Conference napalm::commusic_v1

    Svein,
    	This thing sounds pretty attractive.  How much does it cost?
    
    	Eirikur
    

Thanks for the review, Svein.  I would also like to know the price, especially
relative to other samplers like the Akai and the Mirage...

Todd.

    Ball park (I'm recalling) I think the S10 is around $1500.  The
    S50, which has *MUCH* more memory, lists at around $2600!
    
    len.
    

    I did not enter the price because it would not tell you much anyway
    since I live in France, and the prices seem to be a lot higher for
    such things here than in the U.S. I dont dare think of the day I move
    back home to Norway, the prices there are close to double of France
    again, so I better hurry up buying when I'm still here.
    
    I will try to come back with more about what is possible to do via
    MIDI and other bits I pick up under way.
    
    Svein.

The S-10 have a function called DUAL TONE. In the simplest use of
this feature it works like the tone mix of a Casio-101, it plays
two different timbers by pressing one key. Using it in this mode
it is reduced to 4 notes polyphonic.

The next way this can be used is with the VELOCITY MIX feature.
To use it you select one sample to be played normal and one 
as a "velocity structure", by setting a threshold value for this
structure it will only sound if the velocity of the key when
pressed is above this threshold. Also used like this the S-10
becomes 4 notes polyphonic.

The last possibility is called VELOCITY SWITCH. Again you select
two samples ex. A and B, you set a threshold value. Now when you
play, sample A will sound if key velocity is below threshold and
B if velocity is above. One good use of this will be to sample a
sax first played soft and then again played hard. You select 
structure A on the S-10 for the soft sound and B for the hard.
Then when you play, it will sound soft with low volume and change
timber to a "distorted" sound when played with high volume.
In this mode the S-10 is 8 notes polyphonic.

Svein.

Here are some of the MIDI data for the S-10.

Transmit/receive on all 16 MIDI channels
Works in mode 3 (omni off, poly) only
Transmit notes 36-84, receives notes 24-103
Velocity on: transmit v=8-127, receive v=1-127
Velocity off:transmit v=0
Pitch bender on/off
Pitch bender on: transmit/receive 0-12 semi (9 bit resolution)

The program changes that can be done via MIDI is Structure
selection (sample 1-4), ON/OFF of the Detune, Delay and Dual
functions.

Svein.

    Does it have System Exclusive messages to dump and load sample data?
        John Sauter

    	I tried one out at Union Music in Worcester, yesterday.  They
    gave a price of $1100.00. 
    
    	How is this keyboard for editing of sounds?  (If I missed it
    in previous replies, point me back...).
    
    	Dan

    re .5 - the JX-10 has similar features.  While the velocity cross fade
    and velocity select may be of some use to performers, I have found
    them to be utterly useless in sequenced applications.  The dual
    mode is useful, as it allows stacking timbres for "fatter" or more
    interesting sounds.  On the JX, dual mode leaves you with a 6 (rather
    than 12) voice synth.
    
    Roland seems to do this a lot - "port" some random set of features
    to multiple instruments.  But they're not totally consistent about
    it.
    
    len.
    

Re: .7  The S-10 does not send or receive system exclusive messages.

For the editing of samples there are a few things that can be done.

First there are three loop types to choose from, "One Shot" give you
no looping, "Manual" looping is done according to the loop length and
end point you select and finally "Auto" which will use the loop length
and end point automatically detected at sampling time. 

Following this you can select "loop length" and change "end point" of
your samples. You can also change "start point". All of this is done
by using the alpha dial.

You can tune the sample if the sound that you sampled was different from
the key you selected before you sampled.

The scanning mode can be selected. S-10 gives you three alternatives,
forward will play the sample like you sampled it, backward will play
the sample in reverse and alternate will alternate between forward and
backward.

"Key Follow" can be turned on or off. If off you will get same pitch
no matter which key you press.

You can change the envelope of the sample. I will not try to draw the
envelope points here, but you can change values of "Envelope rate 1",
"Envelope level 1", "Envelope rate 2", "Envelope level 2", "Envelope
rate 3", "Envelope level 3" and "Envelope rate 4" where "rate" is a
sloop from one level (volume) to the next. Envelope velocity sensitivity
can also be set.

You can adjust the level of a sampled sound.

There are four digital filters you can use to take away unwanted noise
or change timber. Lowpass 1 and Highpass 1 have both relatively mild
cutoff frequencies, while Lowpass 2 and Highpass 2 have both sharp cutoff
frequencies.

You can mix two sampled sounds into one new structure (bank).

Finally you can combine two samples, meaning that you create a new
structure where the startpoint of the last sample will be played
right after endpoint of first sample.

Again I hope I was not too confusing.

Svein.

    I just got a list of the "sound library" for the S-10 from Roland.
    So far it consist of 11 volumes with 10 disks in each giving a maximum
    of 20 sounds pr volum.
    
    L101:  Piano keyboard     vol. 1
    L102:  Brass & Wind       vol. 1
    L103:  Mallets            vol. 1
    L104:  Bass               vol. 1
    L105:  Effects            vol. 1
    L106:  Drum set           vol. 1
    L107:  Strings & choir    vol. 1
    L108:  Guitar             vol. 1
    L109:  Synth & organ      vol. 1
    L110:  Orchestra (hits)   vol. 1
    L111:  Brass & Wind       vol. 2
    
    I dont give the price because the one I have is norwegian, and that
    will not give you any idea of the price other places.
    
    Svein.
    

    The S-10 will be out as a rack mount unit as well soon. It will
    be called MKS-100, and as far as I understand will cost ca. 60 %
    of the S-10. The MKS-100 is 2U high and it will use same disk as
    the S-10, and it should also use system exlusive messages.
    
    Also from Roland the MKS-50 is anounced which is the rack mount
    version of Alpha Juno 1 and 2. This one is 1U high.
    
    Svein.
    

    I found a shop that sell 2.8" Quick Disks, and it does not seem
    to be necessary to buy from Roland. Probably there excist a standard
    format for the QD, because I could load a sample from a Roland supplied
    disk and save it on the empty one.
    
    I also was allowed to copy some demo disks from the shop I bought
    my S-10, so now I also have piano, harpsicord, flute, acc guitar
    and a pipe organ. All samples are done in the A/B/C/D structure,
    meaning it is sampled four times, once pr. octave. They all sound
    great but this way it takes 2 Quick Disk pr. sample so a pack of
    ten does not last long.
    
    I also tried to do some samples on my own, but had some difficulty
    with loop points. One shot was no problem, but trying to make the
    sample with looping just produced a "buzz" when the loop started.
    I guess practice is needed, and I have not tried it too much since
    I saw it as a waste of time not being able to save the result to
    disk. 
    
    Svein.
     

    
    For anyone in NE that might actually be interested in one of these odd
    little beasts, Daddy'd Junky has exactly one left, with a "complete"
    library (all 100 disks??? who knows), asking $500 but might take less. 
    I'm not sure which store has it, but they are happy to ship it to your
    closest store.
    
    							Brian
    

    
    
       Anyone know if you can send and recieve on different channels
    simultaneously with this thing?.
    
    				Just curious,
    					Rich
    

    
   "Nope" you don't know or "nope" it can't do it?
    

    Sorry.. Nope it can't do different channels simultaneously.
    dan