Emu XL-7 & MP-7 User's Group

Do you know how the XL-7's synth compares to other synths,
timing-wise? Seems to me an external synth would have roughly the same
latency to calculate its sounds, but the XL-7 has the benefit of not
having to fire its notes through MIDI, which would add at least a
millisecond per note. Two milliseconds of jitter on the
highest-priority tracks sounds pretty good to me - at 120 BPM and 384
PPQN, one tick is about 1.3 ms. If that's the tradeoff for being able
to access a fairly powerful synth engine internally, it seems a fair
trade, especially since, as you say, it's deterministic and thus easy
to compensate for.

Years ago Keyboard magazine did some timing tests comparing the MIDI
response of various synths under varying polyphony loads. I don't
remember the exact results (I think they were on the order of 4-40 ms
of slop), but I do remember that the Wavestation did very well and
some of the Roland boxes did rather poorly. I don't recall hearing of
anything similar since. Processors have obviously gotten a lot faster,
but the demands have risen as well.

And part of me wants you to show me those SP front panel sketches,
part of me doesn't want to be tortured...



--- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, Aaron Eppolito <synthesis77@...> wrote:
>
> Yeah, the XL-7's sequencer's timing is unfortunately limited by the
> synthesiser.  External MIDI it does pretty well.  Internal sounds can
> take anywhere from 2-6ms to fire and they're sequential, so 5 notes all
> at the same time will spill out one by one over a 10-30ms time period. 
> In practice, it's not too bad as it's very deterministic.  Lower
> numbered tracks play before higher numbered tracks and they play all
> the notes that they wanted to before going on to the next track.
> 
> I too wish we had done another SP series machine.  I have a few front
> panel sketches that I did...
> 
> -Aaron
> 
> --- robotchas <robotchas@...> wrote:
> 
> > The MPC will have better timing because its internal sound engine is
> > much simpler than the Command Station's. External sounds, of course,
> > are limited by MIDI.
> > 
> > Really wish Emu had done an SP-2500 Sampling Command Station...
> > 
> > 
> > --- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, Szonyi Andras <andras@> wrote:
> > > 
> > > I absolutely agree, I can just confirm gonz's opninion:
> > > 
> > > MPC-s time/rhytmic feel is much solid, and best i've
> > > ever heard (I'm using an MPC4000 beside the XL7),
> > > 
> > > but XX-7 has the most useful seq interface.
> > > 
> > > 
> > > a
> > > 
> > > 
> > > On Sun, 1 Oct 2006, gonzinigonz wrote:
> > > 
> > > > Ive got an MPC2000XL here that ive not used for a while.
> > > > Thing ive always found with akai is they make fantastic hardware
> > but
> > > > the firmware always sucks.
> > > > The S3000XL sampler i have again is fantastic hardware, sounds
> > great
> > > > but lacks some refinement in the firmware again.
> > > > This all adds upto being very restricted when you want to
> > modulate /
> > > > control parameters like you could do on most synths so blocks
> > > > creativity.
> > > > The MPC2000XL had a bit more power over the older MPC2000 but
> > akai
> > have
> > > > basically sold the same product again. They seem to keep on doing
> > this
> > > > The 2000XL sounds great again, timing is rock solid it pumps
> > beats out
> > > > like ive never heard another piece of hardware do (all older
> > mpcs..)
> > > > but, the interface sucks only because the software is half baked.
> > > > This isin't mentioning the bugs that will never get sorted out
> > now..
> > > > Think the same will be true of all the later hardware stuff akai
> > > > release's, check out the yahoo mpc4000 group, most of them arn't
> > happy..
> > > > If your doing hiphop stuff with samples then the mpc's good at
> > that.
> > > > If you want to get in there and edit stuff then its a nightmare.
> > > > Saving, editing, changing between screens involves stopping and
> > > > breaking your flow. I found it really hard work with the 2KXL.
> > > > EMU's a lot better interface, but i dont think the timings as
> > good.
> > > > The emu sounds a bit loose in that department.
> > > > They are very differant beasts i know but that interaction with
> > the seq
> > > > is so important and the emu wins over there.
> > > > Im ranting... sorry
> > > > gonz
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, Szonyi Andras <andras@> wrote:
> > > >> The MPCs have very good sequencers.
> > > >> more info:
> > > >> http://akaipro.com/prodMPC500.php
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >> a
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >  
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> 
> 
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
> http://mail.yahoo.com
>