Hybrid Technology – product news
In an unexpected move, Hybrid Technology have delayed
release of the Music 5000 Junior (which was announced last autumn) and switched
resources into development of the Music 3000, an 'expander' which adds a second
8-voice synthesiser to play alongside the Music 5000.
AMPLINEX has just received a beta-test version of the
package and this is reviewed below.
In addition, two new music discs have been released -
'Plaice' by the Fish Shop Boys and 'Zen and the Art of Making Music' by
Obernell. These too are reviewed below.
A new audio demonstration cassette has just been produced to
show off the capabilities of the Hybrid Music System. Called 'The Hybrid Music System's
Greatest Hits', the 13-minute tape contains excerpts from a dozen different
pieces of AMPLE music. In addition to extracts from Hybrid's own music albums
(from, for example, Pilgrim Beart and David Reed), there are two from past
issues of AMPLINEX with music from Michael Harbour and Mark Mulders.
The tape will be selling for £2.95.
Music 3000 expander
Kevin Doyle
The Music 3000 package will consist of a synthesiser, issue
disc and a brief user guide. The synthesiser is a modified version of the Music
5000 and allows it to be controlled in parallel with, but independently of, the
Music 5000.
Setting up the Music 3000 is very easy. Like the Music 5000
there are three connections to be made: the 1MHz ribbon cable (which just plugs
into the socket on the back of the Music 5000); the mains lead (plug provided);
and your own audio lead to plug into the 5-pin DIN socket on the back of the
unit.
The last item may need some consideration - many people will
be using ordinary stereo audio equipment to listen to their Music 5000 at present.
With the addition of the Music 3000 you will need a means of listening to four
channels of sound.
If your audio equipment has only one stereo DIN socket then
you will need to use a lead which converts two DIN plugs into one. To coincide
with the release of the Music 3000, Hybrid Technology will be adding such a
lead to their product list.
Those who already have multi-channel mixing or recording
equipment should have no difficulty accommodating the extra two channels of
output.
The Music 3000 software looks identical to the standard
Music 5000 or 5000-4 package until you come to the Mixing Desk. The screen
layout is the same showing the standard 8 voices. But if you move the cursor beyond
the eighth voice (at the right-hand side), the screen is re-drawn to display
another set of 8 voices. These new voices are called 9, A, B, C, D, E, F and G,
a rather odd notation which probably results from the need to fit them into the
cramped screen display.
In use, voices 1-8 (on the first screen) are played on the
Music 5000; voices 9-G (on the second screen) are played on the Music 3000. In
other respects the software is unchanged. The same waveforms are written to
both synthesisers, and complex, multi-channel instruments can even be split
between the two synthesisers.
Although sixteen voices are available, the limit on the
number of players remains at ten, so chords must be used in order to play more
than ten different musical scores. For those who just want to increase the complexity
of the instruments used, however, existing pieces can be adapted very quickly
to play on more voices.
Another immediate benefit of the extra voices is in the use
of multi-voice effects such as Echo and Perc. With eight more voices available
much more attention can be paid to the overall sound of a piece of music, with
less concern about running out of voices for the score.
One side-effect of the increased number of voices is that
the 'mix' definition output by the Mixing Desk can easily become too long to be
read into the Notepad - awkward if you use both methods for amending mixes, but
one more reason for Hybrid to develop a better Notepad.
In summary, if you are finding the eight voices of the Music
5000 synthesiser a restriction, and you do not wish to invest in MIDI
equipment, the Music 3000 could be the answer. The only other point to consider
before buying, is how you will combine the audio outputs of the two synthesisers.
The Music 3000 will be launched at the July BBC Acorn User
Show and will cost £115 including VAT and postage and packing. The audio lead
(2 into 1 DIN) will cost £4.95 inclusive.
New Hybrid music albums
Roy Follett
'Zen and the Art of Making Music' by Obernell
When I reviewed Obernell's previous disc ('Return to the
Homeland') I was absolutely delighted with it, and praised it highly. So
highly, in fact, that I was accused of going over the top.
Sorry to say, I am unable to be as enthusiastic about 'Zen
and The Art of Making Music' - very few of the pieces have any fresh ideas for
the listener.
This disc contains nineteen tunes, most of them with lyrics,
and all the pieces are original compositions. There are two remixes included in
the total of nineteen.
Any innovation, however, seems to be reserved for rewriting
the English language and I quote at random from the lyrics held in the 'info'
words:
"Don't u see we'll b 2gether 4ever more"
"After wot u did 2 me?"
I was very disappointed.
'Plaice' by The Fish Shop Boys
'Plaice' by the Fish Shop Boys contains ten titles all of
which are a play on the theme of fish - for instance, 'OpporTUNAties', 'BASSe
out of hell' or 'PILCHARD beat'. This last one is at the expense of Pilgrim
Beart with a re-working of some of his stuff.
Some thought has gone into the compilation of this disc, but
the content does not bring joy to my ears. Perhaps I like my tunes to be more melodic,
or is it the driving drum line that I found over-insistent? I don't know. But I
do feel both of these discs would be more interesting if it were only possible
to hear the lyrics performed rather than reading them off the screen.
However as someone must have said 'Art is in the ear of the
beholder' - so go and buy these two discs, listen to them, and then tell me I
am wrong.
Both these music discs are available from Hybrid Technology
priced £4.95 (inclusive of VAT and postage and packing).
Published in AMPLINEX 011, May 1989
