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

I've been considering what to do, if anything, with my remaining ROM 
slot and noticed that the Sounds of the ZR ROM includes twenty or 
thirty Transwaves. I don't have much interest in the other samples on 
the ROM, but I do really like wavetable/wavesequence-based synthesis 
and was wondering how useful these were.

Has anyone with the ZR ROM played with the Transwaves?

Are the waves themselves useful? Do they sound good or are they just 
pale imitations of PWM, etc.? (Because if so, I can get the real 
thing from another synth).

I'm assuming that the transwave modulation is accomplished by 
modulating SLoop (Sample Loop). Is this modulation smooth or are 
there glitches in the sound? With other ROMs that aren't set up for 
sample loop modulation it's difficult to get glitch-free sounds out 
of this feature.

Thanks for any info.

robotchas,

I owned the ZR ROM for a few days.  I don't recall ANY of the sounds 
catching my ear, 'transwaves' included.  That ROM was pretty 
miserable, IMHO.  Considering how great some of the E-mu ROMs are, 
it's astonishing how anemic and bland some of them were.

IIRC, the Protean Drums ROM has *one* transwave instrument on it.  It 
basically cycles through a bunch of percussion sounds.  Its weird, 
its interesting, but not particularly musical because the waves don't 
sync to anything, they just play through.

Personally, I love wave-sequenced sounds, but 'transwaves' usually 
don't strike me as musically useful.  Years ago, the FIZMO was 
interesting, but I never had that 'gotta have one' feeling about it.

The only MUSICAL implementations of this concept that I know of are 
the Korg Wavestation series or the Waldorf Microwave series...but you 
probably have at least one of those, yes?

I still have a Wavestation A/D and I think it is a magical box of 
wonderfulness.  It blows my mind more than any other synth I've ever 
used.  Wow, I wish it was in front of me right now!

HTH

Andy



--- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, "robotchas" <robotchas@y...> wrote:
> I've been considering what to do, if anything, with my remaining 
ROM 
> slot and noticed that the Sounds of the ZR ROM includes twenty or 
> thirty Transwaves. I don't have much interest in the other samples 
on 
> the ROM, but I do really like wavetable/wavesequence-based 
synthesis 
> and was wondering how useful these were.
> 
> Has anyone with the ZR ROM played with the Transwaves?
> 
> Are the waves themselves useful? Do they sound good or are they 
just 

> pale imitations of PWM, etc.? (Because if so, I can get the real 
> thing from another synth).
> 
> I'm assuming that the transwave modulation is accomplished by 
> modulating SLoop (Sample Loop). Is this modulation smooth or are 
> there glitches in the sound? With other ROMs that aren't set up for 
> sample loop modulation it's difficult to get glitch-free sounds out 
> of this feature.
> 
> Thanks for any info.

Thanks for the info Andy, that does help a lot. I'll strike that one 
off my list then.

I do have a Wavestation (an EX) and I agree, it's wonderful. I should 
probably just pick up an SR for live use - they don't cost much more 
than a ROM would, these days, and they still sound great for pads.

I wish someone would do a modern hardware update of the Wavestation 
with sample ROM, resonant filters, better effects, and so on. If 
hardware is dying (at least at the moment) there's no telling if 
anyone ever will though. I keep bugging Access to put wavesequencing 
and vector synthesis in their next synth.

Have yet to find much use for SLoop modulation but there's got to be 
something cool it's good for. Anyone have any luck with it?


Charles.

--- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, "electrolama" <andylama@c...> wrote:
> robotchas,
> 
> I owned the ZR ROM for a few days.  I don't recall ANY of the 
sounds 
> catching my ear, 'transwaves' included.  That ROM was pretty 
> miserable, IMHO.  Considering how great some of the E-mu ROMs are, 
> it's astonishing how anemic and bland some of them were.
> 
> IIRC, the Protean Drums ROM has *one* transwave instrument on it.  
It 
> basically cycles through a bunch of percussion sounds.  Its weird, 
> its interesting, but not particularly musical because the waves 
don't 
> sync to anything, they just play through.
> 
> Personally, I love wave-sequenced sounds, but 'transwaves' usually 
> don't strike me as musically useful.  Years ago, the FIZMO was 
> interesting, but I never had that 'gotta have one' feeling about it.
> 
> The only MUSICAL implementations of this concept that I know of are 
> the Korg Wavestation series or the Waldorf Microwave series...but 
you 
> probably have at least one of those, yes?
> 
> I still have a Wavestation A/D and I think it is a magical box of 
> wonderfulness.  It blows my mind more than any other synth I've 
ever 

> used.  Wow, I wish it was in front of me right now!
> 
> HTH
> 
> Andy

> I owned the ZR ROM for a few days.  I don't recall ANY of the sounds 
> catching my ear, 'transwaves' included.  That ROM was pretty 
> miserable, IMHO.  Considering how great some of the E-mu ROMs are, 
> it's astonishing how anemic and bland some of them were.

I really like it, especially the Coakley pianos!
 
> > Has anyone with the ZR ROM played with the Transwaves?

I didn't even know they were in there.

-m@

Hi Charles,

> I wish someone would do a modern hardware update of the Wavestation 
> with sample ROM, resonant filters, better effects, and so on.

YEAH, BABY!  That would be monumental.

A friend of mine has a Microwave XT.  It has a much nicer interface 
than the WS, but somehow the WS just has a touch of 'magicalness' in 
the sound that the MWXT lacks.

I've heard that Korg's new softsynth version of the Wavestation is 
*close* but not spot-on.  Meh.

Let's keep that hardware alive, folks!  Boycott softsynths!  (just 
kidding)

Andy



--- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, "robotchas" <robotchas@y...> wrote:
> Thanks for the info Andy, that does help a lot. I'll strike that 
one 
> off my list then.
> 
> I do have a Wavestation (an EX) and I agree, it's wonderful. I 
should 
> probably just pick up an SR for live use - they don't cost much 
more 
> than a ROM would, these days, and they still sound great for pads.
> 
> I wish someone would do a modern hardware update of the Wavestation 
> with sample ROM, resonant filters, better effects, and so on. If 
> hardware is dying (at least at the moment) there's no telling if 
> anyone ever will though. I keep bugging Access to put 
wavesequencing 
> and vector synthesis in their next synth.
> 
> Have yet to find much use for SLoop modulation but there's got to 
be 

> something cool it's good for. Anyone have any luck with it?
> 
> 
> Charles.
>

Oh yeah, don't get me wrong--the Coakley pianos are quite decent 
(especially if you download Coakley's "patch fixes" from his 
website), but I also recently got a Yamaha Motif ES, whose triple-
strike piano singlehandedly spanks any piano sound ever made for the 
Proteus line, by a long shot.

Aside from the Coakley piano, I found the ZR ROM to be ultra-bland, 
perhaps even less exciting than an Alesis QS (!!)

Now, the Vintage ROM...that one is genuinely nice!  It is cool and 
funny that they included an SK-1 drumkit!  It makes me laugh every 
time I hear it!

Andy



--- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, "Matt Picone" <matman@m...> wrote:
> > I owned the ZR ROM for a few days.  I don't recall ANY of the 
sounds 
> > catching my ear, 'transwaves' included.  That ROM was pretty 
> > miserable, IMHO.  Considering how great some of the E-mu ROMs 
are, 

> > it's astonishing how anemic and bland some of them were.
> 
> I really like it, especially the Coakley pianos!
>  
> > > Has anyone with the ZR ROM played with the Transwaves?
> 
> I didn't even know they were in there.
> 
> -m@

