| 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 |
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This is a preview of the Korg WS vector/wavetable synthesizer I
received from USENET. It is excerpted from the Korg User's Group
"Connection" newsletter.
Interesting to compare features with the (cheaper) Yamaha SY-22 which
also uses vector synthesis.
Brian
From: [email protected] (Mark Turner)
Subject: Wavestation Preview (long)
Date: 25 Jun 90 21:13:29 GMT
Organization: HP Design Tech Center - Santa Clara, CA
The following article is reprinted from the KORG Connection newsletter.
The article is PREview, not a REview, so it does not go into as much
depth as our full-blown review will.
The printed version contains a figure and a spec sheet which are omitted
here. If you would like to receive the newsletter, all you have to do
is join the KORG Connection!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Preview: The Wavestation
by Mark Turner, Copyright (C) 1990 KORG Connection
One of the most talked about new keyboards at the winter NAMM show was
the Wavestation, the first product from Korg's U.S. Research and
Development division. Due for release in July, the Wavestation is bound
to make waves in the music scene.
What makes the Wavestation so exciting is a new sound creation method
that combines advanced vector synthesis, waveform sequencing, and
dynamic multi-effects in a sleek and well-designed package. At $2,399
list, the retail price of the Wavestation should be about halfway
between an M1 and a T3.
This article provides a brief introduction to the Wavestation. It is
based on Korg literature, interviews with the designers, and about an
hour of hands-on experience with a prototype. For our next issue Scott
Kahn will give us a complete review of the sounds and capabilities of
the Wavestation.
Vector Synthesis
Vector synthesis was developed by Sequential Circuits, and introduced on
the Prophet VS. The basic concept is that you have four oscillators
scanning four different waveforms. You can then use a joystick to
control the mix ratio between the four waveforms in real-time. Simply
stated, vector synthesis allows you to create new sounds by varying the
mix ratio between four different sounds.
In addition to real-time control, the joystick can also be used to
program a mix ratio envelope. Figure 1 [omitted], taken from the
Wavestation brochure, shows an example of a mix ratio envelope.
Points A, B, C and D correspond to the four waveforms used by this
patch. To program a mix envelope you begin by selecting the start point
(point 0 on the diagram). You can find this point by moving the
joystick while playing a note. Or, if you're a numbers person, you can
read the mix ratio percentages on the display.
After choosing the start point you can then select four other points for
the envelope. Points 1 through 3 correspond to the sustaining portion
of the envelope. Point 4 is the release point.
You can also program the rate at which the the envelope moves from one
point to the next. The rate can be different for each point.
Finally, you can add loop points to your mix envelope. Loops can be
forward or bidirectional, as shown in the diagram. For example, if you
select a forward 1-3 loop, the sound goes from point 0 to point 3 and
then loops back to point 1. It continues to loop between 1 and 3 until
you release the key.
Wave Sequencing
The Wavestation contains 365 waveforms in its PCM ROM. Approximately
125 of these are samples of acoustic and electric instruments, attack
transients, and voices. Another 90 waveforms were taken directly from
the Prophet VS. The remainder are various random and cyclic waveforms.
Wave sequencing allows you to chain as many as 256 of these waveforms
together to create a new and complex waveform. The result is a sound
that changes continuously over time. You can then combine four of these
wave sequences, using vector synthesis, for truly amazing results.
According to John Bowen, product manager for the Wavestation and former
product manager for the Prophet VS, the idea of wave sequencing was born
years ago but couldn't be done with the existing hardware.
"The whole idea of a wave sequence came from my early desire to have
the VS be able to change a waveform while the mix was in progress."
On the VS, as with the Wavestation, the joystick was used to
continuously vary the mix between four waveforms. What John envisioned
was a way to replace any of the four waveforms with a new one whenever
it was out of the mix (that is, when the joystick was positioned so that
the waveform was no longer heard). Then when you panned back to that
waveform you would hear a new one.
"We couldn't do that with the VS because every time you changed a
waveshape the chips reset, and the sound went 'Clunk!' "
When John joined Korg and began work on the Wavestation, he brought up
his old idea. With today's technology it was much easier to implement.
Not only can you chain hundreds of waveforms together, you can set the
starting time, duration, pitch, and level of each waveform in the
sequence, and control the smoothness of the crossfade between them.
Wave sequences can also be looped in a variety of ways, which makes it
easy to create rhythmic sounds. You can adjust the tempo of the wave
sequence to match that of your song, or sync it to MIDI clock.
