The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

Hardware is nice, but it would be nice to be able to pick and choose
the individual components. Some things I'd like to see:

a choice of colors--I know this is petty but guitarists have had this
forever. Candy apple red, purple metal flake...

a modular design--I want to buy one keyboard, but buy the analog
portion from Moog, the piano from Yamaha, the organ from Versi, etc.

a choice of controllers--I'd like to be able to unplug the AN1x knob
section and put in a high end set of knobs. Or a set of 16 100mm
motorized faders. How about a D beam controller, a joystick, a ribbon
controller that stretches the length of the keyboard...

As an aside: It would be interesting to see what type of mad scientist
devices would be designed if there was actually a market for add on
controllers. Maybe the circuit bent crew would get involved.

Of course all this would be expensive, but you could buy it a piece at
a time. Buy something then update it--not just throw it way and buy
something brand new.

Jimmy

On Sun Jan 18 2009, rainbowjimmy <rainbowjimmy@...> wrote:

> Hardware is nice, but it would be nice to be able to pick and choose
> the individual components. Some things I'd like to see:
>

[snip snip]

> As an aside: It would be interesting to see what type of mad scientist
> devices would be designed if there was actually a market for add on
> controllers. Maybe the circuit bent crew would get involved.
>
> Of course all this would be expensive, but you could buy it a piece at
> a time. Buy something then update it--not just throw it way and buy
> something brand new.
>

Had a look at all the various DIY musical thingies?

Couple of things:

- wobblebug http://www.musicsynthesizer.com/WoggleBug/WoggleBug.html
- Midibox modular midi-thingie (http://www.ucapps.de and
http://www.midibox.org)
- http://www.gyraf.dk/gy_pd/gyraf_diy.html

So hmmm, plenty of 'circuit benders' out there, or actually circuit
creators to tailor to their particular sonic wants and needs.

of course, all these projects eat time. LLlllllllllllots of time.

IF i personally were to ever consider using Soft Synths & Cubase etc
again, it would HAVE to be packaged inside onw of these!:

The Open Labs Neko! (Drooling starts)

http://www.openlabs.com/nekoxxl-overview.html

The ULTIMATE blend of hardware interface (keyboard, mixer,
controllers, big colour screen)
Loaded up with the likes of Cubase, VST plugins & soft synths/
samplers galore - but ALL mapped seamlessly to the physical
controllers, so as to FEEL real.

(Drooling Stops)

However it costs a small fortune AND you're still never going to get
the sound & feel that the circuitry imparts on a sound from a
particular machine...
It will still sound digitally pristine, washed & Delta Sigma'd ....
But still oh so cool...

Talking of colours ... I've actually sprayed the wedge edge of my An1x
a maroon red ... looks cool! & distinctive.

Cheers
Al

Hello !

> Some things I'd like to see:
> a choice of colors--I know this is petty but guitarists have had this
> forever. Candy apple red, purple metal flake...

Yes ! They can even go further into customization... I've assembled one
and chosen not only the finish and general shape but
the wood, the neck width and profile, the pickups ...But it's mostly
woodwork, not electronics.

Yamaha sells a stage digital piano in 2 (yes !) colors: black or some
kind of aluminium silver finish
I've seen a Clavia synth with either a standard keyboard or a "reverse"
one (the white keys are black
and the black ones white, like on some old harpsichords). But i think
keyboards manufacturers don't go further...

The better (?) way to do for you would be one or 2 master keyboards and
a bunch of expanders. Or if you have some
extra cash under your pillow buy an Arturia Origin, it is a hardware
platform for software synths, without keyboard. And you can choose
the filter model, the oscillators from another instrument and so on...
Never heard it, it is expensive, but the general concept is interesting and,
icing on the cake, it has a lot of knobs and switches like an old school
instrument.
Cheers
J.F.

rainbowjimmy a écrit :

Guys what do you think of the sound of the GeForce Minimonsta?
It's a software emulation of the Minimoog that got very good reviews.

