issue3

EMUSIC-L DIgest                                        Volume 7, Number 3b      
                                                                                
Today's Topics:                                                                 
      Roland D-20 Manual (3 messages)                                   
      Roland D-series synths (2 messages)                               
      Hi, I'm new here                                                  
                                                                                
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Date:         Thu, 17 Aug 89 15:01:36 EDT                                       
From:         "Mark Edward Toomey "                       
Subject:      Roland D-20 Manual                                                
                                                                                
I purchased a Roland D-20 last December and have as yet to have made            
any substantial progress in utilizing it's potential. As a forward let          
me state that I am primarily a guitarist who enjoys composing on the            
keyboard and yes, I know that the D-20 is a bit noisy, has no after-            
touch sensitivity,etc. but the price was right:-).                              
                                                                                
   What I NEED! is an understandable manual i.e., in English...not the          
pseudo-Japanese-translated-english the bundled manual contains. I haven't       
seen as poor an example of technical writing since my college classes on        
how NOT to produce technical documentation. Thanks in advance.                  
                                                                                
Mark Edward Toomey                                                     
Computer Services Specialist                                                    
University of Georgia                                                           
BITNET: MTOOMEY@UGA                                                             
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Date:         Thu, 17 Aug 89 13:06:00 PDT                                       
From:         Willis Dair                                             
Subject:      RE: Roland D-20 Manual                                            
                                                                                
If your music store carries the Alexanders series of books, they                
publish a D-10/D-20 manual.  It is pretty easy to understand and                
explains things in simple terms.  It is quite pricey though; I think            
it is $27.95, but I think it is worth it if you want to get more out            
of you D-20.  If you can't find the book in the stores, take a look             
at a Keyboard magazine.  The Alexanders publishing people frequently            
run ads there and other synth-type magazines.                                   
                                                                                
BTW, I have a D-10 and have contemplated getting rid of it.  Everytime,         
I pull it out I fall in love with it. I enjoy using the D-10 as a composing     
tool also.  There are enough useful sounds to experiment with when arranging    
a piece of music.                                                               
                                                                                
Have fun-                                                                       
                                                                                
Willis Dair                                                                     
System Programmer                                                               
Academic Computing Center                                                       
Santa Clara University                                                          
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Date:         Thu, 17 Aug 89 16:17:38 EDT                                       
From:         "Mark Edward Toomey "                       
Subject:      RE: Roland D-20 Manual                                            
                                                                                
Many thanks for responses re: D-20 manual..especially Mario Vergona             
and Willis Dair. Hopefully I'll be moving from consternation to                 
composition soon. :-)                                                           
                                                                                
"What is the sound of one tine on a tuning fork ringing?"                       
                                                          - Mr. Ed              
                                                                                
Mark Edward Toomey                                                     
Computer Services Specialist                                                    
University of Georgia                                                           
BITNET: MTOOMEY@UGA                                                             
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Date:         Fri, 18 Aug 89 15:36:55 CDT                                       
From:         "David M. Stowell"                          
Subject:      Roland D-series synths                                            
                                                                                
Well, kids, my resistance has broken down...a little. I find myself             
being drawn toward the Roland D-series, which involves both analog              
synthesis and (eeeck!) PCM samples. So, I need some guidance.                   
                                                                                
Would the Roland experts explain the details of Roland's method (I              
already know the skeleton) and specifically, enumerate the differences          
between the different D-series instruments?                                     
                                                                                
Thanks (blush...)                                                               
                                                                                
                                                                                
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|       
| David M. Stowell                  | I'm the one that's doing this,    |       
| University of Illinois at Chicago | Keep the enemy out of it;         |       
| BITNET: U30422@UICVM              | I'm a child who's taking charge...|       
| Internet: U30422@UICVM.UIC.EDU    |                                   |       
|                                   |                                   |       
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~       
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Date:         Mon, 21 Aug 89 13:37:15 BST                                       
From:         Nick Rothwell                                 
Subject:      Roland D-series synths                                            
              18 Aug 89 15:36:55 CDT <4042.8908190616@lfcs.ed.ac.uk             
                                                                                
