HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Organisation: European Space Technology Centre (E.S.T.E.C)
Date: Monday, 5 Oct 1992 10:14:13 CET
From: <ATONI@ESTEC.BITNET>
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth
Subject: Re: Hope for the Future (was Re: Vintage Synth Re-Issues)
 <92276.144047ATONI@ESTEC.BITNET> <1992Oct2.175859.16942@netcom.com>

Hi,
Of course , Mike,the old machines will be always around us .. but what
worries me is the company market trend .. I would like to see companies
taking real care of new product .. That means :

1 - I do not need a new machine every 6 months !!
2 - I would like that once a machine is out , the companie  takes good
    care of it (Hw/sw updates etc .. )
3 - How can you make something new, exciting, bug-free in such a short
    time
4 - I do hate the japanese philosophy .. ( and that counts for car bike hifi
    etc !!).

Instead of wasting time and efforts in new extra-useless complicated (RCM)
techniques , sometime the companies colud just try to make more perfect old
beatuies.
That doesn't means that I'm against new technologies .. but I'm against
the "it-has-to-be-new-to-be-good".
After all as you said I'm very happy that I can still get lots
of old superb stuff for 1/10 (or 1/100) of the original price and really enjoy
them !!
Looking around I can see very few new nice machines :
1 - The uWave
2 - The JD800
3 - The WStation .. ( but would have been too much asking for a decent VCF )
4 - The SY99
5 - The K2000

But they all are (except the K2000)  few years old and already the JD800 and
the WS are going out of the catalog !!
I bought new items few times and always regret it !!     Second-hand is the
keyword for the future.
Ok i'm not a pro but I can handle 2/3 years of retro-garde !!

Ciao

Andrea TONI     ATONI@ESTEC.ESA.NL        ENV   ENV   ENV
-------------------------------------------I-----I-----I----------------
.. Bellezza e' semplicita' e modestia ..  VCO-->VCF-->VCA-->DUCATI 900SS
-------------------------------------------I-----I-----I----------------
                                          LFO   LFO   LFO
From: Roy_Relles.ES_NTSC@XEROX.COM
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth
Subject: DAT Help
Date: 29 Sep 92 19:03:53 GMT
Article-I.D.: Xerox."29-Sep-92.12:03:53.PDT".*.Roy_Relles.ES_NTSC

DAT Help:  What is the current status on SCM on DAT decks?  I heard where the
consumer was being told how to disable the SCM circuit on decks that had them.
Does anybody know how to disable the SCM circuit on a consumer grade DAT.  I'm
thinking of buying a DENON str 2000 which is a OEM of the Panasonic EV3700, but
it has that serial copy circuit in it. Any information would be helpful. Thanks
Roy_Relles.ES_NTSC@Xerox.com
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth
From: Bob.Weigel@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Bob Weigel)
Subject: RE: 8 bit vs. 16 bit?
Organization: Extended Bulletin Board Service
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 07:14:06 GMT


	Actually, my K1, which is an 8 bit machine has quite a bit of
volume dynamic range.  The differences between it and a good 16 bit,
or even 12 bit unit is that the timbral range is limited.  Also the sounds
have a common noise element.  Since there is a maximum of 256 signal
levels which can be represented by an 8 bit DAC, many sounds cannot be
accurately represented.  On the other hand, some can.  The K1 does fairly
well with some special effect sounds, but not many things in nature happen
to share it's noise spectrum.  Bell sounds, erie wierd organs, electric
pianos seem to be its niche'.
	16 bit sound is not quite "perfection" to the ear, but it's close
enough to make things real interesting.  12 bit with a 4 bit exponent is
probably a better use of the 16 bits, and I have seen chips which work in
that realm.  It would kind of mess up another industry standard though, so
I'd better be quiet.
	Anyway, the major point of this is that volume dynamics is, or at
least was much cheaper to implement well than sample resolution.  The two
are not necessarily related at all, depending on how the dsp works in that
particular unit.
--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  bbs.oit.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
Organisation: European Space Technology Centre (E.S.T.E.C)
Date: Monday, 5 Oct 1992 10:54:47 CET
From: <ATONI@ESTEC.BITNET>
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth
Subject: Re: Andrea TONI/ K5MP

This is for Bob WEIGEL .. Sorry to bother people with private but we have mail
problems !!!

