Patches and discussion for Ensoniq VFX family

Can someone tell me how to use the VFXsd's click so I can hear it it 
thru my module.  I'm using the VFXsd strictly as an sequencer to 
control my midi module.

--- In Ensoniq-VFX-SD@yahoogroups.com, "soulfingers1" 
<soulfingers1@...> wrote:
>
> Can someone tell me how to use the VFXsd's click so I can hear it it 
> thru my module.  


Alot of systems are built to share parameters with other midi systems.
The machine code pseudo op of it- is called "System Exclusive Messages"
The problem with 'SYSx'(SEM sounds kind of nasty) is when you start 
transferring alot of special data, the systems have to be 
re-synchronized before they are properly in time together..this can 
make a mess out of good hard work.

If you know that the "click" system in one system is a SYSx variable 
but you are not sure of the other one, you should disable click. 

Almost all system have their own click systems, some have options to 
use external click settings,(such as the VFX and SD-1 ensoniqs which 
is to set the count off to 'EXT') and some have use midi click systems 
that are built in so that the SYSx of a connected device can control 
the click.  Most midi nuts disable click because it is a real pain to 
synchronize, by the time you speed up or slow down the system and get 
it right, you could have years invested.  The only place I have ever 
heard of that actually did it was during the 70's disco era, and they 
only did it once and it did not produce a good enough similarity 
between live and recording to use as a promo for stage work.

You can set the click track to send through only one of the outputs.
For example you can sent it through the left channel and cable the left
channel through your monitors.

 

 

James R. Pardonek, CISSP

Senior Network Administrator

Network Infrastructure Management and Maintenance

Computing Technology and Information Systems

Purdue University Calumet

Hammond, Indiana

From: Ensoniq-VFX-SD@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:Ensoniq-VFX-SD@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of soulfingers1
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 10:58 AM
To: Ensoniq-VFX-SD@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Ensoniq-VFX-SD] Help with using the click track on vfxsd

 

Can someone tell me how to use the VFXsd's click so I can hear it it 
thru my module. I'm using the VFXsd strictly as an sequencer to 
control my midi module.

I was just told that the VFX doesn't have a built in sequencer....

> From: Ensoniq-VFX-SD@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:Ensoniq-VFX-SD@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of soulfingers1
> Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 10:58 AM
> To: Ensoniq-VFX-SD@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [Ensoniq-VFX-SD] Help with using the click track on vfxsd
> 
>  
> 
> Can someone tell me how to use the VFXsd's click so I can hear it it 
> thru my module. I'm using the VFXsd strictly as an sequencer to 
> control my midi module.
>

There were many models ni the VFX family and yes the
unit simply labeled VFX (not VFX-SD, SDII, SD-1) does
not have a sequencer.  It was a performance board
only. It diid have a template where you could store
2(?) user setups, each with 12 tracks that you assign
sounds to.  The original VFX also did not have the
expanded drum waves as the other VFX models did.  It
also did not have a floppy disk drive, but did have
the cartridge slot for extra sounds.  This does lead
me to a question though:  When Ensoniq came out with
the Mega-Piano waves, were they also available for the
original VFX (such as the one we're discussing here),
or was that an VFX-SD series only add-on?  There was a
post earlier in the week that has a coplete listing of
all products in the VFX/SD family.  Very informative.

I was also listening to the SD-1 Demo the other day
(yep, I'm one of the ones who actually downloads
demos, and b urns them onto a CD to enjoy), and there
is little difference between the VFX-SD and SD-1 in
sounds.  I know there are more waveforms (violin and
ethnic instruments among others), but largely, they
are the same.  In fact, to me, the SD-1 series sounds
more like my SQ series than anything.  It seems as
though the SQ+ series has all of the waveforms the
SD-1 has.  Of course, the 6-voice architecture of the
SD-1 did not carry over to the SQ series; the SQ
series only has a 3 voice architecture.  Taken the
Mytic patch off of my SQ series and it sounds
identical to the Merlin patch on the VFX (and SD-1 if
it is still called that).

Does anyone in the group still have a VFX synth (non
sequencer version)?  I have 2 VFX-SD units and might
consider working something out with someone for a
trade?

Grace, 
Harry Ebbeson III
www.soundclick.com/harryebbesoniii
(hear lots of Ensoniq products in action in my music. 
I love their stuff and have 4 Ensoniq boards, SQ1+,
SQ2 32-Voice and 2-VFX-SD)




       
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Hi Gang

Soooo.... doesn't "vfxSD" mean the vfx WITH sequencer and disk???????

cheers

Roger

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> There were many models ni the VFX family and yes the
> unit simply labeled VFX (not VFX-SD, SDII, SD-1) does
> not have a sequencer.  It was a performance board
> only. It diid have a template where you could store
> 2(?) user setups, each with 12 tracks that you assign
> sounds to.  

That's ONE "multi" (not two), yes it's 12 tracks, mostly meant to be
used with an external sequencer.  However, there are still 20 x
3-program presets for splits / layers.  Works well live, if you asked
me.