For a final touch, they added the ability to modulate wave sequences
using a variety of controllers. For example, you can move through a
wave sequence manually using the mod wheel or any other continuous
controller.
You can also use a controller, such as key velocity, to control where
you enter a wave sequence (that is, the step that gets played when you
first press a key). One of the factory patches, named after ZZ Top,
demonstrates this. The patch uses velocity to step through various
harmonics of a guitar-like waveform. The harder you play, the wilder
the harmonics. If you've heard the lead to La Grange, you know what
this sounds like. John demonstrated the patch for me, playing a solo
that would have made Eddie Van Halen proud.
The Wavestation comes with 32 wave sequences in ROM and 32 in RAM, with
room for another 32 in RAM and 32 more on a RAM card, for a total
capacity of 128 wave sequences. The usable number is limited by the
size of the sequences however.
The Keyboard
At first glance the Wavestation looks very much like a T3. Both have 61
keys and a large LCD display. The most obvious differences are that the
Wavestation has pitch and modulation wheels in place of the familiar
Korg joystick, and has a new joystick in the upper left corner. The new
joystick is primarily intended for vector synthesis, but it can also be
used to control the dynamic effects.
Korg decided to use wheels to avoid confusing people with two joysticks,
and also because the center-detented Korg joystick was not as applicable
for the many new uses they had planned.
To the right of the display is a data entry dial. Although it looks
sort of Roland-ish, John insists it's a Sequential thing born on the
Prophet 3000.
The back panel of the Wavestation is nearly identical to the M1. There
are four audio outputs, a headphone jack, three MIDI ports (IN, OUT,
THRU), and two card slots.
Despite the apparent similarities, using the Wavestation is completely
different from using a T3. The Wavestation has a totally new user
interface. The six keys below the display are used for selecting from a
menu of functions. The bottom line of the display always shows the
current function of each key, making it a breeze to navigate through the
menus. Four cursor keys are used to move the cursor around the screen.
For data entry you can use the INC/DEC buttons, the numeric keypad, or
the dial. I find this system much easier, but it may take some time for
M/T-series owners to get used to.
Effects
The Wavestation uses the same digital multi-effect processor used in the
M/T-series keyboards, but the chip has been reprogrammed specifically
for the Wavestation. Former Ensoniq engineer Joe Bryan wrote 47 new
dynamically controllable effects programs, including reverse gated
reverb, multi-tap and ping-pong delays, and stereo pitch shift.
The effects themselves are great, but the most exciting thing about them
is that they can now be dynamically modulated by almost any controller.
For example, you could have delay feedback controlled by key velocity.
Many of the factory patches use the mod wheel to to change chorus rate
or reverb depth, rather than its traditional vibrato function.
The Nitty Gritty
The Wavestation has 32 oscillators. Sounds can be created using one,
two, or four oscillators. Each oscillator also has a filter, two
envelope generators, and two LFOs. One envelope is dedicated to
amplitude, while the other is assignable.
Korg designed an entirely new tone generator chip for the Wavestation.
This chip transposes better, and has smoother filters than those on the
M1. The filters are low-pass, 24dB per octave, and each filter also has
an exciter following it.
Although you need at least two oscillators to do vector synthesis,
single oscillator waveforms are useful for less complex sounds. You can
maximize the polyphony of the instrument (up to 32 notes) by using one
or two oscillators per voice whenever possible. If you create an eight-
voice combination (Korg calls them performances on the Wavestation), and
use four oscillators for every voice, you'll end up with eight note
polyphony. However, because the Wavestation uses dynamic voice
allocation, it is sometimes possible to squeeze out a few extra notes.
Other Goodies
If you use a MIDI sequencer, multi-mode setups allow the Wavestation to
play polyphonically on 16 MIDI channels simultaneously. You can also
play along on the local keyboard. The Wavestation stores 16 different
multi-mode setups.
The new tone generator allows the Wavestation to change patches without
that split-second cutoff familiar to M1 owners. You can now change
patches in the middle of a solo without missing a note. Held keys will
continue to sound the old voice until you release them, while newly
pressed keys sound the new voice.
For programmers Korg has included a handy macro feature. Macros are
templates that provide "canned" setups. This is another feature
borrowed from the Prophet 3000. Instead of having to set up all your
envelopes, filters, and LFOs from scratch, you can start with these
presets. There are macros for brass, organ, and string-type sounds. The
macros help novice programmers get going quickly, but pros will want to
do their own tweaking.
