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

Hi,
My name is Bill and I'm confuse choosing between the XL-7 or
Yamaha RS7000 (I don't need the sampling too
much, since I will use Sonar for the loop based sampling).

My main concern is sound quality, I'm going to use
it along with Waldorf Q, Microwave XT and Karma.
Which one is the better choice?

The XL-7 is on the list now because of it's 16 simultaneus
arp, super beat, ekspansion option and z plane filter,
but I'm afraid that the sound quality can't match the other...
is it improved over the XL-1?

E-mu oftenly too crisp and harsh, not warm and fat sounding
as Yamaha's.

Also about the Ekspansion boards and OS:
1. how many presets in it?
(I wish 1024 each as the module
such Mo Phatt does not just a scale down 512...)
and is it contains new arpegiator and super beat mode?
2. Does OS 1.01 fix all the problems?

Thanks for your help.

Best Regards,
Bill

> Hi,
> My name is Bill and I'm confuse choosing between the XL-7 or
> Yamaha RS7000 (I don't need the sampling too
> much, since I will use Sonar for the loop based sampling).

Are you using it for the sequencer then i asume?
if so i would totaly recomend the XL7

> My main concern is sound quality, I'm going to use
> it along with Waldorf Q, Microwave XT and Karma.
> Which one is the better choice?

I am of the opinion that the presets in the microwave are sweeter 
then the XL-7 but the editability of the synth is enuf to please 
anyone i would think.
 
> The XL-7 is on the list now because of it's 16 simultaneus
> arp, super beat, ekspansion option and z plane filter,
> but I'm afraid that the sound quality can't match the other...
> is it improved over the XL-1?

I know that they did make some changes from the XL-1 with the XL-7 
but i have never used the xl-1 for any length so i rely could not 
tell you.  As for the arps and the Zplane filters they are great i 
love them hole heartedly.  If you are looking for good arps then 
noting that i know of can touch the XL-7.  And the filters are supper 
sweet and warm.
> 
> E-mu oftenly too crisp and harsh, not warm and fat sounding
> as Yamaha's.

Ya the EMU sound is verry crisp but for me i would rather have 
sompthing crisp and have the option to warm it up.  Going the other 
way is usaly not an option.  I like to use some tubes to warm up the 
sound, this is just an example.
> 
> Also about the Ekspansion boards and OS:
> 1. how many presets in it?
> (I wish 1024 each as the module
> such Mo Phatt does not just a scale down 512...)
> and is it contains new arpegiator and super beat mode?

The XL-7 has 512 presets in it that are comprised of 1210 instruments.
As for super beats mode it is not there, but this is not any reason 
to look down on it due to the MASSIVE flexability in the arps.  you 
can program beats with them it you want you just have to wright your 
own beats, and im my opinion this is always the better way to go 
anyway.

> 2. Does OS 1.01 fix all the problems?

no it dont but the new OS should be out within a month or so.  If you 
are lookling for a serious sequencer than it is totaly worth the wait.
> 
> Thanks for your help.
> 
> Best Regards,
> Bill

I got a RS7K recently and I'm already frustrated with it.

I love that the LCD is huge ( ;/ compared to MPC, XL and SP808) and 
it displays a lot of info so it's way easy to program

I hate that it trainwrecks when you change styles
Understand style as a bunch of patterns from A to J.
So I hold a song on each Style ( up to 64 styles )
When I'm changing songs i have to twist this knob to do the change.
Change occurs the next measure but there's a millisecond of mute.
That's the time it takes to the RS to load all the new MIDI, Tone 
Generator, User Phrases; data. So it blanks that millisecond and It 
gives you the feel of a bad mix/trainwreck/needle skip/Your timings 
suck.

So it's pretty good for making tracks in your bedroom/studio but it 
sucks for Live Performance.

