[net.music.synth] State of the art questions

ron@brl (Ron Natalie) (08/15/85)

> Yamaha has a fairly extensive line of MIDI products,
> including a standalone keyboard (the KX-1, I think) with
> pressure and velocity sensitive keys.  It's basically
> the same keyboard used in the DX-7 synth.

Yamaha makes two MIDI keyboard lines that I know of.  The first is
the KX-88.  This is an 88-key weighted, velocity sensitive, midi
controller with after touch, two wheels (nominally modulation and
pitch), two foot controllers, two foot switches, four slide pots,
two push buttons, and (sigh) a breath controller.  All the inputs
are redefinable to anything else.  It is most emphatically not
the same keyboard as the DX-7.  It is capable of independently
controlling two midi channels in dual, split, or single modes.
Independent transpose is available for each channel.

The other is a set of remote keyboards which are smaller than the
DX (standard) keyboard, in a guitar like arrangement for playing
while dancing around.

> Yamaha's TX-816 is a small rack mount box containing
> the sound production hardware equivalent to slightly more
> than 8 DX-7's.

The TX-816 however, is useless unless you have a DX-7 o program it.
Yamaha also sells a box with a small front panel called the TX-7,
for about $650.  As with the TX-816, it is reliant on the DX-7 for
programming, however, it comes with a cassette interface, so you 
dump entire DX-7 banks onto the cassette for storage (beats $80 ram
cartridges).  The added feature in both units is some keyboard split
functions so that you don't need to have eight different midi channels
active.

>     Can I go out and by a keyboard (JUST a keyboard)
>     to hook up to some sound generation hardware via MIDI?  Can I go out
>     and by sound generating hardware (sans keyboard) to hook up to existing
>     keyboard equipment via MIDI?

In addition to the Yamaha keyboads, Roland makes two midi controllers.
One is smaller (fewer keys, lighter, and not weighted), the other is
another 88-key weighted job.  It is heavier than the YAMAHA, although
it feels better.  The modulation whiz bang inputs are less well defined
(if you're into that).  It does however have multiple midi output jacks.

Roland makes a few keyboardless devices.  There is an electric piano
module and a nice synthesizer called the Super-Jupiter.  Unlike the
TX tone modules, you can get a little programming panel with all the
knobs and sliders and actually use this device with just a MIDI controller.

-Ron

csdf@mit-vax.UUCP (Charles Forsythe) (08/16/85)

In article <706@brl-tgr.ARPA> ron@brl (Ron Natalie) writes:
>In addition to the Yamaha keyboads, Roland makes two midi controllers.
>One is smaller (fewer keys, lighter, and not weighted), the other is
>another 88-key weighted job.  It is heavier than the YAMAHA, although
>it feels better.  The modulation whiz bang inputs are less well defined
>(if you're into that).  It does however have multiple midi output jacks.

What if I took this and hooked it into my Juno-106 MIDI port? Would it give
me touch sensativity? 

Somehow -- I doubt it, but if it can I'd like to know.


-- 
Charles Forsythe
CSDF@MIT-VAX
"Live on time. Emit no evil.
 Wait! I got that backwards!"
-Rev. Wang Zeep

gibson@unc.UUCP (Bill Gibson) (08/16/85)

In article <706@brl-tgr.ARPA> ron@brl (Ron Natalie) writes:

> The TX-816 however, is useless unless you have a DX-7 o program it.
> Yamaha also sells a box with a small front panel called the TX-7,
> for about $650.  As with the TX-816, it is reliant on the DX-7 for
> programming, however, it comes with a cassette interface, so you 
> dump entire DX-7 banks onto the cassette for storage (beats $80 ram
> cartridges).  The added feature in both units is some keyboard split
> functions so that you don't need to have eight different midi channels
> active.

Mostly right, except that the TF-1 modules (DX-7 equivalents) in
the TX-816 can also be programmed using DX-7 voicing software on
a microcomputer with a MIDI interface. I haven't actually tried
this yet, but it's what I was told at a local store.

I really don't consider the DX-7 front panel to be a reasonable
interface for programming, anyway. I will get some software to
do my DX-7 programming on a micro (e.g. a Commodore 64) as soon
as I can figure out which of the many available programs is
most worthwhile. Does anybody have suggestions/experience with
these programs?

Bill Gibson
gibson@unc                   ...[akgua,decvax,philabs]!mcnc!unc!gibson

ron@brl (Ron Natalie) (08/21/85)

With regard to using a microcomputer to program TX-7 or the TX8-16
modules:  It's doable, but not as easy as you think.  The TX-7 does
not look exactly like a keyboardless  DX-7, but very close.  For
instance, DX-PRO will not start up if it is plugged into a TX-7,
however, you can start it on a DX-7 and then bring the TX-7 on
and turn off the DX-7 and things work OK.  Some slight difference is
hanging up this software..  It shouldn't be hard to fix, but  I
just wanted to warn people.

-Ron