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

--- In xl7@y..., erik_magrini@B... wrote:
> Well, with all the talk in regard to the possibility of being able 
to burn 
> ROMs within the native environment of the Command Station itself, I 
> figured I'd throw out a couple of thoughts.  I'll first state that 
I still 
> don't completely realize how this can be done.
> 
> >>>Aaron has already told us that the hardware capabilities are 
there, 
> just a few weeks ago: "...and the XL-7 already burns presets to the 
flash 
> ROM as part of authoring, even when using the E4 sampler."  Unless 
I 
> misunderstood him. <<<
> 
> Well, in regards to serving as a controller and in regards to 
serving as a 
> sequencer, the Command Stations seem to (IMO) beat out the beast 
known as 
> a 909. 
> 
> >>>I think in terms of a controller, yeah the XX-7's have it hands 
down. 
> In terms of a sequencer, that's a tougher call IMO.  Certainly I 
think 
> that the XX-7's are far faster and more intuitive, but the MC 
series still 
> 'currently' has more pattern editing options that give it the 
slight edge. 
>  OS2 might change this, hard to say until it's here. <<<
> 
> In regard to being a synth, I actually think the Command Stations 
edge 
> out. 
> 
> >>>Hmmm, I think that Emu definitely has a better synth engine, 
certainly 
> the routing and polyphony are far and away better.  The one area 
that the 
> Roland might still hold sway is in the included sounds, I bet they 
give 
> you more variety (no splitting genres among units), and the SRX 
based 
> synths do have some very nice realistic instrument samples.  As a 
pure 
> synth though, the XX-7's take it IMO. <<<
> 
> One really cool thing we have to remember is that the Command 
Stations 
> have a means of interacting with the computer environment aside 
from MIDI. 
>  Granted, the USB features haven't really been utilized at this 
point at 
> all, but they exist none the less.  Now, as I'm sure everyone 
realizes, 
> the computer environment can be pretty darn capable in regards to 
being a 
> sampler environment (in regard to grabbing and editing samples).
> 
> >>>Ultimately I agree with you here.  I think that incorporating a 
> computer interface in the sample editing/storing/loading process 
will be 
> the best solution.  By the simple fact that the only options for 
backing 
> up XX-7 data and loading new OS's is via a computer, I think Emu 
have 
> already taken the plunge and assumed most user have access to a 
computer, 
> so I don't think it's too much of leap for them to go this route.  
In 
> fact, I think that ultimately if we did see this, it would be far 
better 
> than using onboard sampling ala mc909, since we'll have the ability 
to 
> alter and manipulate samples much easier than with simple onboard 
> controls.  <<<
> 
> Really what we start to look at here is something that comes VERY 
VERY 
> VERY VERY close to matching the MC-909 in capability.  Furthermore, 
with 
> the given cost of the Command Stations, throwing in features like 
this 
> capably puts Roland into a REALLY damn iffy position.  When you 
consider 
> the fact that the MC-909 is planned to debut at a cost that is 
about twice 
> that of the Command Stations, I'm sure the those in the market 
would 
> really think hard on how badly they wanted to purchase the MC-909 
over the 
> Command Station which nearly matched the 909 in capability....Such 
a case 
> could really work in not just Emu's favor, but in the shoppers 
favor as 
> well.  Sales of Command Stations might see a sudden boost, 
conversely the 
> cost of the 909 may have to be dropped a lot more quickly than 
normal in 
> order to steer shoppers!
> 
> >>>Decent points, but I think the key here is not that it benefits 
Emu, 
> but that it has to benefit Creative, their parent company now.  Any 
one 
> who's ever worked for or with a large corporation knows how 
difficult it 
> can be to get projects moved 'up the ladder' and into reality.  I 
think if 
> it was Emu driving this, we'd see stuff like this happen a lot 
easier. 
> They're musicians making music gear, and understand the need.  From 
> Creative's perspective, here's a relatively new product line that 
had to 
> be drastically reduced in price in order to sell and remain 
competitive in 
> a waning market.   How do you convince people in that position to 
spend 
> MORE money developing a product that wasn't a huge seller in the 
first 
> place?  I'm in no way saying this is the case, but that's how I 
would look 
> at it from their perspective. 
> 
> But again, the competition could be helpful in this case.  Here 
comes 
> Roland, the originators of the 'groovebox' concept releasing a new 
product 
> to less than stellar reviews and criticisms.  Emu sees this and 
realizes 
> they they're still on playing field (in many cases in the lead), 
and not 
> only that, but the increased interest in this product (and it's 
> shortcomings) will undoubtedly spill over onto their gear in the 
meantime 
> (most reviews in magazines list an "other options" field).  So, 
they 
> decide to go ahead with OS2 and up the ante. 
> 
> So what about sampling?  Hm, well I think that given the XX-7's 
have the 
> ability to burn ROMs, and that the E5 will no doubt interface with 
their 
> hardware samplers which have a similar architecture to ours, then 
it's 
> probably not too big of a leap to guess that the XX-7's have the 
ability 
> get this option as well.  Will it happen?  Hard to say for the 
above 
> reasons.  Certainly I think that Emu has a great chance to reinvent 
the 
> XX-7's and their image right now.  They know what the competition 
is 
> bringing to the table in the coming months, which can only help.  
They 
> have the hardware in place currently, and the software being 
developed for 
> something else as we speak.  With a new OS on the way as well, not 
to 
> mention Winter NAMM right around the corner, they could do a huge 
service 
> to themselves by announcing and releasing the ability to burn ROMs 
around 
> that time.  Not only will it be around the time that the mc909 is 
> released, but NAMM is typically the time to announce major changes 
like 
> that, so the press is already there looking for a buzz.  Offer 
existing 
> users a burnable ROM & E5 package at a reasonable price, and you'd 
have a 
> hit.  Maybe even follow typical Emu marketing strategy and offer a 
new 
> XX-7 turbo unit with these options already included [for god's sake 
ditch 
> the yellow paint too :) ]. 
> 
> Whew, long ramble but you get my point.  NOT SAYING THIS WILL 
HAPPEN, I 
> know nothing more than anyone else here about what Emu's plans are 
> regarding sampling, but I'm agreeing (in a very long winded way) 
that they 
> certainly are in a good position to do it, provided they can make 
Creative 
> see the light too. <<<
> 
> rEalm
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I guess we're all waiting to see what the mc909 can do, but on paper 
it's actually more of a future than the emu command stations.  Look, 
the command stations don't even have secondary storage!  Now, the 
command stations have some thing going for them:  a better synth 
engine than the rs7k or the mc505 and on the fly pb/rec mode 
switching.  These boxes don't have near enough of the right software 
to support sampling and I hope emu doesn't try to shoehorn it in to 
the existing system.  The command stations are what they are:  solid 
synths with a good sequencer and decent sound mod capabilities 
(albeit buried in their menu system).  Let emu perfect what they've 
got in these boxes and not try to compete with the rs7k or mc909.  
One of the first things emu can do (on the road to the future) is 
find some way (other than e-loader) of putting some disk or smart 
card storage on the thing.  Now, if they want to compete with the 
sampling grooveboxes, then they need to come up with a new box with 
altogether different software and a much bigger screen AND SECONDARY 
STORAGE!!!

I love the concept of grooveboxes.  I just hate to see these 
companies crapping out on the concept.  I'm trying to make the right 
decision between the new os rs7000, mc909, and xl-7 (to hook up with 
the aw16g--my two box studio dream).  But, IMHO, the groovebox of the 
future must have the capabilities of PCs to integrate soft synths and 
samplers from different venders so that they evolve!

zsk