From: mir@chorus.chorus.fr (Adam MIROWSKI)
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth,comp.music
Subject: Re: Roland MT-32/LAPC-1/Sound Canvas info sought
Date: 3 Sep 92 12:04:46 GMT
Followup-To: rec.music.synth
Organization: Chorus systemes, Paris, France
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4

jayward@rigel.cs.pdx.edu (Jay Ward) writes:
: Hi!
: 	I am looking for some information regarding the Roland PC music cards
: listed in to subject line.  Can someone tell me the differences between
: these three cards, and which is better for game music as well as
: occaisionally dabbling in composition.	I am totally in the dark about
: any of these cards and ANY information will be greatly appreciated.o
: 

First of all, MT-32 is not a card, but a tone module you connect to
your machine through a MIDI interface card. Sierra used to sell the
MT-32 bundled with a MIDI interface card and a simple composition
software named EASE.

The MT-32 can be compared to Roland D-5/D-10/D-20/D-110 synths,
except that is has fewer samples and no card slots. It uses the
LA synthesis, which consists in mixing samples of real instruments
with synthesizer type tones. The sample is used for the attack
portion of the sound mainly.

LAPC1 is a CM-32L on a MIDI interface card. A CM-32L is basically
an MT-32 plus 33 sound effects, minus electrical noise due to the
MT-32, and minus any external controls except for the volume knob.
The LAPC1 is probably more noisy than the CM-32L.

Sound Canvas SC-55 is a completely new sound module, which can under
certain conditions play sequences composed for the MT-32, but
doesn't accept any of the commands of the MT-32 otherwise. It
is a simple sample player, not a synthesizer, which means you
cannot alter the sounds.

Some people will tell you that a Sound Canvas can replace a MT-32
for games, but having both of them I can say that this is wrong.
The MT-32 is most of the time reprogrammed by the game and those
reprogramming commands are not recognized by the SC, so instead
of for example gun shots you get simple notes. Of course, future
games will support the Sound Canvas itself. If you have a Sound
Canvas and a SoundBlaster card, you will probably have better
luck with games that support the MT-32+SB combination, because in
such situation most of the sound effects are played using the SB
(you cannot download new samples into an MT, so for more convincing
and longer effects game makers use the SB).

Some people will tell you too that you can alter the sounds of a
Sound Canvas, but please laugh at them. Obviously, they have never
manipulated a true synthesizer.

Roland also sells the CM-300 which is a Sound Canvas without any
external controls except for the volume know, a SC-155 which is
a Sound Canvas with additional external controls, SCC-1 which is
a Sound Canvas on a PC card - just like the LAPC1, and a JV-30
which is a Sound Canvas with a keyboard.

There is also a CM-500, which is a Sound Canvas plus a CM-32L in
a single box, without any external controls except for the volume
knob and a cooperation-mode switch.

BTW, the MT-32/... series can be put into General MIDI emulation
mode. I have been told the appropriate configuration is available
on the MIDI forum of Compu$erve.

-- 
Adam Mirowski,  mir@chorus.fr (FRANCE),  tel. +33 (1) 30-64-82-00 or 74
Chorus systemes, 6, av.Gustave Eiffel, 78182 Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines CEDEX
From: brooksp@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Peter Brooks)
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 22:14:45 GMT
Subject: Re: Powerbooks and MIDI
Organization: the HP Corporate notes server