About the sounds.. I've been trying really hard to make some hard 
house but this machine was made to make trance and DnB artcore and 
fluffy stuff. I mean I've been putting too much effort into making 
their sounds crunchy and mean.
I thought I would fix that by getting a Waldorf Q synth and use its 
crunchyness, but apparently there's a bug sending MIDI notes to its 
midi outs ( pfff.. yeah.. noshit...)

Is there any program out there that would help you program the XL-7 
from your computer screen, instead of going through pages and pages, 
back and fwd on its tiny lil lcd?

Can you sample on the XL-7 ?

Blessed Beats
-Dave-

>Is there any program out there that would help you program the XL-7
>from your computer screen, instead of going through pages and pages,
>back and fwd on its tiny lil lcd?

Yes, it ships with one. Use your sequencer of choice. I have been having
trouble with it, but I >am< using it, constantly. Emu is actively improving
the box - if you noticed yesterday, they asked me for samples of the
problems I'm facing, so they can investigate. Excellent.

>Can you sample on the XL-7 ?

No - it's rompler. You can get flash ram (which requires access to an ultra
sampler :<), or buy something else and control it from the emu; that's what
I'm doing.

more questions guys.

0. XL-7 Users Patterns are 512, right?

1. Can I construct all the patterns I want and in a seamless way 
change among them to build a seamless 2 hrs set live?

2. How many of this patterns can I create?

3. This thing has a SCSI port, does the XL-7 works like loading songs 
or styles and stuff, so I can Hook up a SCSI drive an load a whole 
new setup with 512 different User patterns?

4. Can the XL-7 transmit SysEX to the gear hooked up to the MIDI outs?

5. Can I sync gear on MIDI out 1 with MIDI Clock and the gear on MIDI 
2 with MTC?

6. Can I order it in a different color? :)

thanks, yo
-Dave-

0. XL-7 Users Patterns are 512, right?

1. Can I construct all the patterns I want and in a seamless way
change among them to build a seamless 2 hrs set live?

Yes.

2. How many of this patterns can I create?

512?

3. This thing has a SCSI port, does the XL-7 works like loading songs
or styles and stuff, so I can Hook up a SCSI drive an load a whole
new setup with 512 different User patterns?

Nope.  No SCSI port. USB port, for plugging into a USB >host< i.e. a pc.

4. Can the XL-7 transmit SysEX to the gear hooked up to the MIDI outs?

I >suppose< you could put sysex (i.e. patches) in a track on an un-used
pattern, and send it that way, but I wouldn't know if this would work or be
effective. CCs, PCs, NRPNs and other performance stuff you can. However,
you'll need to generate them elsewhere, until the OS is updated to do so. I
think they said mid-November.

5. Can I sync gear on MIDI out 1 with MIDI Clock and the gear on MIDI
2 with MTC?

Does the Xl-7 generate MTC? Anyone?... Anyone?...

6. Can I order it in a different color? :)

The MP-7 is definitely cooler looking.

> 0. XL-7 Users Patterns are 512, right?
> 2. How many of this patterns can I create?

I think you're getting 512 from the user presets total. Presets are 
synth patches. The specifications say 1024 user patterns.

Hi Dave...

I too have been eyeballing the RS7000 very carefully for months 
before the unit arrived on the scene.  I sepnt a bout 15 minutes with 
one when I finally found it in Tampa, FL.  I had done the tutorial on 
a RM1x so I was a little familiar with ideal of playing it on the 
fly....but not much more than that...I noticed the LAG you 
mentioned....hmmmm that's not good....it also seems like it's very 
unorthodox to program (that might lead to the power that's in it 
though I don't know)...It sounded pretty good to me...but again I 
didn't spend any real time with it...

However, I have to say the XL-7 sounds AWESOME (although I am a 
little concerned about wether the drums are thick enouogh.  But the 
pads basses and leads totally ROCK!  And I already have a sampler, 
the ASR-X Pro, so via Midi...I should be pretty good there...

I dunno if I'm helping at all....just venting in futility I guess...

Alex