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From: keithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle)
Newsgroups: net.music.synth,net.analog
Subject: 'State of the art' questions
Message-ID: <772@cadovax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 8-Aug-85 17:22:39 EDT
Article-I.D.: cadovax.772
Posted: Thu Aug  8 17:22:39 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 13-Aug-85 02:31:10 EDT
Organization: CONTEL CADO Systems, Torrance, CA
Lines: 51
Xref: linus net.music.synth:393 net.analog:413

.......

I am posting this to both net.music.synth and net.analog because I
thought that there might be experts in either group that could help
answer these questions.

I am considering designing a new music synthesizer product, and
being a little behind in certain subjects, I have a few questions
that perhaps some of the gang out there could answer:

  1. What are the advantages/disadvantages of linear vs companding DACS?
     Are the choices compounded by things like:
        a. requiring A/D as well as D/A?
        b. manipulation of values via standard DSP processors, vs
           a strictly sampling system? (in other words, can a DSP
           make sense out of a companded value and manipulate it
           effectively without first having to un-compand it, and
           then re-compand it for output?).

  2. What, in the recording industry, is considered 'studio quality'?
     In particular, I am talking about the DACS again, (I'm assuming that
     a nyquist somewhere around 48khz is acceptable, correct me if I'm
     wrong.)  What I want to know is, how many bits, signal/noise etc.
     And, is there a difference between 'studio quality' and 'acceptable'?
     I want to know the arguments for 10-12-16 bits etc. if there are any
     besides cost.

  3. MIDI would seem to be a move towards modular synthesizer products.
     To me, this would imply 'component' synthesizers.  Have we actually
     gone that direction?  Can I go out and by a keyboard (JUST a keyboard)
     to hook up to some sound generation hardware via MIDI?  Can I go out
     and by sound generating hardware (sans keyboard) to hook up to existing
     keyboard equipment via MIDI?  If not, am I misinterpreting the
     motivations behind MIDI?  If we are not yet at the totally
     'component' synthesizer point yet, does it seem like the market
     is heading that direction?

  4. What is the importance (in the studio) of SMPTE time coding, where
     related to synthesizers.  I would think that perhaps videos of
     commercials would find it useful to be able to drive your 'sampling'
     effects box or vice versa to provide accurate synching of the sound
     and video.

Thanks in advance for any input.  Right now, I'm primarily trying to 
find out what features are required in a serious product, while still
trying to keep the focus on low cost (if they are not totally mutually
exclusive.

Keith Doyle
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