Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!agate!ucbvax!LSUVM.BITNET!$CSD211 From: $CSD211@LSUVM.BITNET (Mark Orr) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: Re: Stellar 7 re-release Message-ID: <9012100308.AA14205@apple.com> Date: 10 Dec 90 02:30:14 GMT References: Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 75 |From: APPLE //GS - THE POWER TO BE YOUR BEST | | | Someone obviously has little experience in the synthesizer field |ut there...Comparing the Roland to the Ensoniq proves and solves nothing. BOTH I'd say it does. I know the synthesizer field. Ensoniq makes expensive synths like the Mirage which, though good enough for many applications (such as sampling, does not have the sound quality of comprably priced Roland or Yamaha equipment. Face it, the Ensoniq DOC has some sharp limitations...like the fact that it does not produce full range sound (like DSPs and 16-bit oscillators). |support excellent synthesis, the difference is that the Ensoniq (though a b*tc |to program) is a *built in* digital synthesizer. It is NOT a 'sound chip' but |a full fledged digital-sampling-synthesizer. And if you want to get down to ad |ons (such is the Roland LAPC to the PC) then lets compare your PC with Roland |my GS with Audio Animator by AE and a Midi keyboard. NO COMPARISON! The sound |on a IIgs beats even a MAC! Don't you know that even the most ardent supporter |of the PC will admit that 'if you want to do music, buy and Apple (Mac or GS)' Your right, no comparison, the LAPC-1 wins hands down. A single chip cannot beat a board full of chips. The LAPC-1 (or the MT-32, a MIDI device which CAN be hooked up to a GS) has 32-voices, with a lot of built-ins. The LAPC-1 dosent do sampling (which is it's only dim spot). The Ensoniq does sound very good, but I wouldn't compare them feature for feature. When you consider that PC systems cost less than GSs, the LAPC-1 really shows its value. You have to add either a Sonic Blaster or an Audio Animator (or some homebrew circuitry) to get stereo out of a GS (i.e. Apple didn't put RCA stereo line-outs). The LAPC-1 has a module that connects to it, containing stereo line-outs, MIDI-In, MIDI- Out, MIDI-Thru, and a tape sync. Plus there is a lot of software for the PCs that allow it to run MIDI. Look, I like the sound capabilities of the Apple IIgs. But the MIDI market has passed the II by. I have a Computers and Music catalog for '85 (they are a company that reviews music hardware/software and sells some too), back then, the Apple II was king of musical computers. The Apple II had more products for it than any other machine (only the C-64 came close). But all that's gone now. Most companies have gone over to PCs or Macs (and some to Atari STs). Barely will you hear mentioned the Apple II anymore. | IBM showed up here at Buffalo State College over the summer and set up |a big open air demo stand for the PC in the quad. They had the Roland with a |MIDI keyboard set up and I checked it out. Nice, and the mouse with the GS/MAC |style graphics was familiar too. I went home thinking that for about 500$ less |I had more and better sound than what they tried to impress me with! Such that |I consider my GS to be a mini 'Fairlight' but 9000$ cheaper. The only thing tha The Ensoniq has about 1/9 the capability of the Fairlight. You can buy PCs with synth cards for much less than the Apple IIgs (mostly because the GS is so overpriced). Sampling is the only problem with the PCs and Macs...the Audio Animator produces decent samples for dirt cheap...excluding the Mac LCs and such (which are still too expensive), samplers for Macs and PCs are relatively expensive. What used to be a nice system was the old Alpha Syntauri (i.e. the Mountain Computer music boards with a Proxima keyboard) with a Decillonix DX-1. There were some fine programs for those boards. The Alpha Syn., though designed in in 1980, still rivals a GSs sound. And the Decillonix DX-1 (1984) made samples every bit as good as the Audio Animator, but programs used the board to do loop samples with the Alpha and expanded its capabilities. (I'd give my right arm to have an Alpha Syntauri board set and a Decillonix DX-1) |impressed me about the Roland Ripoff was 'Oh, IBM is trying to imitate Apple, |how cute....' I should even diginify that shot...The LAPC-1 is one nice board. It's the perfect starting point for a MIDI system on a PC | - Joe Nowakowski ---------------------------------- | MARK A. ORR | | $CSD211 @ LSUVM.SNCC.LSU.EDU | | @ LSUVM.BITNET | ----------------------------------