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Subject:      File: "EMUSIC-L LOG9610A"
To: Joe McMahon <mcmahon@CLARK.NET>
Status: O

=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 1 Oct 1996 09:14:06 EDT
Reply-To:     Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Sender:       Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
From:         "william.b.fox" <wbf@ALOFT.MICRO.LUCENT.COM>
Subject:      Re: SYNTH-L?

Hi Kell,

You said:
> Date:    Mon, 30 Sep 1996 20:36:42 EDT
> From:    "Kelly M. Brinton" <mtmtaxirho@JUNO.COM>
> Subject: SYNTH-L?
>
> Is SYNTH-L  a completely different list than EMUSIC-L?  If so, how do I
> subscribe to it?
>
> *Kell
> ==============================================
> Kelly Brinton, director of ROFC
> mtmtaxirho@juno.com
> http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/hills/1988/rofc1.html

Yup, they are two lists; one's orientation is gear (SYNTH-L) and the
other's orientation is more academic (EMUSIC-L).  Please see the FAQ
I've included in the next message.

Bill Fox    wbf@aloft.micro.lucent.com or billfox@lucent.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 1 Oct 1996 09:33:03 EDT
Reply-To:     Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Sender:       Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
From:         "william.b.fox" <wbf@ALOFT.MICRO.LUCENT.COM>
Subject:      Re: SYNTH-L?

