Speaking of expansion boards, has anyone tried out that SRJV80-18 Latin Expansion Board? This board seems to concentrate on Guitars, Brass and Percussion.

This seems like the real deal too. The Patch List on the Lil' Chips site says there are 52 acoustic guitars! It has someting like 55 brass instuments too.

A guy at Sam Ash told me that he got a stock of 15 Latin boards and sold out of them in two days! I can't wait to hear this one. Anyone of you hear it yet?

The Infamous EPU.

KF:
I did get the impression (belatedly) from a post on another forum that you had done some computer work. Like you, I am also too cheap to purchase a laptop, but since I'm a high school tech resource teacher by day, I check one out from there and bring it to gigs. (I'm relentlessly cheap!)

Computers are kind of a pain at gigs, so you're right, it'd be nice to just stick a disk into a module or synth. Of course, having the computer on-site makes it possible to tweek there . . .

By the way, since you have Noteworthy Composer experience (y'know, for the money, it's pretty good - did I mention how cheap I am?) - you have a guess as to how well it'll work with a MOTU MicroExpress? The folks at MOTU basically told me to "get over it" - the MicroExpress drivers will work with anything! I'm not so sure, but we'll know more by Wednesday!

The impression I'm getting is that the JV-1010 has every bit as much voice breadth as many of Roland's more expensive modules and synths. Did I get lucky?

Hi I've just discovered this site and it looks promising. I've just bought a JV-1010, but I have some problems connecting it to my Yamaha P-150. I'm am a novice in the MIDI and synth world, but I'm lokking forward to dive into it.

If you guys are too chaep to purchase a laptop, why not check out EBAY. I've seen 386 and 486 latpops go for as much as $20-$40 with everything installed.

If you're just going to sequence, you don't need a very fast computer, or a huge amount or memory.

I've also seen good condition 68xxx Mac laptops go for real cheap as well - Around $25-$50.

The Infamous EPU.

EPU:
You're absolutely right - MIDI being a serial protocol, the hardware can be dead slow and the module would still be the limiting factor. That is, of course, if you're just running the MIDI files, and not the monster application you used to generate them! (I notice Cakewalk Pro 9.0 requires a bunch of memory and processor speed.)

Of course, in my case, eBay just can't beat free . . .

Hello, I'm Martin, and I'm an....

... old bass player who got into home recording a couple of years ago with a Roland VS880 and VS1680.

I use a Roland XP60 for a lot of my sequencing work.

I have the Vintage Synth; Keyboards of 60s and 70s; Bass and Drums; Orchestral II and Session expansion cards.

I think the XP60 is a marvellous machine, but for someone who has never had the slighest grasp on synthesised music in the past, I still find it INCREDIBLY user unfriendly.

But the sounds.... phew. They are worth (just) the hours of frustration.

This BBS has the potential to be wonderfully helpful: Epu and some of you other guys have already given me good advice in the past, and having finally dragged myself half-way up the learning curve I'd be delighted to pass some of it on (assuming there is anyone in the world who knows less than I do...)

All the best,

Martin

I am Sergiu,and I recently got in the producing of Dance music(hopefully with succes).I used to own an xp 60,but I exchanged it with an xp30.I also have the Latin and the Vocals expantions,but I an not really satisfied,especially with the Vocals.
It seems to me like a waste of rom,the only natural sounding waves being religious phrazes and unuseable for contemporary music.I have a computer,windows millenium,a SB Live,Cubase vst 24,Gigasampler,which I have not used yet.
Please give me some reviews on the Hip hop and Sfx board.

The Hip-Hop board is great! Yes, there are a lot of loops, but the Rhodes, Basses, SFX, Guitar FX, etc. really make up for it. The drums are also superb. IMO, the Hip-Hop board is a must have.

Now Sergiu, how is the Latin Expansion board? I'm not too interested in the loops, but the huge amount of guitars and brass makes me want to get it. How are the quality of the new guitars and brass? How is the quality of the drums and rhythm sets?

The Infamous EPU.

Hi Everyone....Wayne here....

I've had an XP-30 for about a month now, and love it. I used to (now don't laugh too hard) use a cheap Yamaha PSR220 to drive an Alesis Nano-Piano! Needless to say, the XP BLOWS that away.

Unfortunately, for a novice, it'll take a LONG time to master this thing. I'd gladly buy a training video if they ever come out with one.

Martin:
I tend to gravitate to anyone who starts with ". . and I'm an old . . . " Next thing you know it we'll be trading nostalgic stories about the Great War . . .

I can't remember - did you (or somebody) post something on the Orchestral II? You satisfied with it? How does it compare to the first orchestral expansion board? I'm in the process of giving my wife a Christmas list, and considering my interests in orchestral instruments, one or the other is going on it. (Any port in a storm, as I always say!)

Wayne:
It was a Yamaha PSR280 that got me into this stuff. For a $200+ keyboard, it's amazing - I used it in two performances with laptop-delivered sequences, and it sounded quite good with my guitar and voice! It's a shame that 10 times as much money doesn't get 10 times the tones and realism. Don't get me wrong - I'm glad I'm expanding my palate - but it raised unrealistic expectations about how much I'd have to pay for it all!

I'm still using the Yamaha, actually . . .