MY two e-mail address are :

Internet andrea@sihp03.estec.esa.nl
Bitnet   ATONI@ESTEC.ESA.NL

They should both hopefully works !!!

Ciao
Andrea TONI     ATONI@ESTEC.ESA.NL        ENV   ENV   ENV
-------------------------------------------I-----I-----I----------------
.. Bellezza e' semplicita' e modestia ..  VCO-->VCF-->VCA-->DUCATI 900SS
-------------------------------------------I-----I-----I----------------
                                          LFO   LFO   LFO
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth
From: cassiel@cassiel.demon.co.uk (Nick Rothwell)
Subject: PB100/MIDI works? SOS!!!!
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 21:38:38 +0000

>	1, I've tried Finale and it drove my PB100 crazy. Coda support
>	   guy told me that the Finale does NOT work on PB100 after
>	   I struggled for almost 2 weeks. 

Finale is a CPU hog, so this doesn't surprise me. Also, I don't know the
nature of Finale's MIDI serial drivers. It wouldn't surprise me if they
were nonfunctional. I'd suggest getting MIDI Manager and OMS up and running
and try again. I wouldn't expect Finale to be that responsive even so.

>    They installed
>	   a demo version (not current version) of Performer on my
>	   PB100, but the MIDI monitor was not responding at all.

Performer only became PowerBook friendly at 3.64.

>Please all experts on the
>net that have had it worked post your experiences a little bit
>more specificly. "It works flawlessly" used to help me make
>the dicision to buy PB100, but it does not help me too much
>on the difficulties I'm having now.

As far as I'm concerned, the PB100 is best run with OMS, and using anything
else is going to be problematic. I have faith in Doug Wyatt. That's strong
praise from me, I can tell you.

(Now, I have to figure out why Performer won't do variable tempo SMPTE lock
to this bl**dy contemporary dance video that has to be scored within the
next four days... Marc, I have some more bugs for you...)


                        Nick Rothwell  |  "Say, how many contemporary
dancers
     CASSIEL Contemporary Music/Dance  |     are there in this bar?"
          cassiel@cassiel.demon.co.uk  |  "Dunno; count the Dr. Martens
          cassiel@cix.compulink.co.uk  |     and divide by two..."

Newsgroups: rec.music.synth
From: metlay@netcom.com (metlay)
Subject: Re: Keyboard feel (was: Re: CZ101 for sale)
Summary: Sick-feeling keyboards
Organization: Atomic City
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 17:41:29 GMT

In article <1680258@hpsad.sad.hp.com> smithj@hpsad.sad.hp.com (Jim Smith) writes:
>In rec.music.synth, eirikur@ranger.enet.dec.com (Eirikur Hallgrimsson) writes:
>>One weird thing that I have noticed about keyboards is that the velocity curve
>>on the sound that you are listening to influences how the keyboard feels. This
>>mapping must be pretty subjective: the only instruments that really feel right
>>to me playing the factory patches are the CZ-1 and the Chroma.
>
>Interesting how subjective this is.  The Chroma is one of the worst-feeling
>keyboards I ever played, to me.  I hate that spongey feeling.

I find that my tastes are very relaxed with respect to the velocity sensitivity
of keyboards-- I can play anything from an Xk to an A-80 and adapt fairly
quickly. Where *I* get finicky is with pressure sensors. There are a lot of
bad ones (the Prophet VS and the Ensoniq VFXsd rate very low on my list), a few
nice ones (the Yamaha V2's was almost good enough to make me keep it as a 
master keyboard. Almost. Bu the Xk, for all its flakiness, was just as good
in that department.), and some WEEEEIRD ones (the Kurzweil K2000).

