Conference napalm::commusic_v1

    While I haven't heard K-MUSE samples, $199 is NO BARGAIN!!!! That's
    20 bucks a diskette for those of you who aren't in engineering.
    ;^)
    
    My impression is that music stores don't particularly like beating
    you up for $20 list price diskettes, and will go out of their way
    to 'back-up' a disc for you.
    
    The biggest joke I've seen advertised is some company offering a
    jillion Mirage samples for $10 - 20. What you get is an audio tape
    which you play on your stereo and sample by yourself.....
    
    BTW -- I'll be glad to back up Mirage discs for anyone. 
           FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY.
    
    EDD 
    

    I have heard and currently use the K-MUSE "New York" set.
    I must say that after hearing these samples and after having
    the enhancement done on the machine, I now look at the instrument
    from a whole different angle. 
    
    What you get with the $199 is a set of 10 disks. Three of 
    them are DX-7 and analog synth sounds which I consider a waste
    of disk blocks. However amongst the rest of them are the most
    interesting and flashy keyboard samples I've heard. Most of them
    are orchestra stuff apart from two percussion disks. I'm
    not going to try an describe the sounds. To me the 7 disks
    are worth the price. The only thing is that they're all
    very modern and one might have a hard time figuring out how
    to use them on contemporary stuff. But if you're into the
    Art of Noise and orchestras larger than life, go ahead.

    Enhancement?
    
    Are you refering to the aunti-aliasing filter doo-hickey?
    
    3 DX and analog disks? Great! We've come full circle. You can now
    take your digital sampler and make it sound just like real synthesized
    instruments.....
    
    Seriously, can you elaborate on the samples?
    
    
    Edd

    re: -1
    
    Yes, I'm refering to the improvement to the input and *output*
    filtering which is standard in new Mirages.
    
    Elaborate?
    
    Well, what can I say? Would it help if I listed the names here?
    Perhaps I have to make something with these to contribute to 
    the COMMUSIC Tape n.

    The names of the samples on the most useful disks (my taste)
    on the K-MUSE "New York" set for the Ensonic Mirage are the following:
 
                                                   
Disk #1  Percussion Disk 1          
Percussion stuff (don't have the titles right now)
                 
Disk #5  Accompaniment 2
Left                    Right
1) N.Y. Spoons
2) N.Y. Pop Bells	Bellcomps
3) Holland Tunnel Bass	Holland Tunnel Comp
                             
Disk #6  Sustained sounds
Left                    Right
1) Falsetto Pipe Organ
2) Brooker T. Organ
3) Big Apple Strings	Orf  

Disk #7  Orchestral Brass
Left                    Right
1) N.Y.P.D. Brass 1	N.Y.P.D. Brass 2
2) Bagman Blues		Bagman Blast
3) Mayor's March	Statue of Brass   
                              
Disk #8  Orchestral Strings
Left                    Right
1) Carnegie Hit (Brass)	Carnegie Hit (String)
2) Superman Hit		Metropolis Brass
3) N.Y. Giant		The News Hit 

Disk #9  Orchestra Hits
Left                    Right
1) Industrial Choir
2) Broadway Hit 1	Broadway Hit 2
3) Off Broadway Hit 1	Off Broadway Hit 2

Disk #10  Designer Blends/Demos
1) Skyscraper Demo
2) Columbus Ave
3) Unique NYC

    Three (DX-7, analog and other non-interesting stuff) disks not included, 
    because I don't currently have them.

    I especially like the Brass, Strings and orchestral hit disks.
    Also the "Big Apple Strings/Orf" has to be heard to be believed.

    Timo
    

    RE: .1, .3
    
    How *do* you know how much of a bargain they are or are not if you
    haven't heard them?  For people who do not have the time or the
    resources (computer) to do good sampling, and need these types of
    sounds, I think that it *IS* a bargain.  So does Keyboard Magazine.
    I believe that most stores would love to sell you the K-Muse disks
    (because the mark-up is probably good), and most would not back them
    up for you, as they would not make any money.
    
    As a matter of fact, I just bought a Mirage Rack-mount *after* hearing
    the K-muse "L.A." and "London" sets.  True, a few of the samples
    that you get for $175 (the going price) are useless, like one where
    half the keyboard is the guitar intro from Owner of a Lonely Heart,
    and the other half is the breathy Jon Anderson/Brass "brapp" in
    the middle of the song.   Although, it is an *incredible* sample.
    But, for example, there is a sample on the L.A. set called
    "Hollywood strings", which, if you had your eyes closed, is
    indistinguishable from certain Fairlight string sounds I've heard,
    and I wouldn't be surprised if that is where they got it from!  The
    orchestra hits are outstanding.  They just have to be heard.
    
    If you look at it like "$20 per disk" as opposed to "$3.50 per sound",
    for example, how can you *ever* buy *anything* in this industry?  You
    should know that you're not paying for the hardware; it's the time it
    took to develop the machine, "system", or the samples, in this case.
    
    RE .0, I recommend these disks highly.
    
    /Andy
                                                                   

    It's been said you should never change horses in the middle of the
    stream. Well, hell, the one I'm on just can't swim...
    
    My only reference was the *real* Mirage discs. Using that as a
    comparison, the K-Muse still aren't a financial bargain. Quality
    of sample is another issue...
    
    I'm real leary about buying anything I haven't heard, UNLESS, it's
    so gawd-awful cheap getting burnt wouldn't matter. I'd blow $20
    on 1 disk and risk crappy samples, though, long before I'd mail
    $200 off to a PO box.
    
    Before I'm accused of replying for the sake of seeing my name in
    print, let me say that I was only refering to the price, not the
    quality.
    
    Edd the_abashed