> BACKGROUND*****************************************************************
> "What are the EMUSIC-L and SYNTH-L lists for?"*****************************
>
> EMUSIC-L and SYNTH-L are for the discussion of electronic music in general:
> its history, practitioners past and present, equipment, techniques, trends,
> research, development, resources, you name it.
>
> They exist as a 'post-moderated' alternative to the rec.music.makers.synth
> newsgroup. (post-moderated means that the moderators monitor what is
> posted, and sometimes remind posters about the 'rules': see below for the
> 'rules').
>
> A digest is also available for each list. This collects all the postings
> for a day into one e-mailing.
>
> "Who are the moderators?"**************************************************
>
> Joe McMahon and Mike Metlay have been on here for over seven years. Their
> aim  is to keep the mail flowing and the illegal and blatantly out-of-line
> traffic to a minimum.
>
> Joe can be contacted at: mcmahon@clark.net
>
> Mike can be contacted at: atomic@netcom.com
>
> "So, can I post anything I feel like?"*************************************
>
> Well, no. There are some RULES.
>
> The basic thrust of EMUSIC-L is to provide a forum for the discussion of
> music made by electronic means. The actual means is secondary (and more the
> subject of SYNTH-L). What we are concerned with on EMUSIC-L is the music,
> composing, and related topics. Therefore:
>
> 1) Ads are not permitted on EMUSIC-L. Advising someone as to whether they
> are getting ripped off *if they ask the list* is permissible; otherwise,
> use private mail. Requests for addresses of mail-order firms, etc. are OK.
> Cutting deals on your own personal equipment is not OK. Please do it
> privately, or subscribe to SYNTH-L, where you'll reach a more responsive
> audience. Requests for advice as to whether a price is good or not are
> marginally OK, but would probably reach a more knowledgeable audience on
> SYNTH-L. Prices really aren't so much of interest unless either the entire
> world (literally) should know about this great deal, or you have inside
> information on a new product or upgrade.
>
> Exception: if someone has gone through the trouble of composing, recording,
> and pressing a CD or tape, submitting an article describing the process and
> their experiences and mentioning that the tape or CD is available for
> purchase is OK. Posting repeated ads for the CD is not. (A single mention
> is marginally acceptable; a short mention in a signature file is fine.)
>
> Here's a quick summary (it goes from 'admirable' to 'not acceptable'):
>
> - A ONE-TIME post mentioning that you have completed a CD or tape and a
> summary of experiences/etc. in making the recording is admirable.
>
> - An article which contributes to the discussion on the list AND contains a
> signature file which mentions CD/tape/album availability is acceptable.
>
> - Repeated postings saying nothing but "My recording is available" are bad.
>
> - Outright ads for records you did not make, hardware, software, used cars,
> etc. are very bad.
>
> 2) Discussions as to the relative merits of hardware/software/etc. are
> permissible, as long as the reviewers state evidence supporting their
> opinions. Ad hominem attacks will not be tolerated. Arguments based solely
> on personal taste are not acceptable. It is preferable to request private
> mailings, which you can summarize and post back to the list. Reviews are
> useful. Mutual admiration societies are not.
>
> 3) All members *will* be treated with kindness and respect. There is no
> such thing as a dumb question on this list. If you can answer, answer, and
> be nice about it. Otherwise, say nothing. If you've got a problem with what
> someone has had to say, discuss it in a civil manner. If you can't do that,
> take it to e-mail, or just forget about it.
>
> 4) EMUSIC-L is meant to be for the discussion of electronic music, in the
> studio, the classroom, in performance, and on recordings, including
> techniques, resources, user reviews and experiences, and speculation on
> futures. Some divagations will be tolerated, as it's rather nice to have a
> little humor on the list; however, the list owner(s) (Joe McMahon at the
> moment) will maintain the final say as to the subject matter on the list
> and will move to terminate off-topic, pointless, and (especially) rancorous
> discussions.
>
> 5) Please refrain from adding to the noise level by commenting about
> accidental private posts to the list or the accidental sendings of
> SUBSCRIBE requests or suchlike to the list. That is the administrators'
> job. If you must pour out your wounded feelings ;-), either to Joe, or to
> the offender, use private mail.
>
> 6) The listowner(s) are permitted to be as arbitrary as they please. We
> have only once had to take action against a member of the list for breaking
> these rules, even when they hadn't been stated explicitly. We will notify
> offenders via private mail and will wait for a response. But we don't have
> time to play Politeness and Germaneness Monitors. We will remove users from
> the list only if we must, and we always give people the benefit of the
> doubt when possible. But be assured that we will act to preserve the
> quality of discussion on this list.
>
> "How did EMUSIC-L and SYNTH-L start?"**************************************
>
> Perhaps a bit of ancient history is in order here, to show where these
> lists come from and why they are the way they are....
>
> Many moons ago, when there was for all practical purposes no such thing as
> the Internet (and there were certainly few or no commercial online
> services), people had access to cyberspace only through a set of large but
> mutually exclusive network protocols, generally provided by and germane to
> their place of education or work. One of these was the USENET hierarchy of
> UNIX machines at universities and laboratories and a few commercial sites;
> another was BITNET, an international mail system for mainframe computers
> used by scientists. Communication between the two systems was possible only
> in a crude and roundabout manner, so they developed separate systems for
> dealing with the same needs.
>
> In a rough, very general sense, USENET developed the news hierarchy and
> BITNET developed list servers and mailing lists; in the subfield of
> electronic music, USENET had the once-quite-small newsgroup rec.music.synth
> and BITNET had EMUSIC-L. The 'feel' of these groups was in concert with the
> sort of people using them; rec.music.synth was more open, with college
> students and commercial users, whereas EMUSIC-L tended toward academic
> users. This tended to shape the level of discussion and the topics covered,
> but keep in mind that early on, the overlap between the two groups was
> relatively small.
>
> Some time later, as reliable gateways between BITNET and the rest of the
> growing Internet allowed for the redistribution of newsgroups as mailing
> lists, SYNTH-L was launched as a gateway of rec.music.synth posts, so
> BITNET users without USENET access could enjoy the news there. It was a
> short, hard-learned lesson; the lack of moderation and the huge number of
> news articles delivered as email (!) knocked many prospective users for a
> loop. It wasn't all that long before the USENET feed was cut and the
> gateways to the news hierarchy were removed, isolating SYNTH-L and
> effectively removing its reason for existence.
>
> At that point, with Joe's blessing, Mike stepped in as conceptual 'parent'
> of SYNTH-L, and began to promote it as a nice middle ground between
> EMUSIC-L's often rarified discussions and the daily mayhem on
> rec.music.synth (now rec.music.makers.s). It was semi-moderated, so
> postings stayed (by and large) polite and focussed, but long discussions of
> gear, software, technical problems, and so forth that were considered a
> waste of time by many EMUSIC-L readers were encouraged, and over the years
> since then a de facto division between the two groups, and a healthy
> relationship, has settled into place. It's true that the divisions between
> topics for the two groups are occasionally blurry, but that's something
> most folks simply learn to live with and get a feel for.
>
> "Is SYNTH-L supposed to be technical discussion of synthesizers?"**********
> "Does EMUSIC-L cover electronic music in general?"*************************
>
> Very roughly, SYNTH-L is for the detailed technical talk, like gear for
> sale, where to download patches, whether synth A is better than synth B
> (whatever 'better' means), technical problems and solutions, and so on.
> SYNTH-L is the stuff that people on EMUSIC-L don't want to have to wade
> through to discuss electronic music.
>
> Conversely, EMUSIC-L is for all the serious (and sometimes not so serious)
> philosophical discussion on electronic music in its widest sense. EMUSIC-L
> is the stuff that people on SYNTH-L don't want to have to wade through to
> discuss gear.
>
> In both cases, one could say that this sort of discussion has its place,
> but people sometimes like to see it, and sometimes don't. All the
> EMUSIC-L/SYNTH-L division purports to do is allow an approximate separation
> between the snobs and the plebs. Where people take that is up to them.
>
> It's true that there seems to be no set focus or set of aims in these
> lists. That's deliberate. We are like-minded individuals looking for
> someone intelligent and knowledgeable to talk to, and the topics range all
> over the place, as well they should in such a forum. One shouldn't expect
> any kind of focus in an environment where anything is a potential topic for
> discussion.
>
> "What's the point? It's not what I expected!"******************************
>
> The point is that we don't want you to have unreasonable expectations of
> what EMUSIC-L and SYNTH-L are 'for'; they are what they are, and most
> people seem content to enjoy them as they are or guide them elsewhere,
> either for a while or for good...
>
> A good starting point for finding out what the electronic music of EMUSIC-L
> and SYNTH-L is all about is the EMUSIC-L World Wide Web page at:
> http://sunsite.unc.edu/emusic-l.
>
>
> MESSAGES*******************************************************************
> 'What about multiple and long posts?'**************************************
>
> MULTIPLE POSTS / CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND OTHER LENGTHY POSTS
>
> EMUSIC-L and SYNTH-L are delivered to many different types of
> mailboxes.  While many of our readers have plenty of spool file space
> at their host machines and a lot of leisure time to delete unwanted
> mail, there are others who must download their mail via modem, often
> at low speeds while paying for connect time. For this reason, we
> discourage multiple postings of the same message, and ask that list
> members clear very long posts (over, say, 2000 lines) with the
> Co-Moderators before sending them along. While we do not have time to
> moderate every message to EMUSIC-L and SYNTH-L, we have no objection
> to scanning the occasional conference announcement or product profile
> for suitability, and would prefer to do so rather than see our readers
> suffer problems from lengthy files whose place on our lists may not be
> appropriate.
>
> One other note: keep in mind that the default behavior for the List
> Server is NOT to echo a copy of your post back to you. Posting the
> same announcement multiple times "just to make sure it's getting out"
> is wasteful and rude. If there has been no response to your post after
> three to five days, a followup message asking if the post got out,
> _along with a careful restatement of the original question,_ is probably
> okay. But there does exist the possibility that your question has gone
> unanswered because no one on the lists has the information you need.
> There's no guarantee that we can answer any question here, and we cannot
> force those who do have answers to also have an interest in providing
> them.
>
> As in so many areas of netiquette, let common sense be your guide in
> handling these posts. Being flamed for announcing a concert or
> conference, or for asking a reasonable question, is uncalled
> for. Being flamed for announcing the same event five times in an
> automailer, or for asking a question no one cares about ten times in a
> row in ever more strident tones, is to be expected.
>
> "Should I respond to a message on the list?"*******************************
>
> The whole point of this list is that we attract people who are smart enough
> to make these decisions for themselves, and do. You can be one of them, if
> you let yourself. Think and decide for yourself, make mistakes, correct
> them, learn, move on, and enjoy the trip. Or, if you're paralyzed by fear
> of doing or saying something wrong, you can choose to lurk forever.
>
> Please also read the "So, can I post anything I feel like?" 'Rules' section
> of this document before posting anything to the list.
>
> "How do I send a message to the list?"*************************************
>
> For EMUSIC-L, you send your posting to emusic-l@american.edu. It will be
> automatically sent to all of the other subscribers. You will not receive a
> copy of your own mail; LISTSERV does this to decrease mail traffic.
>
> For SYNTH-L, you send your posting to synth-l@american.edu.
>
> "Why did my posting get rejected?"*****************************************
>
> Postings to the list may be rejected for a number of reasons, most of them
> having to do with keeping unrelated material off the list, and keeping traffic
> to a reasonable level.
>
> If you are not subscribed to the list, you will not be able to post to it.
> Thes keeps random advertisers who are not members of the list from posting
> to it, and cuts down on mass crosspostings as well. If you really need to
>  talk to the members of the lists, you'll have to make the commitment to
> read them for at least the amount of time that it takes to get your answer.
> Note that the listowners will frown on subscribing, posting, and unsubscribing
> in a very short period, especially if the material posted turns out to be
> unrelated to the list, or otherwise inappropriate.
>
> Postings more than 400 lines long (about 32K of text) will be rejected as
> well. This was instituted to stop things like errors resulting in massive
> postings to the list, and pranksters who uuencode core dumps and send them,
> attempting to overload the server and its customers. Such items will be
> returned to sender.
>
> "Where is the archive of FAQs kept?"***************************************
>
> This is a new document (as of May 1995). As the maintainer adds new
> questions this document will be revised, and some questions and answers may
> be removed. You will be able to ftp previous FAQ files from the Internet.
>
> SUBSCRIPTIONS**************************************************************
> "How do I unsubscribe?"****************************************************
>
> For EMUSIC-L, you send mail to listserv@american.edu with the text
>
> UNSUB EMUSIC-L
>
> as the body. No special subject is required.
>
> For SYNTH-L, you send mail to listserv@american.edu with the text
>
> UNSUB SYNTH-L
>
> as the body. Again, no special subject is required.
>
> If this does not work, you will get a message saying that no entry was
> found for your ID. Please contact Joe McMahon (mcmahon@CLARK.NET) directly.
>
> Do *NOT* post unsubscribe messages to the list. They don't help, and simply
> irritate other readers.
>
> AOL subscribers may experience some problems with unsubscribing from the
> listserv.  This may be a communications problem or an incompatibility... If
> you cannot unsubscribe then please save any messages that you may receive
> from the listserv and send them to Joe McMahon (mcmahon@CLARK.NET).
>
> "How do I subscribe?"******************************************************
>
> To join the discussion group on a message-by-message basis, send a mail
> message to listserv@american.edu with the text
>
> SUB EMUSIC-L <your name>
>
> where "<your name>" is your actual first and last name (at a minimum;
> LISTSERV insists on at least two blank-separated words here). Do not send
> subscription requests to the list address, as they only serve to annoy the
> other list members.
>
> For SYNTH-L, you do exactly the same, but replace the text 'EMUSIC-L' with
> 'SYNTH-L'.
>
> "How do I subscribe to the daily digest?"**********************************
>
> If you would like to get daily digests of the mail to EMUSIC-L, send the
> following mail to listserv@american.edu:
>
> SUB EMUSIC-L <your name>
> SET EMUSIC-L DIGEST
>
> where "<your name>" should be replaced by your first and last name (at a
> minimum; LISTSERV insists on at least two blank-separated words here). Note
> that these two commands should be on separate lines: SUB EMUSIC-L <your
> name><CR> SET EMUSIC-L DIGEST<CR> so that the listserv will interpret them
> correctly.
>
> Do not send subscription requests to the list address, as they only serve
> to annoy the otherlist members.
>
> For SYNTH-L, you do exactly the same, but replace the text 'EMUSIC-L' with
> 'SYNTH-L'.
>
> "How do I unsubscribe from the full list and subscribe to the digest?"*****
>
> If you would like to get daily digests of the mail to EMUSIC-L instead of
> the message-by-message form, just send the  following mail to
> listserv@american.edu:
>
> SET EMUSIC-L DIGEST
>
> You will then get one message per day, which consists of a list of topics,
> followed by all the messages which have been posted in the previous 24
> hours.
>
> For SYNTH-L, you do exactly the same, but replace the text 'EMUSIC-L' with
> 'SYNTH-L'.
>
> AOL subscribers may experience some problems in changing their subscription
> details via the listserv. This may be a communications problem or an
> incompatibility... If you cannot change to a digest then please save any
> messages that you may receive from the listserv and send them to Joe
> McMahon (mcmahon@CLARK.NET).
>
> Contributors:**************************************************************
> Mike Metlay, Joe McMahon, Ned Kartchner, Clive McFarland and others
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  Martin Russ            Reviewer & Columnist for Sound On Sound Magazine (UK)
>  mruss@midi.dungeon.com      Hi-Tech Music Technical Author & MIDI Consultant
>  http://www.dungeon.com/~midi              Macintosh & Synthesizer Programmer
> ------------------------------
> End of EMUSIC-L Digest - 27 Mar 1996 to 28 Mar 1996
> ***************************************************
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 1 Oct 1996 14:30:00 -0500
Reply-To:     Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Sender:       Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
From:         Michael Faulkner <Michael.Faulkner@MCI.COM>
Subject:      Metal Machine Music