Interestingly, the Wavestation will accept M1 PCM data cards, although
Korg won't recommend their use. Because the Wavestation uses a new tone
generator, you may notice clicks or buzzes in some of the sounds if you
insert an M1 card. Korg will be selling new cards for the Wavestation,
but if you already have some M1 cards you might want to give them a try.
Note that this applies to PCM cards only. Program cards are not
interchangeable. We have also heard that the Frontal Lobe from Canon
Research is compatible with the Wavestation. The Lobe provides both
patch storage and custom PCM loading.
Impressions
The Wavestation bucks the current sample player/workstation trend that
Korg started with the M1. It has no drums, and no MIDI sequencer. It
is a new and different instrument with incredible capabilities.
When you consider that wave sequences can use up to 256 waveforms, and
you have 365 waveforms to choose from, and you can combine up to four
wave sequences together, and play eight or more of these at once, it
adds up to a lot of sonic possibilities.
However, the Wavestation is not for everyone. If you're looking for
drums, a sequencer, or a realistic piano sound, you won't find them
here. (At least not yet--Korg is planning both drum and piano PCM cards
in the near future.) The Wavestation seems geared for people who like
electronic music. It excels at producing new and unconventional sounds.
It begs to be programmed.
I'll reserve final judgement until we've had a chance to put the
Wavestation through a real workout, but I won't deny that I am very
impressed with this keyboard. I still like the T3 for acoustic sounds
and sequencing, but the Wavestation would make an excellent second
keyboard. If you're looking for a state-of-the-art keyboard with exotic
sounds and lots of creative potential, the Wavestation looks like a
winner.
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| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2379.1 | More On The WS | AQUA::ROST | Mahavishnu versus Motormouth | Thu Aug 23 1990 10:15 | 141 |
This came off USENET. Nick Rothwell is a UK correspondent who happens
to own a Waldorf MicroWave (the other wavetable synth currently on the
market) and has the following to say about his experience with the WS:
From: [email protected] (Nick Rothwell)
Subject: Captain Waldorf meets the WaveStation
Date: 20 Aug 90 12:51:51 GMT
I've just been playing truant this morning to have some time alone
with a WaveStation.
Of course, we all know the basic ideas behind vector synthesis, wave
sequencing and the like, having read the WaveStation reviews and
designer literature, so I won't bother going into that stuff.
FACTORY PRESETS: Awful. Not quite as unimaginative as the ones on the
Waldorf, but not far short. The presets are trying to present the
WaveStation as a D-50/D-70 killer, so there are loads of
DigitalNativeDance clones and the like. Nothing really interesting at
all, although the Midnight Run preset with Tangerine Dream-style wave
sequencing provides many seconds of amusement. Actually, there are a
couple of decent American-style lead sounds, using hard oscillator
sync and the like, but that's about it. The strings are pretty good,
although they're rather dull and don't have a great deal of presence.
as far as acoustic lead instruments and pianos goes, forget it.
In power-up mode, you're listening to performances, so there will be a
lot of patches playing at once. Don't get conned - I suggest you solo them.
VOICE ARCHITECTURE: Very nice. The vector mixing doesn't do a great
deal for me, I don't think, but the provision of user-programmable
wave sequences is very nice. Unfortunately, there's no edit buffer for
them, so I couldn't make any alterations without getting rude warning
messages back. The wave sequencing does mean that you aren't tied to a
small number of built-in wavetables, and you can also program rhythmic
effects, which is a step forward from only having
DigitalNativeDance-or-nothing built-in ones, especially since the wave
steps in the sequence can be tuned individually. There were a couple
of the sequences which cross-faded some detuned waves, which was a
nice effect.
PROGRAMMING INTERFACE: Pretty nice. I found the two-dimensional menu
system a bit confusing at first, but I'd get used to it. Given the
amazing versatility of this machine, the interface is certainly pretty
well designed.
EFFECTS PROCESSING: Rather hard to tell. Going off the technical
specs, the effects architecture is pretty good (like, proper dual
effects configuration, one effects unit to each stereo output pair),
and I had a mess around with the delays and chorusing. Lots of
versatility, certainly, though not a great deal of punch, I don't
think.
SOUND QUALITY: Not that impressed, I'm afraid. To be honest, the
WaveStation sounds just like my D-50 (although the guy in the shop,
who has one of each, says it sounds better in an A/B test, which is
quite possible). There's a welcome absence of quantising noise when
bending the high notes (I usually test this...), and it's a lot
smoother and less grainy than other machines. But, there really isn't
that much presence and sparkle in the sounds. Of course there's a
*lot* more animation and modulation than the D-50 (let's face it,
modulation has never been Roland's strong point), but the machine has
a fairly average Japanese sound. My VFX has more clarity, presence and
general punch, and the Waldorf would run rings around it in terms of
sheer balls.
