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From: ron@brl (Ron Natalie)
Newsgroups: net.music.synth
Subject: Re:  State of the art questions
Message-ID: <706@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 15-Aug-85 03:53:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.706
Posted: Thu Aug 15 03:53:56 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 19-Aug-85 06:08:24 EDT
Sender: news@brl-tgr.ARPA
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> Yamaha has a fairly extensive line of MIDI products,
> including a standalone keyboard (the KX-1, I think) with
> pressure and velocity sensitive keys.  It's basically
> the same keyboard used in the DX-7 synth.

Yamaha makes two MIDI keyboard lines that I know of.  The first is
the KX-88.  This is an 88-key weighted, velocity sensitive, midi
controller with after touch, two wheels (nominally modulation and
pitch), two foot controllers, two foot switches, four slide pots,
two push buttons, and (sigh) a breath controller.  All the inputs
are redefinable to anything else.  It is most emphatically not
the same keyboard as the DX-7.  It is capable of independently
controlling two midi channels in dual, split, or single modes.
Independent transpose is available for each channel.

The other is a set of remote keyboards which are smaller than the
DX (standard) keyboard, in a guitar like arrangement for playing
while dancing around.

> Yamaha's TX-816 is a small rack mount box containing
> the sound production hardware equivalent to slightly more
> than 8 DX-7's.

The TX-816 however, is useless unless you have a DX-7 o program it.
Yamaha also sells a box with a small front panel called the TX-7,
for about $650.  As with the TX-816, it is reliant on the DX-7 for
programming, however, it comes with a cassette interface, so you 
dump entire DX-7 banks onto the cassette for storage (beats $80 ram
cartridges).  The added feature in both units is some keyboard split
functions so that you don't need to have eight different midi channels
active.

>     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?

In addition to the Yamaha keyboads, Roland makes two midi controllers.
One is smaller (fewer keys, lighter, and not weighted), the other is
another 88-key weighted job.  It is heavier than the YAMAHA, although
it feels better.  The modulation whiz bang inputs are less well defined
(if you're into that).  It does however have multiple midi output jacks.

Roland makes a few keyboardless devices.  There is an electric piano
module and a nice synthesizer called the Super-Jupiter.  Unlike the
TX tone modules, you can get a little programming panel with all the
knobs and sliders and actually use this device with just a MIDI controller.

-Ron