Conference hydra::amiga_v1

    These speakers are not in your price range, but provide an excellent
    output device for both the Amiga and portable CD player or other.
    
    First, my favorite, Acoustic Research Powered Partners (Suggested
    list is $299.00, have seen them for $250.00).  Each speaker has
    its own AC cord (can also be powered by 14 VDC) and will output
    up to 32 watts.  Can can buy one speaker for $150.00.  I have seen
    these locally in Salem, NH (not sure the store name, across from
    the old Cuomos).
    
    Second, Bose makes two sets of speakers, one BOSE roomates and two
    BOSE videomates.  Both are basically the same and handle 30 watts.
    They are powered by AC only, one speaker has the ampliphier and
    the other is driven by the first.  Pice I have seen is $229.00 for
    the pair (at Cuomos and Lechmere - on sale this week at Lechmere).
    
    Have seen reviews on the above, Powered partners beat the BOSE by
    a small margine.
    
    Good luck, go for the best the Amiga deserves only the best.
    
    -drew

    There are a lot of other powered speakers out there.  Some are designed
    to be used with 'walkmans.'
    
    I have a pair of powered Fostex studio monitors that I use.  I think
    that they sell for less than the AR or bose speakers, but don't
    know for sure.  They were given to me.
    
    

    Re: Deluxe Music
    
    I don't know squat about music or composition, but I bought DMCS
    in the hopes of learning something.  If you can't read music, forget
    this package.  It is very intimidating to a beginner.
    
    DMCS is more of a note entry system, rather than a MIDI-type package.
    Although there are MIDI options, I have heard that the program cannot
    record notes entered thru a MIDI keyboard fast enough to keep up
    in real time. 
    
    Where DMCS shines is in its music editing capabilities.  You can
    slur notes, add descendo or crescendo to a measure, create beam
    notes, and virtually every other musical buzzword that I don't
    understand.
    
    My gripes:  You cannot make your own instruments, like you can
    in Musicraft.  The DMCS disk comes with 20 or so canned instruments,
    and the 'Rock 'n Roll' disk provides about 50 more, but you can't
    roll your own.  Also, Musicraft provides analog control over the
    ADSR envelopes for fine tuning of a waveform, but DMCS merely gives
    options like 'Fast Attack' 'Slow Attack' 'Stacatto' 'Legatto', etc.
    Knowing Electronic Arts, they will probably try to sell a 'Deluxe
    Music Construction Set Deluxe Instrument Builder' for $50 or so.
    Another gripe is that you cannot change instruments within a measure.
    Changing instruments is a pain, you must first select a measure,
    then select a new instrument, then assign the new instrument to
    that measure.  In Musicraft, you just go click on the little horn
    icon, and go drop it wharever you want on the staff.  The result
    is that you can have a different instrument for every single note
    in a score.
    
    The program also allows note entry thru an on-screen piano keyboard,
    but you can't enter notes thru the Amiga keyboard.
    
    All in all, I am very impressed, but I impress easily.  I also heard
    that DMCS is being re-released with some bugs fixed, and the new
    version should run a bit faster.  I haven't seen any bugs or Gurus,
    but I haven't stressed the program very much.
    

     Note: Beware of radio shack speakers. I had a pair of those metal
    speakers they have hooked up to the amp at the memory location.
    They sound great but when you put them near a monitor say goodbye
    to youre phosphors. I now have to keep them on the floor. Sony sells
    a pair of bookshelf magnetically sheilded speakers that are 89$
    a pair at J&R music world in new york. They also have a built in
    amp. The catalog says that they are designed specifically for video
    applications. Would you like a model number?
    
    -ph
    

I must be getting stupid.  I knew that speakers were bad news for monitors,
but somehow I completely forgot about it in this case - I have been expecting
to put them right next to the monitor.  Being restricted to shielded speakers
will make it even harder to find something. 

Yes, I would like the model number of the Sonys.  Also, do you know someplace
locally where I could see/hear them?  They sound like they might be what I am
looking for. 

	Thanks,
	Paul

Re: .5

If you think that unshielded speakers are bad news for your monitor, just
place them next to your pile of disks.

    The model # is APM-007AV. They retail for 149.95 and they are 89.95
    at J&R Music World in New York. Their address is 23 Park Row, New
    York, New York, 10038. Their order # is 1-800-221-8180.
    
    -ph

re: .-

Do you own a pair of these?  If so, did you get them from J&R?

I want to find some place local to take a test drive,
and if I was going to mail order I would want to check out
the outfit - some are good and others aren't.

Thanks for the info.  I will go looking for them.

	Paul