theblue1...
I forgot to answer your question. A full explanation will take at least 10 pages, so I'll try to be brief....
If you make a mistake... I have received some tomatoes in a couple of
parties.
if you use a central sequencer to control all the other synths, but recording all the information on the format of the sequencer (like the EMU), you won't get too much sinergy, cause what you are doing is submitting the resources of the other machines to the advantages and LIMITATIONS of the sequencer.
You have to take advantage of the particular features of each one of the machines in order to create synergy.
I'll give a very fast example, of how I obtain synergy from the interaction of very different machines, using MIDI.
YAMAHA EX5: a super digital synth that has virtual analog, virtual acoustic, DSP, AWM2, FM and sampling technologies in just one 128 poly workstation.
EMU command station: the most versatile hardware sequencer IMHO. Forget about memory storage limitations. You can record, edit, program, play, everything, without stopping music. A super fast sequencer to capture your inspiration.
Korg Electribe: great analog feeling, the delay effect is awesome, you can record quantized notes during playing that will repeat perfectly on the same loop.
The EX5 is one of the best digital synths when talking about sound capabilities. But operatin this synth is a headache, and it has a lot of bugs, even some commands don't work at all, and the MIDI clock is the worst ever.
EX5's pattern sequencer rules.
You can specify for each track, a different duration, on measures, beats, and milliseconds.
For example, I can make a pattern with tracks of 4, 4.3, 4.3.120, 12.2.120, 2,3,360 each one.
And it has 100 different amazing groove effects, that control gate, velo, clock transponse, duplicate or double the velocity, even in fractions (I wantt this bass to a BPM of 133% of the original BPM.
You can obtain multiple versions of a unique pattern, duplicating it and modifying all these parameters and adding groove effects, without recording another one. Great of sequencing arppegios that will have great textures and variations.
when you combine these great sequencer features, with the complexity of a sound that has four different technologies, that produces different values for each note you recorded (FDSP Technoly, unique for the EX5) you can obtain amazing and organic sounds. The possibilities are endless... but how you can take advantage of them, with one of the worst operative systems ever????:
The EMU command station has hundreds of arppegios for any use, but they are kinda of rigid, you can't give them swing effects, of modify the clock of each note.
Solution?
1.Transmit several arppegios thru MIDI while the pattern sequencer of the EX5 is recording. Make several tests with different arppegios.
2. Now you have them recorded as notes on the sequencer of the EX5. Choose one, duplicate it, and start to experiment adding groove effects, modifying gate, velo, clock, etc etc etc, for each one.
3. Work a couple of months, creating patches that will interact with these arppegios. But assign to each one of the 256 user patches, a velocity range of 2-127, not 0-127, (patience...). This is the reason I can't use preset patches.
Now, use the KEYMAP of the EX5. The keymap is similar to the RPS system of the Roland grooveboxes series.
you can assign a huge patttern or a single track to each one of the notes.
but the problem is, in VOICE MODE, if you touch the C2 key, the track assigned to the C2 key will play with the actual selected patch, but also... the C2 note will sound...
this sucks.
Now is where the synergy I was talking abbout appears.
With the EMU command station, assign one of the 32 tracks to the EX5.(external mode)
Record the notes, but with a VELO VALUE of 1.
In this way, you will activate the track or the pattern from the EMU with a single note, while you hold it, it will keep the EX5 track playing. The velo value transmitted is 1, and, the note you played won't interfer with the
track playing, because is under the velo range of the current EX5 patch.
I'm just recording one note on the EMU sequencer, to activate a huge variety of amazing combinations of tracks, and patterns on the EX5. I don't need to push the "PLAY" button of the EX5, 'cause the MIDI clock.... well, EX5 can't follow any TEMPO with MIDI. You will have a cacophony if you try it.
Need a PROGRAM CHANGE on the EX5, select another user patch???
I. Recod some tracks that have only a PC command on the EX5. This is fast, just go to EDIT MODE and intro some PC selections.
II. Assign this tracks to tthe black keys. On the white ones, the tracks, on the black ones, the selection of the patches. This is useful, cause where you are composing and feel very inspired, just record on the EMU a black key note to select a sound, a white one, to play a track or a pattern.
I can't waste time on stupid processes while creating music.
In this way, you are taking all the advantage of the versatile EX5 pattern sequencer and its powerful sound engine, and also, from the EMU arppegio menu, taking the best of each one.
I mean, this is a tiny example of how you can make two synths friends. you progress on your MIDI setup, with experimentation, making mistakes, using different ways of combinations until you obtain the best interaction.
Imagine this, but with two EMUS, one of them, controling a ROLAND JUNO 106, a KORG ELECTRIBE and a phrase sampler like the SP 505 or SP 808 with thousands of quantized samples ready to be activated with MIDI notes.
Another EMU, controlling a VIRUS B and
the YAMAHA EX5.
Hook both EMUS just to sync the BPM, no mixer between them.
Who needs a computer with so much fun????
Playing... playing anything is a lot less scary than that.
