Conference napalm::commusic_v1

2445.0. "Open Systems & Synthesizers" by FORTSC::CHABAN () Tue Sep 11 1990 17:43

    
    This sort of came to me after hearing all the complaining about
    "product maturity" in a previous note, and a conversation I had with my
    'ol buddy Roger Powell last night.
    
    I guess we all know about the move towards open systems in the computer
    marketplace, why not a similar movement in the musical instrument
    business?  It seems to me that we (meaning consumers) should be able to
    affect change in the synthesizer marketplace.  
    
    MIDI
    
    It seems to me that MIDI is just the first step in the open systems
    direction.  MIDI is to synthesizers as Ethernet is to computers. 
    Essentially, it is a connectivity mechanism.  We generally use MIDI at
    awfully low levels when we connect synthesizers to synthesizers.  That 
    is to say, performance parameters only.  Especially amoung hardware
    from different manufacturers.  
    
    Computers
    
    When we marry computers to MIDI, we get the ability to edit and archive
    patches and sequences.  I'd have to say sequences are more open than
    patches for obvious reasons.
    
    Open architectures
    
    There are still no truly open architectures in the synthesizer world
    although you might say that the old modular analogs were "open" because
    the industry "standardized" control voltages and such so that you could
    mix say ARP and MOOG modules in your patches.  I've never done this,
    but I understand it was possible.  I really wish someone would build a
    modular digital synthesizer based on an industry standard bus.  In some
    ways, people like DigiDesign are moving in that direction.  I think a
    WaveFrame-type product based on NU-Bus or something might be a winner. 
    Unfortunately, we still have to purchase those expensive Mac II
    machines in order to use such a product.
    
    Digital Signal Processor chips (DSPs)
    
    These may be our saving grace.  What the 68000 family did for UNIX
    minicomputers and workstations, the 56000 family may do for
    synthesizers.  By that I mean someone just might come up with a
    "standard" operating system or some "standards" for using DSPs in a
    synthesizer.  Imagine being able to write a patch on a 56000 and then
    recompiling it so that it runs on, say, Intel's DSP chip or maybe AMD's
    or whatever.  
    
    Blue sky
    
    Once you can play anyone's samples or anyones patches on anyones
    synthesizer, price/performance will become an issue.  Perhaps this is
    why what I'm suggesting will never happen.  Consider the impact of open
    systems on the computer marketplace and you'll see why hardware
    manufacturers will resist it.  But software vendors would benefit
    greatly from such an endeavor as would we consumer/musicians.
    
    _Ed

    Your right! It will probably come from the software people before the
    hardware people. Digidesign is going about it (as well as some other
    littler companies). There are several new companies popping up
    with IBM versions like SoundTools and eventually all will have a
    "turbo Synth", with enough speed to work in real time along side
    of direct to disk recording in addition to samples.
    
    Since 1985 I have worked for various music software companies such as 
    Dr. T's, Hip Software, Mimetics and have consulted with many others.
    It is their interested to stay alive to come up with it, while the
    hardware people want to believe it will never happen. The one
    company (hardware) that may do it is Roland. I know a lot of people
    there and some of them would like to see it happen at least in the
    mid-high end range. (But first they have to dump the next few
    synths that they have already dumped $$$ into to make it back)
    It will happen, but when??? At least the hardware peopl have realized
    that people are not buying new synthes as fast as they can make them.
    And Peavey is getting good press and has a lot of happy owners.
    
    Oh, well, I guess I should go home, turn on all my synths and watch
    the lights in the rest of the house dim! Tell Roger I said Hello!
    I got to meet him at NAMM shows plus while I was at Dr. T's, we
    distributed "Texture" and I chatted to him and Steve Rossi. 
    
    Bruce Carroll
    

    I just saw that Digidesign announced a "sampler on a card" for the MAc.
    16 bit quality, 16 voices and expanedable up to 8 megs of RAM.
    They also are supplying it with a CD rom disk (supposedly from the
    Synclavier library!) of 600 megs of samples. It uses standard Mac Simms
    so upgrading isnt that much. I'm sure that you'll be able to use it
    with Turbo Synth in real time, plus in addition to SoundTools
    and have access it thru Vision and/or the MIDI Manager.
    Anybody want to buy my old Akai S900????
    
    The only drawback is its for the Mac only, but thats OK, Spectral
    Synthesis has one for the PC  and they also have coming out a 16
    track digital recorded. Turtle Beach shouldnt be too far behind.
    
    Bruce Carroll