> When Ensoniq came out with the Mega-Piano waves, were they also
> available for the original VFX (such as the one we're discussing
> here), or was that an VFX-SD series only add-on?

It was a separate model, the VFX-SD-II, that had the mega piano
waves.  You may have been able to upgrade a VFX-SD with a motherboard
swap, I'm not certain.

The vanilla VFX was never able to be upgraded to anything; the keybed,
wheels, and case were the only things truly in common with the rest of
the series; to upgrade, one would have had to replace the power
supply, motherboard, and front panel to upgrade.

> Does anyone in the group still have a VFX synth (non
> sequencer version)?  I have 2 VFX-SD units and might
> consider working something out with someone for a
> trade?

I have one VFX and one VFX-SD.  I keep the VFX at church where I
play, the VFX at home for practice.  (Have a rack that I move back &
forth with a roland JV-1080 in it; I've said that before, sorry if I'm
boring somebody by repeating it...)

But I'm not interested in a trade, sorry.  That VFX was my first
synth, and I'm rather attached to it.

Someone else said:

> I think I read somewhere that the SD-1 was the premier synth that
> had the piano mega-waves, but I don't know if it was the only one
> and I don't know if the original VFX can use them.

VFX-SD-II had the Mega-piano waves.  The SD-1 MAY have improved the
piano sounds yet again, not certain on that.

> Yesturday I read on the board that the two(SD-1 and VFX) are not
> compatible,

They are sys-ex compatible.  That's usually my litmus test.  (The
TS-10 series is not sys-ex compatible, for example.)

Use the sys-ex from an SD-1 to try to access waves that don't exist on
a VFX, and you get some garbage sounds, yes.  I think you also have to
boot a 32-voice sd-1 in "21-voice mode" (however you'd do that) to be
compatible with sequences made on earlier models.  But I'd still say
they're compatible.

--> Steve
-- 
Steve Wahl    steve@...

It is difficult to get a man to understand something
when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.
    -Upton Sinclair

I have a non-working VFX I would trade for an SD...who
wouldnt!
 
--- Steve Wahl <steve@...> wrote:

> > There were many models ni the VFX family and yes
> the
> > unit simply labeled VFX (not VFX-SD, SDII, SD-1)
> does
> > not have a sequencer.  It was a performance board
> > only. It diid have a template where you could
> store
> > 2(?) user setups, each with 12 tracks that you
> assign
> > sounds to.  
> 
> That's ONE "multi" (not two), yes it's 12 tracks,
> mostly meant to be
> used with an external sequencer.  However, there are
> still 20 x
> 3-program presets for splits / layers.  Works well
> live, if you asked
> me.
> 
> > When Ensoniq came out with the Mega-Piano waves,
> were they also
> > available for the original VFX (such as the one
> we're discussing
> > here), or was that an VFX-SD series only add-on?
> 
> It was a separate model, the VFX-SD-II, that had the
> mega piano
> waves.  You may have been able to upgrade a VFX-SD
> with a motherboard
> swap, I'm not certain.
> 
> The vanilla VFX was never able to be upgraded to
> anything; the keybed,
> wheels, and case were the only things truly in
> common with the rest of
> the series; to upgrade, one would have had to
> replace the power
> supply, motherboard, and front panel to upgrade.
> 
> > Does anyone in the group still have a VFX synth
> (non
> > sequencer version)?  I have 2 VFX-SD units and
> might
> > consider working something out with someone for a
> > trade?
> 
> I have one VFX and one VFX-SD.  I keep the VFX at
> church where I
> play, the VFX at home for practice.  (Have a rack
> that I move back &
> forth with a roland JV-1080 in it; I've said that
> before, sorry if I'm
> boring somebody by repeating it...)
> 
> But I'm not interested in a trade, sorry.  That VFX
> was my first
> synth, and I'm rather attached to it.
> 
> Someone else said:
> 
> > I think I read somewhere that the SD-1 was the
> premier synth that
> > had the piano mega-waves, but I don't know if it
> was the only one
> > and I don't know if the original VFX can use them.
> 
> VFX-SD-II had the Mega-piano waves.  The SD-1 MAY
> have improved the
> piano sounds yet again, not certain on that.
> 
> > Yesturday I read on the board that the two(SD-1
> and VFX) are not
> > compatible,
> 
> They are sys-ex compatible.  That's usually my
> litmus test.  (The
> TS-10 series is not sys-ex compatible, for example.)
> 
> Use the sys-ex from an SD-1 to try to access waves
> that don't exist on
> a VFX, and you get some garbage sounds, yes.  I
> think you also have to
> boot a 32-voice sd-1 in "21-voice mode" (however
> you'd do that) to be
> compatible with sequences made on earlier models. 
> But I'd still say
> they're compatible.
> 
> --> Steve
> -- 
> Steve Wahl    steve@...
> 
> It is difficult to get a man to understand something
> when his salary depends upon his not understanding
> it.
>     -Upton Sinclair
> 



       
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