Emu XL-7 & MP-7 User's Group

Wow. Bohemian.

Sorry you had such a bad experience with the XP-50. Despite the fact 
that I have a pretty healthy complement and IMO good sense about 
synths, I don't know crap about the XP-50 except that perhaps I used 
one once in a rehearsal studio in NYC. Other than that I always just 
passed it by (and all the other XP synths too)in the stores because 
absolutely nothing about them caught my eyes (or ears). Frankly I 
always wondered who was buying them while things like the Waldorfs 
were around and better korgs, etc. (those are the ones still 
demanding a half decent used price btw).

Anyway after reading about your poor experiences (and especially the 
part where you said you paid a lot of money over months and months 
to a guy for lessons on how to use it . . . . sorry to hear that 
too . . .), I had to go check out some reviews of it online to see 
whether you were just completely off your tree or not.

Well, the reviews are quite mixed--which tells me the synth is 
likely as I suspected perhaps intuitively (or luckily): probably 
crap. The reviews sum up into two camps as far as I can see 
(discounting the completely off the wall true believers or madman 
reviews): Either the reviewer seems to love it to death and defends 
it, but usually has a textual style of writing that seems to 
indicate they are a little lower than the average intelligence of a 
monkey, OR the reviewers are pretty pissed at the instrument and 
appear more mad at themselves for being so dumb to pick it up in the 
first place, hoping to learn from their obvious mistake-meaning they 
are smarter than the first bunch.

So, you are right. You made a mistake. But don't make the mistake to 
lump everything into one pile. Every company has some clunkers. Also 
these things are complex instruments. Many companies have only just 
begun to realize that less than total gearheads want to play them 
too and can be a good source of purchasers. So things like the MC505 
and even the Emu XL7 and MP7 are abounding. They have deceptively 
easy interfaces. I say deceptively because at first, many of the 
true close-minded gearheads (nerds)(just as bad as the truly 
clueless, IMO) thought that things like the MC-303, 505, electribes, 
etc, etc, must be crap and not *real* because they were so easy, any 
idiot could pick one up and press play (infringing on their 
nerdiness). But the reality is that those tools are just easier to 
use, yet among the most powerful music machines around. Both MC-505 
and the XL7 have the most rocking, deep and highly evolved synthesis 
engines around. The Roland style of sample playback synthesis is 
VERY similar to that of E-mus except that E-mu shows more of its 
background as a modular synth company way back when with far more 
modulation sources and destination than the Rolands (although Roland 
had modulars too--but they never were their sole focus, like with E-
mu. The MP7/XL7 seem to kick the ass of the MC-505 in the sound 
department because of this and mainly because they are have room for 
expansion ROMS, so the vast majority of users -- who are non-
programmers (it ain't that easy)--won't get too bored. But as 
discussed here before, despite the fact that the XL7/MP7 has a lot 
of sequencer channels, the MC-505 has some pretty useful smooth 
moves when it comes to sequencing that the E-mus haven't even 
touched yet (maybe they will soon hopefully). For novice players or 
those who are not using either machine to its fullest, many of these 
differences are lost. No doubt, the best "turn it on, hit the 
buttons and make it go" groovebox out right now are the E-mus, but 
get deeper into real stuff, and things get to be less clear. The MC-
909, if it has expansion roms, and it doesn't trash all what was 
good about the MC-505 could reign king for a while. Just keep your 
finger's crossed, because when Yamaha announced the RS7000 there was 
a lot of hope too. But Roland's background is better (despite the XP 
boards) than Yamahas in this realm so I am more hopeful.

Get over the XP, learn from errors and move on. (and don't waste 
time flaming each other either, who's more stupid? The first flamer 
or the second?). Remember, you are only as smart as the person you 
respond to. I am not proud. :)

Ravi