[A6] potential a6 owner questions
Chris Pickett
chris.pickett at mail.mcgill.ca
Mon May 5 15:26:30 PDT 2003
Ok, I relistened to the list of mp3's by 3DarkHours. Most of them I
find too trancey (but I also think they'd be perfect if one wanted to
make trance music). Maybe it's just because the arpeggiator and reverb
seem to be turned on for a lot of them. I suppose I also find them a
little too metallic / acidic -- but perhaps there's a way around that.
However, the following are the ones I like, and the ones with an
exclamation mark I consider totally usable as they are (I'd in fact be
quite excited to hear a track using all 9 of these patches):
Alaska1
Alaska2
AndyBells
Arplet (!)
BelowTheKick
Budapest (!)
DarkGotham
DeepAbyssBass
Depth (!)
DreamSequence
Dufus
Fanfares
FooledAgain
Halloween
HarpsiPlus (!)
Insomnia4 (!)
MellowHollow
MinimugeBass
ModernDayWarrior
Pretension1
PsychicFriend
SandWorms (!)
SawStack
SoftStrings (!)
ShiftScape1
StrawberryFlutes (!)
Stretchy
ThankYouBob
WarmStrings
WeAreFloater
WheelDownYeah
WolfBass3 (!)
XPandroPad
I'd be pretty open to another cheaper, less complicated, and older synth
if I could make at least sounds like the ones marked with an exclamation
mark, but I really have no idea where to begin. Recommendations are
much appreciated :)
As for getting an A90 -- right now, I'm just going to get one keyboard,
but I did hear about the A90 and so will check it out again.
I guess another thing is that I'm not too interested in synths with
patches based on samples of non-electronic instruments, except perhaps
for some piano stuff (which was why I was thinking about the S90). The
only thing I would use patches like that for is to help me arrange a
tune so that then somebody else could come in and actually play the
instrument in question.
On the other hand, I think stuff like the StrawberryFlutes patch is
totally awesome (maybe a little less vibrato would be good though).
Cheers,
Chris
P.S. Some technical questions:
1. Can you run external audio through just the effects processor (the
manual seems to indicate only through the filters)?
2. What are the currently recommended accessories for this board? I
know that some people are using a breath controller and also a
SmartMedia card or something is recommended for extra storage. Which
specific models are the best?
3. Did they ever get the knobs and buttons to send MIDI messages? Some
guy at Harmony Central was making a big stink about that.
4. If I do end up getting this sucker, do I need a sixteen channel
mixer for all 16 voices? The Sounds on Sounds review indicates this
would be a good thing. I kind of like the Aurora A6 mod, but I'm not
that skilled ...
ynottnaro wrote:
>Hey Chris...
>
>I just picked up an A6 and am struggling with it (I
>myself like analog synth sounds ala Chick Corea,
>Stevie Wonder, Rick Wakeman, Roger Powell, etc). I do
>own a Motif with the AN expansion board, and I can
>tell you right now, that there is no freakin
>comparison in those 2 engines. The AN expansion is
>good for bleeps and bloops and not much else...not
>satisfying at all. Even though the A6 is not a plug
>and play board, even the sounds that are in the realm
>of what I'm looking for totally SPANK the Yamaha
>version. Why not find a used Roland A90 (about
>$800-1k) for a master controller?
>
>T
>--- Chris Pickett <chris.pickett at mail.mcgill.ca>
>wrote:
>
>
>>Hi guys,
>>
>>(this should be plain text only; my previous
>>messages were both HTML and
>>plain text)
>>
>>Okay, well given three words of warning I am now
>>reconsidering. As far
>>as the A6 sound goes, I'm convinced (even from the
>>so-called "cold /
>>thin" factory presets) that it's absolutely
>>wonderful. I know that
>>dance and techno have bad name among musicians
>>because almost all of the
>>stuff you hear outside of a relatively unknown and
>>small group of
>>producers and labels is (IMHO) total crap, but
>>there's definitely a
>>place for the deep, lush, and spacey sounds I heard
>>(again, factory
>>presets). I can hear the difference in recorded
>>music between VA and
>>the real deal, although I find mp3's and CD's tend
>>to blur that
>>distinction for me (as opposed to vinyl).
>>
>>Anyway, I'm now back to thinking about getting a
>>Yamaha S90 as a master
>>keyboard with great piano action, and learning the
>>ropes from there. It
>>has the option for an AN1x plug-in board with 5
>>voices, some good synth
>>sounds, and lots of sampled instruments. I suppose
>>I can always pick up
>>an A6 in a couple years (<sigh>) once I feel
>>comfortable with everything.
>>
>>Cheers,
>>Chris
>>
>>Mark Kopec wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>I would like to second the word of warning to you
>>>
>>>
>>about your proposed A6 purchase. This is not a
>>beginner's synth.
>>
>>
>>>You should be interested in the Moog and Oberheim
>>>
>>>
>>sound. If dance music is your interest, you will be
>>disappointed. The A6 is not a dance and techno
>>synth. Many of them get sold under this false
>>impression. Then the owner sells the synth a few
>>months later after it goes unused. The problem is
>>not the A6 but the mismatch between expectations and
>>reality.
>>
>>
>>>Good luck in whatever you decide.
>>>
>>>Best regards,
>>>
>>>Mark
>>>--
>>>
>>>On Sun, 04 May 2003 19:53:04
>>>Chris Pickett wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Hi,
>>>>
>>>>First, this might be a little off-topic for this
>>>>
>>>>
>>list, but since I see
>>
>>
>>>>myself as an A6 owner in the future, I was
>>>>
>>>>
>>wondering if you kind people
>>
>>
>>>>could help me out.