The following are excerpts from a tread on the Ambient list (of all places)
that EMUSIC list members might find interesting:

David Beardsley wrote:

>> I have heard the mythology about this, that Reed created this work because
>> of contractual obligations, and by pressing 2(?) LPs of "noise", was
>> basically flipping the bird at the record label.
>
>This too I have heard. I think it worked too. Maybe hewhoisnotPrinceanymore
>and George Michael should try this.    ;)
>
>> I have also heard that this was indeed a "serious" work by Reed in the
>> noise genre, and was in fact ahead of it's time.  What do you know of it's
>>history, and more importantly, what is your opinion?
>
>It IS legendary, I remember hearing about this way back when it came
>out. Creem magazine (back in the good old days, a couple of
>owners ago, when it was funny) used to make references to it
>all the time. I was reminded of it's existence a while back and
>ran out and purchaced a copy.
>
>It's kind of tedious when loud (not for me today), but if I turn it
>down I get a nice shimmering buzzing and ringing. He credits a bunch
>of marshall amps, recording and signal processing equipment for
>the noise. No synthesizers.


>Sleazy D wrote:
>
>> I have been told that this is something that must be owned on vinyl for
>> sonic reasons and because there are supposedly some lockgrooves at the end
>> of at least one side (can anyone confirm this?).  And if I remember
>> correctly there is a whole chapter on this album in "Psychotic Reactions
>> and Carbuerator (sp?) Dung" by the late Lester Bangs.  It may even be the
>> collections of the old Cream columns mentioned earlier.  If any has a copy
>> of this handy they should check out section, not only cause it's funny but
>> because I think they go into a little bit of detail as to the intent behind
>> the album as well as what was used to make the noises.
>
> I did a search on the Lester Bangs thread (thanks Sleazy!) and came up with
> the following (from the 8-track Hall of Fame of all places!):
>
> Arguably the most avant garde of Lou Reed's works, Metal Machine Music is a
> double album of mechanical screeches and drones. On the LP version, the B
> side of the second record ends in a locked groove which continues to play
> until the needle is physically lifted from the turntable. Since the LP
> consists of four evenly-timed sides, and since an 8-track produces
> continuous sound without the contrivance of a locked groove, in some ways
> this recording is a natural for the 8-track format. In other ways, of
> course, it's perfectly ludicrous. It is remarkable enough that RCA
> considered this to be commercially viable enough to be released at all,
> never mind in multiple formats. Metal Machine Music reportedly even came
> out in quad LP and 8-track! The legendary rock-n-roll journalist Lester
> Bangs immortalized this 8-track in Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung.
>
>It also says that Lester Bangs did work for Creem.


