[net.music.synth] Query on Ensonic Mirage

peterb@pbear.UUCP (04/28/85)

       I would like to hear comments from OWNERS of the Ensonic Mirage.
I own one of these beauties, and I am trying to find a copy of the "Advanced
Sampler's Guide". Also I would like to find somebody who has a Mirage and a
DX-7 who can sample the factory settings on the DX-7.

	Any suggestions on a good MIDI keyboard controller? I would love to
use a keybord that feels like a real piano and patch it to the mirage using
MIDI.

Peter Barada
ima!pbear!peterb
ihnp4!inmet!pbear!peterb

ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (05/01/85)

> 
> 	Any suggestions on a good MIDI keyboard controller? I would love to
> use a keybord that feels like a real piano and patch it to the mirage using
> MIDI.
> 
About the best one on the market is the Roland MDK.  It is 88 keys,
velocity sensitive (this is also adjustable), and can do some clever
things like splitting the keyboard, calling up stored configurations
and push the instrument buttons on the DX-7 remotely.  I have a friend
who bought one and we moved it in my car.  The sucker ain't exactly
light.  He bought an Anvil case for it too, I don't even want to think
about how heavy the combination gets.

keithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle) (05/02/85)

[..........]

Now that we have an actual owner of the Ensonic Mirage, I have one question.
Can you divide the keyboard and assign seperate sounds?  If so, to what
degree can you divide the keyboard.  I'm interested in an sampled instrument
that allows you to assign several percussion instruments and play like
a drum set (as well as standard keyboard type use).  And, I'm assuming
that it is fully polyphonic? (chords etc.).

Keith Doyle
#  {ucbvax,ihnp4,decvax}!trwrb!cadovax!keithd

peterb@pbear.UUCP (05/08/85)

/* Written 11:20 pm  May 85, 19783 by cadovax!keithd in pbear:net.music.synt */
[..........]

Now that we have an actual owner of the Ensonic Mirage, I have one question.
Can you divide the keyboard and assign seperate sounds?  If so, to what
degree can you divide the keyboard.  I'm interested in an sampled instrument
that allows you to assign several percussion instruments and play like
a drum set (as well as standard keyboard type use).  And, I'm assuming
that it is fully polyphonic? (chords etc.).

Keith Doyle
#  {ucbvax,ihnp4,decvax}!trwrb!cadovax!keithd
/* End of text from pbear:net.music.synt */

Keith,

Yes the instrument is designed to allow TWO seperate sounds on the keys at
one time. The split point is not controllable at playback (unless you want
to hack up the sample parameters which is a long process), but can be set down
to a single key. Some sounds take up all but one key. (these are the purer
sounds like a bell, choir, rhodes). I sat down to play one of these, and
about 20 minutes later I had out my checkbook and bought the unit right off
the floor.

Ensonic has been working hard making sound disks (6 sounds per disk by 4
variations per sound + 3 sequences) and the cost is 49$ per. blank disks
cost 21$ (arggggghhh I wanna break the format so I don't have to pay 4
times the price of a blank!!)

But the sound discs are supurb. The depth and attention paid to limits
of dynamics and sample matching have really paid off. The piano really
sounds nice.

A 'Mix' mode exists that allows you to blend two styles of samples
per key based either on a wheel or the velocity information.
I did a sample of a heavy phased guitar note and set this on the odd
sample. I sampled a clean guitar note on the even sample and then started
to play it. Thge harder I hit the keys, the more phased the sound was, and
the overall effect is wild!

I do suggest that you play one and then you can get a better feel for
what I am trying to explain.

you can set up 8 samples in each sound, so this will allow you to have
eight different instruments in one half of the keyboard.

Peter Barada
ima!pbear!peterb
ihnp4!inmet!pbear!peterb