From: fur@caffeine.ai.mit.edu (Scott Furman)
Newsgroups: ne.forsale,athena.forsale
Subject: Synthesizers FOR SALE
Keywords: Synth, Yamaha, Fender
Date: 28 Jul 92 17:16:29 GMT
Followup-To: ne.forsale

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Yamaha TX81Z rack-mount MIDI expander, $200

This is an 8-voice stereo FM tone generator.  The unit has 128
built-in patches with memory to store an additional 32 user-defined
patches.  It also stores 24 "performances", which are groups of
patches with associated parameters like MIDI channel assignment,
detuning, mixer output channel assignment, instrument volume, and
pitch shifting (There are 92 adjustable parameters for each voice).
The unit also has a few pseudo-effects such as Chorus, Echo, and
Channel Sweep.  (I call them pseudo-effects because they achieve their
results by combining multiple instruments rather than modifying the
output of a single instrument.)

 o  8-voice polyphony
 o  Stereo output; Each voice can be assigned to left, right, or both outputs.
 o  Each FM operator can produce 8 different waveforms
 o  Two independent LFOs and a vibrato generator
 o  Voice and function data compatible with DX21/27/27S/100
     (although sound quality is superior to these models)
 o  13 microtonal scales
 o  2-line, backlit dot-matrix display
 o  Headphone and line output
 o  Comes with all cables and manuals



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Fender Chroma Polaris synthesizer,  $275

The Chroma Polaris is a hybrid synthesizer, combining the rich sound
of an analog synth with the control capabilities of a computer.  That
is, it has all the sliders, levers, knobs and the characteristic warm
sound of an analog synth, but it's controlled digitally.  You twiddle
all the knobs until the patch sounds the way you like, press a couple
of buttons and Presto! - all the knob positions are recorded in
memory.  You can recall them anytime with a few key presses.  It sure
beats trying to program your synth with an electronic menu and 4 or 5
buttons.  The unit itself has solid wood sides, a metal case and
half-weighted keys.

The Chroma has some other interesting features:

 1) Dynamic Voice Allocation

  Some synthesizers require that each voice be pre-assigned to an
  instrument. e.g. voice 1 is a violin, voice 2 is a snare, etc.  The
  dynamic voice allocation feature allows you to play any combination of
  notes on any instrument as long as the total does not exceed six.


 2) Selective Pitch Bend:

  When the selective pitch bend feature is engaged, the pitch bend
  affects only the keys that are held down.  If a note is held with the
  sustain footswitch and its keys is released, its pitch bend "freezes"
  wherever it is.  Once can, for instance, play a chord, hold it with
  the sustain footswitch, release some of the keys, and then bend the
  notes belonging to the remaining held keys.  This allows some interesting
  guitar and pedal steel effects.


 3) Tempo Tap

  You can use the tempo footswitch to tap out a tempo.  The Chroma will
  adjust its metronome and sequencer to the rate at which the footswitch
  is depressed.  It will also generate MIDI clock output and sync of the
  same rate in order to control external sequencers, drum machines etc.


o  61-note velocity-sensitive keyboard
o  6-voice polyphony
o  Storage for 132 patches (voices)
o  Built-in sequencer (expandable up to 9000 notes)
o  Comes with all cables and manuals (including tutorial and service manual)


Contact: Scott Furman
         fur@ai.mit.edu
         (617) 621-1333 (leave message)

         Please use email for fastest response.

Newsgroups: ne.forsale