Liner notes from MMM (courtesy of David Beardsley):

> NOTATION - When I started the Velvet Underground
> and it's various springoffs,my first concern was not as assumed
> abidingly lyrical, verbally oriented at heart, "head" rock,
> the exploration of various "taboo" subjects, drugs, sex,
> violence,passion-REALISM was the key.  The records
> were letters.  Real letters from me to certain
> other people.  Who had and still have
> basically, no music, be it verbal or
> instrumental, to listen to.  One of the peripheral
> effects, typically distorted, was what was to
> be known as heavy metal rock.  In Reality it
> was of course diffuse, obtuse, weak, boring
> and ultimately an embarrassment.  This record
> is not for parties/ dancing/ background,
> romance.  This is what I meant by "real" rock,
> about "real" things.  No one I know has
> listened to it all the way through including
> myself.  It is not meant to be.  Start any place
> you like, Symmetry, mathematical precision,
> obsessive and detailed accuracy and the vast
> advantage one has over "modern electronic
> composers," They, with neither sense of time,
> melody or emotion, manipulated or no.  It's
> for a certain time and place of mind.  It is the
> only recorded work I know a seriously done
> as well as possible as a gift if one could call
> it that, from a part of certain head, to a few
> others.  Most of you wont like this, and I don't
> blame you at all.  It's not meant for you.  At the
> very least] made it so I had something to listen
> to. Certainly Misunderstood; Power to
> Consume (how Bathetic); an idea done
> respectfully, intelligently, sympathetically and
> graciously, always with concentration on the
> first and foremost goal.  For that matter, off the
> record, I love and adore it.  I'm sorry, but not
> especially, if it turns you off.  One record for
> us and it.. I'd harbored hope that the
> intelligence that once inhabited novels or
> films would ingest rock.  I was, perhaps,
> wrong, This is the reason Sally Can't Dance
> -your Rock 'n' Roll Animal.  More than a decent
> try, but hard for us to do badly.  Wrong
> media, unquestionably.  This is not meant for
> the market.  The agreement one makes with
> ,speed.  " A specific acknowledgement, A to
> say the least, very limited market.  Rock n Roll
> Animal makes this possible, funnily enough.
> The misrepresentation succeeds to the point
> of making possible the appearance of the
> progenitor.  For those for whom the needle is
> no more than a toothbrush Professionals, no
> sniffers please, don't confuse superiority (no
> competition) with violence, power or other
> justifications.  The tacit speed agreement with
> Self.  We did not start World War 1, 11, or 111.
> Or the Bay of Pigs, for that Matter Whenever.
> As way of disclaimer, I am forced to say that,
> due to stimulation of various centers (remember
> OOOHHHMMM, etc.), the Possible negative
> contrainclications must be pointed out.  A
> record, as to, of all things.  Anyway, hypertense
> people, etc. possibility of epilepsy (petite
> mal), psychic motor disorders, etc.,etc.,etc.
> My week beats your year,
>
> Lou Reed
>
>* dextroroatory components synthesis of sympathomimetic musics
>
>Disclaimer - Psychological, medical
>Ref.  - Remington's Pharmaceutical Science
>British Pharmacopia
>
>                        SPECIFICATIONS
>                           Sony 1 /2 track
>                           Uher 1 14 track
>                        Pioneer 1 14 track
>             5 piggyback Marshall Tube
>                           Amps in series
>
>                  Arbitor Distortor (Jimi's)
>                        Marantz Preamps
>                           Marantz Amps
>                  Altec Voice of America
>                        Monitor Speakers
>
>                 Sennheiser Headphones
>
>        Drone cognizance and harmonic
>                     possibilities vis a vis
>          Lamont Young's Dream Music
>
>            Rock orientation, melodically
>                     disguised, i.e. drag
>
>    Avoidance of any type of atonality.
>    Electro-Voice high filter microphones
>
> Fender Tremolo Unit
> Sunn Tremolo Unit
> Ring Modulator/Octave Relay jump
> Fender Dual Showman Bass Amp with
> Reverb Unit (Pre-Columbia) white
> No Synthesizers
> No Arp
> No Instruments?
> -1 0 db + 57c1b
> -20 hz-+30,000 hz
> -12 kz-+28,000 kz
>
> Distortion 0.02 bass and
> treble ceilings
>
> Combinations and Permutations
> built upon constant harmonic
> Density Increase and Melodic
> Distractions.
>
> STRICT STEREO SEPARATION
> No panning
> No phasing
> No
>
>______________________________________
>
>and that's how it ends!
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 2 Oct 1996 11:01:18 -0700
Reply-To:     Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Sender:       Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
From:         Mike Metlay ++ Atomic City <atomic@NETCOM.COM>
Subject:      Alan Parsons live in Denver: some comments

Talking of composition vs. noodling, and guitar-driven vs.
keyboard-driven music, I was privileged to witness the launch of the
new world tour of the Alan Parsons band last night at the Paramount
Theatre in Denver.

He had a seven-piece ensemble; as might be expected from this early date,
they were a bit choppy in places, but the sound was very nice. What I
found interesting was the comparative lack of keyboards, sequences, and
samples/backing tapes with respect to guitars and other stringed instruments.
The compositions chosen for the set were probably picked because of their
emotive capability without either (a) an orchestra or (b) a synthesized
orchestral homunculus. Over all, that sort of attention to final result
as opposed to process and structure produced a fairly impressive, if not
nerve-shattering, evening of music.

The band played two sets plus encores; the first set was obviously
structured specifically to satisfy the proverbial ya-yas of the old
Project fans in the audience, in that it featured one song from each
of the old Project albums (minus _Eve_, alas) and two from Alan's _Try
Anything Once_. The second set featured tracks from Alan's new record
_On Air,_, and for encores the band played four of their seven
charting hits (two more were part of the first set and the last one,
the only charting track from _eve_, was omitted). The concert was
clearly organized to satisfy initial cravings for old stuff, feed the
audience a controlled dose of new material, then finish off with hits.

The band was largely different from the one on _Alan Parsons: The
Very Best, Live_. The keyboardist was less impressive, but the two
vocalists were better, if not exactly Eric Woolfson and Lenny Zakatek.

What I found interesting about the show was the incredible care that
was put into translating the heavily produced Parsons sound into a
live format without losing the emotional impact of the music. I think
this was aided in large measure by the fact that most if not all of
the Parsons/Woolfson music catalog has something to say, regardless of
how it's said. Something for up and coming e-musicians to ponder.

