Conference napalm::commusic_v1

1465.0. "Kawai K5 Patch Librarian" by NCVAX1::ALLEN () Thu Jun 16 1988 12:49

    	I realize that this note may be of limited interest to COMMUSICers
    other than those chosen few who own K5s, but I was interested in
    how this new product compares with other Patch Librarians.
    
    	After living with the K5 for a while, it became obvious that
    I would want to increase the number of available patches, for variety
    and interest.  I was initially shocked to find that additional patches
    could only be purchased on RAM cards, at the cost of $125.00.  Kawai
    euphemistically refers to the "patches coming free with the purchase
    of a RAM card".  There are currently over 8 discrete "sets" or cards
    of patches available, and I would like to meet the people who have
    bought complete sets (I have some real estate in Texas I would like
    to discuss with them).  Early in the year, Kawai announced a patch 
    librarian for the K5.  After repeated attempts to get this item
    through my "dealer" (what an apt term), I decided to get one direct 
    from Kawai. 
    
    	The D.I.C.E. K5 Editor works like a charm!  It was written by
    one of the guys who designed the K5 and it shows.  The documentation
    points out that the S/W is designed to run on an ibm pc/xt/at or
    100% clone using the Roland MPU-401 interface.  I have booted the
    program on my AMT AT-jr as well as an ibm-AT (the latter using a
    Voyetra OP-4001 interface) and had no serious problems.  Kawai was
    also very helpful in that they will send users floppy disks with
    ALL of the current patches available for the K5, FREE!.  So, in about 
    fifteen minutes, I loaded all of the K5 patches into my librarian and 
    was ready to go.  The program costs $125.00 list from Kawai, and in
    my opinion is well worth it.  As new patches come out I can get them 
    from Kawai, and I can also store my own creations, without having to 
    worry about RAM or disk space (all the patches together take up less 
    than a meg).  The editor lets you send or receive either individual 
    patches or entire blocks, rename these, and even create or delete 
    patches, lists of patches, or subdirectories of banks of patches.
    
    	Again, I may be the only person with K5 using an ibm PC as a
    sequencer/storage device, but I am real glad to see this product.
    Is this typical of other (eg Atari or Mac) patch librarians?  
    
    Clusters,
    Bill
    
    PS I realize I didn't mention any patch "editor" in the DICE product,
       but the K5 has pretty sophisticated editing built-in.
                                                 

    Bill,
    
    The Kawai sounds are free.  If you send your own RAM carts to Kawai,
    then they will load which ever banks you desire onto the cards and
    send them back.  You don't need to buy a cart per bank.
    
    Can you ARC the banks and upload them so that I can attempt to make
    them work on my K5?  Send me mail if you have no idea what I'm talking
    about, or how to do it.
    
    For reference, I'm using my own home-brew patch archiver on my ST.
    
    Thanks,
      Steph
    
    
      Steph
    

    Steph
    
    	ARC?  Er...maybe you better give me your mail address again.
    
    Clusters, 
    Bill

  I may soon be aquiring a K5 to complement my D50.  I have an ST computer
  which I would like to use as a storage medium for sounds as well.
  (Of course it is my sequencer but this is about he storage medium.)

  Unfortuantely for me, Steph Bailey isn't directly here on the net for
  info.  Does anybody else out there in netland have a K5 and Atari?
  I will be using Steph's Bulkdump.  I am interested in any and all
  patches for the K5 that are available.  Thanks.

   chad
  

re .3:
    
    I have the patches (from KAWAI) and a K5, but no Atari.  
    sorry,
    Bill Allen @MPO
    
    PS If you have Steph's S/W, couldn't you just go direct to 
       KAWAI for the patches (if that is what you're after)?
       All they would probably need is a diskette(s) to put the
       sounds on.