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#3450 - 04/05/02 01:49 PM need advice, thank
RW Offline
Member

Registered: 01/30/01
Posts: 344
Loc: NJ, USA
I'm wanting to buy a workstation the main reason is to playback midi files from diskette.

I don’t care about an on-board sequencer because I do my sequencing on a pc. But I know must workstations come with one. Maybe theres a keyboard with a disk drive that's not considered a workstation that will do it for me. I currently own a JV-1010 which I control via StudioLogic SL-880 (Fatar) controller and a PC. I also have a Casio WK1800. But when I play midi files on the Casio Wk1800’s disk drive, it can only play the sounds in the Wk1800 and they won’t go to the MIDI out. I wished it did cause then I wouldn’t need to buy anything else.

I’m considering XP-50 or XP-60 (anyone know of something less expense ??) in order to do the following 3 things:

1) Pop a midi file into the disk drive. Have say tracks 1 and 2 (or more) go to the midi out from disk, to be played on a sound module (JV-1010) and not be played on the local synth, but yet have other tracks from the midi file play locally , ie tracks 3 and 4 (or more) played on the xp-50 (or whatever I buy). While also at the same time be able to play the keyboard?


2) The other thing I’d like to do in the future is to play out. But when I do this I want to only bring one keyboard that can playback midi files with me. I think the XP-50 and the XP-60 will do this. I really don’t want the XP-80. If I need to use the full 88 keys I could bring along the SL-880.
Which brings me to another question...

3) With the XP-50 or Xp-60 (or any other keyboard/workstation)… I’d like to control it with the SL880 to play a good piano patch and at the same time playback a midi file. So I would run a cable from the MIDI out of the SL-880 to the MIDI in of the XP-50/60 and use say track 1 set to a piano sound, then pop in a midi file using tracks 2-16 which would have drums, strings, pads sound effects..etc.


So will the XP-50 work for me?

Is there a big difference between the XP-50 and 60? I heard the XP-60 has some strange “fuzz” at the end of the notes but you have to listen for it , and that the XP-50 doesn’t have this problem.

Again, I’m not really looking for a good onboard sequencer. I’m really looking for great flexibility in MIDI configurations including MIDI file playback.

I think that covers my issues.

I need a good home studio set-up that can be taken apart and brought out to gigs. Some gigs will be simple, just the synth and MIDI files to cover rhythm tracks for me while I play piano sounds. Or something to cover rhythm for me while I play acoustic guitar. And then if all goes well and I get a band going, I may want to bring the synth for playing MIDI files and for me to play it and I’d also bring the SL-880 and my guitar for full capabilities.

I really don’t want to bring my PC and JV-1010 to gigs, ya know?


Any ideas folks? Thanks!

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#3451 - 04/05/02 03:07 PM Re: need advice, thank
sk880user Offline
Member

Registered: 01/26/01
Posts: 1255
Loc: United States
Ok, here is the deal,

Try to Get one of the following GEM keyboards:

SK880: 88 keys no speakers
SK760: 76 keys no speakers
WK6: 61 keys with speakers.
wk8 (Not WK8SE): 61 keys with speakers but all options included.

These have the best and the most powerful sequencer and midi-playback functionality added on midi configuration. Now you can get them for EXCELLENT PRICE; a discount that is more than half what they used to be sold for a year ago.

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#3452 - 04/05/02 04:01 PM Re: need advice, thank
tekminus Offline
Member

Registered: 04/20/00
Posts: 1287
Maybe you should look at the Roland XV modules, if you have the keys covered. It's exactly the same sounds as the XP-80 etc. There's a ton of excellent presets and it's fully programmable for your own sounds.

-tek

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#3453 - 04/06/02 06:37 AM Re: need advice, thank
sk880user Offline
Member

Registered: 01/26/01
Posts: 1255
Loc: United States
Tek,

Can you actually load a midi song to an XV module and play it?

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#3454 - 04/06/02 06:51 AM Re: need advice, thank
tekminus Offline
Member

Registered: 04/20/00
Posts: 1287
I don't think so, sk880user, but there are midifile players ,like this one (£289): http://www.tech-mate.co.uk/MIDI_Keyboards/modules/m88midifile.shtml


-tek

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