EMUSIC-L Digest Volume 15, Number 5 D-70 Sighting/Edinburgh/April 28 Drum triggers (8 messages) PZM Micro placement Roland Juno 6 (2 messages) VFX Info Requested (2 messages) 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, 30 Apr 90 10:45:43 BST From: Nick Rothwell Subject: D-70 Sighting/Edinburgh/April 28 Had a quick play with a D-70 at the weekend. I didn't look through the manual or anything, but just messed around with the presets and twiddled a few parameters. It seems to be a souped-up D-50, basically. Much the same sound, I thought, although a lot cleaner and more dynamic. One thing Roland seem to have got the hang of now: digital filtering. The filtering on the D-70 seems to be *excellent*, with resonant filter sweeps which sounded like they were coming out of a top-notch analogue machine. Bear in mind also that the D-70 can filter (with resonance) the PCM samples as well. This was rather interesting... I imagine the D-70 MIDI implementation to be streets ahead of the D-50's, which is rather limited by today's standards. Not too interested in a D-70 myself, except perhaps one day as an upgrade from the '50 (assuming I can port my patches). No wavetables or any of that trendy stuff, I don't think. No microtuning facility either, from what I could tell. If you're happy with the rather limited modulation architecture of the Roland machines, the D-70 is really nice. Nick. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 90 11:46:22 EDT From: Andy Silverman Subject: Re: Drum triggers Don't know about the Akai, but how about Roland's Octapad-II? Andy ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 90 15:56:16 BST From: "Patrick C.K.Tsang" Subject: Drum trigger >I was wondering do any of you folks out there know anything >about a triggering set from Akai for about #235 pounds >sterling, that can be used as a Pad-to-MIDI converter as >well? I'd be most grateful if someone could enlighten >me on it, as I've heard about it, but have no details. The Akai ME-35T is what I think you are talking about. It is an 8-input trigger-MIDI device with individually programmable MIDI channel and note number on each. You can then organise these settings into patches. There are also sensitivity controls and decay controls to suit your trigger source. Are you playing in a band in UKC ? Patrick. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 90 13:10:00 EDT From: "b.klassen" Subject: Rumours re: Roland Octpads Speaking of Octapads, I heard a rumour that Roland was soon to be producing new Octapads with sampled drum sounds in the unit. Can anyone substantiate this? The price was supposed to be nearly the same as the current Octapad II. (I hope this is true ... then the bottom should drop out of the market on the old Octapads and I can pick one up cheap!) brian ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 90 23:45:42 BST From: "Patrick C.K.Tsang" Subject: arrrgghhhh ...... more drum triggers >Speaking of Octapads, I heard a rumour that Roland was soon to be producing new >Octapads with sampled drum sounds in the unit. Can anyone substantiate this? Absolutely true. As all manufacturers, Roland are so good at taking one product, re-packaging it into something else, and sell off for profit. In this case they have taken some samples from the R-5/R-8, put them into the Octapad, and voila ! They can sell another n0,000 units with virtually no research/development overheads. How do you think the Japanese marketing work otherwise ? Don't start on the Japs ! This is 'product life cycle theory', a essential piece of advice if anyone is to survive in business. Look at the Emu Proteus, Oberheim 1000, Yamaha V-50, Roland U-20, .... the list goes on. Patrick. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 90 20:11:30 EDT From: Andy Silverman Subject: Re: Rumours re: Roland Octpads I just got the latest Roland User's Group magazine-thing in the mail. (It's actually more Roland stroking its own ego than anything else) but it did definitely show some Octapad-looking thing with sampled sounds built in in the new products section. Andy ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 90 20:14:54 EDT From: Andy Silverman Subject: Re: arrrgghhhh ...... more drum triggers I also saw in the Roland magazine an ad and discussion of the R-8M, their new rack mount module with the R-8's sounds but intended for use with MIDI pads or other devices, sans sequencer. Anybody have one, know prices on them, etc? I'm using an R-5 right now for exactly this purpose but if I get sell my R-5 for a decent price and pick one of these up without too much cost differential I'd love it... Andy ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 90 23:32:29 BST From: "Patrick C.K.Tsang" Subject: Drum triggers >Don't know about the Akai, but how about Roland's Octapad-II? The Octapad II (model PAD-80) has more or less the same physical specs as the original Octapad (PAD-8) but with better MIDI capabilities. Like the PAD-8 it has 8 playing surfaces plus 6 separate trigger inputs, making a total of 14 triggers to MIDI. However on the new model you may trigger chord triads by hitting just one