Actually, I found that MIDIing the K2000's keyboard to the Xpander gave me
a lead synth that I could really wail on. I found it sinfully comfortable
to play, and if I get a K2000 sometime in 1993 it will probably be the 
keyboard version for that very reason.\

>It's all personal opinion, of course...

Naturally.

>Hey now everybody now,                     Jim Smith
>Hey now everybody,                         smithj@hpsad.sad.hp.com
>Hey now everybody, now.  -- They Might Be Giants

I think I preferred icktang, big guy. |->


-- 
metlay            | 
                  | "God damn you, Metlay. God damn you to hell."
                  | 
metlay@netcom.com |                                 (d. harkless)
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth,rec.music
From: chrism@col.hp.com (Chris Magnuson)
Subject: FORSALE: How to Get a Record Deal Video
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 22:22:53 GMT
Organization: HP Colorado Springs Division

  I have a copy of the video (VHS, 67 minutes) called How To Get A Record
Deal.  It is interesting to watch.  Interviews with record company executives,
artists (like Phil Collins, Mark Knopfler, Michael Bolton).  

  I paid $30 for it.  If you are interested in it for $20 (postpaid) then
e-mail me and I'll get my address for a check.

Thanks,
chrism@col.hp.com
From: scott@bbx.basis.com (Scott Amspoker)
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth
Subject: Re: I don't think any of us are belittling Gen
Date: 2 Oct 92 15:43:51 GMT
Article-I.D.: bbx.1493
Organization: BASIS International, Ltd., Albuquerque NM USA

In article <2ACBA223.476@news.service.uci.edu> dan@cafws2.eng.uci.edu (Dan Harkless) writes:
>In article <1491@bbx.basis.com> scott@bbx.basis.com (Scott Amspoker) writes:
>>real acoustic piano = boring
>>electronic piano simulation = exciting
>
>	Huh?  Are you saying this is what I'm saying??  You are utterly wrong.

You're right.  I reread your post and you never said that you prefer a 
piano patch over the real thing.  I stand corrected.  Now I'm left to
wonder how I got the impression that you said that.  Oh yes, you
seem to believe that you can come up with a *single* patch that is
expressive and interesting as a more traditional acoustic instrument:

    "I also absolutely do not agree that no synth patch is not enough to 
    stand on its own.  Get enough modulation and variation into a patch, 
    and you can stand up to a violin any day."

Perhaps we disagree on the meaning of "stand up on it's own".
We have been listening to violins and pianos for centuries and they
still sound good.  I have never heard a synth patch that can remain 
interesting, by itself, for an hour (much less 200 years). 
(Sure, I have some patches that I can enjoy playing for an extended 
period of time but that's nothing more than musical masturbation and 
I would never subject my audience to it.)

>I *never* use "piano" sounds.  What a waste of a synthesizer - to attempt to
>duplicate a couple-hundred year-old instrument...  Bleah.  I try to create new
>sounds that haven't been heard before.  That's why I'm a *synthesist* and not
>a pianist.

Which of course agrees with my original point about GMIDI being naive
in the sense that it limits you to a conceptual patch bank that is
too restrictive.  It largely attempts to imitate traditional acoustic
instruments.  The imitations can sound very rich but they don't even
come close to providing the range of expression and style of the
originals.  It is the variety of timbres that makes a synthesizer 
interesting.  The more the better.  One patch, or even a bank of 128 
patches, starts to get old rather quickly.

-- 
Scott Amspoker                       |    
Basis International, Albuquerque, NM |  Too bad ignorance isn't really
                                     |  bliss.  Then it could be outlawed.
scott@bbx.basis.com                  |
From: aluffi@cauchy.math.fsu.edu (Paolo Aluffi)
Subject: What about "classical" sounds?
Originator: aluffi@cauchy
Keywords: symphony orchestra
Organization: Florida State University Mathematics Dept.
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 92 22:27:14 GMT


I have only followed this for a couple of days, and I know nothing of the state
of the art of synthesizers etc: the following is very likely a  faq, and a vnq 
(very naive question) on top. Apologies if that's the case...and even warmer
thanks for your responses.

