From ucivax!orion.oac.uci.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wupost!udel!rochester!pt.cs.cmu.edu!metlay Tue Aug 13 11:34:27 PDT 1991 Article: 20513 of rec.music.synth Path: ucivax!orion.oac.uci.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wupost!udel!rochester!pt.cs.cmu.edu!metlay From: metlay+@cs.cmu.edu (Mike Metlay) Newsgroups: rec.music.synth Subject: Re: Damn those questions... Summary: ...and damn these answers. Message-ID: <14306@pt.cs.cmu.edu> Date: 10 Aug 91 17:41:19 GMT References: <1991Aug9.143254.9650@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> Distribution: usa Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon Lines: 57 Nntp-Posting-Host: organ.music.cs.cmu.edu In article <1991Aug9.143254.9650@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> jrblack@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (James R Black) writes: > >1. Does anyone know if Wine Country sells refurbished Pro-1's? A phone call to them would probably answer your query. If they do, though, they'd be special-order devices (like the VS rack) and quite costly. I advise hitting up used-gear stores, where they can often be found cheap, and refurbishing them yourself. Even a WC repair job on a Pro-One you own already would be cheaper than buying one from them. >2. Did Gibson really purchase the assets of Oberheim ECC and are they > going to re-release the Xpander or Matrix-12? Right data, wrong tense. The Xpander and Matrix-12 are shipping from the Oberheim Division of Gibson Labs already. Xpanders are special-order devices but Matrix-12s are being made in limited production runs, listing for around $6000 but who pays list anyway? OB is also making the Matrix-1000, the Perf/X line including the new Drummer and Strummer, and is preparing the rackmount MIDIMoog killer OB-MX for shipment (see my .sig). >3. What about used Xpander's - price and availability. They seem very > rare, more so than Mini-Moog's. Rare? Hard to say. More expensive? Definitely. It's a more powerful machine. They used to go for $1200 to $1500; in the current analog boom, $1700 is closer to the going price. You can find them fairly easily if you're diligent. Media Sonics and Analogix usually have them but their prices are steep. Try Rogue. >4. Does anyone know of a programmer for a MKS-80 that is available? > (not a PERSON - a DEVICE) It's called the MPG-80 and it sits on a table or can rackmount (3 spaces?). In my opinion the MKS-80 isn't much fun to program without it.... >5. Is there an editor/librarian available for the MicroWave on the Mac? I know of only one, and that's not available for sale yet (Nick Rothwell's Anodyne). Others are probably on the way-- I know that librarians, at least, are provided by Galaxy and X-Or. > Thanks S'Nuthin. >Disclaimer: Hell, I could of gotten up on the soap box and rambled on about > how sorry the synths manufactured today are... Forget it, kid. That's MY soapbox. |-> -- metlay | The Alesis Digital Recorder is vaporware. xpander-loving old curmudgeon | The Kurzweil K2000 is VAPORWARE. | The Oberheim OB-MX is **VAPORWARE!!** metlay@organ.music.cs.cmu.edu | Metlay's Law STILL applies, no matter WHAT! From ucivax!jarthur!usc!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!olivea!bu.edu!inmet!wayne Tue Aug 20 17:12:56 PDT 1991 Article: 20831 of rec.music.synth Path: ucivax!jarthur!usc!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!olivea!bu.edu!inmet!wayne From: wayne@inmet.inmet.com Newsgroups: rec.music.synth Subject: Re: Damn those questions... Message-ID: <15400078@inmet> Date: 20 Aug 91 01:16:00 GMT References: <143254@<1991Aug9> Lines: 6 Nf-ID: #R:<1991Aug9:143254:inmet:15400078:000:221 Nf-From: inmet.inmet.com!wayne Aug 19 21:16:00 1991 Gibson did indeed purchase Oberheim and announced that they will put the Xpander and Matrix12 back into production. Last time I saw an Xpander advertised around Boston was 4-5 months ago and the guy was asking $1700.00. From ucivax!jarthur!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!rpi!bu.edu!m2c!risky.ecs.umass.edu!dime!barrett Thu Aug 29 11:35:37 PDT 1991 Article: 21161 of rec.music.synth Path: ucivax!jarthur!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!rpi!bu.edu!m2c!risky.ecs.umass.edu!dime!barrett From: barrett@gleep.cs.umass.edu (Daniel Barrett) Newsgroups: rec.music.synth Subject: Re: Portamento (Was: Microwave's need for outboard effects) Message-ID: <35500@dime.cs.umass.edu> Date: 29 Aug 91 01:58:22 GMT References: <1991Aug27.020212.13072@cbnewsm.att.com> <16792@skye.dcs.ed.ac.uk> <1991Aug28.205606.1810@Times.Stanford.EDU> Sender: news@dime.cs.umass.edu Reply-To: barrett@gleep.cs.umass.edu (Daniel Barrett) Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst Lines: 37 >In article <16792@skye.dcs.ed.ac.uk> nick@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Nick Rothwell) writes: >>No fingered portamento a la Yamaha. (Nothing except Yamaha does portamento >>properly, IMO.) In article <1991Aug28.205606.1810@Times.Stanford.EDU> dalgic@Neon.Stanford.EDU (Ismail Dalgic) writes: >I think Casio's VZ-series synths deserve some credit here. >[regular & fingered portamento, setting either time or rate to be constant, >modulating the time with any continuous controller...] >What more can you possibly want? I'll just do a little plug for the Oberheim Xpander & Matrix-12 here, which have an even more extensive implementation than you describe for the Casio. It does everything you describe above, plus: o Glissando, and not limited to half-steps. o Exponential or linear response. o It may be applied to any aspect of the sound, not just VCO frequency. For example, you can make the filter frequency glide with key presses, or smooth out sharp LFO transitions. o It does not have to be controlled by the keyboard -- you can use any controller. For example (this is really weird now), you can use portamento to open the output amplifier (VCA) so the sound fades in, and then control this with a pedal. Thus, you can play a chord (silently) and then press the pedal, and then the chord plays. I used this trick to turn my sustain pedal into a bass drum. o Due to the Xp/M12's many key assignment modes, the portamento can act in a number of different ways. It can glide normally from chord to chord, or jump from outer space down to the note you are holding. Dan //////////////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ | Dan Barrett -- Grad student, Department of Computer & Information Science | | University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 -- barrett@cs.umass.edu | \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\///////////////////////////////////// From ucivax!orion.oac.uci.edu!usc!cs.utexas.edu!qt.cs.utexas.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ub!galileo.cc.rochester.edu!rochester!pt.cs.cmu.edu!metlay Fri Sep 20 16:49:46 PDT 1991 Article: 21977 of rec.music.synth Path: ucivax!orion.oac.uci.edu!usc!cs.utexas.edu!qt.cs.utexas.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ub!galileo.cc.rochester.edu!rochester!pt.cs.cmu.edu!metlay From: metlay+@cs.cmu.edu (Mike Metlay) Newsgroups: rec.music.synth Subject: Oberheim: Squashing a Rumor Message-ID: <1991Sep18.225521.274792@cs.cmu.edu> Date: 18 Sep 91 22:55:21 GMT Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon Lines: 43 Nntp-Posting-Host: organ.music.cs.cmu.edu Originator: metlay@ORGAN.MUSIC.CS.CMU.edu I recently got a letter from a fellow netter who shall remain anonymous, to the effect of, "I just overheard my dealer being told that Oberheim is dead, dropped by Gibson. You must be crushed." Well, I was, for a minute or three; then I remembered (this being Shabbat Shuvah) what the Talmud has to say about the probable afterlives of talebearers and gossips, and decided to investigate matters myself. (Hell, I'm no innocent myself when it comes to spreading news around, but at least I doublecheck my sources or red-flag my data as being unreliable and in need of proof. To be fair, the letter-writer had indeed explained the origin of the rumor; hence my taking action.) I left a message with Oberheim's technoid consultant, who got back to me as soon as he'd returned from vacation and gave me the straight dope on Oberheim and Gibson. To wit: Oberheim is NOT dead. The recent action by Gibson was the removal of Gibson Labs, the manufacturers of the MAX guitar interface etc., to the company headquarters in Nashville. This has caused (and is still causing) some dislocation and turmoil at Oberheim, but the company is still fully supported by Gibson's CEO and board of directors, with the Matrix-1000 and Matrix-12 still churning off the lines (although it seems doubtful that more Xpanders will be built) as before. The OB-MX could have been released last month if Oberheim wanted a reputation as the newest entrant in the VFX awards ceremony; as it is, it'll be released near the end of the year, once some final design details have been ironed out, like choosing a manufacturer of solid, compact power supplies that will fit into the chassis without squeezing and provide plenty of power for six voice boards and the front panel at once. The initial production run size is undetermined; preorders are high, and climbing fast, thanks to favorable reviews of the prototype at NAMM. They're still answering questions and providing parts and so on. Just call 1-800-765-4629 and leave a message for either Richard Bugg (technical queries) or Tom Dunn (parts and service). Thanks for letting me clear matters up; there's no reason to be sore at the original rumor-bearer-- he thought his data were accurate (they were) and complete (they weren't). No harm done. -- metlay | The good news is that he desires nothing xpander-loving old curmudgeon | more for his music 'rep' than a cameo in | SAVAGE HENRY COMICS. metlay@organ.music.cs.cmu.edu | The bad news is, he's likely to make it.