dar@telesoft.UUCP (David Reisner @shine) (09/12/85)
Hello, Netfolk. If I have this straight... The Yamaha CX-5 is a cross between a baby home computer and a synthesizer. It has a typewriter keyboard, is programmable in basic (sigh), and hooks up to your TV to display text. In addition, it has something like the equivalent of eight DX-7s inside it. The voice parameters are set, and notes may be played, by basic programs. The CX-5 can also be hooked up to many devices via a MIDI interface. In particular, it can be hooked up to a keyboard which functions as a controller only (Yamaha makes two). Does anyone out there have any experience with the CX-5? It seems to me to be much more powerful than the DX-7, and I'm wondering what the downside is. Perhaps it is much more difficult to set up sounds, or perhaps it is not both velocity and pressure sensitive? The real kicker here is that a local (San Diego) music store is selling the CX-5 with a keyboard controller for less than $1000! Seems like there is either some catch which I don't know about, or that is a pretty damn good deal. Now, if this thing turns about to be decent, and if it is perhaps a little harder to program, I'd be inclined to write a nice front end for the CX-5 in C and run it on an Amiga. THAT would be cute. Do I hear the voice of experience out there somewhere? -David sdcsvax!telesoft!dar "If you get confused, just listen to the music play."
mohan@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU (Sunil Mohan) (09/17/85)
> The Yamaha CX-5 is a cross between a baby home computer and a synthesizer. > It has a typewriter keyboard, is programmable in basic (sigh), and hooks up > to your TV to display text. In addition, it has something like the > equivalent of eight DX-7s inside it. The voice parameters are set, > and notes may be played, by basic programs. The CX-5 can also be > hooked up to many devices via a MIDI interface. In particular, it can > be hooked up to a keyboard which functions as a controller only > (Yamaha makes two). The CX-5M is a Microsoft muC based on an 8-bit muP. It has 8 FM voices, each with 4 operators (as found on the DX-9). However the 8 voices can be independently programmed. I *think*, but am not sure, that these are velocity sensitive. List price is around $470. You can get a s/w cartridge to program the voices, and another which converts the m/c into a MIDI sequencer (each $50). Yes, the muC has built in MIDI interfaces. Yamaha also makes two 4-octave non-touch-sensitive keyboards - small keys (list $100) and normal-sized keys (List $200). KEYBOARD magazine carried a review of the system early this year. -- _ Sunil UUCP: ...{harvard, seismo, ut-sally, sri-iu, ihnp4!packard}!topaz!mohan ARPA: Mohan@RUTGERS
gibson@unc.UUCP (Bill Gibson) (09/17/85)
In article <190@telesoft.UUCP> dar@telesoft.UUCP (David Reisner @shine) writes: > >The Yamaha CX-5 is a cross between a baby home computer and a synthesizer. >It has a typewriter keyboard, is programmable in basic (sigh), and hooks up >to your TV to display text. In addition, it has something like the >equivalent of eight DX-7s inside it. The Yamaha computer I've heard of is the CX-5M. If this is the same machine, then the facts are slightly different. The CX-5M has the equivalent of *one DX-9* inside it. The DX-9 is much less powerful than the DX-7, since it has only 4 operators combined in 8 algorithms (compared to the DX-7's 6 operators and 32 algorithms). >Perhaps it is much more difficult to set up sounds, or >perhaps it is not both velocity and pressure sensitive? Since you have a screen to display all the parameters on (which is done with graphics in Yamaha's voicing software), it's easier to set up sounds on the CX-5M than on a DX-9. Also, the DX-9 is *not* velocity- or pressure-sensitive, so I doubt that the hardware in the CX-5M is. >Seems like there is either some catch which I don't know about, or >that is a pretty damn good deal. I think that the former was the situation, especially since the TX-816 (Yamaha's rack-mount set of 8 DX-7's; no Z80 microcomputer involved) sells for about $2600. On the other hand, if this is some new Yamaha product that *does* have 8 DX-7 equivalents in it, it is a good deal; if this is the case, please tell me - I Want One! Bill Gibson gibson@unc ...[akgua,decvax,philabs]!mcnc!unc!gibson