Parsons himself is a very tall, very polite Englishman with a great
tolerance for children and fools, hence his pleasant demeanor during
our conversation backstage. I have not yet heard _On Air_; a copy
of the pre-release CD-R was sent to our offices by Alan's secretary
some time ago, but it was in the hands of our sister publication
MUSICO PRO. I am, however, looking forward to giving it a spin.
My initial impression is that it's carefully crafted, but that Alan
has a ways to go before he repairs the deficiencies left by the
cessation of his working relationship with Woolfson.

Parenthetical note: the effort to avoid _Eve_ was quite remarkable
to see. I didn't get to ask if the omission was accidental, only
an artifact of that particular show, or politically motivated,
considering that the album in question is largely a paean to the
utter depravity, cruelty, meanness, and desperation of women.

Anyway, it was an interesting and instructive listen, and I can
recommend it to anyone with the mazuma to spend on a ticket.

mike

Oh, yes: ahem... the lineup featured Alan on stage mix, keyboards,
acoustic guitar, and backing vocals (he actually has a nice voice,
when he uses it), a bassist (electric five-string and stand-up), old
standbys Stuart Elliott on drums and Ian Bairnson on guitar, a
multi-keyboardist, and two vocalists who swapped off on lead and
backing voices. One of the vocalists also played keyboards and
controlled a DigiTech Studio Vocalist for faux harmonies, and the
other played 12-string guitar.

Alan had a library of samples that he called up on occasion and
triggered with his master keyboard, including the complete orchestral
into to "Old And Wise" from _Eye In The Sky_, but for most tracks he
strictly played acoustic guitar and sang. The vocal harmony controller
was a Roland D-50; it's hard to say how much it was used for anything
other than harmony control. The keyboard stack had a Korg Prophecy,
Roland XP-50 (I think), and Korg M1, none of which got a heavy
workout. Mostly piano soloes and the odd Prophecy lead.

The relative reliance on live stuff got rather funny in places; songs
which relied on sax soloes were left empty in spots, and for the
song "Days Are Numbers" from _Vulture Culture_ Alan himself sang
the Vocalist controlled harmonies, his voice wavering off pitch and
the harmonizer faithfully dragging all the other voices along with him.
Fortunately, such gaffes were the exception rather than the rule, and
the guitar and bass playing was exquisite. The stage was notably
uncluttered by monitors, as most of the band had wireless in-ear phones.

--
"Let's assume you arrive at show day totally prepared, and everything goes
exactly as planned. We can also assume that you'll never pay taxes or die."
                            -- Bill Stunt, RECORDING Magazine, August 1996.
 ==========================================================================
Mike Metlay - ATOMIC CITY - P. O. Box 81175, Pittsburgh, PA  15217-0675 USA
 =  atomic@netcom.com  --  http://pd.net/atomic-city   --  800.924.ATOM  =
CD orders via LOFTY PURSUITS: 800.548.6724 & 904.385.6463, FAX 904.668.5825
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 4 Oct 1996 05:32:12 -0400
Reply-To:     Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Sender:       Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
From:         "Rovid Marton 4.IB" <MARTIN@KFG1183.ODIN.NET>
Organization: Karinthy Frigyes Dual Language High School
Subject:      where can I find sources about "techno performance"?

Please help me !

As putting an end to my secondary school studies I have to submit an
extended
essay (besides taking some exams). No doubt, it will relate to
electronic
music. More precisely, I would like to investigate "techno
performance".

You cannot imagine how hard it is to find anything about this topic
in
Hungary. In libraries there are books only about the pioneers of
electronic
music, but nothing relating to the latest achievments. The magazines
have only
very superficial articles. Telling the truth I could not find even
one relevant
essay/book/article.

The internet is my only hope. Though I'm quite a newcomer here, and
feel quite
lost. Spent hours and hours surfing on the net, and found nothing
that could
help me in writing my essay....only this mailing list.

Please help me to find sources for my essay!

I know, the topic "techno performance" looks quite broad, even vague,
but so
far without any sources I could not dream of narrowing it. In fact, I
am most
interested a in kind of aesthetic approach to the new ways of
performing music.
Though a "simple" description of techno performance, well-written,
well-focused
may result a worthy essay as well. Anyway...

Thank you very much for any kind of contribution -
    (relevant works, sites of sources, suggestions)

                        Martin Roevid
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 4 Oct 1996 12:47:48 +0100
Reply-To:     Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Sender:       Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
From:         Philip Stanbury-Jones <psjones@NC.ACORN.CO.UK>
Subject:      Re: where can I find sources about "techno performance"?

Hi Martin Roevid

>Please help me !

The following sites give information and further links to techno related
stuff and should be of interest (I hope! ;-)).

  http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/thigpen/html/music.html
  http://www.netten.net/rave/
  http://www.idw.be/dar.html
  http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~chuang/misc/top50.html

Good luck with the essay

Phil



 ==========================================================================
Phil Stanbury Jones - Hardware Design Engineer
Acorn Network Computing
Tel: +44 (0)1223 518621
 ==========================================================================
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 4 Oct 1996 13:44:30 -0400
Reply-To:     Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Sender:       Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
From:         Joe McMahon <mcmahon@CLARK.NET>
Subject:      Re: SYNTH-L?
In-Reply-To:  <19960930.190907.2183.0.mtmtaxirho@juno.com> from "Kelly M.
              Brinton" at Sep 30, 96 08:36:42 pm

>
> Is SYNTH-L  a completely different list than EMUSIC-L?  If so, how do I
> subscribe to it?

In just the same way you subscribed to EMUSIC-L - send a message to
listserv@american.edu, with "SUB SYNTH-L" instead of "SUB EMUSIC-L".

 --- Joe M.
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 4 Oct 1996 16:01:17 EST
Reply-To:     Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Sender:       Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
From:         Sean Wolfe <swolfe@MAIL.OE.COM>
Subject:      EMLTape List

        I was a member of the EMusic List long ago(about a year ago..) and
     my service provider swiched E-Mail services(I'mStill trying to recover
     from this perterbing problem).  My e-mail address slightly changed and
     I was no longer a member of the EMLTAPE list.  And I want to know...
     Did it ever come out?  Was my piece on it?  Can I still get it? Can I
     join the list? Is there another Comp to submit to?

        I need answers to these questions, and I wish to rejoin wiht this
     long departed list.

