Conference napalm::commusic_v1

    
    re: Brad
    
      I dunno, I have one, for $250. it was worth the bux. It saves
    me from having to load the bass into the sampler, and it sounds
    great. 
    
    /pjh

    Yeah, I have one too.
    
    The little one (as opposed to the Pro MIDIBass) holds 4 samples.
    It is monophonic.  Some of the samples are quite good, some less
    so.  The samples are in rom chips, so you have to pop chips to change
    the 4 onboard samples.  The power supply is noisy and there's audible
    hum in the output (you have to listen closely, but it is there).
    It can only listen on MIDI channels 1 - 14.  You can select lowest
    note, highest note, or last note priority.  It doesn't do legato
    (i.e., you always get the attack).
    
    Basically it saves you one synth or sampler timbre.  Given the current
    state of sampling technology, I'm not sure its dedicated operation
    is really worth all that much.  It's convenient, I use mine a lot,
    but I'm not sure I'd buy one now.  I've had mine almost three years
    now.
    
    len.
    
    

    
    I thought another advantage of these units was that the bass sounds
    are all compressed and ready to go. True? 
    
    Also, in the little one (4 samples), what are the four bass sounds
    that come standard with it? What sounds are available on the additional
    sound chips. I really need the boomy sound of a Hoffner bass (expect
    to be doing a lot of old Beatles tunes soon). Is that sound available?
    
    Mike D

    I don't know what sounds are available, but there are a *lot* of
    them.  The chips run about $20 - $30 each.  I don't know what the
    standard configuration is.  I use the thumb picked Fender P-Bass
    quite a bit.  I also have a Gretsch Ripper chip (a Rick-style, very
    trebly bass), a Chapman Stick bass chip, a synth bass chip (useless
    given my synth arsenal, but it came with the unit), and a tympani
    chip (too thin for my taste; I want my tympani to sound like Vic
    Firth's with the BSO).
    
    You can get a list/tape from 360/Systems.  Refer to their frequent
    Keyboard ads.
    
    Yes, the sounds are pretty much ready to go.
    
    len.
     

    
    re: .-1, etc
    
      Len speaks truth.
    
      I have the P-bass, a string bass, a "popping" funk bass, and a
    round-wound finger bass (best for reggae). Also a DX-synth bass,
    a Minimoog bass, and some other one I haven't tried yet. You need
    a Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) socket installed if you want to switch
    the ROMs around... Not at all friendly, especially for your fingers,
    if you don't use ZIF sockets. BTW those are extra too. 
    
      I have the demo tape. Shadoe Stevens (from H-wood squares 'fame')
    narrates it...It allegedly costs five bucks from 360 systems, I
    can get the address given a day's notice (unless someone else has
    it in a handier place than I have it at)... 
    
      Len is correct about the hum. I drive it high, at line level,
    to minimize the hum. There is some noise, but it hasn't stopped
    me from using it (it's not obnoxious)... If you get a good deal
    on one (I think I did), it's probably worth it, if you have an S-550
    you have enough memory to run the bass off of one channel... 
    
    Have fun
    
    /pjh

    Ah, I should mention it *is* velocity sensitive.  I don't think
    it tracks pitch bends though.  I'll check on this, unless Paul can
    answer definitively.
    
    I'll second Paul's comments on the ZIF chip socket.  My 4 sample
    unit has only one ZIF socket, and I have swapped chips in the 
    MIF (much insertion force) sockets; you have to careful, use the
    right tools, and be good at straightening pins.
    
    The Pro MIDIBass is a nicer unit, it's rack mountable (the 4 sample
    unit is a "sit-on-a-shelf" unit with the controls on the top surface)
    and holds 16 samples.  It includes more features too.  It's about
    $450, with 4 samples installed.  The guys at EUWurlitzer talked
    me out of getting one.  It's money that could go into a Roland T-110.
    
    len.
    

    
    
       It does track pitch bends but you must enable it with an obscure
    combination of key depressions. 
    
       Like I said earlier, it is worth it if you can get it at a low
    price. I got mine with seven (!) sound ROMs for $250. I would not
    have paid list price for the thing (>$500 with all the chips).
    
    /pjh

    One other thing - mine's tuning tends to drift until it's warmed
    up.  Also, since I tune to the Roland convention of A=442 HZ, I
    had to go inside and tweak a trimpot to get the tuning knob to work
    in a range that would let me get to A=440 with a little headroom.
    As it is, the tuning pot is almost at its limit.  Maybe I got a
    unit where the parts tolerances all added up one way.
    
    len.
     

    
    
    It seems most of you  are satisfied with the 360 Midi Bass
    and if I can get one cheap enough like 200-250 $$ that it
    would make a good addition to my system!
    
    thanx
    Armen

    The MIDI bass is great!  I was first introduced to it when I went
    with my friend to pick his up (Want Ad sale).
    
    When he got it home, it didn't work though!  It seems he had lots
    of equipment 'on' while switching cables around, and 'blew' it up.
    
    I called 360 systems, and spoke to a tech.  He said it sounded like
    the optoisolator went, since the a440 test worked OK.  I then got
    ahold of a 6N138 chip, a socket, desoldered the old one, installed
    the socket, and the new one.  He was back in business for a few
    bucks (and a few hours of my time).
    
