HW: Business Trips etc

[Doug Pearson]

On Wed, 3 May 2000 14:10:23 -0700, "John H. McCartney" <scorch at TE-CATS.COM>
wrote:
>> >Then again, if it was a VCS1, being a keyboard player wouldn't be of much
>> >help...

That would be VCS3, actually (Voltage-Controlled Synthesizer #3 - I believe
that numbers one and two were a prototype and the EMS modular, but I could
be wrong).  There was a promo pic of the trio lineup from around the time
of 'White Zone'/IitBotFtbD with Alan holding a microphone up to the VCS3's
patch matrix (the part of it that looks like a game of 'Battleship' with
all the pegs in holes).

>> Twiddling knobs is cooler anyway (and much more fun)...

Oooh YEAH!  (and twiddling joysticks, as on the VCS3 and Grant Richter's
[F/i] Wiard modular, is even MORE fun since you can, in effect, turn two
knobs at once with one hand)

>You *can* have both.....

... if you're willing to go the Virtual Analog (VA) route (which I'm not
knocking - it's just not for an analog purist a$$h*le like me).

>I've recently aquired a Roland JP-8000, and oh boy is it fun. Knobs
>galore for your twiddling enjoyment, all the VCO, VCF and VCA knobs
>and switches you remember fondly, plus added goodies like an ribbon
>controller, arpeggiator, and pattern record/playback. Makes it really
>easy to do "instant Tangerine Dream".....

Again, it's not something I have experience with, but those "in the know"
tend to hold the VA's by European manufacturers (Clavia, and especially
Waldorf) in higher regard than the Japanese "big three"
(Roland/Yamaha/Korg).  I'm not putting down the JP-8000 (I've heard real
good stuff done on those and its' JP-8080 rackmount sibling) - just
something to keep in mind if you happen to be shopping for a keyboard (or
rackmount) VA synth these days ... try 'em all if you can!

Either way, it's a damn healthy sign that synth makers are putting KNOBS
(and switches and ribbon controllers) on their instruments once again (but
the most interesting equipment is being made by the little guys like Wiard
http://www.wiard.com).

        -Doug (sorry, I get *really* opinionated about this stuff)
         ceres at sirius.com