Conference napalm::commusic_v1

	Never used it, but it has a super reputation. 

	However, before you get too excited, I trust you are aware that
it costs around $4,000?

					- Karl

	Ya a friend of mine has one (not the newest one, the one
	before it) I compared it against an SC DrumTracks a few
	notes back.....
	It's a great machine, however (there's always however)
	the replacement chips are like $20 or singles $40 for
	doubles and $100 and something for the cymbal replacements.

	  The replacment chips are alternate sounds (different
	drums, sound effects, guitars etc..) they come in
	sets 
	1 chip - like tamborine, cabasha, sidestick...
	2 chips - toms..
	8 chips - ride and crash
	The channels (chips) that are tunable are the toms
	(2 chips), snare (1chip?), congas (1chip?) and 
	hi-hat (1chip) that hi hat adjustment is for tightness
	I don't know how the adjustment relates to pitch, there is
	no change.
	There is a clock adjustment inside that allows you to
	tune the whole thing up or down (the data output rate)
	You can get some neat sounds that way but, everything
	(except that front panel tunable sounds 6 don't change)
	goes up or down, however the bass drum does too, this seems
	to ruin the effect, really you'de have to multitrack the thing.
	  
	There are seperate outputs for all sounds, plus a stero ouput
	that you can pan each voice with a slide pot. You can stripe
	tapes with a timeing track that it writes (but for sync to tape
	you allways have to start at the begining of the tape, there
	are a few restrictions to that), and there is a trigger output
	from the COWBELL sound that can trigger sequencers. Plus 
	trigger inputs for snare, bass, toms and (I think) cymbals
	suitable for trigger pad (a la simmons).
	There are various modes of operation to complex to go
	into here, like song mode for changing hooks and rolls 
	together, really any fragments, how ever you can run
	out of memory. 

	That is the last LinnDrumm, the new one has all that
	and MORE, it's MIDI, has more sounds, the finger pads
	are pressure (velocity??) sensative and laid out better.
	plus there is a hole lot more programing functions designed
	to better facilitate a drummer programming the thing (user
	friendly). It doesn't look as good in my opinion though....

	Dollars$$$$$????? I don't know.

	Anybody got an Oberhiem DX??? what do you think of it??
	is it MIDI??? Iknow that it doesn't take the DMX drumcards
	but has discreate (come on) ROMS 2732's or 2716's (god forbid!!)
	in it. It's inexpensive (about 1K) but it is Oberhiem.


	Vocifeourly yours,

	John

	Thanks for the info.  I had heard about the LinnDrum, and yes I 
also heard that it was around $3000-$4000.  Something else to put on the 
shopping/dreaming list.....

	Check out the RX11 Yamaha drum machine. 29 voices.
	MIDI. 1/192 (?) HI-RES mode. $895 list. It may even
	be available. I've heard it, sounds good. But, Didn't 
	get to listen long, not an indepth trial. 
	But it did sound better than the SC Drumtraks, defintely
	better than the Korgs. But the Linn is still the best.
	I have not heard an Oberhiem DMX,DX or the new DX.

	John

	I have a LinnDrum and I think it's great.  It costs me 2200 brand
	new, not $3000 to $4000.  I compared it to the Oberhiem DMX and
	the Roland TR707 and TR909.  I thought it was easier to use than
	these, plus the sampled drum sounds were better.  This was especially
	true for hi-hat and cymbal sounds.  The other machines had a much
	shorter decay time so it didn't sound as real.  It has seperate outputs
	for all sounds, or you can use the stereo sends and pan certain sounds
	together.  It also has a mixer so you can adjust the volume when using
	the stereo sends. I use this to pan hi-hat and cymbals to the left
	channel, adjust the volumes, then take the left output and put it into
	an equalizer to cut low and mid frequencies and boost highs. This way
	the cymbals don't sound harsh and sizzle in the mix for recording.

	The LinnDrum programs easily. You start by creating patterns and
	storing them as a patch. Then you link the patterns together as a
	song. You can play fills at the same time a pattern is running.
	It allows editing songs and patterns.

	It syncs well to other devices (I have an MSQ-700 sequencer) and
	to tape. It also has a tape backup feature for off-line storage and
	loading. You can also get replacement chips for different sounds.
	For example, I have real tom-toms and Simmons tom-toms, and change







	them depending on the tune.

	These features are why the LinnDrum is the studio standard drum
	machine. You can tell one immediately by the handclap sound.

	Dave