issue5

EMUSIC-L Digest                                    Volume 16, Number 5

   ... aaarrrgggeeeoooowww-ssppprrriiinggg-CHING
   Avoiding guard track
   Digidesign (3 messages)
   dx-7 (3 messages)
   D-50 "Aaaaah"
   Help! What is a FB-01? (3 messages)
   midi-cv interface (2 messages)
   Pitch to MIDI
   Roland D-20 ROM cards & batteries
   Sample libraries
   sampling Boards
   Serious music and such...
   Avoiding guard track
   VFX and EPS (3 messages)
   Widgets and other non existant things! (2 messages)
   Widgets etc. (3 messages)

Your EMUSIC-L Digest moderator is Joe McMahon .
You may subscribe to EMUSIC-L by sending mail to listserv@american.edu with 
the line "SUB EMUSIC-L your name" as the text.
 
The EMUSIC-L archive is a service of SunSite (sunsite.unc.edu) at the 
University of North Carolina.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date:         Tue, 29 May 90 09:45:41 EDT
From:         Kevin 'fractal' Purcell 
Subject:      ... aaarrrgggeeeoooowww-ssppprrriiinggg-CHING

[From one of our EMUSIC-D readers...]

The following descriptions of sounds have recently appeared in EMUSIC-L:

... aaarrrgggeeeoooowww-ssppprrriiinggg-CHINGGGG ...

Ching-aaaaahh-tiddlyping-tiddlyping-tiddlyping ...

the D-50's Ching-aaaaahh-tiddlyping-tiddlyping-tiddlyping
(-swish, don't forget the -swish)

>I have a number of "awesome" sounds on my four synthesizers, all of which
>are old and decrepit by today's standards. Among these are a string pad
>that practically massages your shoulders and pours you a cup of hot cocoa
>laced with amaretto, the sound of a bolt of lightning striking and detonating
>an improperly-grounded liquid oxygen storage tank, and an indescribable
>noise that has induced an uncontrollable orgasm in at least one young
>woman after some 30 to 45 seconds of exposure at moderate volume.

When will we get multi-media mail
or who needs it with descriptions like this :-)


--------------- Don't bite my finger, look where it's pointing ----------------
Kevin "fractal" Purcell             S-U-R-F-A-C-E  S-C-I-E-N-C-E  C-E-N-T-R-E
kpurcell@liverpool.ac.uk             Liverpool University, Liverpool L69 3BX
========= These opinions are shareware. Send me $10 if you like them =========

------------------------------

Date:         Tue, 29 May 90 10:48:59 EDT
From:         Dean Swan 
Subject:      Avoiding guard track


The only problem I can think of with bouncing the sync track is that you
have to make sure you can turn off noise reduction on the original sync track,
and the new destination track.  A lot of four tracks only let you turn off
N/R on track 4.  SMPTE doesn't and Dolby don't get along too well, and dbx is
worse.

-Dean Swan
dean@sun.soe.clarkson.edu

p.s. oops!  strike "doesn't" from the last sentance.

------------------------------

Date:         Wed, 30 May 90 17:55:02 SST
From:         Gan Seum-Lim 
Subject:      Digidesign

Hi, does any one know if it is possible to contact
people in Digidesign through BITNET ?

------------------------------

Date:         Wed, 30 May 90 10:42:38 EDT
From:         "James P. Goltz" 
Subject:      Re:  Digidesign

> Hi, does anybody know if there is a way to contact people from
> Digidesign through BITNET ?

  Depends.  What is Digidesign?  Do you have any other mail
addresses for them?

                                --Jim

------------------------------

Date:         Wed, 30 May 90 10:51:00 EDT
From:         CHRIS@FANDMA.BITNET
Subject:      Re: Digidesign

I was able to find an address for someone at Digidesign on AppleLink, which can
be accessed from BITNET.  Here's the straight poop:  In the "TO" field, enter
the AppleLink address: USERID@APPLELINK.APPLE.COMSo it looks like this:
                TO:             USERID@APPLELINK.APPLE.COM
                SUBJECT:        subject of message
The address I found on AppleLink is D0296, for "Digidesign, Evan Brooks, PRT",
so your address would look like this:
                TO:     D0296@APPLELINK.APPLE.COM

I don't know who Evan Brooks is, or what he does at Digidesign.  The PRT suffix
after his name indicates he is a "Developer Partner", whatever that is.  Use
this address at your own risk.  Your mileage may vary.  Use the force, Luke.

