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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

2609.0. "Roland percussion parts?" by RICKS::SHERMAN (ECADSR::SHERMAN 225-5487, 223-3326) Fri Apr 05 1991 15:57

    I note that Roland tends to give you, say, up to 16 voices in a box.
    But, we all know that can be less than that if you combine things. 
    Question is, for those boxes that have percussion there seems to
    be confusion.  So, for these boxes, what is Roland doing?  Are they or are 
    they not using any of the "16" voices?  Should they include a separate 
    voice count for the percussion track?  
    
    My guess is that for a 16 voice box you get, say, 6 "parts" (or
    timbres) and one special percussion "part" that can cover any percussion 
    timbres.  But, you are still limited to 16 voices.  So, on a given beat
    you can have a snare drum and 9 bass drums on one "part" and and 6 
    single-voice timbres on the other 6 "parts".  No?   
    
    Steve
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2609.1perc sounds are short, right, let's give it 4 DACsSALSA::MOELLERwhat if the Kurds had OIL?Fri Apr 05 1991 16:306
    I know you meant Roland SGU's.  I have a Roland SPD-8, MIDI percussion
    controller slash SGU, and I can categorically state there is NO
    information whatever in the technical doc or marketing lt regarding the 
    number of simultaneously available voices.
    
    karl
2609.2What They Left Out Of The AdsIXION::ROSTI dreamed I was Roy EstradaFri Apr 05 1991 18:3523
    Re: .0
    
    That's the way it works more or less.  It depends on which box.  The
    D-10/20/110 and MT32 have totally separated the drums from the L/A
    sounds, so that *none* of the "32" voices get used.  But the
    U-110/20/220 boxes definitely use some of the "31" voices to make drum
    sounds.  Of course, since you seldom do layering with drum sounds, you
    really only use one voice per drum sound and seldom are hitting more
    than 3 or 4 of them at a time, so you are using only a small portion
    of the voice "pool".
    
    BTW, Roland isn't doing this any differently than other manufacturers
    offering drum samples (Korg, Kawai, Ensoniq, etc.), basically they all
    eat precious voices.  Some companies have wised up a bit; the Ensoniq
    VFX knows enough to steal attack transient voices out of a patch once
    they've run their course, even if you are still holding keys down. 
    This gives the *illusion* of having more voices, simply beacuse voices
    return to the pool for reassignment more quickly.
    
    Seems to me you're concerned about eating D-70 voices with your drum
    parts.  It's a valid concern. 
    
    							Brian
2609.3RICKS::SHERMANECADSR::SHERMAN 225-5487, 223-3326Sat Apr 06 1991 00:4816
    Yup.  I just got my D70 and MC50.  I'll be pouring over the manuals
    tonight.  One thing I've noticed.  With a machine that sounds this good
    you can screw up and it still sounds okay.  It's a beast of a machine.
    Just beckoning for exploration.  I plan to post a review as soon as
    I feel comfortable.  My little kids were listening and dancing to the
    demo program.  It was really cute.  It's been two years since we've had
    a synth around.  It's like I can breathe again.  BTW, I do have a copy
    of the latest Commusic tape and plan to give a review one of these
    days.
    
    The manuals for the equipment are thick.  Still have the same bad
    English.  But, there is a thick manual for the D70 (200 pages) and 
    *two* thick manuals for the MC50 (total of about 300 pages).  I'll 
    see what these have to say about percussion as implemented in the D70.
    
    Steve
2609.4RICKS::SHERMANECADSR::SHERMAN 225-5487, 223-3326Sat Apr 06 1991 19:326
    Okay, from what I understand of the D70, you get 30 voices.  And, the
    percussion counts for those voices.  But, it is smart enough to take
    attack portions when they are no longer used, allowing a timber to hang
    on with its release portions only.
    
    Steve