MIDICraft's MIDINET CD-ROM/MIDICraft's MIDINET CD-ROM.iso/SYNTHS/INFO/ROLAND/E-15/ROLNDE15.TXT

Text File | 1996-10-14 | 8KB | 146 lines

Full-Name: Piet van Oostrum
To: Mark Fontana <[e-mail]>
Subject: Roland E15 / Sound Canvas

The E15 is the entry model in a series of 3 so-called "Intelligent
Synthesizers". The other two models are the E35 and the E70. They have the
same basic characteristics, the others just have more options, like a
better sequencer, a better amplifier/speakers, memory for performance setup
the possibility to add memory cards, etc.

It has a 5 octave velocity sensitive keyboard, no aftertouch. The keyboard
can be split at a fixed point (2 octaves left, 3 right). It has 128 voices,
the sound machine is GS. So I suppose these are the same as the Sound
Canvas. You can assign separate voices to the left and right part of the
keyboard (midichannel 3 and 4 respectively) or one voice to the whole
keyboard. If the keyboard is split the lower part can automatically
generate a bass voice (midichannel 2). There are also 6 sound effect
buttons that use the last 6 sounds (e.g gun, shore, birds ..).

The is also a set of 47 drum sounds (6 or 8 sets on the E35/70). It is
possible to let the keyboard play these, and they are accessible on
midichannel 10.

It has 24-note polyphony, in at most 16 parts (voices). Two of the parts
can be assigned to drums.

There is a reverb and a chorus unit, these can be switched on/off from the
panel. More parameters are available through midi. The reverb and chorus
apply to all voices, but each voice can specify how much of it goes through
these units.

The keyboard also has a drum computer with 32 drum patterns (like beat,
rock, waltz...) each with 4 variations. There is also an arranger where an
accord played on the lower part of the keyboard gives you an orchestral
accompaniment (on midichannels 5,6,7,8,9). From midi you can
trigger the accompaniment by sending notes to midichannel 1.
B.t.w. all midi channel numbers can be changed from the console.

It has modulation and pitch bend, although these are buttons on the E15
rather than wheels. I would have preferred the wheels but the next model
(E35) was about 50% more expensive, so I decided to do without. Maybe I can
find a separate wheel or make something myself.

It also has a simple sequencer (just record/playback a single track). The
E35/70 have a 6 track sequencer). If I want to do some serious sequencing I
can use my Atari.

It will also recognize a couple of other controllers, like aftertouch,
sostenuto, portamento .. but only through midi.

It has its own speakers, but can also be connected to an amplifier. Also a
connection for a sustain pedal is present.

You cannot change the sounds from the panel, but there are a lot of
parameters that can be changed through midi. The documentation is rather
sparse, however. So I ordered a SC manual because that has some more info
(They should be basically the same internally). I have tried to fiddle with
the sounds (change ADSR and filter) with some surprising results.

Piet* van Oostrum, Dept of Computer Science, Utrecht University,
Padualaan 14, P.O. Box 80.089, 3508 TB Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Telephone: [phone]   Uucp:   uunet!mcsun!ruuinf!piet
Telefax:   [phone]   Internet:  [e-mail]   (*`Pete')

From: [e-mail] (Jon Elliott)
Subject: Danger signs from Roland...
Date: 19 Nov 91 11:33:18 GMT

Not twenty minutes ago did I attend a Roland demonstation given at a
local music store.  Contrary to my expectations, I did not see the
much-touted and praised JD-800 (which I dearly wanted to) but the latest
additions to the E-series.

Now, from what I can recall, the E-10/20 were essentially D-10/20s in
different boxes with some different stuff in the front end (more a
"funstation" type instrument than a synth).  The synths on display;
the E-70 and E-15 looked similar but had a PCM sound source instead.

The demo-droid was good.  He could play along with the numerous
accompaniments available on the instruments, tell jokes and so on but
when it came down to it that was all he was there for.  Part of the
distress that I experienced stemmed from the droid's somewhat enthusiastic
attitude towards the rather boring boxes on display, especially the trite
and tacky extensions of the "auto-bass-chord" features found on standard
funstations but the rest was to do with the nagging question "what happened
to the JD-800?".

What can I say about what I saw in objective terms?  The sounds were good.
Exactly like Sound Canvas, in fact.  As I recall, even the order of the
patches was identical.  BTW, is Sound Canvas programmable?  The demonstrator
said that the sound source of the E machines was the same and also that
the patches could be programmed via a programmer (PCM and filter arrangement
like the D-70 from what I could gather).  Then again he also said firstly
that Roland invented the MIDI standard and then (after being corrected by
yours truly) that Roland were responsible for its instatement as an industry
standard.  Don't I recall Roland clinging on to DCB stubbornly until they
capitulated and released the JX-3P?  To sum up the E-15/70, I might just
say that they are what the Casio/Yamaha portable keyboards might want to be
when they grow up.  I might cruelly suggest further that the M1 might also
be representative of the slow metamorphosis into boxes like these (but that's
a different story and a different thread).

Even more distress was felt when the droid proudly announced the General
S(omething) standard as a feature of the E-70.  It involved a bank of 128
patches which would become standard on all instuments allowing sequnces to
be easily ported (sound familiar, anyone...).  The whole attitude was a
worry.  When I asked if the box could do D-50 L/A type pads I was looked
at as if I was mad and showed all the wonderful pianos.

Overall I look upon the whole experience as a sign that GMIDI is already
damaging the synth market.  I'll mention for the third time the conspicuous
abscence of the JD-800 from the demo and also mention in passing that the
guy in charge of Roland for Australia's southern states was interesting.
He told me that a lot of the development of synths happened in Australia
(believe it if you will) claiming that the basic concept of the JD as well
as a lot of patch programming originated down under.  Roland, like Yamaha,
are concerned about mail order houses undercutting official dealers.  I
mentioned that I was sending away for a demo-tape of the JD from <mail
order house name deleted> and was informed that I shouldn't as they were not
dealers.  Interesting...

Conclusions can be drawn from all of this, IMHO, and can be numbered (also
IMHO):

    1)    Roland have embraced the principles behind GMIDI
    2)    The JD-800 and all other "real" synths made by all
        other companies have a limited lifetime in production
    3)    Sound Canvas is selling well
    4)    Yamaha still has the technology edge in the low-to-mid
        price range market
    5)    We'll never see another instrument like the D-50.

I am ambivalent about all points except 2 and 5, the combination of whom
guarantees that Roland will lead the world into the wasteland of GMIDI synths
which all sound the same.  It might also be noted here that music itself might
all sound the same given the ease of use of the auto-accompaniments on the
E-70.  A worrying prospect, indeed...

Jon.
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