will be buying a glasses-mount AKG mic. End of problem. Your mileage may vary. metlay ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Jan 90 11:30:53 GMT From: Nick Rothwell Subject: Akai EW1000 >I believe there's something akin to a chord-hold facility where the >module remembers chord voicings for all 21 notes, whoops, better make that "12" notes. I'm not into microtonals just yet... Nick. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Jan 90 17:47:57 EST From: "Kurt A. Geisel" Subject: Re: Akai EW1000 Supposedly the idea was that MIDI didn't allow enough resolution for the type of continuous control the EWI is capable of. And frankly, I agree. One thing's for sure- the EWI/EWV combination sounds awesome in the hands of a skilled player and IMHO the EWI is a far superior controller to the WX7. I was especially blown away by pulse-width modulation with embroucure pressure!!! Wow! Now what I'd really like is to control crossfades on a wavetable synth... Blow away those sakuhachi samples!!! - Kurt Kurt Geisel SNAIL : Carnegie Mellon University 65 Lambeth Dr. ARPA : kg19+@andrew.cmu.edu Pittsburgh, PA 15241 UUCP : uunet!nfsun!kgeisel "We just need to short-circuit the continuum on a BIX : kgeisel 5 or 6 parsec level." - Forbidden Planet ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jan 90 10:11:00 GMT From: Nick Rothwell Subject: EWI/EVI EWV-2000 17 Jan 90 11:35:11 EST <465.9001181001@lfcs.ed.ac.uk I wrote: >The EWI (electronic wind instrument) is table-leg shaped, >and pretends to be a flute. The EVI (electronic valve instrument) has >a dooberry on the bottom like a sax. David A. Roth writes: >The EWI is the sax version and the EVI is the trumpet version. Whoops, well, that shows how much I know about real instruments, doesn't it? When my WX7 arrives, would somebody be kind enough to tell me which way end to blow into? Nick. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Jan 90 14:08:15 MST From: Rich Kulawiec Subject: Akai EWI1000/EWV2000, Akai VX90 I have here some flyers from Maggio Music in New York City; they're advertising the EWI1000 (Electric Woodwind Instrument) and EWV2000 (Sound Module) for $395. Their number is 718-259-5634. They also have Akai VX90's for $239. The VX90 is a rackmount 6-voice analog synth. It has a sampler input that allows it to work with the S700, S900, and X7000 samplers. It holds 100 programs (patches), has a chorus, and looks to be about 2 rack spaces high. Looks like a nice addition to one of the Akai samplers; I plan on getting one. BTW, I'm not affiliated with Maggio; but I've bought other gear (Akai ME10D, ME20A) from them, and they've delivered nicely. ---Rsk ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jan 90 13:32:00 EST From: METLAY@PITTVMS.BITNET Subject: RE: Akai EWI1000/EWV2000, Akai VX90 BINGO! There's a keyboard version of the VX90, with upgraded user interfacing and a smallish keyboard. THIS is the first lead I've had yet! Tallyho! metlay ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Jan 90 10:31:00 EST From: METLAY@PITTVMS.BITNET Subject: Akai VX70 or something? Folx, I've seen the synth module only (!) of the EVI setup being marketed by Akai as the VX70 or something. It has only a small (<4 oct) keyboard, but professes to have all of the features of the EWV and then some, inbcluding some Oberheimish mod routing ability and an external input for analog processing. It's the first ture-VCO synth to be put out in years, if that's the case, and I for one am VERY curious. Anyone know if this beastie was released? Anyone played one? Yum! Still in Tennessee, metlay ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jan 90 09:49:53 GMT From: Nick Rothwell Subject: Akai VX70 or something? 17 Jan 90 10:31:00 EST <281.9001180911@lfcs.ed.ac.uk I'm not sure whether the VX70 is related to the EVI's sound module or not, but I believe they could both process analogue signals (the idea being that you buy a baby S612 sampler as well and filter the samples by playing both beasts in unison, I think). The VX70 dates back to around 1986; I believe I saw one at the time. I'm not sure I'd be all that interested in a VCO-based synth, what with the hassle of waiting for it to warm up before tuning it each time. Calibrating the Matrix-6 is enough of a hassle... Last night, I remembered that Akai produced two wind controllers, the EVI and EWI. The EWI (electronic wind instrument) is table-leg shaped, and pretends to be a flute. The EVI (electronic valve instrument) has a dooberry on the bottom like a sax. My last posting was recalling the EWI; I don't know how the EVI compares (whether it has the same sound module or not, etc.) Nick. