Conference napalm::commusic_v1

    > dragging on playback...
    
    How are you sure it's playback? A speed-up during record will sound
    like a slow-down when played back...
    
    Anyhow, it's goofing up someplace. Have you tried more than one
    tape? Sometimes an unevenly wound tape will cause this. Try FF->RW
    on another deck a few times.
    
    Are the drive belts slipping? Are the pinch rollers clean? Do the
    squirrels in the cage have enough food to keep them running at a
    steady pace?
        
    Edd

    
>    Do the squirrels in the cage have enough food to keep them running at a
>    steady pace? 

    Hmmm.  Maybe that's the problem.  I always had bad luck with gerbils
    as a kid.  Maybe they just don't like me.
    
    BUT seriously, as soon as I noticed the problem, I cleaned the record
    head and rollers carefully.  Didn't seem to make any difference. 
    I'll try rewinding the tape on my stereo deck, but it's happened
    on two different tapes so far.  
    
    Does the X-15 use some kind of a belt?  If I open it up will I be able
    to see a belt of some kind?  Will I be able to do anything about it?
    I've always been wary of opening up electronic goods, but I'm also not
    too fond of sending it off to a repair shop. 
    
    Peter
       

    Open it up, look at the belts, and stick some french chalk (of the
    kind found in bicycle puncture repair outfits) on em. Failing the
    chalk, use (a bit kinky this) talcum powder, of a reasonably
    inoffensive fragrance. Could be stray grease on belt.
    
    You could take the belts off and clean them with tape hed cleaner
    first.
    
    Richard.

    
    	Yes it has belts - mine even has an authentic, DEC Standard
    issue rubber band for fast-forward/rewind. Fortunately, they are
    visible and accessible. Mine has never behaved in the fashion you
    describe. 
    	If you had the wrong power supply, i promise you'd hear it!
    One annoying aspect of this machine is that I do get some of the
    controls in a stuck state - usually the record/play get in some
    sort of half mode where neither works. Wish I had a good cure -
    taking off the back and glaring at it seems to work equally well
    as just glaring at it fully clothed.  Maybe it's the crescendo of
    profanity that fixes the problem. Probably just magic! (although
    i'll try an open can of mixed nuts next time).
    
    	Anyways - I've had lots of fun for 300 bucks.
    
    				bs

    
    re: -1 
    
    I've had it stick in Play and Record mode a couple of times, too.
    I've learned to press the buttons carefully and not rush around
    too much; it's more likely to jam if I'm moving fast...
    
    But yes, for a budget like mine, the X-15 has been a lot of fun.
    Speaking of my budget, here's a question I've been meaning to ask
    in here for a while...
    
    I'm a little concerned that I'm abusing my X-15 by using it way too
    much.  Because of my modest setup, I use the 4-track as a headphone
    mixer when I'm writing songs, a recorder when I'm recording, and as a
    mixdown board when I'm doing the final mixes.  Whenever I'm doing
    anything musical, it's always on.  I'm racking up a lot of hours
    on the thing. 
    
    I've been wondering if it would be smart to invest in an inexpensive
    sequencer like the Alesis MMT-8.  At least then I could do my keyboard
    work (CZ-1000) and drum machine (TR-505) mixes via MIDI without turning
    on the 4-track.  Presumably, I could then record the keyboard and
    drum MIDI tracks directly on to one X-15 track.  I could then do the
    acoustic parts on the remaining cassette tracks. 
    
    My concern, of course, is that I should save my money a little longer
    so I can afford a "real" keyboard, maybe with a built-in sequencer,
    over the next couple of years.  I just can't afford a major purchase
    right now.
    
    Any advice out there?
    
    Peter

    
    Only one thing to keep in mind:
    
    The CZ-1000 when used with a sequencer appears as either a four-note
    poly synth or four mono synths.  If you sequence a poly keyboard
    line along with drums, you cannot add any other parts to be played
    back in real time.
  

    Another thing to bear in mind: though I am an MMT8 owner, I think
    I'd look carefully at the Yam QX5 which is now extremely cheap and
    does step edits (though the way you work at present, maybe you wouldn't
    use step edit anyway).
    
    Richard.

    
    Well, I took a look at the belts on my X-15 and everything seemed
    to be in order.  The larger belt, that drives some kind of weighted
    wheel, seemed *slightly* loose, but not enough where I thought it
    would be slipping.
    
    So, I carefully put it back together and tried using another cassette
    tape.  Things seem to be okay now.  Maybe the incantations worked. I
    guess I'll cross my fingers and hope it was just a bad couple of blank
    cassettes (TDK SA90s, by the way). 
    
    In the meantime, I gave Sam Ash a call this morning--just for fun.
    Their prices on the Yamaha QX-5 and Alesis MMT-8:
    
    	QX-5	$417.00
    	MMT-8	$269.00

    Interesting.
    

    Randi (re: .6):  what's this about the CZ-1000 and sequencing:
    
>    The CZ-1000 when used with a sequencer appears as either a four-note
>    poly synth or four mono synths.  If you sequence a poly keyboard
>    line along with drums, you cannot add any other parts to be played
>    back in real time.

    After reading your reply a couple of times, I think I'm starting to
    understand what you're saying.  You're saying that the CZ-1000 can only
    output one four-note polyphonic patch at a time to the sequencer.  That
    means I can only play back one keyboard track and one drum track from
    the sequencer into the 4track recorder at a time.
            
    Does that mean that the CZ cannot send any 8-note polyphonic patches to
    the sequencer?  I do use some 8-note poly sounds (using only line 1) on
    the CZ.  Those would be useless when sending a track on the
    sequencer to my 4track recorder?
    