MIDI PERFORMANCE AND CONTROL: Again, hard to tell without the machine
tied up to my Mac and several assorted MIDI diagnostic tools. As is
expected in this day and age, the WS will sustain sounds while you
change performance. I don't know how flexible it is when controlling
external devices (and you can't tell this kind of thing from the
specs. - you just have to try it and watch exactly what it does).
The multitimbral routing of MIDI data to *performances*, rather than
patches, is rather unusual, but seems like a good idea.
KEYBOARD: Satisfactory. Rather light, and shallow travel; I prefer
something a little more clunky (like my VFX, where the keyboard makes
as much noise as the synth). Poly aftertouch is a serious omission, I
feel. Better general feel than the D-50, which is far too springy.
MANUAL: Fine, though quite short. Obviously a Macintosh-produced
product, but rather more polished than the usual fare. I was just
scanning through for specific technical info, so I don't know how it
would read for a novice.
SYSEX: Documented fairly clearly, although the details are missing for
single parameter change values. Nothing that couldn't be reversed
engineered, though (but isn't the European Commission about to outlaw
that? :-)).All the SysEx details are reprinted as C data structures -
that's going to confuse some folks, although it seems quite sensible.
They rely on both signed and unsigned bytes, an inconvenience which
pales into insignificance as I think of the MKS-70's SysEx spec...
GENERAL: Very nice voice architecture, with a programming versatility
and ease-of-use that sets it well ahead of the competition - for the
time being. The quality of the sound (going from the factory presets
and about an hour's programming) is nothing special. The WS does sound
fairly unique, but I don't think it has the clarity, presence, or
unique character it needs to make the most of the voice architecture.
GUT FEELING #1: The US-based ex-Sequential team had a good time designing
the voice architecture, and it shows, but the machine ends up sounding
like an M1, or like a D-50 on steroids, almost as if Korg had the
final say in how it would sound out-of-the-box.
GUT FEELING #2: It will sell heavily for the next 6 months or so,
since it has a catchy name, good marketing, and is technically well
ahead of the competition. I don't think it has the sheer quality of
sound to stay ahead that long. The VFX and Waldorf both pack a bigger
punch, and there will be a dozen me-too clones in six months which
will do the same. I suspect a U-20 would beat it in A/B testing even
today, if sound is all that's important.
NICK SAYS: I like the machine. Sounding just like a D-50 isn't bad per
se, especially since I like the sound of the D-50 (gimmicky effects
aside). There's a *hell* of a lot of power and flexibility here, and
who knows what it could do when programmed with a bit of imagination
and some tender loving care. I shall wait until the end of the year,
check out trade-in prices for my D-50, and see if the WaveStation
price has dropped. I'm outgrowing my D-50 in terms of MIDI flexibility
and voice modulation, Rothwell's law notwithstanding, and a
WaveStation would make a truly formidable replacement.
Oh yes, almost forgot, the WS takes first prize this year for totally
misconceived software facility. Bulk data can be COPY'd or MOVE'd
between RAM banks, SysEx, and so on. COPY does what you'd expect. MOVE
does a COPY and clears the source area. As a result, in a few
keystrokes you can persuade the WaveStation to transmit the entire
contents of its brain through its MIDI OUT socket and leave it there.
Result: one dead WaveStation. This one really makes my day... ("Don't
touch that button!" "What, you mean *this* button?")
Nick.
Nick Rothwell, Laboratory for Foundations of Computer Science, Edinburgh.
[email protected] <Atlantic Ocean>!mcsun!ukc!lfcs!nick
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
Home taping is killing the music industry - keep up the good work.
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| 2379.2 | Unique (?) feature that's kinda neat | DREGS::BLICKSTEIN | This is your brain on Unix | Thu Aug 23 1990 17:34 | 16 |
I played a little bit (15 minutes) with one of these yesterday.
One thing it seems to have going for it is that factory patches
would indicate that you can program little rhythmic things right
into the patches.
Many of the patches were such that if you held down a note with the
left hand, some percussion pattern or bass pattern would get going
and you could noodle on top of it with the right hand.
(If this explained in the previous reply, forgive me, I haven't
got around to reading it yet).
It is LOTS of fun to noodle with this things, but sound-wise there
are other units I would prefer to it (VFX, D-770, etc.)
db
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