>>>>
>>>>I've been a DJ for 7 years, and ended up (after a
>>>>
>>>>
>>long trip through just
>>
>>
>>>>about all genres) getting really into deep / jazzy
>>>>
>>>>
>>/ vocal house;
>>
>>
>>>>Masters at Work, Larry Heard, Joe Clausell, Kerri
>>>>
>>>>
>>Chandler, Ron Trent,
>>
>>
>>>>Moodymann, etc. etc. I got kind of tired of all
>>>>
>>>>
>>the music coming about
>>
>>
>>>>1.5 years ago, and haven't really bought any
>>>>
>>>>
>>records since then, and
>>
>>
>>>>actually started buying CD's again. Never thought
>>>>
>>>>
>>that would happen.
>>
>>
>>>>Anyways, I have a couple of mixtapes that I want
>>>>
>>>>
>>to master and put on
>>
>>
>>>>CD. So I bought a sound card for my laptop. Then
>>>>
>>>>
>>I decided my mixer
>>
>>
>>>>wasn't good enough, so I bought a new mixer. Then
>>>>
>>>>
>>I wanted an effects
>>
>>
>>>>processor for my new mixer so I bought one of
>>>>
>>>>
>>those. Then I wanted a
>>
>>
>>>>BPM counter to sync my effects box accurately with
>>>>
>>>>
>>my records. At this
>>
>>
>>>>point it feels like a closed system and I can be a
>>>>
>>>>
>>little happy.
>>
>>
>>>>I then (hours after promising myself that I
>>>>
>>>>
>>wouldn't do any more
>>
>>
>>>>shopping until those mix CD's were finished) was
>>>>
>>>>
>>looking for a master
>>
>>
>>>>keyboard and spent some time reading reviews and
>>>>
>>>>
>>listening to the Yamaha
>>
>>
>>>>S90 and Kurzweil stuff. I wasn't too happy with
>>>>
>>>>
>>the synth sounds of the
>>
>>
>>>>S90 but was sold on the keyboard action (everyone
>>>>
>>>>
>>said it was the best
>>
>>
>>>>ever). Then I happened upon 3DarkHours' mp3's at
>>>>
>>>>
>>sonicstate.com and my
>>
>>
>>>>heart skipped a few beats (and then I did the
>>>>
>>>>
>>obligatory "read every
>>
>>
>>>>link Google returns" thing).
>>>>
>>>>Basically, I've now decided I want to put together
>>>>
>>>>
>>a small home studio
>>
>>
>>>>and I want the A6 to be the centrepiece. I am
>>>>
>>>>
>>more interested in buying
>>
>>
>>>>a few quality components than something like the
>>>>
>>>>
>>MC909. Money is not
>>
>>
>>>>really an issue for me at this point. I don't
>>>>
>>>>
>>really have much
>>
>>
>>>>experience with synthesizers except that I had a
>>>>
>>>>
>>303 for about a month
>>
>>
>>>>(it was fun), have played a bunch with ReBirth,
>>>>
>>>>
>>and played classical
>>
>>
>>>>piano for 10 years. Oh, and I love the sound of
>>>>
>>>>
>>them. But before I get
>>
>>
>>>>too carried away, I really need some opinions on
>>>>
>>>>
>>how to proceed in this
>>
>>
>>>>whole gear buying mess.
>>>>
>>>>Here is my current gear list:
>>>>
>>>>3 Technics SL-1500 MK2's (+/- 9.9% digital pitch
>>>>
>>>>
>>control, much better
>>
>>
>>>>for recording than 1200's -- not good for playing
>>>>
>>>>
>>out or scratching though).
>>
>>
>>>>1 Technics SL-1200 MK3 (Japanese, equivalent to
>>>>
>>>>
>>MK2 over here).
>>
>>
>>>>3 Ortofon Nite Club cartridges + stylii.
>>>>
>>>>Sony MDR-Z700 DJ headphones (crap, but I wear them
>>>>
>>>>
>>outside and stuff).
>>
>>
>>>>Gemini PS626 3-channel mixer (old and crackly)
>>>>
>>>>Rane Empath 3-channel mixer (in the mail).
>>>>
>>>>Korg Kaoss Pad 2 FX processor (nice, but I don't
>>>>
>>>>
>>have enough control).
>>
>>
>>>>Red Sound Micro Sync BPM Extractor (to sync MIDI
>>>>
>>>>
>>clock to live sound /
>>
>>
>>>>turntables) (in the mail).
>>>>
>>>>Thinkpad A20p Laptop (750 MHz processor, 384 MB
>>>>
>>>>
>>RAM).
>>
>>
>>>>Digigram VXpocket V2 PCMCIA laptop soundcard
>>>>
>>>>
>>(24-bit A/D and D/A).
>>
>>
>>>>Marantz PM-62F 180W amp (home stereo stuff, about
>>>>
>>>>
>>$700 U.S. to replace
>>
>>
>>>>with new equivalent).
>>>>
>>>>12-gauge speaker wire.
>>>>
>>>>Some 20-year old monitors / bookshelf speakers
>>>>
>>>>
>>that sound good to me but
>>
>>
>>>>I could probably do with a second pair.
>>>>
>>>>A Denon dual tape deck (DRW 580).
>>>>
>>>>=============
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>Need a new email address that people can remember
>>>Check out the new EudoraMail at
>>>http://www.eudoramail.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>A6 mailing list
>>A6 at code404.com
>>http://code404.com/mailman/listinfo/a6
>>
>>
>
>
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