Well, the Roland D-series "involves" analog synthesis in that the DSP           
hardware provides a simulation of an analog synth. This isn't the same          
as a real analog synthesiser, of course; for example, you can't drive           
the filters onto self-resonance, and the sound isn't nearly as rich. A          
"bare" D-series patch sounds pretty uninspiring as a result, hence the          
on-board effects processing.                                                    
   I'm not sure what you want to know other than the "skeleton". I              
think the machines basically split into the D-50 (/D-550) and the               
10/20 machines. The '50 has on-board EQ, chorusing and so on. More              
importantly, the voice architecture is more sophisticated; upto 6               
LFOs, TVF/TVA/PWM/pitch modulation, and so on.  The 10/20 machines              
only have pitch modulation. So, I think the D-50 sounds much richer             
and more interesting than a D-10/20/110; but the 10/20 machines have            
an excellent multi-timbral spec. though, the D-50 (sans 3rd-party               
mods) being bi-timbral. (hence I have both.)                                    
   I don't know too much about diffs between the 10/20 machines;                
things like sequencer, drum programmer, disk drive etc.                         
   Before going for a D-series, check out the Roland Super-JX                   
rackmount (MKS-70) as well. This is a true analog unit, 12-voice,               
smooth as silk and quite capable of the bright sounds associated with           
digital instruments, like metal chimes, electric piano, and so on.              
Only bitimbral, although a more versatile spec. than the D-50. Going            
for peanuts at the moment, especially for you lucky folks in the US.            
                                                                                
                Nick.                                                           
--                                                                              
Nick Rothwell,  Laboratory for Foundations of Computer Science, Edinburgh.      
                nick@lfcs.ed.ac.uk    !mcvax!ukc!lfcs!nick      
^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^      
               Fais que ton reve soit plus long que la nuit.                    
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Date:         Mon, 21 Aug 89 18:44:16 EDT                                       
From:         "T. Shawn Johnson"                             
Subject:      Hi, I'm new here                                                  
                                                                                
       Hey people :                                                             
                     This is all incredibly fascinating to me ! Although        
 I dont understand a lot of the terminology , I can get the 'jist of            
 what everyone's saying with the limited background that I do have :-) .        
 I'm sure with reading AND my course in electronic music in the fall ,          
 I'll certainly have the knowledge I need to progress . Now , I have a          
 bit of a concern/anxiety : You all talk about your Juno's and your             
 Rolands and stuff :-) . Well , being a student , I dont have the resources     
 to really afford all the good stuff , although I do have access to our         
 electronic studio at school , still I dont know what kind of equipment         
 they'll have , and it would be nice to play with something at home :-) .       
 So.... I have two basic questions for you :                                    
                                                                                
              1. Here's what I do have :                                        
                          -one of those nifty casiotones with enough            
                     keys to keep me happy . It's Midi compatable , but         
                     has only pre-set sounds (quite a few actually) .           
                     Its equiped with those wonderful rythms and one            
                     finger touch chord functions , that I really could         
                     care less about . I can make my own chords thankyou :-).   
                     I can provide more detailed info later ... like make no.   
                     etc....                                                    
                          -a Tandy Colour Computer 2 . I've seen Midi           
                     Packages available for it in its magazine : Rainbow.       
                          -a smaller casiotone that has mini keys and           
                     a sampling ability , and a very simple synthesizing        
                     ability based on overtones and a selection of ADSR         
                     waves to choose from .                                     
                                                                                
                question: what great things can I do with that , and/or         
            what can I do to upgrade this stuff at minimal costs ?              
                   (ok , so thats two questions in one .... stand by for        
                 number 2)                                                      
                                                                                
               2. What equipment could I get that would be satisfactory         
            to start with ... what could it do .... how much would it           
            cost (hopefully reasonable) ... and where could I go from           
            there ?                                                             
                                                                                
         I'ld really appreciate help here :-) I'm sure I've sent to the         
      right place . In the mean-time , prior to my enlightening personal        
      and classroom studies , I hope you'll all have the patience to put        
      up with my inadequacies in jargon and understanding :-) . It              
      shouldnt be too long though :-) Give me a month or so :-)                 
             -bye for now                                                       
                   -T. Shawn...                                                 
                                                                                
End of EMUSIC-L Digest                                                          
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