-chris

------------------------------

Date:         Wed, 30 May 90 13:32:52 EDT
From:         lorne Hammond <051796@UOTTAWA.BITNET>
Subject:      dx-7

Does anyone know if the early dx-7 (not the dx-7II) accepts a sysx message
to dump 1) a bank, and 2) a voice?  If so, what is it?  I am trying to
find this information in order to get a dump request macro going for
Cakewalk 3.0's librarian.

Howard Massey's Complete Guide to the Dx-7 does not have this info.
Greg Hendershott, who wrote Cakewalk, would also like to find this.
(Despite this problem, I am fairly impressed by the attention given
 by him to his customers)Here's hoping that creeping obsolescence
 has not made this lost knowledge already.

 Comments relating to IBM/Cakewalk/dx-7 setups, editors, vox, etc.
 also welcome.
                 Thanks   Lorne Hammond

------------------------------

Date:         Wed, 30 May 90 15:26:00 EST
From:         "William R(ay) Brohinsky" 
Subject:      RE: dx-7

Lorne,
I don't have a direct answer to your question, but here are the numbers
for the Yamaha Consumer Hotline and Yamaha Service:
Yamaha Consumer Hotline
1(800)443-2232
Service
1(800)854-3619

I called them with questions about WX-11/7 and FB01. They were less than
informational about the wx's, but they had a midi format guide (about 20
pages) for the FB01 which they're sending me.

If you can't call them from where you are, let me know, and I'll call
them and try to get the info for you. Send your ground address,
cause they might have hardcopy they can send you. Also, mention
if there's a time limit.

reply (if needed) directly to raybro%utrc@utrcgw.utc.com

raybro

------------------------------

Date:         Wed, 30 May 90 16:15:24 EDT
From:         Dean Swan 
Subject:      Re:  dx-7

My first question would be: "What ROM version of the original DX-7 would
you be talking about?"  There was the original, that didn't do much
MIDI-wise, then there was a somewhat improved version, and the last
one the so-called "Super ROM".  I'll dig around tonight and see if I can
find the sys-ex dump requests.  If not, I'll find someone who can.

-Dean Swan
dean@sun.soe.clarkson.edu

P.S.  The relevance of the ROM thing is that the "Super ROM" stores function
      data with each voice, a-la TX-7.  The dump request info is probably
      the same.

------------------------------

Date:         Mon, 28 May 90 10:45:23 BST
From:         Nick Rothwell 
Subject:      D-50 "Aaaaah"

>And what about that sawtooth 'Aaaah' D-50 sound, Nick. Was that on one of
>those cards or are you hiding sounds from us ?!? ;-)
>(This is one other problem with that gateway I think; I send you this question
>directly but I didn't think it made it. Did it Nick ??)

Nope. I read this on the digest. I think that the EARN/Rutherford
gateway closes down at the weekend, so I lose messages from time to
time.

I think the AAAH patch was on the banks I sent to the archive. My version
of it was a patch called Heinrich von Kleist, in the "Nick (current)"
bank.

		Nick.

------------------------------

Date:         Tue, 29 May 90 11:37:17 LCL
From:         ERL@SARA.NL
Subject:      Help! What is a FB-01?

Here's a quickie.
I have a chance to purchase a Yamaha FB-01 for not too much money.
Problem is, I don't know what a Yamaha FB-01 is.
Seller claims it is an Excellent multitimbral sound module.
Can anyone shed some light on this? Thanks!

Edo Roos Lindgreen/SARA/Amsterdam      (erl@sara.nl)
Oh freddled gruntbuggly, thy nacturations are to me.

------------------------------

Date:         Tue, 29 May 90 10:08:00 EST
From:         "William R(ay) Brohinsky" 
Subject:      RE: Help! What is a FB-01?