Well I owned a wavestation and programed my own sounds for it. Let 
me tell you, the wavestation IS "spot on". IMHO, that is! lol. What 
is missing is the noise from the analog outputs. And the clean 
effects, no hissy reverb trails. I much prefer the soft synth to the 
hardware. Programing wavesequences on the softsynth is a dream come 
true! There is always of course XPhraze from Steinberg.
Happy music making,
Prana


--- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, "electrolama" <andylama@c...> wrote:
> Hi Charles,
> 
> > I wish someone would do a modern hardware update of the 
Wavestation 
> > with sample ROM, resonant filters, better effects, and so on.
> 
> YEAH, BABY!  That would be monumental.
> 
> A friend of mine has a Microwave XT.  It has a much nicer 
interface 
> than the WS, but somehow the WS just has a touch of 'magicalness' 
in 
> the sound that the MWXT lacks.
> 
> I've heard that Korg's new softsynth version of the Wavestation is 
> *close* but not spot-on.  Meh.
> 
> Let's keep that hardware alive, folks!  Boycott softsynths!  (just 
> kidding)
> 
> Andy
> 
> 
> 
> --- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, "robotchas" <robotchas@y...> wrote:
> > Thanks for the info Andy, that does help a lot. I'll strike that 
> one 
> > off my list then.
> > 
> > I do have a Wavestation (an EX) and I agree, it's wonderful. I 
> should 
> > probably just pick up an SR for live use - they don't cost much 
> more 
> > than a ROM would, these days, and they still sound great for 
pads.
> > 
> > I wish someone would do a modern hardware update of the 
Wavestation 
> > with sample ROM, resonant filters, better effects, and so on. If 
> > hardware is dying (at least at the moment) there's no telling if 
> > anyone ever will though. I keep bugging Access to put 
> wavesequencing 
> > and vector synthesis in their next synth.
> > 
> > Have yet to find much use for SLoop modulation but there's got 
to 

> be 
> > something cool it's good for. Anyone have any luck with it?
> > 
> > 
> > Charles.
> >

Well I owned a wavestation and programed my own sounds for it. Let 
me tell you, the wavestation IS "spot on". IMHO, that is! lol. What 
is missing is the noise from the analog outputs. And the clean 
effects, no hissy reverb trails. I much prefer the soft synth to the 
hardware. Programing wavesequences on the softsynth is a dream come 
true! There is always of course XPhraze from Steinberg.
Happy music making,
Prana


--- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, "electrolama" <andylama@c...> wrote:
> Hi Charles,
> 
> > I wish someone would do a modern hardware update of the 
Wavestation 
> > with sample ROM, resonant filters, better effects, and so on.
> 
> YEAH, BABY!  That would be monumental.
> 
> A friend of mine has a Microwave XT.  It has a much nicer 
interface 
> than the WS, but somehow the WS just has a touch of 'magicalness' 
in 
> the sound that the MWXT lacks.
> 
> I've heard that Korg's new softsynth version of the Wavestation is 
> *close* but not spot-on.  Meh.
> 
> Let's keep that hardware alive, folks!  Boycott softsynths!  (just 
> kidding)
> 
> Andy
> 
> 
> 
> --- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, "robotchas" <robotchas@y...> wrote:
> > Thanks for the info Andy, that does help a lot. I'll strike that 
> one 
> > off my list then.
> > 
> > I do have a Wavestation (an EX) and I agree, it's wonderful. I 
> should 
> > probably just pick up an SR for live use - they don't cost much 
> more 
> > than a ROM would, these days, and they still sound great for 
pads.
> > 
> > I wish someone would do a modern hardware update of the 
Wavestation 
> > with sample ROM, resonant filters, better effects, and so on. If 
> > hardware is dying (at least at the moment) there's no telling if 
> > anyone ever will though. I keep bugging Access to put 
> wavesequencing 
> > and vector synthesis in their next synth.
> > 
> > Have yet to find much use for SLoop modulation but there's got 
to 

> be 
> > something cool it's good for. Anyone have any luck with it?
> > 
> > 
> > Charles.
> >