Conference napalm::commusic_v1

I can help you, I have one...

First, buy it at Service Merchandise.  They have it for 79.97 which with tax is
83.97.  This sale is on until the end of October if I remember correctly.

Second, the machine.  It features...

Feature		Description
-------         -----------
Sampler		The inputs for this are condensing mic, external mike (you
		supply), or line input.  The sample time is approx. 1.4 secs
Synthesizer	Press the Synthesizer button and it starts with a tone that
		you can modify by pressing some of the keys.
Tones		Eight tones (Piano, Brass Ensemble, Pipe Organ, Jazz Organ
		Human Voice, Flute, Trumpet, Synth Drums) plus the Synthisized
		Sound and the Sample.
Rythym(SP)	Selection of about 8 rythyms(SP) with tempo(increase/decrease)
Memory		To store your song(s), can store up to 400 notes.
What else...	Has a Play/Record mode switch, Normal/Solo 1/Solo2/Chord switch,
		Volume, Vibrato, Envelope Selection, 4 note Polyphonic

I feel that the machine is worth the money.  Although the keys are small and
when hooked up to the stereo system a 'pop' is heard just before the sound
eminates after hitting a key, it makes up in flexability.

I have hooked the sampler up to the TV and the Stereo to pick up sounds and
play them, spoken and barked into it, and other neat stuff and it is fun.

The synthesizer key starts with a tone and lets you modify it.  This is pretty
limited but still you get to create your own tones.

Mostly the tones are O.K.  The human voice echos instead of a steady sound and
the Synth Drums are awful.  The others sound nice.  A nice feature of the
machine is when you sample a sound then decide to play the trumpet, you can
press the sample tone key and get the sample back.  You don't lose it just
because you selected another tone.  Same goes for the synthesized tone.

I was never into the rythym(SP) (how is this spelt anyway?) sections of machines
and this is no exception.  It's O.K. and has a variety but....

The memory is good.  You can play the song, mistakes and all, then press RESET
and use the ONE KEY PLAY feature.  Press the ONE KEY PLAY key for each note
of the song for the length of each note and use the DELETE key when an incorrect
note is played.....then when all are corrected, press RESET again and the ONE
KEY PLAY key for each note and length, press RESET and AUTO PLAY and it will
play the song.  You can also use the SOLO 1 and SOLO 2 to create songs with
melody and harmony.  Then press Auto play and they play together.  Add to
that the Chord function and with all three create a song.  Anything stored
will be lost when the machine is turned off.

Welp, that's what I can think of right now, any questions,
Dan

Actually that sale is until the end of November, sorry

Dan

    
    anyone know of a serv. merchandise around the nashua or
    merrimac NH area?
    
    Boy am I cheep.
    
    rr
    

    
    
    Thanks, .1 for your input; I called S.M., and alas, all sold out.
    But we went to Lechmere to check it out ($10 more).
    
    Overall, I think it's a great little toy, but we didn't bite!  The
    price is certainly right, and it does have some great features.
    
    Pluses:
    	-Sampling is neat and lots of fun.  We almost bought it for
    	 this alone.
        -Memory, sequencing
    	-Envelope editor for creating your own sounds
    	
    Minuses:
    	-CHEAP!!!  It felt pretty chintzy.  
    	-Keys are very small.
    	-When playing something back (sequencing), along with a rythm,
    	 along with new notes, the sound becomes muddied and unclear.
    	 It can't handle more than a few things at a time gracefully.
    	-Only 4 tones at a time from the keyboard.
    	-When something is recorded (sequencing) with say the flute
         voice, then you want to play a piano over that you CAN'T (I
         couldn't make it do that anyway).  It only plays one type of
    	 instruement at a time.  I think this is a serious drawback
    	 making layered, interesting sounds.
    
    I do think it's a good deal for the price, but we're going to shop
    around a bit, and check some used ones before jumping.
    
    I also didn't like that don't throw in the AC adaptor... an extra
    $10 for that.  It does come with batteries.  Any idea how long
    they last?
    
    I tried to plug as microphone into the back for the sampling, but
    none of the mic's Lechmere had would fit it.  Have you tried
    a mic?
    
    Bob
    

RE: .3

There is a S.M. in Salem on Rt.28.

Re: .4
    
>    Minuses:
>    	-CHEAP!!!  It felt pretty chintzy.  
I've banged my around a little, haven't dropped it yet, and the only thing
that rattles are the batteries.

