tomfinegan@... shared with us:
> > - Peter--- In AN1x-list@egroups.com, "Peter Korsten" <peterk@i...>
> wrote:
> > But to improve the AN1x, you need more processing power, and
> therefore more
> > DSP's. Unless they have developed a faster generation of DSP's
> (which is a
> > huge investment in itself), the price of the machine would rise
> accordingly.
> I don´t agree. I don´t know how the situation was in 1997, but
> nowadays companies use standard DSP´s and not self-developed chips
> anymore. And since DSP´s are developing like Intel, Motorola or AMD-
> CPU´s faster and bigger and better each 8 months (or was it 3???) and
> they usually sell in big quantities, i don´t believe that a synth
> with a set of modern DSP´s would automatically be more expensive.
> And the price the AN1x has right now is because it´s C-stock. When it
> came out it did cost also over $1000.
Well, Yamaha use their own DSP's. It's as simple as that.
> And in a way, all these things the AN1x is lacking off, doesn´t this
> create also the special charme of this blue synth? You have to find
> ways to work around, and when you do, you create sounds you never
> expected to hear.
I wouldn't call it a special charme. It's a good virtual analogue,
and it's always been the best price/performance ratio VA. But it's
also three years old, and meanwhile we've seen new developments.
I compare it head-to-head with my EX5, and whereas the AN1x is much
more immediate and elegant in its simplicity, the EX5 kicks serious
ass. Well, it should be, for the price. :)
> > People buy romplers, because they're sl-round and provide instant
> > satisfaction.
> Hm, that´s true, but do we really need a new ROMpler for that?
> Wouldn´t a good sampler and new Sample-CD´s fullfill the same? (I
> know, that´s why Yamaha made the new AX000 Sampler series ;)
If this were the case, nobody would buy sample-based synths anymore.
Samplers don't offer instant gratification: they need a lot of work
to set up, program, getting the right sounds. My EX5 takes about
two seconds to be ready...
> > The CS6x is an interesting development, because it sports some
> unique
> > features over the competition. Most notable are the two PLG slots.
> Hm, for me basically the CS6x is nothing else than a JX305 with a
> phrase-sampler and these, agreed, interesting PLG-IN concept.
> It´s a Groovesynth...basically. When you read the critics for it on
> Sonicstate, you mostly hear: "Great for Trance".
It's much more than that. Actually, the S80 has the same sound,
plus some more. There are a lot of dance-oriented sound in it,
granted that, but also the regular sounds.
The PLG slots give you the option of putting two whole new synths
in your CS6x. That's a little more than just "interesting".
> What i think is more astounding about the CS6x is the price and the
> quality of the sounds in it. More low-price DSP-power and bigger low-
> price memory-chips show their effect on the quality of synths. That´s
> why Roland introduced their XV-Synthline with 64MB ROM-card slots.
The XV's are nothing new, except that they now sell you 32 Mb boards
as 64 Mb, instead of 16 Mb boards as 32 Mb. The sound engine is the
same as it was eight years ago.
The CS6x/r and S80 are a clear break from the past, with card slots,
PLG slots, and the promised mLAN support. The EX5 is somewhat on
the verge of the 'old technology' and 'new technology'.
> The technique is getting cheaper and better, at the same time, synths
> get for the same price, more features and better sound-quality.
> Well that let me think again, despite my feelings against a new ANxx
> above, that Yamaha should jump on the VA-train as well again, since
> the AN1x is running out of production anyway. But who knows, maybe
> they surprise us with something completely new. As the FS1r shows,
> they are always good for a surprise.
Yes, another unique synth gone out of production. Just like the
Fizmo...
> By the way, does someone know if the A3000 filter are the same as in
> the AN1x, or as in the new CS6x/S80/30? (Just wondering)
I would hazard a guess that they're different. The EX5 knows AN,
and it's a direct copy of the AN1x (except for the polyphony). In
AWM mode, however, the EX5 has totally different filters, with a
static filter and one or two dynamic filters per layer. The AN part
is completely seperate from these.
- Peter