Edo,

FB-01 is a keyboard-less multitimbral sound module. Seller is correct, mostly.
Excellent? Depends on the price. FB-01 does 8 voices, which can
be assigned to up to 8 midi channels in any combination. It has many
voices, all 4-op Yamaha FM. Eight algorithms, op 4 is capable of
self-modulation, but the feedback loop is limited to op 4, and cannot
be looped around more than one operator (I know the DX7 can do something like
that.)

The voices are grainer than the TX81Z, and the FB-01's microtonal capabilities
are limited to either mod-wheel/breath/aftertouch or require sys-ex intonation
adjust messages for each note as it is played. TX81Z allows setting an
intonation once and playing it. FB-01 requires a controller that can put out
the proper sys-ex messages. If you are planning live performance in 1/4-
comma mean tone, FB-01 is not for you.

Also, you get 20 configuration memory locations, where the midi splits
are stored. 4 are preset: 8voices on one midi channel; 4 voices each for
2midi channels, one voice on each of eight midi channels, and a fourth
which I can never remember what it is. The other 16 are programmable, but
you must choose them at the front panel, they are not selectable by program-
change info or anything like that.

You get (either 36 or 48) voices per voice bank. Four banks are pre-programmed
with factory presets. The other 3 banks (7total) are for your voices. You can
transfer from the top 4 banks to make performance banks, or program your
own, if you have an external computer. Even tho FB01 is 4-op, it will not
directly take sysex voice programs from dx100/21/etc nor TX81Z. There
are many good voice editors available for each of the currently hot computers,
and Yamaha's CX-5M.

However, the voice banks are not selectable by midi, either. So you had better
be happy with one configuration and (36 or 48) voices per song. Also, if you
want, you can set up odd-ball configurations like:
midi 1: three voices, bank 1
midi 2: two voices, bank 2
midi 3: three voices, bank 3
and then set program change #1 to
bank1: violin
bank2: steel drum
bank3: powerbrass
and so on. That way, you can get different voices on different midi channels.
I used this for a short time to make different strings have different voices
when I had a midi-guitar-controller.

I own 2 FB-01's. I have used them with all manner of keyboards (actually, set
them up and let keyboard users use them) and a guitar controller, and with
my Amiga, through Delux Music Construction Set and Soundscape. I like them,
but I do wish I'd waited for the TX81Z to come out.

My cost was ~US$345 in 1986.

raybro

------------------------------

Date:         Tue, 29 May 90 17:36:17 BST
From:         Nick Rothwell 
Subject:      Help! What is a FB-01?

>I have a chance to purchase a Yamaha FB-01 for not too much money.
>Problem is, I don't know what a Yamaha FB-01 is.
>Seller claims it is an Excellent multitimbral sound module.

It's OK I suppose. It's basically a cut-down fore-runner of the TX81Z,
with no front-panel editing (so you'd need a computer), no "effects"
(like echo), no microtuning, and the sound quality is first generation
(DX7) rather than second (TX81Z, DX7II).  And it's Yamaha FM, of
course.

I wouldn't bother with one myself, unless it was dirt cheap ($50?)

		Nick.

------------------------------

Date:         Tue, 29 May 90 17:15:34 EDT
From:         lorne hammond <051796@UOTTAWA.BITNET>
Subject:      midi-cv interface

Hi

  Judging from the zero response is it fair to assume none of you
  are using any midi to control voltage interfaces?

  Given all the asides to analog sounds & samples I would have thought
  that at least one person actually knew something about it, other
  pseudo-romantic musings about that synth you used to own.

  A salesman was trying to tell me about this synth they wanted (arp
  2600) but they hadn t a clue about the right name.  Then there was
  this fellow who sampled one setting of his Mini and sold it, having
  exhausted its potential.  Hitting any chords yet?  HELP!

------------------------------

Date:         Wed, 30 May 90 09:29:59 EDT
From:         kgeisel 
Subject:      Re: midi-cv interface

Well, I am, sort of.  Unfortunately I am a bit of a hacker, so I don't
recommend my solutions unless you are competent with a soldering iron
and bit of microcoding.

I have basically two applications for MIDI->CV.  First, I am building my
own modular system (Digisound D-80 + Serge) and second I have a Polymoog.
After much searching I have settled on the PAIA kits.  I tried building
the "single chip" MIDI->CV published in EM.  It works but it is not
flexible enough.  The PAIA kits are incredibly flexible, but you have
to know what you are doing.

