source file: m1441.txt
Date: Mon, 8 Jun 1998 22:38:02 -0500

Subject: Re: Sound-from-Scratch Microtunable Synth Recommendation?

From: "jloffink" <jloffink@pdq.net>

>    Do any of you folks have recommendations for your favorite synthesizer
> capable of building sounds from scratch, and also having at least one
> user-specifiable completely arbitrary tuning table?
> 
IMHO the best sounding of the new DSP type synthesizers is the Korg
Prophecy.  In many cases I think it sounds better than the old analog
synthesizers they're trying to emulate.  The Prophecy is monophonic, but
Korg now has the Z1 which is 12 note polyphonic, expandable to 18 notes,
and fairly expensive.  It has only one full keyboard tuning table, but you
can save global settings to a PCMCIA card.

The only other real alternative is Yamaha's discontinued SY77, TG77 or SY99
which featured their final and most powerful version of FM synthesis
coupled with resonant filters.  They had 2 global tables, floppy disk and
cartridge storage.  I haven't demoed these keyboards, though.

There isn't anything else that fits your criteria.  Yamaha's VL series are
mono or duophonic.  Kyma is more of a computer synthesis workstation than a
traditional synthesizer.

If realtime control is not an issue I recommend one of the many computer
synthesis programs that can generate files for your sampler.  I personally
use Synthia Pro on my Amiga to generate sounds that couldn't be done any
other way.

>    I'd like to verify something though:  If I understand your definitions
> correctly, John, "keyboard scales" mean completely arbitrary tunings
> key-for-key (within the resolution and range of the instrument), right? 
I
> think I must have misread that definition the last time I looked at your
> web page.)
> 
Right.

John Loffink
jloffink@pdq.net