>    	-Keys are very small.
Agreed.  For the first week every key I hit had a companion!  Now that I am used
to this keyboard I'll stop by my parents a double-key the Hammond.

>    	-When playing something back (sequencing), along with a rythm,
>    	 along with new notes, the sound becomes muddied and unclear.
>    	 It can't handle more than a few things at a time gracefully.
I haven't had time to play around with this yet.  I have gotten used to the DEMO
tho'.

>    	-Only 4 tones at a time from the keyboard.
Hey, it's a small 'keyboard'

>    	-When something is recorded (sequencing) with say the flute
>         voice, then you want to play a piano over that you CAN'T (I
>         couldn't make it do that anyway).  It only plays one type of
>         instruement at a time.  I think this is a serious drawback
>         making layered, interesting sounds.
Again, it's a small keyboard.  For $80 on sale what do you expect?

>    I also didn't like that don't throw in the AC adaptor... an extra
>    $10 for that.  It does come with batteries.  Any idea how long
>    they last?
I bought a multi-voltage AC adaptor at Radio Shlack, so I can use this for
other 'electronic toys'.  They say in the manual that they should last for about
5 hours.  The ones they have supplied are just about out of energy.  I would
say they lasted 5 or more hours.

>    I tried to plug as microphone into the back for the sampling, but
>    none of the mic's Lechmere had would fit it.  Have you tried
>    a mic?
Nope I haven't tried a mike, don't have one.  The condenser and the line-in
I have used.  Depending on the sound recorded thru the line-in, it can sound
muffled.

The unit is a fun, small, flexible, portable, party-animal and an overall great
doodling keyboard for the money.

Dan

Rhythm

    
    Played with one at the Auburn store last night, boy was this one
    beat. The speaker was just about blown (how?). Did get to muck around
    with the sampling, although I couldn't get the synth to play just
    one note, it played a pre-determined sequence as you pressed a key.
    The sampler is pretty neat, the pitch and speed changes as you go
    up and down the scale. Don't know about that nasty pop, though,
    it might be a speaker-popper connected to a high volume amp.
    
    The whole company seems to be out of stock, due to heavy TV advertising
    of this product. They could offer only a raincheck.
    
    CdH_who_really_wants_an_SPX-90

I can understand the speaker being blown, they put alot of power to it.
Looks like I got mine just in time!

Dan

    
    There may be an easy simple fix to this popping
    that seems to be hard on speakers. Then again,
    it may be related to the sampling/playback.
    
    Does the pop occur on all the voices or just
    the sample?
    
    rr
    

    
    As I remember it, just the sample. It's fairly loud, almost as loud
    as the program.
    
    You could probably filter it. Pops are fairly broadband noise, aren't
    they? I mean, it's not just a simple matter of cutting one of the
    1/3 octave eq slide pots, is it?
    
    I passed on the unit because of this noise. Altec compression driver
    diaphragms are real expensive (especially times 4).
    
    CdH
    

When the unit is played alone the popping is noticable on the sample.

But, when it is hooked up with the stereo, I hear the popping on all
tones.

Dan

< Note 561.4 by ALTHEA::ROSE >
                           -< The good and the bad >-
>    	-When something is recorded (sequencing) with say the flute
>        voice, then you want to play a piano over that you CAN'T (I
>        couldn't make it do that anyway).  It only plays one type of
>    	 instruement at a time.  I think this is a serious drawback
>    	 making layered, interesting sounds.
    
AHH! But you can!  I took a month of playing with the machine to stumble upon
how tho'.

To do this you set the switches to "Record" and "Solo 2", select the voice,
play and edit your melody, select "Solo 1" and the voice, play and edit some
more.  Then switch it to "Normal" and press autoplay.  Viola!  You can also
change the voices for each by selecting "Solo 1" or "2" and pressing the voice
you want for that Solo.

I figured there must be a way to do it particularly since the demo music
has two voices in it.

Dan_whos_attention_has_been_drawn_from_the_Matrix-6_to_the_ESQ-1

    
    I was playing with one in Lechmere ($119.00....gadzooks!) last weekend
    and this one didn't seem to have the nasty pop with each "note on".
    Could this be my hearing failing or maybe a new revision?
    
    Anyone else notice this?
    
    CdH