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From: ward@chinet.UUCP (Ward Christensen)
Newsgroups: net.music.synth
Subject: Re: synth shopping...
Message-ID: <295@chinet.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 29-Jan-86 21:14:17 EST
Article-I.D.: chinet.295
Posted: Wed Jan 29 21:14:17 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Feb-86 01:16:55 EST
References: <661@aicchi.UUCP>
Reply-To: ward@chinet.UUCP (Ward Christensen)
Distribution: net
Organization: chi-net, Public Access UN*X, Chicago IL
Lines: 33

Keywords:music synthesizer

Mike: so, you want a multi-instrument [technically called 'multi-timbre']
synthesizer, and want to be able to score and print?  Well, so did/so I,
and here's my experiences:

I bought a Sequential Circuits Multi-Trak last July, and ordered Rolands
MPU-401 and MIF-IPC hardware, and Music Processing System software.  The
Multi-Trak is nice because it can play 6 different instruments at once.
It has a built-in sequencer (6 tracks, 4 songs, 1600 notes) so I could 
have something to "dink with" while awaiting my software.  Meanwhile,
I bought a portable PC to run the whole thing.

I am now singing the blues, but having great difficulty PLAYING the blues!
It turns out that the SCI M-T apparently doesn't "MIDI" well, thus I
have been unable to figure how to do the "traditional" means of entering
songs: playing one "part", then playing it back while adding more parts.
Specifically, I've recorded a bass line, but cannot find a way to then
play that back from MPS while adding a 3-part harmony.  MPS is an awesome
piece of software - interrupt driven graphics displays during playback, etc-
but some REAL useful things, like being able to readily edit "program
[instrument] changes", are lacking.  If I select "bass" (patch # 47) on
my M-T AFTER starting MPS recording, then it IS recorded, and will cause
an instrument change on playback.  However, it is "invisible", i.e. you
have to remember to "carry along the blank measures at the front of the
song", etc.

I could go on forever, but its time to become philosophical: SEE IT, TRY IT,
[or find someone who owns it] BEFORE YOU BUY IT.  Don't spend almost $5000
and wind up with something that DOESN'T DO what you wanted.  Also much of
the software is copy protected - what a joke, I wouldn't DARE to use MPS
for anything serious - one dropped bit, and you're waiting 2-3 weeks for
a replacement.  Its a $495 "video game".
 ---
"You know, the more you know, the more you realize you don't know" /Bela Lubkin