pad, or trigger 3 different notes on the same surface by velocity switching (the harder you hit, the higher the MIDI note number), and each pad can have its own MIDI channel, a feature not found in the old Octapad. Also the new model has more patch memory (64 patches), a card slot for saving patches onto RAM cards, and a comprehensive LCD display (the PAD-8 had only two LEDs ). The PAD-80 will also transmit out program changes when you change patch on the PAD. The duration of each note can also be programmed for timed synth sounds. In all the Octapad II is a useful addition to a kit or keyboard setup to trigger percussive sounds (hit those Orchestra Stabs !) I have wanted to get one for four years but in the end I bought the Simmons PortaKit for the same money. The main reason being that the PortaKit is far more playable than the Octapad. As a kit drummer I found playing the 3' X 5' pads a nightmare, and the bounce/sensitivity are far from realistic. The Simmons SDX surfaces are much nicer. Better still the Simmons has a on-board sequencer which records your pad playing for 10 songs, metronome, MIDI sync and programmable note durations. However the best of drum triggers by far is the KAT unit which not only will trigger notes, but also sequences from the pads. It is such a great device for cueing little bits of sequences in live situations to spice up the performance. Patrick. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 29 Apr 90 22:09:46 BST From: Simes reporting from Darkest Kent Subject: Drum triggers Hello everyone, I'm a new user on the list server thingummy. I was wondering do any of you folks out there know anything about a triggering set from Akai for about #235 pounds sterling, that can be used as a Pad-to-MIDI converter as well? I'd be most grateful if someone could enlighten me on it, as I've heard about it, but have no details. Toodle Pip Simon ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 90 11:18:04 CDT From: Philip Galanter Subject: Re: PZM Micro placement For placement of these mics...recall they have an element mounted on a metal plane (well actually a 5" or so square)...what I literally do is take gaffers tape and tape that metal plate to the ceiling. I have had best luck staying away from other perpendicular surfaces, such as walls in this case, but my guess is that this might help bass extension in some cases. It doesn't make much difference what direction the element faces on the plate...what I mean is the element can face any wall as its really omnidirectional in the hemisphere away from the ceiling. As for where on the ceiling to put it, other than perhaps away from the wall, just walk around the room and find a place where the "air mix" is good, and put it above your head. Phil || Philip Galanter, Manager \\ 627 Dartmouth Place // AppleLink: A42 \\ || Advanced Technology Group \\ Evanston IL 60208 // Compuserve: 76474,154 \\ || Northwestern Univ. - ACNS \\ (708)-491-4050 // galanter@acns.nwu.edu \\ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 90 09:01:00 EST From: MCINTYRE@MSUPA.BITNET Subject: Roland Juno 6 There is a Roland Juno 6 advertised for sale in the campus paper here. Could those with experience/opinions please post as to whether or not the asking price of $180 represents a good deal? John McIntyre Physics - Astronomy Dept Michigan State University ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 90 11:51:29 EDT From: Andy Silverman Subject: Re: Roland Juno 6 $180 is a good deal for this. The biggest problem with this machine is that is has no capability of presets. This was included on the Juno-60. So you have to program everything. However, the sound is pretty nice. It has 3 DCO's, using square, sawtooth, and (I believe) sine. You can use any combo of the three at the same time. The sqware wave can also be programmed for variable pulse width or sweeping pulse width which has a nice filter sweep sound. Then there's a standard ADSR envelope which was good at the time, but is hopelessly outclassed these days. The envelope can also be inverted for special effects. The filter is the basic hi-pass and is pretty easy to use, and can be attached to the LFO for sweeps. It has pitch bend and a modulation button for manually triggering the LFO. Mess with it a little, it's a fairly nice machine. Andy ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 90 10:48:52 BST From: Nick Rothwell Subject: VFX >Does anyone out there have any info about the VFX?? Tons and tons. >and the sound possibilities of the VFX seemed pretty >incredible. They are, but the VFX has embarrassing software reliability problems. Give me a shout of you want all the gory details (I have them on-line). Nick. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 29 Apr 90 19:53:18 EDT From: "Rob Klamka (RSK4) Taylor A112" Subject: VFX Info Requested Does anyone out there have any info about the VFX?? I'm looking to upgrade from my trusty old DX-11 to something of the Dx-7 type quality (under $2000)and the sound possibilities of the VFX seemed pretty incredible. ------------------------------ End of EMUSIC-L digest ******************************