grit_neverlab's Reviews

DX 11 in a MSX computer

It is a MSX music computer by Yamaha which was designed to be the platform to control and edit all your music gear. The version depicted is a CX5M-II which had more ram and extra built in software. Both CX% computer flavours had built-in 4-op FM like the FB-01 and DX-11. The cartridges available varied from learning chords, designing artwork to editing your DX or RX machine sounds.

One of my fav's

I must be honest, if I hadn't developed sound cartridges for this unit (Retrokits RK-001) I would probably not use it that much (although the RX5's sounds are iconic too) but now I can play custom and 808s, 909s, 606s,... on this machine it has become a stable clock in my setup. Loads of pattern memory, 80s style editing but hey. Stable as a rock.

Affordable Analog with high Fun Factor

What can I say, the Korg Minilogue is a very nice analog sound play/experiment machine. Not much choice around for the limited budget. Love how the sequencer can be part of the whole sound shaping process.

The filtered delay on this unit.. very nice but... noisy... Also the midi implementation has some quirks but I hope they will iron it out.

Open Source FM Synthesis

This is a homebuilt FM module which is 4 part multitimbral with filters, crushers, patterned LFO's,... For me it was the perfect extension to Yamaha's legacy.

Zaquencer is the best

The BCR2000 looks like crap but the Zaquencer makes me want to forget the BCR2000 design soo much.... I love it (I actually made a custom aluminium enclosing for it) Some people are sceptical about the potmeters and I guess with reason, however the hardware is not expensive.

R8 Module

Nice module, not because of the standard built in sounds which are ok for an electronic drummer but mainly because it has 8 individual outs like it's big brother. Put in the Electronic kit or dance kit card and it is a very capable studio machine. Haven't got around to actually using the feel-parameters in a usable way but euhrm.. theoretically it sounds very nice; alternating timing, sound decay and velocity with a randomiser should work...

Beat you fingertips

Again a great volca. Nice long delaytime on the bass drum, good scatter FX, you NEED to mod it with snare fix because that one's just too flimsy. I modded my volca's with midi out so the sequencer puts out some nice patterned data.

sample playtime

This is a machine with great possibilities for this price. I had to develop a Retrokits RK-002 cable ( http://www.retrokits.com/rk002 ) to get it to play samples from a single midi channel but apart from that this thing is ace!

Flexible FX

Lovely FX processor, 4-in 4-out path is configurable for individual or stacked fx. MIDI control,. Great module for producer and live music.

Are we ready yet?

This is the U-220 in keyboard form. Nice performance additions like chord buttons and arpeggio but the sounds are pretty dated. It's a matter of time to hear some of these rediscovered in contemporary music with a 90s touch.

To FM or not to FM

I never heard this type of FM which Casio called Phase Distortion but it's niceeeee. Incredible versatile envelopes, resonant basses; 'THIS IS NOT A TOY!'

Cool Korg

Nice machine, waveROM instead of analog so next to the saw/sqr/noise it also produces bell-like sounds. Not to keen on those though, I have FM for that. My HAWK800 modified Poly800 would almost replace this DW8000 were it not for the individual filters on each oscillator and the nice delay FX processor.

affordable retro

I love the Filters on the Poly 800 as well as the ADBSR envelope, it's parametric though and MIDI wise not very handy. I modified my Inverse Poly 800 with the Moog slayer and HAWK800 kit which really brings it up to speed again!

waldorf galore

This machine can do great bass, strings, whatnot... but I work more on my Pulse because the microQ is possibly even harder to program than my DX7!

FM Summum

Incredible build quality, best affordable and complete 6-op original FM synth.

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speaker crusher apparatus. arp, portamento, mad filter.