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jan 90 12:26:00 EST From: METLAY@PITTVMS.BITNET Subject: RE: Akai VX70 or something? No no no! I'm not talking about the old AX60, which filtered the S612's inputs if you combined them. I'm talking about a brand-new instrument that was featured in their 1989 product line and advertises the best analog architecture I've seen since the Xpander! C'mon, people, I can't be the only one in the world who's seen an '89 Akai catalog! Can't SOMEBODY have pity on someone stuck in a part of the country where they've never even HEARD of synthesizers, and ask their local AKAi distributor? Please? Frustratedly (things ain't goin' too smooth down Oak Ridge way), metlay ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jan 90 12:42:36 EST From: "Kurt A. Geisel" Subject: Re: Akai VX70 or something? Who IS our closest Akai dealer? Don't say Pianos n' Stuff. Anyway, I believe there used to a hole-in-the-wall place near the Kawai dealer in Mt. Lebanon which used to have Akai stuff. If what you say is true, it definitely sounds interesting. - Kurt ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jan 90 19:14:00 EST From: METLAY@PITTVMS.BITNET Subject: Re: Akai VX70 or something? "Used to be"? Don't let them hear you say that. That'sSpecialty Guitars, an excellent store run by fair and friendly people. Their only mistake was in getting out of the guitar-and-drums-only business and trying to take on bulk sellers like Pianos'n'Shit head to head. They still have a tiny keyboard room, but it's going fast.... Anyway, I'm SURE that I saw this beast listed in the latest Akai product line catalog. Six voices, shortish keyboard, and not only a mod routing system but a big LCD screen to see what you're doing. Hasn't ANYONE seen or heard of this axe? ARGH! metlay ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Jan 90 10:51:19 GMT From: Nick Rothwell Subject: Akai VX70 or something? 18 Jan 90 19:14:00 EST <9163.9001191021@lfcs.ed.ac.uk >Hasn't ANYONE seen or heard of this axe? ARGH! I may have seen one, or I may be getting confused with the AX73 (which I think was a VCO analogue synth), or the MX73 (which was a mother keyboard only). I can scan my back issues of the UK music mags (I can reach back to early '86) and have a look, if you *really* think this machine could possibly be more interesting than the MicroWave... :-) Nick. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Jan 90 11:30:00 EST From: METLAY@PITTVMS.BITNET Subject: RE: Akai VX70 or something? Nick: More intersting than the Micro Wave, no. An attractive alternative to having some unknown geek in California who claims he can add audio inputs to my Xpander go into my beloved synth with a soldering iron and cutting torch, YES. metlay PS. Please stop talking about the WX7. Now you've got ME thinking about picking one up for cheap. I was a clarinetist, a long time ago, and I think that if I'd had a Lyricon or an EWI or a WX7 I would've stuck with it. I wonder if you can get them with relatively cheap in new overstock. I don't think I'd want a used one that somebody else had been slobbering into. (ick) PPS. Concerning Matrix-6-like patch trading: Sam Ash is now blowing out Matrix 1000s for $300 a pop. If they go much lower, I'm buying a couple to take the easy-stuff load off my Xpanders. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jan 90 01:42:50 EST From: "Kurt A. Geisel" Subject: Re: Akai VX70 or something? Well, I don't have any Akai catalog on hand. About what time would the ads have appeared? See? You're the only one in the universe who notices any analog gear... - Kurt ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jan 90 13:30:00 EST From: METLAY@PITTVMS.BITNET Subject: Re: Akai VX70 or something? This is no longer funny, people. The instrument I saw was mentioned in the latest edition of the official Akai electronic music product line catalog. That means it was not being hyped as a possible new product or as a prototype; it was a production model. If the stores aren't carrying it, and nobody ever reviewed it, then it may well have slipped in to the marketing cracks and already been taken off the market. But I *know the magazines have seen it; it was mentioned in the last KEYBOARD report on the Frankfurt Musik Messe-- oh, damn. I just had a horrible thought. What if they only released it in Europe? That'd explain a lot. (Make me REAL unhappy, too, but....) It was NOT the AX73 or the MX73. It was NOT the AX80 or AX60. It was something new and different, and I'm not going to rest until I have it in cold print! With rising bile, metlay ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Jan 90 11:21:58 EST From: Nan D'Antuono