latoth@ihlpg.UUCP (03/26/87)
I am trying to decide between the following two MIDI sequencers for a Mac+ Mark of the Unicorn's Performer Opcode's Sequencer 2.5 I have a DX21, SPX90, Roland TR505 and plan to buy a FB01 (this decision is based on the latest TX81z problems plus with my DX21 the FB01 will probably be a better match) In the future I will want to buy scoring software and a patch editor/librarian. I also have a hp7470 plotter (for what it's worth). On the net (back in Oct) I saw a STRONG recommendation for the Performer. Keyboard Magazine recently gave a good review of the Sequencer 2.5 Since I have yet to find a dealer in my area to try each of these packages, I would really appreciate your views on either of these sequencers. Thanks in Advance! Larry Toth (312) 979-2935 ihnp4!ihlpg!latoth
dean@cornell.UUCP (03/27/87)
In article <3060@ihlpg.ATT.COM> latoth@ihlpg.ATT.COM writes: >I am trying to decide between the following two MIDI sequencers for >a Mac+ > Mark of the Unicorn's Performer > Opcode's Sequencer 2.5 > >I have a DX21, SPX90, Roland TR505 and plan to buy a FB01 (this decision >is based on the latest TX81z problems plus with my DX21 the FB01 will >probably be a better match) In the future I will want to buy scoring >software and a patch editor/librarian. I also have a hp7470 plotter >(for what it's worth). > I have two comments. First, I would strongly urge you to consider the TX81Z instead of the FB01. Not only does it have much better sound, but it's voices are a compatible superset of the DX21s. You can cross-load voices over MIDI between the two (although you may lose something on the TX81Z's voices when you transfer them to the DX21). The problems you have heard about are relatively minor. Since you don't have an ESQ-1, the Foot Controller problem with it's sequencer shouldn't bother you at all (this is brain-damage in the ESQ's sequencer more than in the TX81Z). The other problem has only been observed on a voice where both microtonality (i.e. non equal-tempered scales) and the built in delay effect were used simultaneously. This is pretty rare, and doesn't really affect the usefulness of the box. Besides, it is almost certain that Yamaha will have a ROM upgrade to fix the problem (they apparently have one upgrade about to be released, but it is not clear whether it cures this problem). I already have an FB01, and I am picking up my TX81Z today after having borrowed one and used it for a weekend. I would strongly urge you to try one out before rejecting it. On sequencers, I have Opcode 2.5. It works very well together with Deluxe Music Construction Set version 2 for notation, and DMCSv2 is much cheaper than MOTU's Composer. My main complaint with Seq2.5 is the lack of graphic display of the MIDI stream. All editing is in terms of Bar and Beat references. It works a lot like a multi-track deck. If you are mostly concerned with real-time performance, then the Opcode system has many features that are hard to beat. They are promising graphic editing in a future upgrade, and with that I would be completely happy with it. I have never used MOTU's Performer, so I can't compare directly. Good luck! Dean Krafft dean@gvax.cs.cornell.edu Computer Science Dept. Cornell University