     ...>Sean Wolfe
     Spindle Productions*
     spindle@lnd.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 4 Oct 1996 18:24:25 -0400
Reply-To:     Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Sender:       Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
From:         Jonathan Klizas <jcklizas@BUTTERCUP.CYBERNEX.NET>
Subject:      Re: EMLTape List

At 04:01 PM 10/4/96 EST, you wrote:
>        I was a member of the EMusic List long ago(about a year ago..) and
>     my service provider swiched E-Mail services(I'mStill trying to recover
>     from this perterbing problem).  My e-mail address slightly changed and
>     I was no longer a member of the EMLTAPE list.  And I want to know...
>     Did it ever come out?  Was my piece on it?  Can I still get it? Can I
>     join the list? Is there another Comp to submit to?
>
>
 Go to http://www.liszt.com/ whenever you need to search for a list. I
searched on EMLTAPE and got a hit. Looks like you can join the list by
sending the command: SUBSCRIBE EMLTAPE-L to LISTSERV@AMERICAN.EDU. Hope this
helps.

Jonathan Klizas
jcklizas@cybernex.net
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 4 Oct 1996 15:32:28 -0700
Reply-To:     Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Sender:       Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
From:         Mike Metlay ++ Atomic City <atomic@NETCOM.COM>
Subject:      Re: EMLTape List
Comments: cc: spindle@lnd.com
In-Reply-To:  <9609048444.AA844473958@mail.oe.com> from "Sean Wolfe" at Oct 4,
              96 04:01:17 pm

Sean Wolfe writes--
>
>        I was a member of the EMusic List long ago(about a year ago..) and
>     my service provider swiched E-Mail services(I'mStill trying to recover
>     from this perterbing problem).  My e-mail address slightly changed and
>     I was no longer a member of the EMLTAPE list.  And I want to know...
>     Did it ever come out?  Was my piece on it?  Can I still get it? Can I
>     join the list? Is there another Comp to submit to?

Not yet. I don't know. You will when everyone else does, which will be
when Eric deals with several unforeseen roadblocks to the production
process. Joe can hook you up again; I don't think I have admin
privileges for EMLTAPE-L. Not yet.

>        I need answers to these questions, and I wish to rejoin wiht this
>     long departed list.

Hope I answered your question. If you're posting here, I assume you're
still getting mail from EMUSIC-L properly. If not, well, I'll CC this
to you directly so you can see it. Write me at atomic@netcom.com and
I'll fix any lingering problems. Or try to.

mike


--
"Let's assume you arrive at show day totally prepared, and everything goes
exactly as planned. We can also assume that you'll never pay taxes or die."
                            -- Bill Stunt, RECORDING Magazine, August 1996.
 ==========================================================================
Mike Metlay - ATOMIC CITY - P. O. Box 81175, Pittsburgh, PA  15217-0675 USA
 =  atomic@netcom.com  --  http://pd.net/atomic-city   --  800.924.ATOM  =
CD orders via LOFTY PURSUITS: 800.548.6724 & 904.385.6463, FAX 904.668.5825
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 5 Oct 1996 09:45:24 -0400
Reply-To:     Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Sender:       Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
From:         James Pittman <stu931101@BOAZ.GCC.EDU>
Subject:      Re: where can I find sources about "techno performance"?

Are we allowed to sell stuff on this board?

James Pittman
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 5 Oct 1996 16:45:45 +0100
Reply-To:     Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Sender:       Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
From:         tomy <tomy@DMA.BE>
Subject:      Re: where can I find sources about "techno performance"?

At 05:32 4/10/96 -0400, you wrote:
>Please help me !
>
>As putting an end to my secondary school studies I have to submit an
>extended
>essay (besides taking some exams). No doubt, it will relate to
>electronic
>music. More precisely, I would like to investigate "techno
>performance".
>



Hey,

Check out this site: http://www.dma.be/p/amphion/

Greetz, Tomy.
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 5 Oct 1996 11:31:43 -0400
Reply-To:     Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Sender:       Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
From:         Jason Antone <Mancow1383@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: where can I find sources about "techno performance"?

Go ahead and advertise if you want.
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 5 Oct 1996 12:56:16 -0400
Reply-To:     Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Sender:       Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
From:         James Pittman <stu931101@BOAZ.GCC.EDU>
Subject:      Korg DW-8000

Hello!

    I have a Korg DW-8000 I would like to sell.   If you want Spec's, check out:

http://www.netaxs.com/~aruggeri/korg.html

$500 negotiable.

James Pittman
   >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
  / James L. Pittman       "No, you are not alone; you will be free indeed \
 /  Grove City College VAX  The journey begins and ends with Me             \
|   Grove City, PA 16127    One million miles; it starts with a step or two  |
 \  stu931101@gcc.edu       What are you waiting for?  I'm waiting for you. /
  \                            - Michael W. Smith- "I'm Waiting For You"   /
   >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 5 Oct 1996 15:38:55 -0400
Reply-To:     Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Sender:       Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
From:         Jason Antone <Mancow1383@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Korg DW-8000

What is it?
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 5 Oct 1996 17:02:32 -0400
Reply-To:     Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Sender:       Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
From:         James Pittman <stu931101@BOAZ.GCC.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Korg DW-8000

> What is it?

It's a touch-sensitive MIDI Keyboard, and it has programmable waveform sounds.
There's a lot of software and patches on the internet for it as well.  It has a
joystick used for pitch bend and VCA/VCF modulation.  It also has MIDI
in/out/thru jack, stereo phone jacks, and jacks for portamento and sustain.
Pretty cool!


James

   >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
  / James L. Pittman       "No, you are not alone; you will be free indeed \
 /  Grove City College VAX  The journey begins and ends with Me             \
|   Grove City, PA 16127    One million miles; it starts with a step or two  |
 \  stu931101@gcc.edu       What are you waiting for?  I'm waiting for you. /
  \                            - Michael W. Smith- "I'm Waiting For You"   /
   >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 6 Oct 1996 11:45:17 +1000
Reply-To:     Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Sender:       Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
From:         David Rodger <MUSDR@LURE.LATROBE.EDU.AU>
Subject:      Selling

Hi James and Jason,
Joe or Mike (the listowners) are probably about to jump in and say that
advertising gear for sale is not the done thing on emusic-l.

You can, in the words of Martin Russ's general admin FAQ, "find a more
responsive audience" on SYNTH-L (and avoid nastiness and faux pas on
emusic-l).

Subscribe in the same way as you did with emusic-l, but put the word
SYNTH-L where emusic-l went.

