From: jude@wk87.nas.nasa.gov (Jude George)
Subject: SUMMARY: Wavestation EX
Keywords: summary korg wavestation samples synthesizer
Organization: NAS, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 92 06:21:52 GMT

I recently asked for information on the Korg Wavestation EX.  This is
a summary of the responses I received.  Following the summary is a
selection of more detailed info excerpted from the responses.  Thanks
again to all who contributed:

quantum%babss.UUCP@CS.YALE.EDU (Quantum Audio Concepts)
eye@snakemail.hut.fi (Petri -The Eye- Kuittien)
Kraig Eno <kraig@u.washington.edu>
brooksp@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Peter Brooks)
wayneh@ux6.lbl.gov (Wayne Hurlbert)
stan@nli.com (Stan Sawyer)
Ron Scharf <scharf@lrs.e-technik.uni-erlangen.de>
jna@silver.lcs.mit.edu (Ring Dings, breakfast of champions)

BTW, this is my intro into the world of synthesizers.  After comparing the
Ensoniq KS-32, Korg WS EX, Korg 01/WFD, Yamaha SY85, Roland JW50 I finally
settled on the WS EX, with a yet-to-be-determined outboard sequencer,
probably my Mac.  I found the Korg sound to be more to my liking, for
new age type of music.  Now if only it had the KS-32's keyboard and the
Roland's on-board sequencer...

--------------------------------- SUMMARY ----------------------------------
>1.  Can the keyboard be split?

The keyboard can be split eight ways by key location and velocity.

>2.  Are the EX internals equivalent to the Wavestation SR?  Can it read
>    ROM cards meant for the 01/W, like the SR can?

Internally they are basically the same machine, although the user
interface is obviously very different.  The EX cannot read 01/W PCM cards,
but it may be able to read M1 PCM cards (not sure).  The SR can read
only 01/W PCM cards.

>3.  How many patches does the EX have in ROM?  An old Korg brochure says
>    484, but it's listed as having 550 in a recent catalog.  Are there
>    "old" and "new" versions?

I got conflicting answers here -- there are either 484 or 515 samples
in ROM.  The SR has 550, according to ads.  In addition, there are 35
"patches" and 50 "performances" in ROM.  (More can be created/stored
in 2 RAM banks, also 1 bank for a ROM card).  Each patch is a combination
of one, two, or four PCM samples, or wave sequences of the samples.
A performance consists of up to eight patches, where each patch is set
to sound at any contiguous note range.

Wave sequencing is Korg's funky way of getting a key to sound a whole
stream of notes instead of just one.  There are 32 (31?) built-in wave
sequences; this seems to account for the 484/515 discrepancy.

>4.  Can the Wavestation EX receive SysEx information?

It can store/retrieve SysEx.  The SysEx includes patch data, envelope
settings, effects parameters, just about anything actually.  Effects can
also be modified in real time in this way.

>5.  Is there any software that can send new patches over MIDI from a Mac
>    to the EX?

Opcode Galaxy.  Bulk Sysex Utility.  (Possibly Cubase as well?)

>6.  I saw an ad for Wavestation patches on disk.  How would one load these?

These would be loaded from a computer via MIDI.  The computer would have
to be specified.  Software to load the patches would either be included
on the disk, or one could use a separate software package to load it.

--------------------- Excerpts from the responses: --------------------------

] I found the 800 number in an old issue of Keyboard magazine (800-645-3188).
] They no longer accept support calls on this line.  That number is
] 1(516)333-8737.
]
] I spoke with a tech support rep this a.m.  
] The word on PCM sample cards is this:
]
] 	The new SR reads _ONLY_ 01/W cards (bad news for EX support...)
] 	The EX will _not_ read 01/W cards nor is there any plan for
] 		improving the compatibility of the two platforms.
] 	No third party developers are interested in making PCM samples
] 		because the cards are too expensive by themselves.
] 	The _ONLY_ PCM sample card that adds any samples to the EX (or
] 		AD) is the "synth" package.  (The other two packages are
] 		"drums" and "piano".  These are already contained in the
] 		internal sounds of the EX.)
] 
] In spite of this, I think you'll like your WS-EX.  I love mine.  I just
] wish I had more time to write new sounds for it.  (I hate using factory
] sounds.)

] The SysEx on the WaveStation EX is _fairly_ complete.  It also responds 
] to most continuous controllers...including controllers that can be used 
] to modulate patches, wave sequences or the on-board effects (which are 
] quite good, especially on the EX/AD).
] 
] (You might be interested to know that until the SR, the WaveStation 
] family did NOT respond to MIDI pan.)

] You can send and receive any or all data for patches and miscellaneous
] settings, of course.  You can also send parameter data -- it has a huge
] list of sysex messages that let you, say, change the envelope settings
] or the effects parameters in real time.  I haven't used this, but I think
] I'll go home and try it just to make sure.  Changing some things (like
] the delay time in a digital delay algorithm) would surely produce audible
] noise, but in general the machine tries to handle this sort of thing
] gracefully.

] Instrument          ROM waveforms (these are not patches)
] ----------          -------------
] WaveStation             396
] EX/AD                   516 (is that right?)
] SR                      550 (according to the ads, anyway)
] 
] The EX and AD store patches (made up of 1, 2 or 4 waveforms) in 3 (EX) 
] or 4 (AD) banks of 35 (0-34).  The first of these is ROM and the others 
] are RAM.  Up to eight of these patches are combined into RperformancesS 
] which is what you play from the keyboard or from MIDI messages.  These 
] are stored in banks of 50 (0-49).  Again, the first bank is ROM and 
] either 2 or 3 more are editable RAM locations.
] 
] The ultra-cool thing (for me anyway) on the WaveStations are the wave 
] sequences.  There are 64 RAM (32 in each of two banks) locations for 
] these (though there are other memory constraints on these that I can't 
] remember without a manual in front of me).  These are ROM waveforms 
] sequenced one after the other.  You can sequence them abruptly or with 
] crossfades.  You can modulate these sequences from a number of 
] nsources...and so on.  I assume that the SR has not abandoned this 
] _essential_ feature.

]   All and All it's a great mnachine,  a great controller with a beautiful
] display.. If you're doing dance music, don't but it, you probably won't
] be happy. if you want to do orchestral, film sound tracey music or music
] that sounds really real, buy it!
] 
] But as with all synths, play it alot, think hard before you spend your money.
] play with the programming on it, see if you really like it.
] 
] It's a lot of money to spend without thinking first. The more I use mine
] the more I like it. I did go through a period of time when I hated it, but
] I really appreciate it now.
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Newsgroups: rec.music.synth