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Conference napalm::commusic_v1

Title:* * Computer Music, MIDI, and Related Topics * *
Notice:Conference has been write-locked. Use new version.
Moderator:DYPSS1::SCHAFER
Created:Thu Feb 20 1986
Last Modified:Mon Aug 29 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2852
Total number of notes:33157

1795.0. "cheap MIDI consumer gear ..." by MIZZOU::SHERMAN (Love is a decision ...) Mon Dec 05 1988 19:48

Saw this on the other net.  I also saw something called the Casio MT240
going for $149.99 at Caldor.  Has 49 tiny keys, stereo speakers, 20 preset
rhythms, memory record function, PCM sounds and MIDI.  Now, I'm not into
it, but I detect that the consumer market is beginning to be flooded with 
$100-$300 cheapie MIDI-equipped gear (aside from drum machines, FX boxes
and other 'real' ;-} gear).


Steve

Newsgroups: rec.music.synth
Path: decwrl!labrea!agate!pasteur!ames!ucsd!nosc!humu!uhccux!todd
Subject: Vocalizer 1000 in Sharper Image catalog
Posted: 2 Dec 88 09:05:08 GMT
Organization: University of Hawaii
 
The December 88 Sharper Image catalog has something called the Vocalizer
1000 described on page 3.  According to the full-page blurb, the thing is a
"voice-controlled music synthesizer."  It has MIDI in/out, audio-in (for
guitar, etc.), voice-in microphone, 3.5" speaker, headphone jack, 5-track
sequencer, 28 instrument sounds, 5 drum sounds, and various effects
control.  All this for $300.
 
Anyone buy one of these things yet?  Is it any good?  Looks interesting.
 
-- 
Todd Ogasawara, U. of Hawaii Faculty Development Program/Focal Point
UUCP:		{uunet,ucbvax,dcdwest}!ucsd!nosc!uhccux!todd
ARPA:		[email protected]		BITNET: todd@uhccux
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1795.1MIZZOU::SHERMANLove is a decision ...Mon Dec 05 1988 21:3779
Here's another one from the other net:


Newsgroups: rec.music.synth
Path: decwrl!labrea!rutgers!att!ttrdc!levy
Subject: Looking for best keyboard deal for me (was Re: Absolute Best Weighted Keyboard)
Posted: 5 Dec 88 01:54:03 GMT
Organization: AT&T, Skokie, IL
 
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (Dan Ts'o) writes:
< In article <[email protected]> [email protected] (Frank Wells) writes:
< >I've got a Korg SG-1D -- use it for the piano sounds, and as a MIDI master
< >controller.  I agree, the 12 (only) twelve voices gets frustrating, but
< >only on soft, legato pieces with lots of pedal.  As for the competition,
< >Roland just doesn't cut it for feel or sound -- not as a piano-thing,
< >anyway.  Personal opinion:  the Korg piano sound is better than the Yamaha.
< 	I agree. I have an SG1DX which I love. But my sister wanted a digital
< piano and I tried to remain unbiased and once again examine all the current
< models from all makes. It seems that the best selling digital pianos,
< according to at least a dozen stores and mail order houses is the KORG,
< particularly the CONCERT series. My sister decide on KORG over the Roland,
< Yamaha, Kawai, Technics and Kurzweil. You can get a C-3500 for $1700 and
< a C-5000 for $1850. Both are full 88-keys weighted, 16-note (not 12-note)
< polyphonic. The C-5000 has reverb, which helps the sound even more. The
< top of the line C-7000/7100 is about $2200 and has stereo sampled sounds
< and is the best of the bunch.
 
Hello, I walked in late on this discussion.  But I'd like to get ideas on the
best electronic piano keyboards for a limited budget, and felt that this news
group would be the best place to go.  I combed through the articles to see if
anyone was talking about anything related to the matter, and came across this
article.  It felt like a starting point, so I followed up.
 
Let me explain how I got thinking about this.  Yesterday, while not even
thinking of electronic keyboards, but rather in quest of a portable radio,
I went into the local Venture (a discount department store).  After picking
out the radio, I went over to the battery aisle, and lo and behold, on the
other side of the aisle was a display of electronic keyboards.  I play an
acoustical keyboard (read: ordinary piano) but I've often been fascinated
by electronic keyboards.  In the past several years, however, keyboards that
simulated anything close to a piano or had more than four octaves were too
pricey for me, and the cheaper ones were definitely mickey mouse.  Back to
the present situation: one unit, a Casio CT640 (stop hooting, please :-)
drew my attention:  it had five octaves, full size keys, ten note polyphony,
and it actually sounded like a piano when I played a few pieces on it.  I
thought this might be almost reasonable for something to bang on at night in
my apartment (and listen to through earphones) when I don't want to bother the
neighbors while practicing classical pieces, though the range of five
octaves was still too cramped on the low side.  Then I looked at the price
tag and was bowled over by how little it was (compared to what I'd seen
through the years when I dared browse music stores): $300.
 
Now I got to thinking:  if THIS is possible for $300, maybe there are better
keyboards (wider range, with pedal sustain, and possibly [though not a
requirement for my purposes] with keys which are sensitive to the force of
touch [is that what "weighted keys" means?]) for, say, double the $300 figure?
Especially given that I don't want non-piano fluff like what this beast has:
30 different voices, automatic rhythm section, MIDI interface, performance
memory.  All I want is maybe 6 octaves (3 below middle C, 3 above), a "damper"
pedal, a reasonable amount of polyphony (at least 10 notes, more would be
nicer), a fair imitation of a piano sound, and an earphone jack.
 
And so, with high hopes, I come to this newsgroup and look for ideas for
a keyboard like this without busting my budget.  The Korg unit mentioned
in the quote above would obviously more than fulfill the function I want
but would leave my wallet uncomfortably bare.  I get a little nervous when
contemplating an electronic keyboard for which I must shell out more than
I would pay for an "acoustic" one, especially given the cost of fixing
it when it fails.
 
Thanks in advance.
 
(Please email me if you can.  I can't always keep up with the news.  Thanks
again.)
-- 
|------------Dan Levy------------|  THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED HEREIN ARE MINE ONLY
| Bell Labs Area 61 (R.I.P., TTY)|  AND ARE NOT TO BE IMPUTED TO AT&T.
|        Skokie, Illinois        | 
|-----Path:  att!ttbcad!levy-----|
1795.2Ca...Ca...I ges cant say it....SALEM::AMARTINOH OH, Ran outah piddiesFri Dec 09 1988 00:0311
    Speakin of the C word....
    I was in lechemere today and say the MT460?  I think that was what
    it was.  I was messin round with it and noticed that it had one
    hell of a superb piano sound.  I was really amazed at the likeness
    to the real thing.  this thing only cost 270 smackers and it had
    a few neat things.  Naturally, I would never....:-) but ya never
    know......
    
    BTW:  it is MIDI, reasonable sized keys and lots o lots o goodies
    for the person that ges loves those noises...like m....er some of
    you.:-)
1795.3Limitation on CT-640 MIDIBAGELS::SREBNICKBad pblm now? Wait &#039;til we solve it!Thu Jan 05 1989 15:168
    I found out something interesting about the MIDI implementation
    in the Casio CT-640 (list price $399).  It doesn't transmit the
    percussion part from the built in rhythms.  When I was in a music
    store we hooked the CT-640 up to a Kurzweil.  Muck around as we
    did, we couldn't find any channel that was playing the percussion
    part.
    
    Everything else seemed to be there, though.