I have added a number of issues to the BP site, and I have tried to eliminate some errors (probably creating some others in the process). Anyway, it might be worthwhile to have a look: http://members.aol.com/hpbohlen/index.html Best regards Heinz Bohlen
> Do any of you folks have recommendations for your favorite synthesizer > capable of building sounds from scratch, and also having at least one > user-specifiable completely arbitrary tuning table?
Actually, when I sent out this question, I wanted to check John Loffink's web page first, but had some sort of network problem that made me unable to reach it. It just now seems to have started working though - just as abruptly as it stopped. Hmmm...
But anyway, now that I can get to his page, I think I see more answers to my questions than I realized previously. First of all, I had forgotten about the column in his tables that describe the types of tone generation (sampling, FM, etc.) it supports.
I'd like to verify something though: If I understand your definitions correctly, John, "keyboard scales" mean completely arbitrary tunings key-for-key (within the resolution and range of the instrument), right? I think I must have misread that definition the last time I looked at your web page.)
This is a great web site, by the way.
In any case though, I'm definitely interested in you folks' personal recommendations in particular (i.e., not only which synthesizers have that ability).
> Do any of you folks have recommendations for your favorite synthesizer > capable of building sounds from scratch, and also having at least one > user-specifiable completely arbitrary tuning table? > IMHO the best sounding of the new DSP type synthesizers is the Korg Prophecy. In many cases I think it sounds better than the old analog synthesizers they're trying to emulate. The Prophecy is monophonic, but Korg now has the Z1 which is 12 note polyphonic, expandable to 18 notes, and fairly expensive. It has only one full keyboard tuning table, but you can save global settings to a PCMCIA card.
The only other real alternative is Yamaha's discontinued SY77, TG77 or SY99 which featured their final and most powerful version of FM synthesis coupled with resonant filters. They had 2 global tables, floppy disk and cartridge storage. I haven't demoed these keyboards, though.
There isn't anything else that fits your criteria. Yamaha's VL series are mono or duophonic. Kyma is more of a computer synthesis workstation than a traditional synthesizer.
If realtime control is not an issue I recommend one of the many computer synthesis programs that can generate files for your sampler. I personally use Synthia Pro on my Amiga to generate sounds that couldn't be done any other way.
> I'd like to verify something though: If I understand your definitions > correctly, John, "keyboard scales" mean completely arbitrary tunings > key-for-key (within the resolution and range of the instrument), right? I > think I must have misread that definition the last time I looked at your > web page.) > Right.
John Loffink suggested some Korgs and Yamahas and wrote,
>There isn't anything else that fits your criteria. Yamaha's VL series are >mono or duophonic. Kyma is more of a computer synthesis workstation than a >traditional synthesizer.
Why wouldn't you admit the Ensoniq VFX-SD? I've worked with the Yamaha SY?? and found the Ensoniq to be comparable in synthesis ability.
> Do any of you folks have recommendations for your favorite synthesizer > capable of building sounds from scratch, and also having at least one > user-specifiable completely arbitrary tuning table?
> jloffink: > The only other real alternative is Yamaha's discontinued SY77, TG77 or SY99 > which featured their final and most powerful version of FM synthesis > coupled with resonant filters. They had 2 global tables, floppy disk and > cartridge storage. I haven't demoed these keyboards, though.
I can vouch for the extreme versatility of the SY99, which I haven't come close to fully exploring yet: 6-operator FM, 45 algorithms, 16 raw waveforms, independent envelopes on each operator; two resonant filters and good effects unit; also sample playback and the interesting option of being able to use a sampled sound as an FM modulator.
The cheaper SY/TG77 are basically the same but with fewer effects and no sample RAM, along with a few other differences. Used instruments turn up regularly, in fact an SY77 was just advertised yesterday on rec.music.makers.synth, which is where I found my '99 a year or so ago.
Anybody know where I could find a TG77? Just keep scanning the newspapers I suppose... Or perhaps a TG77 will follow that SY77 on rec.music.makers.synth!
> From: "Paul H. Erlich" > > Why wouldn't you admit the Ensoniq VFX-SD? I've worked with the Yamaha > SY?? and found the Ensoniq to be comparable in synthesis ability. > The VFX-SD is wavetable based. Gary's Ensoniq sampler can already do anything the VFX-SD can do, including Transwaves if he's got an EPS-16 Plus or ASR-10.
> From: mr88cet@texas.net (Gary Morrison) > > Anybody know where I could find a TG77? Just keep scanning the > newspapers I suppose... Or perhaps a TG77 will follow that SY77 on > rec.music.makers.synth! > Try the Harmony Central classified ads, though I think those might be cross posted to the newsgroups.