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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

95.0. "1/2" 8-track" by OLORIN::CZOTTER () Wed May 08 1985 03:41

I read with great interest all the comments regarding multi-track
techniques that others are using. I'm sorry I had to get nasty but I'm
glad I did. Thank you all who replied. Meanwhile, having tried some of these
tricks (which did help) I decided that 8 tracks was definitely called for.
So I have put a deposit on a Tascam 8-track 1/2" format. I will take delivery on
it as soon as I can find some 1/2" by 10+1/2" open reel tape. Anybody ever
seen such an animal in any stores? E. U. Wurlitzer has some on order for me.

Meanwhile, anybody have any opinions about 1/2" versus 1/4" 8-track formats?
Supposedly, the 1/2" has much better specs. I'm only asking out of curiosity
since I don't intend to switch. To save some $ I would, except that 
E. U. Wurlitzer, having already taken so much of my money recently, gave 
me a price on this machine that is lower than the price of the 
Fostex 1/4" 8-track. Can you believe it?

John Sauter came to visit me last Saturday and he brought his DX-7. We hooked
it up to my Roland MKB-1000 keyboard controller and it worked very well. The
combined sounds of the MKS-80 Super Jupiter and the DX-7 were just too cool.
We also visited Wurlitzer's to see my favorite salesman. I think John is
getting dangerously close to buying a digital reverb.

	Ted
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95.1SAUTER::SAUTERWed May 08 1985 11:0919
I will probably buy a Digital Reverb, as Ted suggested.  He spent some time
last Saturday educating me on what these beasts can do.  I was very impressed.

One thing that Ted did which helped educate me: he started a song with only
a little reverb, then slowly increased it as the song progressed.  By the
end I was still able to relate to it as music, even though earlier I had
rejected large amounts of reverb as being "beyond what I consider music".
The lesson is that it is important to be able to control reverb parameters
as the song progresses.  As a result of that lesson I am going to limit myself
to reverbs that accept MIDI messages.  The only one I know of at the moment
is the Roland.

I learned something else last Saturday: the talent of the keyboard player
has a lot more to do with the quality of the music than the nature of the
instruments.  Ted is too modest to say this, so I will say it: Ted is a very
good keyboard player.  Someday a bunch of us ought to get together and play
for each other.  This is a somewhat selfish wish, since I can't contribute
much.                                          
    John Sauter
95.2SAUTER::SAUTERWed May 08 1985 11:115
I have a 1/4 inch 8-track, and I find myself satisfied with it.  There is
some crosstalk, but not enough to offend me.  Because of the way I record
I always end up putting some sound from each track in both the right and
left speakers anyway.
    John Sauter
95.3BOOLE::SPEEDWed May 08 1985 11:5021
Last night I attended a clinic at Union Music sponsored by Fostex and
Sequential Circuits.  One of the things they showcased, obviously, was their
A-8 1/4" 8 track machine.

I was prepared to dislike the machine because my experience has been either
on cheapo machines or on pro quality (16/24 track Studer, etc.).  However,
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality from the A-8.  The clinician did
some stuff live from the SCI keyboards and drum machines, as well as some
pre-recorded stuff.  The quality was quite acceptable, especially for someone
who would be doing mostly electronic compositions.

If I had the $1695 they were asking for the A-8, I probably would have plonked
it down right there.  I sounded a hell of a lot better than what I'm getting
going live to my cassette deck!!

Before I get the flames about not posting the clinic to the NOTESFILE, I
only learned about it Monday afternoon and didn't get a chance to post it
here!  I apologize and probably deserve a sound thrashing (pardon the pun...)

                       Derek

95.4OLORIN::CZOTTERWed May 08 1985 20:145
Re .1:

	Aw, shucks, tweren't nothin'.

	Ted