ckt@UKC.AC.UK (Patrick C.K.Tsang) (02/22/90)
Bob Muth mailed me directly for info on the S-330, but I cannot reply to his address via direct E-mail, so I will post it here: The Roland S-330 is a 16-note polyphonic, 12-bit, 30Khz sampler, costs between 800-880 pounds in the UK, and was originally meant to be a scaled-down version of the S-550. It's 750KB memory gives 14.4secs of sampling time at full bandwidth and 28.8secs at 15Khz. The sounds are arranged into two banks, so effectively the longest sample you can get is only 7.2secs, this makes it less suitable for long sampling applications than the Akai S-1000/950. However, when Roland introduced the S-series of samplers it was a great breakthrough --- they were the first ones of all available rack- mount/keyboard samplers to have: 1.) CRT monitor outputs and comprehensive visual editing of samples (as good as you can get with a Computer). 2.) Disk-loaded operating systems (which enabled them to update the software, and more importantly, implement their Director-S MIDI sequencer into the machines without any hardware alterations) 3.) 'Interpolated' sample playback. Most machines sample at full bandwidth, but may playback the sample at different frequencies to alter pitch. Say a sample of 440Hz is sampled at full 48Khz bandwidth, to play a note of 220Hz the sampler then have to playback the sample at 24KHz bandwidth, sacrificing its fidelity. The Roland S-series however samples and playback at a consistent full 30Khz by mathematically 'Stretch' or 'Compress' the sample to produce the equivalent wave- form of the sound at 220Khz, ensuring consistent high fidelity of the signal and saving $$$ in memory. They have managed to get the mathematical function exactly right for the new sample to sound almost identical to the original, except in pitch. N.B. There is now a 'time-stretch' function implemented in the Akai S-1000 to alter duration of samples without pitch variation. 4.) Dynamic voice allocation. A lot of samplers did not have multiple-outs before the Akai S-900, which allocated one output for each of its 8 voices. The Roland ones were the first to allow ANY tones (samples) to be specfied, in the tone parameters, to output through ANY of the 8 individual outs. Furthermore, the 16-notes polyphony can be used by ANY tones and patches: it doesn't matter if 7-notes of pads is going out through socket 3, 2 notes for drums going out through socket 4, .... as long as the total is =< 16, they will get to the outputs, a totally dynamic configuration. You can program an entire patch to go out through a specific output, or for every tones (samples) within the patch to go their own ways ! For a drummer, this is a dream come true --- I can set output 1 to be dry (for Cymbals), output 2 to be ambient (Tom-Toms) and output 3 to have gated-reverb (Snare and Bass) --- bang ! Effect drums without a mixer ! With the S-900 I would have to get an 8-channel mixer, then 2 effect sends for the gated and hall reverb routings. To conclude, the S-330 is easy to use, sample and edit. It is very good for multi-timbral stuff, very fast, and sound nice. The library is impressive, though not as big as the Ensonique or the Akai ones, but it is cheap. Furthermore its ease of use pushes you to go and sample your own stuff, rather than use what other people have sampled for you. Drawbacks: lack of hard-disk (though S-550 can), sampling time a bit short for serious music making (like using it for backing vocals arrangements and long sampling), and the 30Khz and 12bit resolution is low compared to the crystal-clear fidelity of the Akai S-1000 which works at 48Khz and full 16-bit. For all of the stuff I sample this only become apparent when I am sampling off CDs or real Snare and Cymbals, or if you do an A-B comparison of the machines. If you want to use more sounds in one go the S-550 has twice the memory of the S-330 (4-banks) and loads 2 disks worth of sounds. Still 16-polyphony though. Wait for the S-770 16bit, 48Khz if you are after more beef ! Patrick.