| I just got a flier on this. Its the DMI-64 Mark II. The cover letter
said it will list at $795 and be available around now (september).
The panel has 4 pushbuttons and a (looks like) 4 character display.
Features include:
- Simulated overdriven tube amplifier distortion provides organ presets
with the ultimate classic sound.
- 99 programable presets
- 64 voices, dynamically assigned (21 to 64 note polyphony)
- 16 channel multi-timbral capacity
- 64 waveforms (8 user Programmable)
- Waveform generation performed by additive synthesis method similar
to using drawbars on an organ
- Built in effects (vibrato, chorus, rotating speaker,key click,
analog distortion and tone wheel organ percussion)
- 48 khz, 22 bit (effective linear coded) audio output
- 1 rack high, 5 lbs.
- noise floor >70db below max signal level
- Other programmable functions include: keybrd split, pitch
(microtonal/semitonal) and volume offsets, audio channel assignments
(there are 2 channels), and waveform number assignment. A total of 52
parameters may be programmed for each preset.
- can be programmed using the DMI Soft Control software and a personal
computer.
VOCE inc
111 Tenth Street
Wood-Ridge, NJ 07075
(201) 939-0052
The cover letter indicated that they were working on a dealer list
which will be forthcoming as soonas its available.
|
| This is a brief report about the VOCE Mark 2(?) Hammond emulator. I demo'd
it on Friday night and used it for two gigs since that time. Yup, I did buy
it!
What it is: a 60(?) note poly Hammond emulator in a single height rack mount-
able box. Programmable parameters include Leslie ramp up/down speed, steady
state speed fast/slow, programmable chorus rate and intensity, programmable
vibrato rate. It has fixed and programmable waveforms wich are equal to various
drawbar settings. It also allows varying of the drawbar settings for the
programmable waveforms. (Sounds redundant, eh? - I need more time to better
figure the thing out!) It contains an outboard power supply, but it is not
a true wallbug. It has a power cord and a transformer/power supply and then
a device cord.
User interface: four push buttons and a power switch. It also has a four
digit display, but it's not backlit!
Programmability: Pretty good, but not intuitive at all. Assumes that the
user KNOWS the Hammond, because it gives values in virtual "Drawbar" values,
in terms of relative pitch (ie; 16', 8', etc.) and amplitude. I needed the
manual for all of the programming I did on Satuday. (About 2 hours worth!)
Note, these parameters cannot be changed in real time, like a real virtual
drawbar could. Instead, you can change basic patches in real time, much
like you'd change an overall registration from a preset. You have to pre-
program these patches to meet your needs, much like you'd pre-define
a registration before using it.
Effects: Decent. The Leslie simulator works well, and can be driven off
the mod wheel of your controller. Same for vibrato and chorus, if you so
choose. They can either be fixed or variable parameters and can also be
driven from events other than the mod wheel. You can map to other virtual
real time controllers if you so choose. I only mapped the Leslie, left
vibrato and chorus at fixed values. Heres a rub: You can only select chorus
or vibrato (No real problem - that's how the real Hammond works anyway), or
Leslie, Chorus or Vibrato! You can't select the Leslie and Chorus effect
together! That's a crock, as far as I'm concerned, but the sound is potent
and effective just the same. There is also a parameter for key click volume
and HUM! Yes, that's right, HUM. Anyone who owns the real thing knows
that HUM is an important part of the Hammond ensemble, and VOCE didn't
overlook that fact!
Sound: Great! After doing some serious programming on it Saturday, I felt
it was mighty close to the real thing. And yes, I do own the real thing, a
B3. Even used the organ bench as a synth stand while I worked on Saturday! ;-)
It's got clean and distorted sounds from which to choose, and some of them
are so distorted, that they might make a good soundman start checking his
levels! ;-) It's got all the primary registrations, and you can change them
as you so choose. It's got a few Farfisa sounds too, don't ask me why! They
call them Farfisa sounds, but they sounded more like an old Lowrey Holiday
spinet! Maybe I can use them... Yeah right!
Hacks: Gee, it's more like a Hammond than I ever bargained for! Seemed to
want a settling time after selecting a patch. Sound started out funky, then
cleaned up within a second or two. Effects momentarily changed value
when flipping through the displayed parameters. No backlit display.
Primitive user interface, limited display - numeric only. None of the patches
are alphabetically described! No volume control, midi volume control only!
Only one power switch. (Remember that the older Hammonds had a START and
RUN switch, so how come VOCE forgot!) Only fooling here, folks! Also, it
seems to have a very low output level. (May talk to VOCE about this) I needed
a LOT of gain (And I do have it available), to make this thing work properly!
Overall Impression: Very favorable. Outside of it's quirks, it's a very
convincing unit. Cuts through like a mic'd Hammond/Leslie. Confuses the
audience when they see someone playing a DX7, but that only adds more fun
to the effort! It's AMERICAN made, comes from an outfit in New Jersey!
I may never be totally able to convince myself that I'm not actually playing
the real thing, but this helps in a big way to totally confuse my senses.
Sounds like a Hammond, expresses itself like one, but it's controlled from
a lightweight keyboard. Guess I miss the massiveness of the real thing, but
I don't mind NOT having to move it!
If you're really looking for a good substitute for a Hammond and can put up
with a few quirks (Like owning the real thing!), this is the box for you!
Price: List $795, but I did considerably better from EU Wurlitzer in
Worcester. Might pay to shop, but I didn't have the time or desire!
/Terry
|