From: dan@korgrd.com (Dan Phillips)
Subject: Wavestation PCM Cards
Organization: Korg Research and Development, Milpitas, CA
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 03:53:46 GMT

Hopefully, this message will simultaneously answer a couple of queries I have 
recently received, and messages which have been posted.

There are currently three PCM card sets available for the Wavestation key-
board, Wavestation EX, and Wavestation A/D. These include Drums and Percus-
sion, Piano, and Synth & Time Slice. The Wavestation SR uses the new, 
higher capacity Korg PCM cards instead, and so can use the same sample library 
as the 01/W. Note that the SR's program cards are the same as the other 
Wavestations, so that program data can be exchanged freely, and any third-
party program cards for the other Wavestations will work in the SR as well.

The expanded PCM in the EX and A/D (and SR) includes piano and drum samples, 
but these are not the same as the PCM cards. IMHO, some of the drum card 
sounds are better than the internal sounds, and some are not. The two kick 
drums are useful, as are the variety of snares; the congas on the card are 
better, and the hats in the internal are better. The card also has a nice 
triangle and some additional percussion sounds. 

I think that the internal piano is better than that of the card, but if you
have the original, unexpanded keyboard, you might take a listen.

In my opinion, the most interesting of the three is the Synth & Time Slice 
card, which contains some beautiful synth sounds - among my favorites are (1) 
Synsaw, a fat, soft-edged analog stab;(15) Shifting Velocity - reverby, bell/
tine-like sound based on samples from a Serge modular synth; (22) Vector Vox - 
a very weird, altered vocal sound, Sci-Fi/Horror movie style; (26) Synth 
Bass 2, a thick, deep, mini-like sound; and (35) Shifted Metals, a more 
metallic bell sound. There are also an assortment of D50-like sounds, a hand-
ful of pads, several synth basses, several clavs (on a synth card??!! don't 
ask *me*), etc.

The SR, as noted above, uses the same PCM cards as the 01/W line - but of 
course it cannot use the 01/W program cards. SR card sets (PCM and program) 
have been developed for several of the 01/W PCM cards, including the Synth 
Design (which includes some of the sounds from the Synth&Time Slice card), 
Ethnic, and Dance sets; the programming is all finished, and they 
should be available soon.

For some reason or another, Korg's PCM cards are difficult to get ahold of. A 
few weeks ago, someone posted a message rumoring a lawsuit; if this is true, I 
have not heard of it, and I talk fairly regularly with the heads of our 
voicing projects. I think a more feasible explanation is that the distribu-
tors believe that demand for the cards is low, and thus don't order them in 
sufficient quantity (perhaps this is a self-fulfilling prophecy...but never 
mind). If you want them and your local dealer doesn't have them, then have 
them do a special order; if that doesn't work, you could always call tech 
support at your national distributor, and see what they can do for you.

- Dan
-- 
Dan Phillips			KORG Research and Developement
____ "Stupid quote"  "Cheerful Remark" Meta-Sigs Inc. ________
Opinions here are not necessarily those held by my employers.
Or mine, either. Maybe.