Regards, David
musdr@lure.latrobe.edu.au
http://coming_soon!
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 5 Oct 1996 23:09:13 -0400
Reply-To:     Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Sender:       Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
From:         James Powell <Reelistik@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Notator Logic

I've got Logic 2.02 but lost the manual long ago... does anyone know how or
if it is possible to step record in this program?
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 7 Oct 1996 12:46:51 +0100
Reply-To:     Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Sender:       Electronic Music Discussion List <EMUSIC-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
From:         Martin Russ <mruss@MIDI.DUNGEON.COM>
Subject:      General FAQs V1.3 (new issue: correction & update)
Comments: To: SYNTH-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU

Warning: Long Document (374 lines, 2490 words, about 6 pages)--------------

EMUSIC-L and SYNTH-L Frequently Asked Questions: General

This document is posted approximately every four weeks. It is intended that
this document should answer many of the questions regularly asked by
subscribers to the lists. Comments and corrections should be sent to the
maintainer, Martin Russ, at:

mruss@midi.dungeon.com

This is Issue 1.3. 6th October 1996.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Changes since issue 1.2.:
- Corrected the Theremin page link and added the newsgroup.
- Updated Piet van Oostrum's list pointers with WWW links etc

TOPIC INDEX################################################################
- Max
- Soundcards
- Music mailing lists & Newsgroups
- Mac & PC
- Theremins
- FTP & HTTP

MAX########################################################################
"What is MAX, anyway?"#####################################################

MAX is a software toolkit which gives a real-time, interactive, graphical
development environment for multimedia, music (and more). Programs are
'written' by connecting together graphical objects, rather than typing
text. Typical applications for MAX include: Editors and Librarians for MIDI
equipment; Compositional Tools; Utilities for analysing musical
performance; and much more.

MAX is often mentioned in these lists. It currently exists in variants for
the Unix environment and on the Apple Macintosh, although a petition has
been mentioned within these lists for a Windows version (perhaps a port to
Windows of Symbolic Composer (also currently Mac only) - contact JOEL
STERN on 103675.1167@compuserve.com or Peter Stone on psto@xs4all.nl
for details.

For more information on the Macintosh version, you should try contacting
your nearest Opcode dealer. (Opcode distribute MAX for the Mac). Opcode
also have a World Wide Web page at :

http://www.opcode.com/

There is also a MAX listserv. Send a message to listserv@vm1.mcgill.ca with
a Subject of: Subscribe Max, and the message text:

SUBSCRIBE MAX <Your name>

You will then receive daily digests of postings to the MAX list.


SOUNDCARDS#################################################################
"Where do I find information on Soundcards?"###############################

Information on soundcards for personal computers can be found in the
following Usenet newsgroup(s)"

comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard.GUS.


MUSIC MAILING LISTS & NEWSGROUPS###########################################
##"Anyone know a good MUSIC discussion group on <insert name here>?"#######

The best place for discussion of almost any group, band, artiste,
performer, musician (you get the idea), is the Usenet newsgroups. Try:

alt.fan.<insert name here>


##Is there a list which discusses recording & mixing techniques?###########

This subject is sometimes touched on in several mailing lists, including
SYNTH-L and Electronica.

There are also the Usenet newsgroups. The closest newsgroup is probably
rec.audio.pro.


##Is rec.audio.pro a list that one can subscribe to like SYNTH-L?##########

No. rec.audio.pro is a Usenet newsgroup, so you can't have it posted to you
via e-mail. You need to have a newsreader program to be able to read it, or
you may be able to dial in to a local BBS that carries Usenet newsgroups.
Newsreader programs can usually be set so that they 'subscribe' to a
specific newsgroup or groups, and then the end result is very like
subscribing to a mailing list - you can read the postings to the newsgroup.


##Where can I find out about Algorithmic Composition?######################

There's an algorithmic composition mailing list. Mail to

majordomo@serial.music.uiowa.edu

(no subject required) with the body of the message saying

subscribe algo-comp <your e-address>

(Checked Dec 95: OK: Martin Russ)


##So how do I post to a newsgroup via e-mail?##############################

You can use a mail-to-news gateway. Here's how you do it using the UTexas
gateway:

The 'To:' address should read xxx.xxxxx.xxxxxx.usenet@cs.utexas.edu, where
xxx.xxxxx.xxxxxx is the newsgroup name: eg. rec.music.makers.synth. The
resulting full address is this case would be:
rec.music.makers.synth.usenet@cs.utexas.edu

(Of course, you should really try to locate your nearest mail-to-news
gateway rather than just use the UTexas one!)


MAC & PC###################################################################
##Should I buy a PC or a Mac?##############################################

This topic has been known to escalate into savage flame wars. There is no
simple answer, but here are some pointers:

RULE NUMBER ONE: SOFTWARE

Find the software first, then THAT might make you decide which platform to
buy. Some software is available on only one platform. (Max on the Mac is
one example: there are counter-examples) Hard disk recording is often VERY
platform-specific.

RULE NUMBER TWO: VAPOURWARE

Buy based upon what you can get now (this instant), not based upon what
someone has promised will be available in the future.

RULE NUMBER THREE: OBSOLESCENCE

Whatever computer you buy will be almost instantly obsolete - and available
for less than you paid for it.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

You may need to purchase more than just the computer.

-What are you going to hook it up to?  Synthesizers?  Samplers?

-Do you need a MIDI connection only, or will you want to use a SCSI
interface for sample transfer?

-If you are going to use a MIDI connection, how many MIDI devices do you
have? This will help you decide if you will want a single port or a
multi-port MIDI interface.

-Do you want to use a separate MIDI patch bay?

-Do you want to do MIDI sequencing only, or do you want to do digital audio
of any type?  This can be divided into simple sound file and sample
manipulation, and full multi-track song recording and editing...

-If you want to work with sound files, are you going to want an internal
sound card of some type or will you only work with "real"
external/dedicated samplers, such as Ensoniq, Kurzweil, Akai or Peavey?

-Do you plan to ever cut your own CDs with your own CD-R drive?  Actually,
there is good software for this on several different platforms. Some people
like the stuff for Linux...

-Do you want to do sequencing only, or do you want notation as well?  (Do
you understand the difference?)

-Are you going to use this computer for music only, or will you want to do
word processing/database/online services etc?

-Do you want to be able to use free/low cost software from the Net, or do
you only want commercial software?  Another way of wording this might be:
do you want a "turnkey" system that is already setup for you, or do you
want to roll up your sleeves, get in there and learn the insides?

-Do you think you might want to develop your own software?

-And, a really important question is, what do your friends and fellow
musicians use?  If you are going to collaborate on projects, you should
consider what the other people own, for better or worse... (But don't
forget MIDI Files!)

SPOILERS

Many programs are equivalent across the Mac and PC platforms. Many 'Mac'
developers, such as Opcode and Mark of the Unicorn, are now developing for
Windows, so their products are going to be very very similar across the two
platforms. Passport develop for both platforms, and the PC specific
developers,like Twelve Tone, are now developing for both platforms.

Plug 'n' Play PCI slots will not be standard on PCs until Pentium (+ Pro)
motherboards become common - but PCI is now supported by PC and Mac. As a
result, there is definitely not going to be as big a difference in setup
and use any more. You can buy turnkey setups of both PC and Mac...