    Thanks for you help, by the way.  
    
    Peter

RE < Note 1737.9 by 4TRACK::LAQUERRE "You're on the 4TRACK to success" >

	The CZ plays in two modes - the normal mode, which you've been using, 
and multi-timbral mode (playing four monophonic [single note] patches 
simultaneously).  You can only access the multi-timbral functionality (i.e., 
playing all four mono patches at once) from an external source, either another 
synth that plays on four consecutive midi channels at once, or a sequencer that 
overdubs channels.  You can use the CZ to program the sequencer in multi-timbral
mode, having the sequencer control the other three channels while you record one
from the CZ keyboard.

	It helps in MIDI terms, to define the CZ as two separate modules, the
keyboard (or transmitting module) and the sound generating unit (or the 
receiving module).  Since you can't make the keyboard on a CZ split into more 
than one MIDI channel, it follows that it cannot access the four consecutive 
MIDI channel patches that are available in the SGU.  That is why you need the
external help.

	You WILL be able to use the sequencer to play your eight-note chords,
but it will only help you in the multi-tracking (tape) recording process if 
you are doing something ELSE (like playing guitar) at the same time you are
recording what you have sequenced.  If you want to keep the non-sequenced
stuff separate from the sequenced stuff (tape track-wise), sequencing will
mainly benefit you if you use the CZ's multi-timbral mode.

	Is that clear?

	Perhaps a qualifier for this would be to suggest that a sequencer, at
least a good one with decent editing capabilities, will help you if you are
interested in recording synth parts that are beyond your live playing abilities.
You can slow down the tempo on the sequencer and play the piece in, then speed 
it up for playback with no pitch or timbre change.  Also you can go in and 
delete single bad notes or punch in parts easier.  This helps you to avoid tape
wear in the recording process.

	Dan

    Pardon me for digressing, but I paid $445 for my QX5 more than a
    year ago.  Nuts, I could have saved about $30 if I had waited until
    now ... ;->
    
    Steve

    
    Well, thanks for all your help--especially Brian who gave me a call. It
    looks like the MMT-8 would not necessarily solve all my problems.
    Through this discussion, and after reading note #695 (Discussion on
    Polytimbral MIDI SGUs), I see that the CZ and TR-505 through the MMT-8
    wouldn't do much for me. 
    
    A salesperson at Daddy's Junky Music here in Nashua had some more
    advice for me at lunch today.  He suggested the MMT-8 together with a
    used Yamaha FB01 sound module. The FB01 would give the multi-timbral
    capabilities that don't come with the CZ.  At retail store prices, I
    could get a used FB01 and the MMT-8 for around $500.00, nearly the
    price of just a QX-5. 
    
    I thought that was a pretty creative idea, but $500.00 is still a little
    more than I was hoping to spend when I first got his idea...
    
    And then even if I did get the FB01 and the MMT-8, I'd still have a
    problem because the CZ is not a velocity sensitive keyboard.  I don't
    know if it's realistic to use it as a controller for an FB01. 
    
    Any thoughts on that?  
    
    Peter 

    

    I hardly ever use the CZ as a controller.  Mostly I use my S-10.
    Velocity sensitivity makes a world of difference.  I'm not as sold
    on aftertouch.
    
    Steve

>I'm not as sold on aftertouch ...

    You will be when you get good (insert appropriate number of smiley
    faces here). 

-b

    Aftertouch is an acquired taste.
    
    I bought my SQ-80 for other reasons, but I now consider one of
    it's most valuable features is POLYPHONIC aftertouch.
    
    I found it very natural to use.  In fact, I may have been using
    pressure all along without thinking about it, on keyboards that
    didn't support it.
    
    Playing both guitar I've often felt stifled on keyboards because
    they aren't "responsive".   No matter how you push the note, it
    sounds the same (velocity excepted).
    
    With pressure I can add vibrato, emphasize notes, bend notes, open
    the filter, etc.  It's a great step towards that expressivity you
    get with a guitar.
    
    I'm sold.
    
    	db

    I am uncertain, but believe that I may have detected sensitivity
    of some tape decks to electrical noise (radiated, probably).  That
    is, if the tape deck motors are servo-controlled, than there is
    a sensor, and sensors are sensitive (often producting small currents).
    I believe that one piece of equipment I have may have interferred
    with the cassette by introducing extra currents,thereby corrupting
    the feedback-loop, and causing fluctuation during tape copying,
    like a wide slow flutter or wow.  Turning off the particular equipment,
    and changing the positional relationship of the cassette and equipment
    may perhaps have diminished the effect.  As I say, the experiment
    was not perfect and so the results uncertain.
    Tom

    
    Re: -.1
    
    Interesting.  When the problem surfaced, I was recording in a new
    location of the room.  I had the CZ-1000 just above the
    4-track...could it be?
    
    Another development.  The problem happened on a TDK HX 90 cassette,
    not an SA 90, like I incorrectly stated in an earlier reply.  I'm
    a little suspicious of the HX series now, but I'll keep an eye on
    that.  I've never had a problem with the SA 90s.
    
    Peter
    

    My wow problem resurfaced, but a recording of speech so I sent it
    out.  But then I made a 1kHz sine tone recording for 45 minutes
    with everything off, then 45 min with a big thing on.  I am listening
    to it in my office today at a low level.  Sounds OK.  Tonight I
    will go for the microwave oven (on a minute, offf a minute during
    recording) and another piece of equipment, and listen to it
    to see if there is correlation.
    
    Things work when you're trying to analyze a failure; they fail when
    you're trying to do work.
    Tom