Retro midi machine!

[Nayrb]

(08-18-2019, 02:32 PM)Mattias Westlund Wrote: I just realized I haven't posted any music made with the M-GS64 even though it's been a year since I got it. Here's a thing I've been working on lately featuring the M-GS64, the TG100, the Soundscape Elite and the APS.

Horizons

Man, you have to make a full release of music in this vein; it sounds wonderful.

[Mattias Westlund]

Thanks. Personally I think the stuff I write in this style feels kind of samey so I'm not sure an album's worth of tracks would be all that exciting to listen to. But we'll see; I have lots of short snippets of music lying around, I might even get around to finishing them one of these days.

Right now though I'm on the lookout for some additional sound module that is not an GM/GS/XG one. Basically something that will let me add a wider variety of sounds to my RMM palette.

[Samulis]

Nice track! Getting some Civ III vibes with this one.

You might want to check out what Kurzweil was working on... some very interesting soundscapey pads and the like. The K2000 was apparently quite the popular thing for TV composers. EMU units are of course also very reasonable, although as we've discussed here before, the sounds aren't always up to snuff with those of Roland and Yamaha.

Other than that, the Technics WSA1 and WSA1R are a very cool option, as they have a GM and non-GM mode which can be switched between depending on needs, but they're quite rare and expensive. If you're in the mood for something more primitive, some of Technics older keyboards can be really fun as well.

[Mattias Westlund]

Yeah, a K2000 would be nice (or a K2000R more correctly, as I don't have room for an actual synth) but I believe they're still quite expensive, not to mention rare in this corner of the world. I'm limited to what's available on the Swedish market since getting things from abroad is so damn expensive.

Do you have any experience with Korg's stuff? A guy was selling some half-rack unit in a retrocomputing FB group the other day, though he was asking close to $200 for it which felt a little steep. I don't recall the exact model name but I believe it was from 1995.

[Samulis]

(08-18-2019, 05:10 PM)Mattias Westlund Wrote: Do you have any experience with Korg's stuff? A guy was selling some half-rack unit in a retrocomputing FB group the other day, though he was asking close to $200 for it which felt a little steep. I don't recall the exact model name but I believe it was from 1995.

I've only used one Korg previously, an adorable toy/miniature instrument resembling a stylophone but much more sophisticated. I don't know the model or any other info, as it belonged to a friend. Usually if I don't know anything about a unit, I can look it up on vintage synth explorer or even just find some youtube videos of its sound, which is very useful usually, at least for ROMplers where there isn't really any opportunity to sample your own things.

[Paul Battersby]

(08-18-2019, 05:10 PM)Mattias Westlund Wrote: Do you have any experience with Korg's stuff?

If you're looking for any experience with Korg, I have a Korg M1 that I bought about 29 years ago that I still use today.

[Mattias Westlund]

(08-18-2019, 11:52 PM)Samulis Wrote: Usually if I don't know anything about a unit, I can look it up on vintage synth explorer or even just find some youtube videos of its sound, which is very useful usually, at least for ROMplers where there isn't really any opportunity to sample your own things.

I normally do that too, but I spotted the listing while I was out and about and didn't have time to dig any deeper. And now I can't find again it so it's probably sold.

Edit: Found it, it's an X5DR. And $200 does indeed sound like a bit much for something described as "entry level".

(08-19-2019, 02:22 AM)Paul Battersby Wrote: If you're looking for any experience with Korg, I have a Korg M1 that I bought about 29 years ago that I still use today.

Now that's an iconic machine! I do have some experience with the M1 though as it was so ubiquitous during the early nineties. A keyboard player I played with had one, and the music store I worked at had several used ones in stock. Just browsing through the presets on an M1 is like hearing a cavalcade of classic pop songs from the late 80's/early 90's, that thing was everywhere

They seem to have gone up in price in recent years. For a while there in the mid 00's, people were basically giving them away.

[Samulis]

I'd say the X5DR sounds like not a bad choice, actually. Looks like it has quite a few sounds, including both GM and non-GM sounds, and even includes some stuff from the M1. $200 USD might be a little steep, but it's not a terrible price. Maybe you can negotiate?

In most cases, 'entry level' more describes the feature set than the sounds. Stuff like aftertouch, effects/DSP, etc. are generally left out, but often the sounds are similar if not the same.

[Mattias Westlund]

(08-19-2019, 02:06 PM)Samulis Wrote: Maybe you can negotiate?

Yeah, I think I'll drop him a message. I noticed the thing's been listed for almost two weeks without as much as a comment or like so there doesn't appear to be a massive amount of interest.

[Mattias Westlund]

The seller wasn't willing to go lower and since it would entail an additional 300 SEK (~$31) for shipping I said thanks but no thanks. However...

Looks like I will be getting a Yamaha CS1x in a few days. And before you say "it says 'for electronic and dance musicians'" let me point out that it has an MU50 XG module built in, in addition to the synthesizer features. And I've been looking for a proper XG module for quite a while.

I know I said I don't have room for a full synth, but I've been thinking. My large MIDI controller (CME UF7) sees very little use as I don't like the keys on it, so I might as well get rid of it. And logically I should be able to use the CS1x as a controller for my main rig while at the same time using it as a sound source for the RMM. Well, not at the same time literally, but you know what I mean. Hooked up to both systems.