I would recommend finding the original Roland box.  They work quite well.
(I think it was called MP101 or something like that.)

- Kurt

------------------------------

Date:         Thu, 31 May 90 11:17:48 EDT
From:         "Furbee, Mike" 
Subject:      Pitch to MIDI

Can anyone suggest a pitch to midi converter which would work with acoustic
instruments(mandolin, fiddle) or wind instruments like a flute or pennywhistle?
I'd like to be able to drive some bass sounds in a sound module using input fro
m one of these devices.  Any replies should be sent to me directly since I only
 receive the emusic-d summary.  Send mail to u3b50@wvnvm
Thanks in advance!

------------------------------

Date:         Wed, 30 May 90 15:37:31 EDT
From:         Mark Edward Toomey 
Subject:      Roland D-20 ROM cards & batteries

Can anyone give me a vendor for ROM cards for a Roland D-20. Someone
gave me an address last year but I've lost it & I now have some cash
& would like to pick up some goodies ( I also need a battery for the
Roland as I think mine is getting rather weak). Please send responses
to me direct. Thanks.

**************************************************************************

Mark Edward Toomey                     Disclaimer: I only speak for
Computer Services Specialist                       myself, although
College of Home Economics                          sometimes I wonder
University of Georgia                              even about that!

BITNET: MTOOMEY@UGA
Internet: mtoomey@uga.cc.uga.edu
Voice: 404-542-4864 or 404-542-4651
FAX:   404-542-4862

------------------------------

Date:         Thu, 31 May 90 17:26:27 EDT
From:         Evil Kneivel 
Subject:      Sample libraries

[From EMUSIC-D:]

> Date:         Fri, 25 May 90 13:50:28 BST
> From:         "S.Oates" 
> Subject:      Request for help (samples of musical instruments).
>
> Can anyone provide information about the McGill University Master
> Sample Series of compact disks? I would particularly like to know if
> there is a U.K. supplier, and if not, the American contact address. Any
> additional information about the quality of the disks and similar
> series would be helpful.

I've used the McGill volumes for winds and strings, and the technical
quality is very good.  Most instruments are sampled at every half-step,
which seems to me an unfortunate use of the available space: instead of
an A, a B-flat, and a B, I would rather have three B-flats with a
variety of dynamics and articulation.  The Prosonus disks use this
approach, and they are comparable in quality to the McGills.

------------------------------

Date:         Mon, 28 May 90 12:43:57 EDT
From:         Paul Andrews 
Subject:      sampling Boards

Hi,
I don't often read this newsgroup so I don't know if this question has
been asked before........I'm looking for what I believe would be a
digital sampling board??... for my PC.. What I want to is to (a)
manufacture sounds/tones (b) be able to manipulate sampled sounds/voice.
Not being anywhere at all proficient in this area I hoped to get some
input from someone who knew what I am tryiong to get across... may I
want something like a "vocoder?"... I run a Gateway200 386 20mHz machine
with a 65meg hard drive, and NEC 3-D monitor.. /4 meg RAM.  Hopefully I can get
 away with NOT having a co-processor.  If antone knows about some boards which
fit this description,, and or litereature/reviews.. please drop me a line.. Sen
d any mail directly to me as I don't subscribe to this group............... Tha
nks in Advance.... Paul Andrews, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

                    BITNET/NETNORTH: DID1290@vm.nrc.ca

------------------------------

Date:         Thu, 31 May 90 14:22:04 CDT
From:         Stephen David Beck 
Subject:      Serious music and such...

Yes, serious electronic music is alive and well in the world.  Sometimes
called "electro-acoustic music" or "computer music", almost every major
university in this country has a studio for students and faculty to use.
Unfortunately, the styles and aesthetics within this genre are so varied
that there is no singular definition of it.

Most of the advanced work in research happens at schools like Stanford,
MIT, UC San Diego, Illinois, etc.  And much of that research (in synthesis,
algorithmic composition, controllers) winds up in the commercial market
within 3 or 4 years.  Recordings of computer music are available commercially
on CDs from Wergo, Centaur, and other small labels.

The Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS) is a
collection of composers, educators, performers and enthusiasts who are
involved in computer and electronic music.  They publish a biannual journal
and promote concerts and festivals accross the country.  Their national
conference will be at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA, October
11-14, 1990.  There will be five concerts, a radio broadcast, lectures and
panel discussions on the aesthetics, technology and pedagogy of electro-
acoustic music.  For more information on the conference or the society,
you can e-mail me directly.

The Computer Music Association is similar to SEAMUS, but on an international
scope.  The Computer Music Journal publishes the latest research and
information on computer music applications and technology from around the
world.

Yes, serious music is alive and well.  You just need to know where to find
it.

------------------------------

Date:         Mon, 28 May 90 15:27:00 EET
From:         "J. Riitala, University of Turku,
Subject:      SMPTE & 4-tracks

a few comments

safeguard track:
I have never had trouble with having three tracks of music plus SMPTE on the
tape, neither with the 244 nor 644 now. My sequencer (SMPTE Track by Hybrid
Arts) tracks just fine.

copying SMPTE:
I really don't think it is a good idea to copy SMPTE by bouncing it to another
track. Better use one of those boxes that read SMPTE and generate a duplicate.
I'm in the lucky position that my sequencer software can do that too.
I had been using track 1 for SMPTE in the 244 and since the 644 can have track 4
internally routed to specific sync in/out jacks (RCA's in fact) I though I
better transfer the sync to that track in the songs that it was possible (not
finished). I even sacrificed one bass track (I'll play it again in a while - I
had my last exam for the spring today and it's summer holidays (read: go to
work)) but now I don't have to pull them sync cables back and forth - I just
let them be and use the switch on the front panel to define where track 4
goes.

                                                - Jari

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Jari Riitala                      !   snail mail:
                                             !          Kuusiharjunkatu
     JRIITALA@KONTU.UTU.FI                   !          20660 Littoinen
     still also T6M-RIIT@MAMMUTTI.UTU.FI     !          Finland
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 - There's nothing to fear but the fear itself (Neil Peart of Rush)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date:         Wed, 30 May 90 16:39:00 EDT
From:         "SONGWRITER (A.K.A. TIM PHILLIPS)" 
Subject:      VFX and EPS

I just returned from the music shop, and I played my first VFX.  it's not
that bad.   I also played with the EPS.   I was really impressed with the
EPS.   The price for an EPS here retails about $1995.00 (US), and is
currently on sale for $1495.00 (US).      Is this a good buy, or should
I wait for the price to come down more, or is there even a better sampler/
sequencer/keyboard  on the market?


                                            Tim

------------------------------

Date:         Thu, 31 May 90 17:21:05 EDT
From:         Dean Swan 
Subject:      Re:  VFX and EPS

Oh!  If you're out of NYS, I might be able to get around the sales tax thing.

-Dean

------------------------------

Date:         Thu, 31 May 90 17:20:33 EDT
From:         Dean Swan 
Subject:      Re:  VFX and EPS

No, $1495 is NOT a good price for the EPS.  Look around.  I can get you
an EPS for $1150 + sales tax + shipping ~= $1275 to $1300.  I paid $1150
for mine at my local music store, and with sales tax, it came to $1230.50.
This was about 2 or 3 months ago.

-Dean

------------------------------

Date:         Tue, 29 May 90 10:41:07 EDT
From:         Dean Swan 
Subject:      Re:  Widgets and other non existant things!

Well, I did some homework on this "performance sequencer" thing over the
weekend.  It seems that Opcode's Vision does everything that I described in
my original wish list.

Now, before I run out and buy a Mac SE/30 and the associated peripherals, I
have a few questions for you:  1) Is Vision compatible with MIDI Manager?
2) If so, can it take advantage of MOTU's MTP?  3) Is an SE/30 overkill for
this application? (About the only other thing I would be running is
sound designer, or some such thing).

-Dean Swan
dean@sun.soe.clarkson.edu

P.S.  Oh yes!  I almost forgot.  Does opcode offer a non-copy protected version?
      I deplore copy protection.

------------------------------

Date:         Wed, 30 May 90 12:17:43 BST
From:         Nick Rothwell 
Subject:      Widgets and other non existant things!

