AKAI AX60

Very little is currently known about this item which should be finally launched early in '86, probably at the next Frankfurt exhibition. It is apparently basically a 6-note polyphonic version of the AX80, and should therefore be somewhat cheaper.

AX80

Akai's first sally into the world of keyboard instruments, this is a rather average analogue synth with no really outstanding features save for its rather superior form of digital access editing. They will undoubtedly learn a lot from this product.

AKAI VX90

A final version of this is yet to be seen, but the VX90 seems as though it will be a slightly upmarket version of the AX80 (see £500 to £1500 section) but in modular form — ie without a keyboard. It was originally intended to release an AX90 keyboard version, but these plans have now been scrapped. Strangely there are to be no factory presets but 96 user programmable memories which rather puts the onus on the operator. The VX90 incorporates a new sound chip and a keyboard split facility — assuming the controlling keyboard is splittable and has the necessary MIDI capabilities, it'll have to be good for the price.

CASIO CZ-101

Rumoured as Casio's answer to Yamaha's FM revolution, the CZ-101 is the baby of the CZ range and features a form of digital synthesis termed 'Phase Distortion'. It has a mini keyboard and thus is a bit fiddly to play, although its lightness makes it ideal for over-the-shoulder playing using the optional strap. The sounds are excellent and with all three standard MIDI modes (1,3 and 4) available it is still possibly the best value in the range if you have a full sized keyboard to MIDI it up to.

CASIO CZ-1000

Basically a CZ-101 with a full-size keyboard, though still with only 49 keys and rather limited performance controls. It remains an excellent bargain, however, exchanging the over-shoulder facility of the 101 for the convenience of a proper keyboard. The sounds are exactly the same.

CASIO CZ-5000

The top of the CZ range with twice the number of DCOs and hence up to 16-note polyphony, and generally fatter sounds. This is far more a serious performance synth with superior performance controls and a full 61-note keyboard. There is also an 8-track, 3400-note sequencer built-in which ludicrously doesn't currently include any auto correct (quantisation) for timing errors in real-time programming. This means you have to be a very good player to keep things sounding tight. Another regrettable exclusion is that of touch sensitivity. Still an extremely powerful sounding synth though.

BIT ONE (CRUMAR)

An excellent value programmable poly with an array of powerful sounds, keyboard split and easy programmability. Its MIDI facility is unfortunately limited to Mode 1, although it can be uprated for a price.

KORG DW-6000

Rather than offering simple waveforms as the basis for programming, this instrument provides eight basic instrument sounds from which you can edit your own voices via a standard set of EGs, VCFs andLFOs. The basic voices are digitally derived using additive synthesis and stored in ROM: brass, strings, violin, acoustic piano, electric piano, synthbass, saxophone, clavi and bell-gong. It's easy to programme, although the sounds are a little short of stunning.

KORG POLY 61M

The 'M' in the name denotes the inclusion of MIDI; earlier models were sadly without it. It was brought out as Korg's answer to Roland's Juno 60 and was one of the first synths to feature DCOs and digital access controls, as compared to the Juno's conventional slider approach. The convenience of sliders was fairly exchanged for an extra oscillator per voice (2 per voice), which undoubtedly increased its musical potential. Rather limited MIDI capabilities however, and a slightly disturbing lack of fine control in programming.

KORG POLY 800

The main drawback with the 800 is the fact that it only has a single VCF through which all its eight oscillators are channelled. It is also rather limited if you want to use it as a control device in a MIDI system, these things might possibly limit a player's musical control, although at the price this synth offers some very good sounds (great bowed strings), a built-in sequencer and up to eight-note polyphony; four-note in the double mode. It ain't at all bad.

OSC OSCAR

The Oscar enjoys the distinction of being the only readily available MIDI monophonic on the market, and indeed one of the very few readily available programmable monophonic synths with a memory at all. Therefore I think it worthy of substantial entry here.

Amid the likes of 'Super Jupiter', 'Voyetra' and 'Prophet', the name 'Oscar' stands apart as being singularly unpretentious. It was actually derived from the initials of its makers, 'The Oxford Synthesizer Company', but regardless, the fact of the company being British seems to make the lack of ostentation seem fitting. We await with pleasure the delights of the 'Bert' 8-note polyphonic, or the 'Wilfred' wonder sequencer.

The OSCAR is a dual-oscillator, highly programmable monophonic, with a bank of 36 user programmable memories. Its overall shape and rubber-clad design is rather boxy and utilitarian looking, and somewhat strange to these eyes that are used to the streamlined, multi-coloured sophistication of the Japanese, and the more business-like elegance of the Americans.