I am in the right mood to buy me a new sound module---have had an MT32 for a
few years, and would like to upgrade. Here is the problem: the only sounds I
am really interested in are the sounds of "classical instruments", as the ones
one would find in a conventional symphony orchestra, plus pianos, harpsichords,
and stops of a pipe organ. Whenever I go to a music store and ask directly for
a sound module that would produce such sounds, I get suspicious stares from 
people, who then proceed to show me modules which are extemely sophisticated, 
extremely impressive, have all sort of fantastic sounds, but that frankly fall 
FAR short of my expectations when it comes to producing say a nice plain oboe 
sound, or a violin that would fool me for the real thing for 1/2 a second. 
Pianos are usually quite adequate, but for example I rarely run into more 
than a couple of organ sounds---and these are usually all-round impressive 
ripieno sounds, nothing like the delicate baroque organs I have in mind.
A while ago I finally run into a module almost devoted to orchestra sounds
(what was it? a "symphony"? something of the sort) but I still wasn't impressed,
and I don't think it had e.g. good harpsichords.
I am sure the technology is there, but I don't know where to get the right
information: my feeling is that I am not the standard "costumer", so people in
stores, although absolute experts, can't quite answer my questions.
Somebody mentioned an interesting concept: buy some kind of station, connect
it to my SCSI hard disk, then go hunt for the right sounds in databases and
ftp sites, or off the pages of magazines. This sounds very interesting, but
*in practice*: is it possible? is it expensive? Where do I find the hardware?
Where do I find the sounds? Are the sounds really great? and so on and so forth.
Can you people help me? Thanks very much, --p
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth,comp.sys.laptops
From: metlay@netcom.com (metlay)
Subject: Re: Question:  Powerbooks and MIDI
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 92 19:06:15 GMT
Organization: Atomic City
Summary: Clarifications

In article <murat-290992104916@192.100.87.66> murat@farallon.com (Murat N. Konar) writes:
>
>No, they didn't lie to me when I asked them.  Maybe they lied to you. 
>Maybe they believed it themselves.  I'm pissed off that my cool new PB 170
>is useless for receiving SysEx.  But I don't feel compelled to accuse Apple
>of lying.  It just hasn't been my experience.  Maybe it has been yours.

What would you call it when someone who knows something isn't true tells
you that it is? I call it lying. If they honestly believed the stuff they're
shelling out about PowerBook MIDI, then they aren't malicious, I'll grant
them that-- they're just ignorant and far too careless with checking their
facts.

>Happy, happy, joy, joy.  I guess I should have beem more rigorous in my
>summarization.  The PB100's DO NOT have a problem with MIDI.  However, they
>do only have one externally accessible serial port, no?  I suppose this
>limit this can be mitigated by using something like MOTU's multi-cable MIDI
>interface (name escape's me at the moment).

Yes, it can. But, as I pointed out below, the OMS fix goes a ways toward
fixing your brand-spanking-new 170.

>When I called OpCode to ask about their rumored PowerBook friendly OMS
>patch, they said that it was currently in Beta and that it did NOT use the
>technique outlined in TN318.  Perhaps they were lying.  :-)

This is news to me. I was given to understand that the fix WAS based on
the Tech Note. If it wasn't, then I apologize for the misinformation in
that regard. But I'm not convinced that I'm wrong on this, and I *do*
know that the OMS upgrade works very well indeed.

>I certainly hope that OpCode has solved the problem.  Perhaps MOTU can find
>a solution too.  MOTU also claim that they tried the technique outlined in
>TN318 and that it did not work.  Perhaps they are lying too.  :-)

Don't get me started on MOTU. |->



-- 
metlay                    | 
                          | General MIDI is God's way of saying "Duh."
                          | 
metlay@netcom.netcom.com  |
From: asrbb@acad2.alaska.edu
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth
Subject: Ensoniq SQ1 Sequencer Quality?
Date: 27 Sep 92 01:07:44 GMT
Organization: University of Alaska

Hi!

