sahayman@watcgl.UUCP (Steve Hayman) (12/20/85)
I was at a local music store yesterday and got a brief look at Yamaha's new mini-synth, the DX-100. It seems to be a DX-9 or DX-21 in a small package with mini-keys (1 normal octave = octave-and-a-third. yuck). 4 banks of 24 patch memories each, (i.e. storage for 96 patches), modulation and pitch bend wheels on the upper-left corner of the instrument case (for when it's slung around your neck) and some really nice factory sounds (including an intriguing 'Racing Car' patch, each key is a different 'gear' and the pitch rises as you hold the key. Therefore there must be a pitch envelope, unlike my DX-9). There was a controller input labelled 'Contrast' which the salesman knew nothing about. No touch sensitivity. 4 operators/8 algorithms. And the LCD shows lower case. I wish I had more time to play with it. $649 (Canadian). Anyway, I want to go back and take a closer look. I have been looking to expand my current setup with a mini-keyboard - too many sore muscles from dragging my keyboard and amp around to meaningless little functions - and this looks about perfect. It would be even more perfect as a MIDI expander module if, like the Casio CZ-101, it was multi-timbral. I am intrigued. This plus a really small amp would be a nice travelling setup. Now I'm torn between the CZ-101 (which I have yet to play with) and the DX-100. Anyone out there used the DX-100 much? Or does anyone know of a decent really-small amp? Steve Hayman Computer Graphics Lab U. of Waterloo watmath!watcgl!sahayman Current Toys: DX-9, Roland Cube-60 amp, Korg Super Drums + Super Percussion, Apple II w/Passport interface and software oh yeah, a Radio Shack 'ConcertMate' pseudo-synth, bought when I didn't know any better