An onboard sequencer allows short sequences be 'chained' together to create complete pieces, and although the total storage capacity of 1500 'events' seems rather small, a chain can include the same sequence or sequences, repeated many times, which in terms of most musical forms greatly extends the effective memory length. The Oscar is bitimbric in that it is possible to utilise the two oscillators (which are actually 8-bit digital wave form generators) independently, with only one being used to play the sequenced part, leaving the second free to be played over the top of the sequence, possibly with a different sound preset, using the keyboard in the normal way. This same independence gives rise to the 'duo' mode, wherein the two oscillators can be tuned to a specific interval apart.

Other than the standard analogue-type waveforms (triangle, square, etc) the OSCAR provides a means of 'additive synthesis' using any combination of up to 24 harmonic elements of a sound. Its microcompressor simply calculates what effect the various additions would have, and produces the relevant waveform.

Once generated, the wave forms must face two filters which can be configured to produce either a single, very steep high or low pass cut off slope of 24dB/octave, or their cut off points can be separate, in which case they work as two 12dB/octave filters, each with adjustable resonance, making it possible to give a sound two resonant peaks, which in practical terms is a very useful tool. Alternatively, in the separated state, one can be a low pass and the other a high pass, to create a band pass filter. There are also two ADSR envelope generators and a three-wave form LEO.

The Oscar is an unusual instrument, and as compared to most other synths, its complexity means that its controls take a bit of getting used to, although patience has its rewards. This is a keyboard for the real synthesist, and not one for your namby-pamby preset merchants. In that context, the price isn't at all high.

ROLAND JUNO-106

An excellent choice for a first-time synth buyer, the 106 is a less expensive and largely positive variant on the highly successful Juno 60. It is easy to programme with individual controls, yielding a range of full sounds without too much of a fight, has good MIDI facilities and no less than 128 memories. Recommended.

ROLAND MKS MODULAR SERIES

As the next logical step down the MIDI road Roland have produced the beginnings of a range of 2U, 19in rack mounting, keyboardless synths intended for use with Roland Mother keyboard controllers the MKB-300 and MKB-1000 (see remote keyboard section). In addition to their own individual controls and features, each device has MIDI channel select buttons and display, volume and brilliance sliders and a tuning control. Currently, there are three on offer, the third of which (The Super Jupiter) falls into the £1500 to £2500 bracket.

MKS-10 PLANET-P

Basically a simple electronic piano, with four pairs of instrument voicings — piano, clavinet, harpsichord and electric piano. All four voices are strong and include the magic ingredient of touch response. Two types of tremolo and chorus/flanging are included, each with its own rate and depth control. All possible combinations of these four variables can be selected via the 'bank' preset buttons on the MKB.

MKS-30 PLANET-S

This model can be seen roughly as a JX3P with touch sensitivity. The difference a good keyboard, and more importantly, velocity , sensitivity makes, shouldn't be underestimated; this is substantially more powerful. As with the JX-3P, an optional programmer unit can be plugged in to provide individual controls as opposed to digital access programming.

SEQUENTIAL MAX

Designed as a downmarket, beginner's version of the Six-Trak, Max shares the Six-Track's 'multi-timbral' capabilities. This means that as you build up your arrangement on the 500-note built-in realtime sequencer, it is possible to assign a different sound to each voice/track, allowing you to achieve a multi-instrument arrangement from a single synth. Max is not programmable without the help of a Commodore 64 computer and Sequential's 920 software package, although the 80 internal presets are far stronger than ever the Six-Trak's factory efforts were. With the computer's assistance the system becomes far more powerful and generally convincing adding timing correction to the sequencer which is otherwise sadly absent. Strangely, it has no performance controls which greatly lessens it as a means of expression. More useful as part of a system than on its own.

SEQUENTIAL SIX-TRAK

Although it isn't strictly in alphabetical order the Six-Trak belongs in sequence with Max and the Multi-Trak because it is the original design about which the other two pivot, Max being downmarket of it and the Multi-Trak being upmarket.

Again its major boast is that of being 'multi-timbral', and it can be seen roughly as a programmable version of Max with performance controls, more memories and a larger sequencer capacity. Still no auto-correction on the sequencer, though. The new sounds designed for Max are also available for the Six-Trak, and any existing owners would do well to acquire them.

SEQUENTIAL MULTI-TRAK

In many ways the Multi-Trak is an upgraded Six-Trak. Its extras include a larger, velocity sensitive keyboard, autocorrect on the real-time sequencer (an absolutely vital feature), a built-in chorus that actually works very well to beef up the presets which now sound very strong and a more sophisticated digital access programming system, far less tedious in operation than the Six-Trak's own. It's generally a very satisfying instrument to use. It doesn't strictly fit into this price bracket, but for the sake of a few quid it seemed foolish to split it up from its mates; or maybe I'm just too much of a nice guy?