I am trying to get some feedback on whether or not the built-in
sequencer on the Ensoniq SQ1plus is decent or not.  I know that
some built-in sequencers do not add much to the synth as far as 
functionality goes.  I wondered if this was the case for the SQ1+.

Thanks!
Rick Bell
asrbb@acad2.alaska.edu
From: scott@bbx.basis.com (Scott Amspoker)
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth
Subject: Re: rackmount K2000
Date: 2 Oct 92 22:27:19 GMT
Organization: BASIS International, Ltd., Albuquerque NM USA

In article <1495@bbx.basis.com> scott@bbx.basis.com (Scott Amspoker) writes:
>Well, the K2000 rack, dubbed the K2000R, is finally on the shelves in 
>music stores.  (I picked mine up yesterday!)  

I'm following up to my own post here.  I have recieved some e-mail from
various folks wanting to know more about the K2000R.  I'll post a
mini-review Monday after I've had more time to play.  Obviously, it's
essentially the same as a K2000 so I'll describe the differences.

-- 
Scott Amspoker                       |    
Basis International, Albuquerque, NM |  Too bad ignorance isn't really
                                     |  bliss.  Then it could be outlawed.
scott@bbx.basis.com                  |
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth
Date:         Tue, 29 Sep 1992 08:47:09 ADT
From:         Alan Edwards <aedwards@JUPITER.CSD.UNB.CA>
Subject:      Re: MIDI Driver Chips

In message  <ID1703.D920929.T073619.SYNTH-L%AUVM@unbmvs1.csd.unb.ca>  writes:
> David Mann (ddm@hamby.tx.ncsu.edu) wrote:
> : Does anyone know of a MIDI driver chip or interface device
> : where I could control a
> : bunch of LED's, switches, relays (64 would be nice) using a midi
> : controller.
>
> At the moment I am using a couple of single chip computers to do just
> this (for my legendary midi-controlled harmonium).
>
so tell us more about this legend...

I have also made a few MIDI-gadgets and gadget-MIDIs based on single chip
controllers, and have thought about making a "generic" sort of board
that a variety of things could be built around.

I am interested in the "Urge to Merge" project, and am wondering if
this sort of capability could be built into that board, and populated
optionally, or at least the i/o pins be made available for an
expansion card.

I have been using the 8749 lately, just because they are so cheap. Of
course they do not have a serial port, but an 8251 can be slapped on
for a couple of bucks. I have used the 68HC11, but they are quite
expensive around here.

What sort of control would people like to see in such a project?
Lights (triacs), relays, slide projectors (contact closures).
I have even toyed with putting MIDI in on some of my dinosaurs by
having a set of reed relays to short out the key contacts, so I
don't have to worry about linear/log. cv and triggers and...

More later...must dash

Alan

===========================================================================
  Alan Edwards
  UNB Physics                              internet:    aedwards@unb.ca
    Canada
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 "General MIDI is to music what paint-by-numbers is to painting"  - Joe M.
===========================================================================
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth
From: dks8475@u.cc.utah.edu (David Kenneth Slack/Music)
Subject: Casio CZ-101 SYSEX format
Organization: University of Utah Computer Center
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 92 14:01:07 GMT
From: tmiller@stellar.eng.hou.compaq.com (Thad Miller )
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth
Subject: Yamaha CX5M Music Computer For Sale+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
Keywords: For Sale Music Computer Yamaha
Date: 5 Oct 92 18:31:40 GMT
Article-I.D.: twisto.1992Oct5.183140.15489
Distribution: usa
Organization: Compaq Computer Corp.

For Sale:

Yamaha CX5M Music Computer
--------------------------

	This is the "classic" Yamaha music computer.  It sort of looks like a
gray and black Commodore-64 in size and shape.  Many connections (see list
below) which are described in the owner's manual for easy interface.
Additional cartridges can still be had in the backrooms and bargain bins of
many music stores.  Works great!  I'm selling because I just got a SVGA clone
running FINALE and need to offset the cost!