Windows 95 and the Mac OS are both neat GUIs. Neither is perfect.

Windows on the PC and the Mac are each equally as painful to develop for in
their own way. BOTH have memory allocation problems.

If you ask anyone about Mac versus PC, you'll get answers from every
direction: mostly based on what people are familiar with or on their
opinions as to what computing should be.

So for what ever reason people use the computer they use, it is all
personal. Sort of like a Ford, "some people swear by them, and some swear
at them". It is all up to what you like and how you like to do it. Some
people use both Mac and PC equipment, depending on what the need is. This
is not to suggest that one should go out and buy both types of computers to
satisfy every need, but both formats have their ups and downs.

Keep an open mind.  Both platforms definitely have their strengths and
weaknesses. Neither is a clear winner.

Further reading?

The following web site contains lots of information regarding the Mac vs.
PC debate - it is biased, of course!

http://www.madmansdream.com/FairyTales/newpcTales2.toc.html

Craig Anderton's column in the April 1996 Issue of Keyboard magazine (US) has
a reasonable overview of the strengths and weakenesses of the Mac and PC.


##How do I move Standard MIDI Files from a Mac to a PC and vice-versa?#####

Just save the MIDI file onto PC disks instead of Mac disks.

Any Mac with an "FDHD" (high-density, 1.2M) disk drive can write onto DOS
floppies and read them - using Apple File exchange or PC Exchange. (The Mac
Plus, SE, and SE/30 do NOT have these drives). Macs running system 7.1 and
above have good native support for reading DOS disks. PC disk access may be
slow, and it is probably best to format the diskettes in the PC - some
people have had reliability problems with PC diskettes formatted in Macs.

As for using the files, the PC will just read them, but on the Mac, you'll
have to open the application up first - you can't just double click on the
file icon itself. If your application can't see the file, then you can look
around for one of the freeware pieces of software that can change the file
type and creator.

Of course, there is also the Mac 640CD Dos Compatible or one of the add-in
PC boards/cards. There have been reports of programs allowing DOS machines
to read Mac disks as well, but the reviews have been mixed, leaning toward
the negative.


THEREMINS##################################################################
##What's a Theremin?#######################################################

The theremin is one of the very first electronic musical instruments, and
yet is one of the most novel and original. It is played without being
touched. The theremin responds instantaneously and continuously to the
motions of the player's hands in the space surrounding it. The theremin
player uses one hand to control pitch, and the other to control volume. The
instrument's tone resembles that of a violin, cello, or human voice, but
has its own unique ethereal quality.

The theremin was first developed in 1920 by the Russian musician/physicist
Leon Theremin, and was originally produced in the United States in 1929 by
the Radio Corporation of America.

Currently, theremins are available from Big Briar, Bob Moog runs it (or at
least does the design) and they also have a MIDI-ized Theramin. They say:

"The Big Briar Series 91 theremins retain the timbre and playing
characteristics of Professor Theremin's designs, but use contemporary
digital and analog integrated circuit technology. The pitch range extends
from the lowest audible pitch to three octaves above middle C. A small
speaker is built in. Line-level audio, speaker, and pitch and volume
control voltage outputs are standard features. High-quality, hand-crafted
cabinets in three distinctive cabinet styles are available. Optional
accessories include road cases and a small external speaker."

For more information, contact Big Briar, Inc., 554-C Riverside Drive,
Asheville, NC 28801; tel. (800) 948-1990 or (704) 251-0090, fax (704)
254-6233. They will snail-mail you a much more informative leaflet (6 pages
or so, with pictures & reading list).

The MIDI theremin is pretty expensive (about $2K US) but sends out full
14-bit control messages for pitch bend (that's 16384 steps... you could
represent the entire piano keyboard, tuned down to the nearest cent or
hundredth of a semi-tone, with only 8800 steps!). Big Briar is now also
offering a DIY non-MIDI Theremin in the $250 range, including handmade
antennas and a finished case.

There has been a recent reissue of the only Theremin virtuouso, Clara
Rockmore (hope I have that right) on CD.

You can see a Theremin in action in the Led Zepplin concert movie, "The
Song Remains The Same."

www.paia.com/paia had a ThereMAX kit for sale in October 1995.

You might want to know that there is a theremin page on the WEB at:

http://www.telalink.net/~theremin/

The Theremin newsgroup: alt.music.makers.theremin

The February 1996 issue of Electronic Musician magazine contains an article
on building your own Theremin.


FTP & HTTP#################################################################
##Where do I find Midi files/software archives on the Internet?############

There is a list of ftp and mail server archives with MIDI documentation,
programs and music on the Internet. Also enclosed is a list of MIDI and
electronic music related mailing lists.

The latest version of this file can be obtained by ftp from ftp.cs.ruu.nl
[131.211.80.17] in pub/MIDI/DOC/archives, on the WWW by
http://www.cs.ruu.nl/pub/MIDI/DOC/archives  or by e-mail from
mail-server@cs.ruu.nl (send a message with HELP in the body).

The latest monthly version is also available in the various news.answers
archives around the world, in music/midi/archives.

##Where can I find information on related books?###########################

There is a bibliography on synthesizers, midi, computer and electronic
music that has been collected from various sources by Piet van Oostrum
<piet@CS.RUU.NL>. He has tried to bring some structure into it, but not all
books will fit into a single subject. NOTE: He has NOT read these books,
and the comments are from other people.

The latest version of this file can be obtained by ftp from ftp.cs.ruu.nl
[131.211.80.17] in pub/MIDI/DOC/bibliography, on the WWW by
http://www.cs.ruu.nl/pub/MIDI/DOC/bibliography or by e-mail from
mail-server@cs.ruu.nl (send a message with HELP in the body).

The latest monthly version is also available in the various news.answers
archives around the world, in music/midi/bibliography.


##Where can I find demos of sequencers?####################################

On the Internet/Web, you could try:

Harmony Central:         http://harmony-central.mit.edu/Software/Mac/

##Where can I find a list of used gear?####################################

ftp://synthcom.com/pub/synth/docs/current_raw.txt

##"Where is the archive of FAQs kept?"#####################################

There are two FAQ documents. These cover Administration and General topics.
You will be able to ftp previous FAQ files from the Internet.


##Contributors#############################################################

Contributions by Mike Metlay, Joe McMahon, Ned Kartchner, Clive McFarland,
Doug Ramsay, Tom Ritchford, David Rodger, Amanda Pehlke, John Rossi, Doug
Wellington, Piet van Oostrum, Martin Russ, Bucky Goldstein, Jeff Talman,
Devon E. Weller, FAUST, Billy Brown, Roger King, Nick Rothwell...

###########################################################################

