Emax

well what if you like most of what the Emax can do but feel it's limited in
a small way?  for example, personally, i love the sound, and i can deal with
most of it's limitations, but one thing that i do wish was improved upon is
the MIDI timing.  trying to use it as a sampler for drums w/ an external
sequencer (as this is how i produce music) is a near impossible thing when
you start using more than 3 drum sounds, especially if you are doing more
than a simple 1-2 1-2 beat - i end up having to solo each drum part's
pattern and then multi track all of them which is something i prefer to
avoid since i lose that "live" feel i get otherwise.

so wouldn't a faster cpu fix the MIDI timing problem?  but then again, even
if it could in theory, wouldn't it be a monumental task and not really worth
it at the end of the day?  and i'm sure many people would just tell me to
get an Akai or use software programs and stop my bitching...  ;)

but yeah if the MIDI timing wasn't an issue the Emax would be a perfect
machine for me.



On Tue, Dec 29, 2009 at 3:38 PM, Ted Summers <djtbs1@...> wrote:

> I am just wondering why people keep wanting to change the base
> underpinnings
> of the Emax hardware.
> If you aren't happy with what Emax does do, then maybe you need a different
> piece of equipment or software to do this "other thing" you are looking to
> do?
>
> I certainly understand wanting to maximize the possible options of the
> Emax.
> Heck if I could increase either the HD size / # of banks or Max sample
> memory in an Emax 1 that would be great.
>
> But to change out the CPU? What is the purpose of that?
> And the Echip is a special purpose IC. You can't just blindly utilize it in
> a circuit....
>
> Without the Echip, the Emax is no longer an Emax, it would be something
> different.
> So I just don't get some of these comments.
>
>
>
> On Tue, Dec 29, 2009 at 11:21 AM, jammie <jammie.emma@...
> >wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > waste of time it would need to much hacking of motherboards to impliment
> >
> > if you read the thread on the dx group it is for programming of sysex
> > strings so you change parameters on the fly but it only works on 1
> parameter
> > at a time and would need many more controls and code to impliment loads
> of
> > controls at a time problem with sysex data it can soon overload the midi
> > channel
> >
> > he designed it so you colud change a param with out looking at the panel
> > lcd and buttons in real time
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: thenewyorkcowboy
> > To: emax@yahoogroups.com <emax%40yahoogroups.com>
> > Sent: Tuesday, December 29, 2009 5:59 PM
> > Subject: [emax] Microcontroller
> >
> > I just saw this post on the Yamaha DX group and thought I would put it
> here
> > for us to comment on as well. Don't know how it might apply but ideas are
> > welcome. My initial thought is somehow using this to translate the EMAX
> > source code into something that we could understand and modify, then we
> > could write a new OS that would implement the new features of the extra
> > stuff we put in, or possibly if the stars were aligned we could even
> replace
> > the dated microprocessor of the EMAX with this one and write brand new
> > code...
> >
> > Here is the Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmel_AVR
> >
> > Re: Editor Librarians for TX81Z
> > Posted by: "Alan Probandt" alan_probandt at yahoo.com alan_probandt
> > Mon Dec 28, 2009 7:18 am (PST)
> >
> > Hello,
> > I have noticed the trend towards over-complication that was mentioned in
> > your message and agree. However instead of resurrecting 1980s 8-bit home
> > computers, I suggest looking into the modern microcontroller scene that
> is
> > always improving in terms of performance for the price.
> > I have been doing MIDI development with the Atmel AVR microcontroller a
> lot
> > for the past five years or so. I don't have a lot to show for it, from a
> > professional perspective, but what has been done is in open source and
> > available. The AVR is almost a 1980s home computer on a inexpensive chip.
> > There is a 20MHz CPU core running 130+ op-codes, two or three
> input/output
> > ports, a serial port UART or two, a cluster of 10 bit analog/digital
> > convertors, several timers, and a Flash ROM space of 4K bytes to 128K
> bytes.
> > Lacking is big on-board RAM, video, and sound generators. Programs are
> > written in free assemblers or C compilers and loaded into the flash ROM.
> No
> > need for ultraviolet erasers any more. All programs are stored in the
> ROM.
> > No program code runs from RAM, which makes AVRs different from home
> > computers.
> > Video can be done using attached LCD graphics modules that sell for about
> > $20. Sound ICs have disappeared probably for good, but MP3 and MIDI are
> > straightforward to implement. Massive data storage is done on small cheap
> SD
> > Flash cards at a cost of about $10 per gigabyte.
> > AVRs have the same programming 'feel' that the old home computers do, but
> > they are much more widely available. There isn't any concern that a
> program
> > written for DOS or Commodore 64 can't be shared because the hardware is
> > unobtainable.
> > The 10-year-old 8-bit 20MHz $8 AVR is on the verge of being replaced by
> the
> > $4 50MHz 32bit ARM-family of microcontrollers, specifically the Cortex
> M3.
> > This device is made by many companies, but it is much more difficult to
> > program and is 'overkill' for MIDI applications.
> >
> > Just a brief update on the alternatives to using unprogrammable desktop
> PCs
> > for MIDI applications.
> >
> > ----------------------------------------------------------
> >
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> 12/29/09
> > 07:47:00
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Emax and Emax II User's Group Website
>
> http://www.silveriafamily.comYahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>


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