SIEL DK80/EXPANDER

Unusual to find touch sensitivity and built-in sequencer on an instrument of this price, and indeed although the sounds aren't breathtaking, it is generally good value. It's also 'bi-timbric' meaning that a different voice can be assigned to each of the two banks of oscillators. There are however drawbacks: similarly to the Korg Poly 800 there is a limited number of VCFs, two in this case, which limits its musicality. Also there are only 50 internal memories just 10 of which are programmable, but an optional 50 way RAM pack offers a means of extension. The pain of digital access programming can be somewhat mitigated by £55 worth of MIDI interface for the Commodore 64 or Sinclair Spectrum. There is an Expander available for £399 which is basically like a keyboardless DK80 with only six oscillators.

SIEL DK-600

This one started out life as a non-MIDI VCO synth called the Opera 6. When the version sold in America, under the name of the DK-600, was found to be substantially superior, it was shipped over here to replace the Opera, and remains to this very day. The DK-600, then, though not striking, is not a bad synth and features such pleasantries as conventional individual parameter edit controls, and keyboard split. There is an expander available (basically a 600 without the ivories) which can be programmed either from a DK-600 or via a Siel editor programme for the Spectrum or the Commodore 64 computers. The Expander holds another 95 sounds and in collusion with the DK allows a keyboard split with full 6-note polyphony in either half.

YAMAHA DX-7

The legend continues apace, it tires not but remains in the heart of the average keyboard player as the logical main synth around which his set-up might be built. It's still the cheapest touch sensitive FM synth available, and its sounds continue to please greatly, and indeed the library continues to grow. If you have £1500 to spend on a synth and you do not have a DX-7, for most people, there's still no competition.

YAMAHA DX-9

In terms of sales the DX-9 never really got off the ground. Its lack of touch sensitivity made it far less attractive than the DX-7 and initially the relative prices were too similar. Now that the extraordinary DX-21 has arrived for less money, I have to say that it's probably curtains.

YAMAHA DX-21

The DX-21 takes the onus off programming (and let's face it few players have got to grips with it anyway) and places it on performance. There are 128 classic FM sounds stored in internal ROM any 32 of which can be accessed for editing at a time, though in a slightly more limited way than with the DX-7 or the DX-9. In other ways the '21 goes beyond its bigger brother with the inclusion of a chorus, a key change memory for one-button transposing, detune, layering and the ability to bend just the top or bottom note of a chord with the pitch wheel — and like the TX-7, most of the performance parameters are programmable, unlike the DX-7 or DX-9. Its full size keyboard isn't actually touch sensitive, but if you're controlling it via MIDI from a touch sensitive keyboard it will respond remotely to velocity information. Surely this is the end of the DX-9 and at nearly half the price a welcome alternative to less moneyed, would-be DX-7 owners.

YAMAHA CX-5M

It was a little tricky deciding which section to stick this one in. Is it a computer or is it a synth?

As a computer the CX5M is more or less a standard Z80A-based MSX micro capable of running most of that breed's standard software including word processing, business programmes and numerous video games all with rather sophisticated colour graphics. At present there is only a cassette interface available, but a floppy disk facility is in the pipeline. VDU screen is obviously extra, but you can always plug it into your TV.

At its musical heart the CX has a 4 operator, 8 algorithm, FM tone generating module not unlike that found in the DX-9. In its basic form this offers 48 preset sounds but with a mere £36 worth of extra FM voicing programme you have a fully programmable synth with an extra 48 memories and a real-time visual display that somewhat clarifies and simplifies the programming procedure. This same simplification can be applied to other DX-synths using the graphic displays to monitor the editing procedure of your DX-9 or DX-7. Other music-based software includes the Music Macro which allows you to incorporate your hi fi FM sounds into standard games and audio/visual programmes, or the FM Music Composer which provides an on-screen musical staff for computer assisted multitrack, multi-timbral (up to eight voices at a time) sequencing and arrangement. It can be played either as part of a larger MIDI system or in isolation with its own keyboard. Two keyboards are available: the YK-01 — a 44 note mini keyboard, or the YK-10 — a 49-note full size keyboard.

YAMAHA TX-7

Basically a DX-7 without a keyboard, though with a little more to offer in terms of performance memory. Not only will it remember all of its own the performance setting for each voicing, but it has a separate 32 performance memory to remember those of the DX-7 to which it is primarily intended to be coupled. It has a 32 sound memory which can be edited from a DX-7 or a CX-5, although it can also be used as a preset expander with any other MIDI keyboard. In combination with a DX-7, the extra power of another set of six operators gives rise to a whole new set of composite sounds which are supplied on tape when you buy a TX-7. If you have a DX-7, a TX-7 may well be a logical next step.