Recording Handbook - Hol.gr

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control(MMC) allows the sequencer to chase the audio recorder OR for the audio recorder to chase the
sequencer! Midi Machine Control uses MTC to keep things locked up to a very tight degree of resolution.
Most newer programs and MIDI devices support MTC and MMC. JL Cooper makes several different
boxes for communicating across formats. I use their DataMaster to read SMPTE off my 1/2" 16-track and
convert that to "ADAT speak" to lock my ADAT to the 16-track. The DataMaster also supports MTC and
MMC, but my sequencer doesn't. That's okay, I'll keep my Notator and Atari 1040-ST for now!
b. Synthesizers
Synthesizers have changed dramatically since computer chips began showing up in their circuitry in the
early 1980's. Before that, they were rather cumbersome machines given to tuning instability, usually two
voices at best and had to be reprogrammed manually for each new sound. The famous mini-moog and Arp
synthesizers were popular models in the 1970's.
The first truly polyphonic modern synthesizer with patch memory was the Sequential Circuits "Prophet 5"
which debuted in 1980. It had analog osciltors and their usual tuning problems but it's patch memory and
programming versatility revolutionized the industry and the use of synthesizers for live performance. For
the first time, keyboard players could change sounds with the touch of a button.
Digital oscilators soon followed and all variations of synthesis techniques were exploited in one form or
another. The "polyphony", or how many simultaneous voices could be produced by these units, also began
to increase. The MIDI protocol allowed you to have a different sound on each of 16 MIDI channels
limited only by the capabilities of your MIDI synthesizer. The Yamaha FB-01 was one of the earliest
synth "modules" to take advantage of this MIDI feature.
The Yamaha DX-7 became the most popular digital keyboard of the mid-1980's. Roland also produced
many popular keyboards in it's Jupiter and Juno series. Korg introduced onboard effects with it's DW-
6000 and DW-8000 synths. Korg hit another homerun with the M-1 synthesizer, introduced around 1990.
One of the first "workstation" designs, it combined sampling technology and synthesis to produce
breakthrough sonics along with an onboard sequencer and digital effects, to once again up the ante in the
synthesizer race. MIDI synthesizers keep getting more powerful all the time for less money, and that trend
continues.
c. Samplers
"Samplers" are like synthesizers in a lot of ways. In a synthesizer, oscilators produce the raw sound that is
then modified by filters and LFO's and sent through envelopes and amplifiers, etc. In a sampler, on the
other hand, the raw sound source can be anything that they sample. Then you can apply all the filters,
LFO's, envelopes and amplifiers to that.
The first keyboard samplers available in the early 1980's were the EMu Emulator series. With an
integrated 5 1/4" discdrive, they were big, heavy and expensive and awesome sounding. The Akai S-612
and Ensoniq Mirage were two of the first inexpensive rack mounted MIDI samplers. The prize for the first
inexpensive MIDI polyphonic keyboard sampler goes to the Casio FZ-1.
It appeared in 1985 and had 8 outputs and a standard 3 1/2" discdrive for saving. Akai made the very
popular S-900 rack mount samplers which evolved into the S-950. Then stereo samplers came along and
like everything else, they just keep getting more powerful and less expensive. Recent options available
include built-in CD Rom, SCSI hard disc and optical digital interfaces.
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