dje@petrus.UUCP (Danny J. Espinoza) (09/18/85)
> Hello, Netfolk. > > If I have this straight... > > The Yamaha CX-5 is a cross between a baby home computer and a synthesizer. > It has a typewriter keyboard, is programmable in basic (sigh), and hooks up > to your TV to display text. In addition, it has something like the > equivalent of eight DX-7s inside it. The voice parameters are set, > Okay, you almost had it straight... The CX-5 is an 8-voice FM synthesizer. It is not even as powerful as one DX-7. I'm not sure about any of the specs, but I know it doesn't have the power of 8 DX-7's. I think you got the computer confused with the Yamaha TX816 (it has the power of 8 DX-7's, but its REALLY expensive). Danny Espinoza ...!bellcore!dje or dje@bellcore.ARPA
djb@riccb.UUCP (Dave J. Burris ) (09/18/85)
> ...In addition, it has something like the > equivalent of eight DX-7s inside it. > -David > sdcsvax!telesoft!dar > The CX-5 has a sound generation chip which is roughly equal to a single DX-9. It is NOT a DX-7 or a DX-9 chip. It is a General Radio AY-??????? (forgot the exact number.) -- Dave Burris ..!ihnp4!ihopa!riccb!djb Rockwell Switching Systems, Downers Grove, Il.
em@ihuxm.UUCP (Ed Moskowitz) (09/18/85)
> > ...In addition, it has something like the > > equivalent of eight DX-7s inside it. > > -David > > sdcsvax!telesoft!dar > > > > > The CX-5 has a sound generation chip which is roughly equal to a single DX-9. > It is NOT a DX-7 or a DX-9 chip. It is a General Radio AY-??????? (forgot the > exact number.) > > -- > Dave Burris > ..!ihnp4!ihopa!riccb!djb > Rockwell Switching Systems, Downers Grove, Il. The CX-5 has two sound chips in it. One of them is the normal MSX computer sound chip which is a General Radio XXXX. The other is the Yamaha DX9 sound chip. It comes with a built in real-time recorder which can store ~2300 notes, split the keyboard, play with rhythm, etc. The computer comes with MIDI in and out (not thru), but only the MIDI-out can be used with other instruments; so, you can`t play the synthesizer with a MIDI-keyboard, though you can play another sysnthesizer wtih the CX-5. ---- Ed Moskowitz At&T Bell Labs Naperville, Ill.
dar@telesoft.UUCP (David Reisner @shine) (09/20/85)
OK. Several sources agree. The Yamaha CX-5M has (effectively) one DX-9 in it, along with the Z80. (I still think I heard of a rather powerful CX-5 about six months ago.) Yamaha is currently out of stock on CX-5M literature, but they expect "10,000" copies in soon. From other Yamaha literature... TX7 FM Tone Generator : one "6 operator, 32 algorithm" generator with 32 voice memories and 32 function memories - similar to the DX1. The TX7's 32 function memories may be used to 'augment' the DX7's one func mem. TX216, TX816 FM Tone Generator System : A rack mountable system. The 216 has two TF1 tone generator modules, and the 816 has eight. Each module seems quite similar to a TX7, although the TX7 has more front panel controls. KX88 MIDI Master Keyboard : An 88 key "initial & common after touch" keyboard with a moderate number of controls which can be associated with various MIDI functions. The illustrated configuration shows a KX88 connected to a QX1 Digital Sequence Recorder connected to a TX816. The TX816 may be programmed or played from the KX88. DX5 : This is somewhere between a DX7 and a DX1 - 76 keys (velocity and after touch), two six operator, 32 algorithm tone generators, generally double the memories of the DX7, and lots of buttons. Sounds like a pretty impressive array of equipment. -David sdcsvax!telesoft!dar