XOIO wrote:

>
>
> IF i personally were to ever consider using Soft Synths & Cubase etc
> again, it would HAVE to be packaged inside onw of these!:
>
> The Open Labs Neko! (Drooling starts)
>
> http://www.openlabs.com/nekoxxl-overview.html
> <http://www.openlabs.com/nekoxxl-overview.html>
>
> The ULTIMATE blend of hardware interface (keyboard, mixer,
> controllers, big colour screen)
> Loaded up with the likes of Cubase, VST plugins & soft synths/
> samplers galore - but ALL mapped seamlessly to the physical
> controllers, so as to FEEL real.
>
> (Drooling Stops)
>
> However it costs a small fortune AND you're still never going to get
> the sound & feel that the circuitry imparts on a sound from a
> particular machine...
> It will still sound digitally pristine, washed & Delta Sigma'd ....
> But still oh so cool...
>
> Talking of colours ... I've actually sprayed the wedge edge of my An1x
> a maroon red ... looks cool! & distinctive.
>
> Cheers
> Al
>
>

--
Luc Hogie - IT Researcher @ INRIA Sophia Antipolis

http://luc.hogie.fr
luc.hogie@...
+33 4 92 38 76 73 (office)
+33 6 80 91 40 71 (mobile)

great program
good to have

dale

Inquisitor Betrayer
CD "Space Elevator" Get it at http://cdbaby.com/cd/inquisitorbetrayer,
http://www.inquisitorbetrayer.com , http://www.myspace.com/inquisitorbetrayer ,
http://www.musicforte.com/member/ib_staff
Apple iTunes http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=200365877

Angel's Wings
http://www.soundclick.com/angelswings

Ready to take your music to new levels?
Serious_Musicians@yahoogroups.com

Want to be our friend in myspace?
http://www.myspace.com/reloc.cfm?c=2&id=887c816f-4857-42cd-b2d4-4f519a8bed75

This is an interesting debate, so I thought I'd add my two pennies
worth! :-)

I don't have the Minimonsta, but I have the Arturia Minimoog, which
got a mixed review in Sound On Sound for V1.1, but a very positive
review on V1.5. Gordon Reid, who gave the mixed V1.1. review, said in
his conclusion of the V1.5 review "Today, it sounds and responds like
the hardware original. In fact, it's now a remarkable imitation that I
would happily use and be confident that you would never realise that
it was not the 'real thing".

Personally I think softsynths are getting pretty good now. They might
not be 100% clones of the original hardware, but if they capture the
spirit of the original then that's good enough for me!

I actually like both hard and soft synths. My gigging rig is
predominantly hardware (Yamaha EX5, FS1R, Motif ES Rack (with
PLG150-AN) and A4000, a Nord G2 engine and Novation Remote 61),
however I have also added a laptop with Native Instruments B4 Organ
emulation, which sounds so much better than the organ sounds in any of
my hardware units. I have the Remote61 setup to control the drawbars
when I need that. Touch wood, the laptop/B4 so far in 6 months of
gigging with Pure Floyd (www.purefloyd.co.uk) has been as reliable as
the hardware units. The laptop also serves as a MIDI monitor (with
MIDIOX), interval music player and also has all of my patch backups.

In my studio as well as my gigging rig, I also have a Yamaha SY77,
AN1x and CS15, and at that point, I physically have no more room for
extra hardware! Not unless I move house, anyway!

So recently I have been buying soft synths for sonic variety. I have
the Korg Wave Station/M1, Arturia Minimoog and Prophet V (Prophet 5
and VS) and G-Force MTRON Pro. That's without considering Steinberg
virtual instruments such as Groove Agent, Virtual Bass and Virtual
guitar. I love the soft synths as much as I like my hardware units. I
personally think a good emulation is at the point where the sound is
nearly as good as some of the originals, certainly within the context
of a mix.

You also need to consider, taking the Minimoog as an example, would
you want to pay £1300+ for 30-35 year old hardware and all the
associated maintenance problems, or £130 for a soft-synth that gets
pretty close. Sure, a soft-synth is not classic or collectible, so
that must be a factor in your decision. Is it the unit or the sound
that you want (or both)? You don't get the same immediacy of tweaking
if relying on the computer interface, but then I can set up my
Remote61 to do that, or download a template somebody else has made.

Horses for course of course, and we will all have our own preferences.
Personally I like the best of both worlds!


Cheers
Derek

Jeff schreef:

> Yamaha sells a stage digital piano in 2 (yes !) colors: black or some
> kind of aluminium silver finish
> I've seen a Clavia synth with either a standard keyboard or a "reverse"
> one (the white keys are black
> and the black ones white, like on some old harpsichords). But i think
> keyboards manufacturers don't go further...

I've got a silver Yamaha EX-5. :)

- Peter