Original Box & Owner's Manual
"MSX BASIC" Programmer's Manual -- for programming your own applications.

Connections:
	MIDI In/Out
	Audio Out R/L RCA (Internal 4-Operator FM synthesizer)
	Program Cartridge Slot (For Program Cartridges below)
	Expansion Cartridge Slot (For Floppy Drive, Memory, etc.)
	Music Keyboard Connector
	Two (Digital) Joystick Connectors
	Printer Connector
	Tape I/O Connector with Cable
	RGB/Mono Monitor Connector with Cable for Mono


Also comes with 4 Program Cartridges:

MIDI Recorder
     Simple Sequencer w/ Step Edit
     4 Banks of 4 Tracks each
     Automatic Punch In/Out

FM Music Composer II
     Sheet music style edit and play
     Plays back either through internal FM synthesizer or an external keyboard
	   via MIDI
     Sends patch change and song pointer info via MIDI

FB-01 Voicing Program
     Voice editor and librarian for the Yamaha FB-01 tone module.
     Graphic envelope display
     Voice and Setup (performance) data

DX7 Voicing Program
     Voice editor and librarian for the Yamaha DX7 (Original) synthesizer.
     Graphic envelope display



Asking $100 OBO


Thad Miller	(713) 374-7123  (W)	Houston, TX 77070
		(713) 370-3478  (H)	Spring, TX 77379

---
Thad Miller  (tmiller@stellar.eng.hou.compaq.com)
COMPAQ Computer Corp., uh, won't let me, uhm, speak for them.  Don't know why.

Phweeet!  Play some block chords, Red.  Alright, Rudy?  Block chords, Red.
I-vi-ii-V-I-vi-ii-V-I-vi-ii-V-I-vi-ii-V-I-vi-ii-V-I-vi-ii-V-I-vi-ii-V-I-vi-ii-V
---
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth
From: lou@ico.isc.com (Lou Warshawsky)
Subject: Re: Midi songs - border/everyw/hotelc
Summary: C program to remove bogus bytes
Organization: Interactive Systems Corporation, Boulder, CO
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 07:02:47 GMT

I have discovered the problem with those recently posted midi files:
after each occurrence of the byte 0x0d there is an extra byte 0x00.
Probably one of the poster's systems was trying to do something with
carriage returns.  Enclosed is a small Microsoft C program which
corrects the problem on my PC.  The setmode() calls are not needed on
systems like UNIX that don't distinguish ASCII files from binary ones.

Enjoy.

Louis Warshawsky
INTERACTIVE Systems Corporation
Boulder, Colorado, USA

-------- cut here --------
/*
 *	rmcr - remove bogus nulls after carriage returns
 */

#include <stdio.h>
#include <fcntl.h>

char	usage[] = "usage: rmcr name ...\n";

int	ncrs;

/*
 *	Main program.
 */
main(argc, argv)
int argc;
char *argv[];
{
	FILE	*fp;
	char	*ap;

	if (isatty(fileno(stdout))) {
		fputs(usage, stderr);
		exit(1);
	}
	--argc;
	argv++;
	setmode(fileno(stdout), O_BINARY);
	if (argc > 0) {
		for (; argc > 0; --argc, argv++) {
			if ((fp = fopen(*argv, "rb")) == NULL) {
				perror(*argv);
				exit(1);
			}
			rmcr(fp);
			fclose(fp);
		}
	} else {
		setmode(fileno(stdin), O_BINARY);
		rmcr(stdin);
	}
	fprintf(stderr, "%d carriage returns found.\n", ncrs);
}

rmcr(fp)
FILE *fp;
{
	int	c;

	while ((c = getc(fp)) != EOF) {
		putchar(c);
		if (c == 0x0d) {
			ncrs++;
			if ((c = getc(fp)) != 0)
				fprintf(stderr, "0x%02x followed 0x0d\n", c);
		}
	}
}
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth