parris@itcatl.UUCP (Parris Hughes) (02/05/86)
First off, I bumbled giving my net.address. I'm at gatech!itcatl!parris. A correction to a recent posting of mine on the CZ3000: it does not possess reverb. I am really embarassed about this, but I am sure the salesman at the local keyboard store made this statement to me. A visit to another store tells me the reverb was probably on the sound board the CZ was running through. I am a little perturbed about this, and intend to verify this guy's honesty before I deal with him. As I was saying, I was in a local music shop trying to get an ear for some of the multi-timbral instruments in my price range (I currently have a DX7, and want a multi-timbral for realtime performance). I heard a CZ 3000 (which I had heard before), a Matrix-6, and a TX 7. I went through all the presets on the CZ 3000, but just a few on the Matrix-6 and the TX 7. My impression of the CZ 3000 was this: It has some neat sounds. I could see alot of possibilities, and, of course, I know nothing about what may be programmable. But in general, the presets I heard sounded real "synth". I really didn't hear anything that sounded like a REAL instrument. Same sort of thing with the Matrix-6 (though for $300 more than the CZ [my area], it did provide touch sensitivity). The TX-7 really perked my interest. I have some MIDI documentation from Yahmaha some person somewhere in the company sent me (I called a number which gave me another number which gave me...). The MIDI documentation seemed aimed at the TX-7. A handwritten note informed me that some parameters might not apply to the DX-7. Now that I really want to go back and look, I can't find the MIDI doc in my files. I've seen some stuff on the net about the TX-7 and I would appreciate some input. Here are my impressions and questions: The TX-7 supports 16 simultaneous voices, as does the CZ 3000. Both places told me the CZ gets kind of weak when using all 16, where the TX does not. The idea of getting a synth I am already used to programming is appealing. But the sound of 16 DX7's sounds too good to be true for the price they quoted ($695). A TX-7 is programmable only via a DX-7, TRUE? If the same voice is programmed on all 16 voices and all voices play the same notes, do you therefore get an good rich sound (as opposed to playing the same melody with only one voice)? Does the TX receive on 8 MIDI channels (as does the CZ)? I have always felt frustrated at the relative non-availability of keyboard specs in my area. I am really just starting to look around. I'll probably wait for my tax return to come back. Thanks in advance for any Comments/Suggestions you can provide. Parris gatech!itcatl!parris Meanwhile, back on the farnm Granny lies helpless in a ditch.