>Now, before I run out and buy a Mac SE/30 and the associated peripherals,

Aaw, that's what I did...

>1) Is Vision compatible with MIDI Manager?

I've been told that Vision 1.1 has MIDI Manager support.

>2) If so, can it take advantage of MOTU's MTP?

The MTP can act as a dumb dual-port interface for any MIDI software,
MIDI Manager included. There are bugs in MM1.1 driving the second port
of the MTP, this looks fixed in MM1.2 (which you'll be using on an SE/30).
No, MIDI Manager doesn't yet support the MTP's multi-cable routing. Blame
Apple for withholding the technical specs, not MOTU.

>3) Is an SE/30 overkill for
>this application? (About the only other thing I would be running is
>sound designer, or some such thing).

My Mac plus was getting rather sluggish running Performer. I bought
the SE/30 (4Meg RAM, 40Meg HD) to be future-proof. And, it runs like an
absolute rocket.

>P.S.  Oh yes!  I almost forgot.  Does opcode offer a non-copy protected
>version?

I doubt it.

		Nick.

------------------------------

Date:         Tue, 29 May 90 12:09:00 EST
From:         CTDONATH@SUNRISE.BITNET
Subject:      Widgets etc.

So far I've only seen two widgets mentioned. One of them already exists
(as shown by the truckloads of mail). The other is simple & I'm thinking
of building it (how much would you pay for a pitch-bend data thinner?).

Does anyone else have any widgets that they would like to see built?

- Carl

------------------------------

Date:         Tue, 29 May 90 14:02:15 -0400
From:         Brian Adamson 
Subject:      Re:  Widgets etc.

    Carl,

	What would like to see is a generic digital effects processor
with a full blown MIDI interface.  Ideally, I could graphically
pull together pre-programmed effects software modules or write
my own 'C' or assembly language DSP routines on my PC (Mac) and then
compile the code and download it serially to the processor.

	Such a processor with well-documented adn standardized
interfaces and software hooks would let any type of PC with the
appropriate software (compiler) support the machine and allow
for the free exchange of software.  Not only would such a generic
box be a useful realtime effects processor, but it could also
serve as a sampler and probably perform limited synthesis
functions or any mix thereof.

	If everyone on this list had access to such a wonderful
machine,  hopefully the net would be alive with the echange of effects
 algorithms, experimental synthesis techniques, etc.

	The design of such a device would include:

		1 (or hopefully more) floating point DSP processors
		  supported by 'C' compilers (e.g. TI TMS320C30 or
		  AT&T DSP32C

		1 Pair of 44.1 kHz (or 48 kHz) A/D and D/A converters

		1 MByte (or more) of fast RAM for program code and
		  data storage & buffering

	        1 control processor for handling the MIDI interface tasking
 	          (and any PC interface tasking)

		1  RS-232 serial interface to talk to PC with (This
	           could be optional as the PC could easily dump code
		   to the box via MIDI system exclusive messages

	        1  attractive enclosure (optional, rack mount would be nice)

	This is a bit more than a widget but this is something I have
dreamed about alot and it's not too far from reality.



	                                Brian Adamson

------------------------------

Date:         Wed, 30 May 90 11:46:24 EDT
From:         Dean Swan 
Subject:      Re:  Widgets etc.

Brian, Your generic DSP widget exists.  It's called synth-engine from
Spectral Synthesis, and better than writing your own code in C, they
have a very neat graphical interface where you can build up a system
by connecting basic building blocks.

Unfortunately, when you step back from your dream, you'll realize that
it is just that.  Musicicians are not programmers, in general.  The
problem is this: "There are more programmers who are musicians than
there are musicians who are programmers."

Besides, effects algorithms are not exactly simple.  Yes, a reverb is
just a bunch of delays summed together, but selecting the values for
the delays, how they are summed, where the feedback paths are, where
you tap your delay lines, etc.  is as much an art as a science.

Two other devices that would also come close to what you want, but at
a lower price, are the Lexicon 480L, and the Lexicon PCM-70.  For $2k,
the PCM-70 is about the coolest, most flexible effects box in the
universe.

-Dean Swan
dean@sun.soe.clarkson.edu

------------------------------

End of EMUSIC-L digest
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