    About 2 weeks later I bought a used one at EMU in Framingham for
    99$ !!!! (2 sounds)
    
    As far as the hum, if you disconnect the ground wire (by using a
    ground eliminator (2-prong -> 3-prong adapter)) at the end of the
    AC line cord, your hum will probably go away.  My friend's unit
    displayed the same problem, mine has only about 1/4 the hum as his.
    
    Let me know if this information is helpful...
    
    _John_

    I *have* floated the ground on my MIDIbass, and that didn't solve
    the hum problem.  This is not grounding hum, this is power supply
    hum.  Hum should be inaudible in an electronic musical instrument.
    
    len.
    

	I've been thinking about getting one of these.  I'm supposed to go and
meet someone this weekend who wants to sell his.

	What I'm attempting to do is build a little "rhythm box" which will 
contain my MC500, my HR16 and something to handle bass.  I'd thought of the
FB01 for the latter, but I'm concerned about noise.  Would the 360 MIDI BAss
be at about the same level of noise/hum?  Is there any advantage of spending 
just a little less for a Midibass than going for something that can do more?

	Dan

P.S. Paul, which version do you have - the original or the ProBass?

    I recently acquired a used ProMidiBass, and it's quite an improvement
    over the old one (which is now for sale, if you're interested).
    
    The main advantage of a MidiBass is it frees you from having to
    commit a whole synth for the bass line.  If you've got a multitimbral
    synth this may not be much of an advantage.  The MidiBass's samples
    are good but not uniquely so - my impression is most synths and
    samplers can provide equivalent sounds.
    
    len.
    

RE < Note 1681.15 by DRUMS::FEHSKENS >

>    I recently acquired a used ProMidiBass, and it's quite an improvement
>    over the old one (which is now for sale, if you're interested).
    
	Care to give any details of the improvements?

	Dan

    1) Rack mountable.  Old version was tabletop.
    
    2) More sample chips onboard.  New one holds 16.  Old one holds 4.
    
    3) Ability to edit sounds to some extent - decay time and EQ (cut
       only).  No way to modify sounds in old version.
    
    4) Split capability.  Old one can't do splits.
    
    5) Velocity selection of an alternate sound.  Old one can't do
       this.
    
    6) Programmable.  Can remember edit settings, splits, velocity
       thresholds, etc.  Nothing to program on old version.
    
    7) LCD displays selected sounds by name.  Old one required you to
       remember currently selected sound.
    
    8) Claim that new chips have better samples.  They sound about the
       same to me.  However, larger selection, and can choose chips
       with one long or two short samples.
    
    Those are the ones I remember off the top of my head.
                      
    
    len.
    

RE < Note 1681.17 by DRUMS::FEHSKENS >

>    4) Split capability.  Old one can't do splits.

	Doesn't the original give 'zoning' of sounds?
    
>    5) Velocity selection of an alternate sound.  Old one can't do
>       this.

	Is this like velocity cross-fading (i.e., hit note above a certian
velocity threshold, get a different sample)?
    
	Do both of these units respond to program change commands?

	Dan

RE < Note 1681.17 by DRUMS::FEHSKENS >

Is the Professional MIDIBass monophonic, or can more than one note be
played simultaneously? (Not that I'd be inclined to play bass chords,
but two notes simultaneously is often done by bass players.)

Mike D

	re: Dan

	I have a MIDIbass (original), which i got at EU Wurlitzer's in Wormtown
	during the first DECMS fete. I have heard the Pro, and it is a great
	improvement.

	/pjh

    Sorry to be so long in replying, I've been on vacation.
    
    1)  The old MidiBass did not support "zoning".  Each sample responded
        to its own range of notes, but you could only select one sample
        at a time.  The range was determined by the chip, and was not
        user modifiable.
    
    2)  The ProMidiBass has an "accent" feature.  Above some velocity
        level, a different sound is selected.  The velocity level that
        the switch occurs at can be programmed for the lower and upper
        voices individually.  It can also be turned off (either by setting
        the switching threshold to 128, or by programming the accent
        voice to be exactly the same as the normal voice; note that
        the accent voice is fully programmable (EQ, decay, etc.)).  This
        is not really a "velocity cross fade" feature, as the switch
        is binary; below the threshold, one voice; above it, the other.
        There's no gradual transition ("cross-fade") between voices.
    
    3)  Both the MidiBass and the ProMidiBass respond to program changes:
        on the MidiBass, program change numbers 0-3 (corresponding to
        the 4 chips installed), and on the ProMidiBass, 0-31 (each
        "program" selecting a sound and its parameter values).
    
    4)  Both the MidiBass and the ProMidiBass are monophonic.
                                         
    
    len.

	Does anyone have a MIDIBass manual thay'd be willing to duplicate?
	I stumbled onto one of the old 4 sample units but I aint got
	any instructions...

	Geez, I oughta get a DH200 ...  MIDI Tuba....

    I don't have mine anymore, but the "manual" was a one pager.
    
    Not a whole lot to it; if you have questions, maybe I can answer them
    from (possibly unreliable) memory.
    
    len.