Subject: Electronic pianos I just discovered this list in my search for information on electronic pianos. I'm looking for an electronic piano that SOUNDS like and FEELS like an acoustic piano. I've just started collecting info. I've been told that I want a digitally sampled piano, not a synthesizing one, and that I want weighted keys. I want the electronic instrument because of the headphones and volume control. Portability is not a real issue; I'll be using it at home. All the stuff I read in the list about what can be done through the MIDI interface is intriguing and I think I want a MIDI-equipped piano - I don't want to limit myself should I want to fiddle with that in the future. I'm willing to spend a couple grand if that's what it takes. What pianos do people out there recommand? Are there some that you advise against? Thanks in advance for any help you folks can give. Nan ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Jan 90 14:13:54 EST From: "Lynn J. Young" Subject: Re: Electronic pianos > I just discovered this list in my search for information on electronic >pianos. I'm looking for an electronic piano that SOUNDS like and FEELS >like an acoustic piano. I've just started collecting info. I've been >told that I want a digitally sampled piano, not a synthesizing one, and >that I want weighted keys. I want the electronic instrument because >of the headphones and volume control. Portability is not a real issue; >I'll be using it at home. > All the stuff I read in the list about what can be done through the MIDI >interface is intriguing and I think I want a MIDI-equipped piano - I don't >want to limit myself should I want to fiddle with that in the future. >I'm willing to spend a couple grand if that's what it takes. > What pianos do people out there recommand? Are there some that you >advise against? Thanks in advance for any help you folks can give. > Nan I'm in the same situation. I've looked at the Korg Concert 3500 and liked it but wasn't ready to make the final decision. Does anyone own one or know any drawbacks? Are ther better selections? Mine would also be for home use but I know I want MIDI. Lynn ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Jan 90 14:03:00 EST From: METLAY@PITTVMS.BITNET Subject: An unsubstantiated but really juicy rumor Hi gang. I wish to preface this with the following disclaimer: I have no idea if it's true, none at all. I heard it from a friend who claims to have a friend who works for Korg USA. Make of that what you will. The rumor is as follows: at the NAMM show in Anaheim this weekeeend, Korg will debut a new synth to go along with the T and M series sample players. It was designed by the R&D staff of Sequential, or I should say those of them who were scooped up by Korg's parent firm (YOU know, the Y word) when Sequential went belly up, many of whom believed that in the mad rush to keep Sequential alive, the proper attention wasn't given to promoting a certain synthesizer that critics had called the best new design since the DX7. They figured that if the basic design philosophy was kept, but the actual synth was built using some of the niftier new technology that's available today, like granular synthesis and resonant digital filtering and so on, they might actually have something. I don't know about you all, but I'm going to be watching the trades VERY carefully for a while. metlay ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jan 90 13:42:00 EST From: METLAY@PITTVMS.BITNET Subject: more on that juicy rumor More from my source, who says that "tell one tell all" may as well be the rule now that NAMM is on, on the new device: it will have, not one, but TWO or possibly THREE joysticks on borad, one for waveform mixing and one for realtime waveshape control and possibly one for pitchbend and ocs/fc mod (assuming that Korg follows their old ergonomics), and it should have "lots of realtime controls." I'm going to see if I can eliminate the middleman and get data directly from Korg..... metlay Date: Sat, 20 Jan 90 00:54:06 S From: CHRONISTER@SYSA.RUTGERS.EDU Subject: Mt32 People, I posted this a couple of days ago, but I don't know if it went through because the management here disrupted the whole mail program, and turned it into a new one... I have a Roland MT32, and I was wondering if anyone can tell me about the modifications advertised in Electronic Musician... Adding EPROMS to give 128 new sounds, 32 reverbs, and a battery or if anyone can tell me how to get information about adding a battery mod myself... Thanks, Ben CHRONISTER @ sysa.rutgers.edu (internet only) ------------------------------ ---------------------- End of EMUSIC-L Digest **********************