[sdiy] So called "LA SYNTHESIS" : Was: LA Synth Nuts...

[Les Mizzell]

> Yikes, for a second I thought this message was about strange
> masochists who were actually enthusiastic about Linear Arithmetic
> synths.

I never understood the big "Oooo....LA Synthesis..." thing. I mean, Roland
was just using a fancy name for what was still basically a subtractive
rompler synth.

Anyway you looked at it, the structure (simplified) basically boiled down to
this:

waveform - filter - amp
             |       |
            EG      EG

Some of the waveforms were cyclic, and some were "one-shot", like those nice
metallic percussive hits that you could add to the attack of a sound.

In the D50, you go 4 of the above structures you could layer on top of each
other.

Oh wait, the Korg M1 did the same thing, didn't it?  And almost all the
Romplers out there right now do this too.... Whoopsie!  Worse yet, some
waveforms from one of these synths suddenly showed up in the waveform bank
of another manufacturers. Double Whoopsie!

I never saw "LA synthesis" as a "new form of synthesis". I saw it as "Roland
coming up with a new fancy name for something that already existed".....