The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

Ray,

>If they somehow made it so that AT value started going up somehow with a
>lighter touch it would be better.
>Does anyone know if it's much better on other keyboards ?

Yes, I've played other keyboards with a more even, useable feel to the 
AT.  IMHO, great AT starts off very slowly, and only really kicks in toward 
the end of its travel, so that the player has to make a little effort to 
add the AT.  (How not to make AT, though:  the original Alesis Quadrasynth, 
which has so strong a physical barrier built into the keys that it almost 
"clicks" when the function is engaged.)  In particular, I liked the feel of 
the AT on my Roland D-50, which had the added benefit of an AT slider, to 
limit the maximum value sent to the mix.  Unfortunately, really good AT 
costs money, in the form of a pricey key action, and many synth 
manufacturers seem to treat AT as a great area for cost reduction.  :^(

>Now if only I could find a good condition Juno106 :)

The Juno-106 was a great synth, but if you're looking classic Roland -- and 
can't see your way to a Jupiter -- try to find a Juno-60 with the MIDI 
adapter.  I played both a Juno-6 -- same sound engine as the '60, but 
without programmability-- and the '106 in the same band for several years 
-- and while it's strictly a subjective view, I thought that the only place 
where the '106 was the clear winner was in string sounds.  The '60 had a 
very fat sound, especially on the low end.

Regards,

-BW

--
Bruce Wahler
Design Consultant
Ashby Solutions"
www.ashbysolutions.com
CloneWheel Support Group moderator
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