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Test your knowledge about synths and gear


Finale

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For some alternative fun, I thought I would start a little test. Answer to the questions you know and I'll come back from time to time to confirm if you're right or not. You get one point per good answer. Once I reply that answers for questions are known to be correct, you can only get more points answering the remaining ones not yet correctly answered. If more than one person answers correctly before I acknowledge them to be right, everyone gets one point per good answer. Hopefully those rules makes sense. Sorry for my terrible english by the way. :freak:

 

The winner will receive... I don't know. What about a full size picture of that cutie who works in the strange boutique at the corner of my street. Good luck everybody!

 

Remember, it's all for fun. :wave:

 

**Edit : All answers already found!**

 

---------------------------

 

1. Name the man who was main designer for the EMS Synthi. - Peter Zinovieff

 

2. How many oscillators were available on a standard EMS Synthi 100? - 12

 

3. What was the standard color of the first ARP 2600 synthesizers? - Marlin Blue

 

4. Why were the filter circuits on most of the old ARP synthesizers drowned in epoxy resin? - To preserve the secret of the filters design

 

5. What Korg synthesizer model is this? - MS-20

http://www.rhodeselectrics.com/images/DSC00981_1.JPG

 

6. In 1977, Korg designed a series of synthesizers who offered a 48-voice polyphony, so you could simultaneously play every key on their keyboard. Name one model of this series. - PS-3100, PS-3200, PS-3300

 

7. How many keys are there on the Vox Super Continental lower keyboard and from which key to which key? - 49 (C to C)

 

8. Name one of the two co-founders of the Fairlight company. - Kim Ryrie, Peter Vogel

 

9. The MIDI specification was born as a collective effort between engineers from two countries. Name those two countries. - USA and Japan

 

10. What was the name given to the Ensoniq Mirage’s heart (main electronic component) which was designed by Bob Yannes? - The Q-Chip

 

11. Name the only MIDI monophonic synth available in 1983. - The OSCar made by OSC (Oxford Synthesizer Co.)

 

12. What are the three basic pre-programmed sounds on a Moog Opus III? - Strings, brass and organ.

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Ok, here some answers off the top of my head, not definite on some of them though.

 

3. What was the standard color of the first ARP 2600 synthesizers?

 

Blue

 

4. Why were the filter circuits on most of the old ARP synthesizers drowned in epoxy resin?

 

Because they copied Moog designs

 

5. What Korg synthesizer model is this?

 

Korg MS-20

 

6. In 1977, Korg designed a series of synthesizers who offered a 48-voice polyphony, so you could simultaneously play every key on their keyboard. Name one model of this series.

 

MS-50

 

9. The MIDI specification was born as a collective effort between engineers from two countries. Name those two countries.

 

America & Japan

 

11. Name the only MIDI monophonic synth available in 1983.

 

Crumar Spirit

 

12. What are the three basic pre-programmed sounds on a Moog Opus III?

 

Strings, Brass and Organ.

 

 

So how'd I do?

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2. Not sure about 12 as Moe mentions... I thought it was a 9-oscillator synth?

 

4. So that others couldn't reverse-engineer (steal) the design of the synth.

 

8. Peter Vogel or Kim (can't remember last name, sorry)

 

10. The SID chip.

 

11. Man, this is a tough one... monophonic? Argh... ;)

 

 

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Note that after some research, it seems other references state that David Cockerell was the main designer for the Synthi, although my source was saying Peter Zinovieff (Question #1).

 

Same thing for Question #10, my source was saying the Q-Chip, but it seems other references mention the SID chip.

 

I guess I owe you each one point for the benefit of the doubt. :grin:

 

Maybe other forumites can confirm/deny this.

 

So the new score is :

 

Kayvon : 4 points

Mate Stubb : 4 points

Sven Golly : 3 points

 

:wave:

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And the final score is (drumroll) :

 

Kayvon : 4 points (gold)

Mate Stubb : 4 points (gold)

Sven Golly : 3 points (silver)

Synthdogg : 1 point (bronze)

 

We have a tie between Kayvon and Mate Stubb. Congrats to the winners! :thu:

 

:wave:

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And now tonight's bonus trivia question :

 

Why is Tom's (Is There Gas In The Car?) favorite Classic Keys set-up on the Kurzweil PC2X the one numbered #394?

 

Because this set-up is named Electric Sheep. :grin:

 

:rimshot:

 

So... Who's next to build another test?

 

:snax:

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TEST 2:

 

1. What Roland synth had hardwired presets "Planet" and "Jet"?

2. What video game can you play on a Kurzweil K2000?

3. Sequential Circuits had a drum machine/sequencer/sampler that preceded both the Emu SP12 the Akai MPC60. What was its model number?

4. How many expansion boards were offered for the Marion MSR-2?

5. What was the difference between the two non-keyboard versions of the Kurzweil K250?

6. What was the MIDI Tap by Lone Wolf Systems?

7. What keyboard had the same action as the Prophet T8?

8. What is the real name of Dr. T?

9. What company made a $3000.00, single pad drum synth?

10: What is the barely-documented feature that makes the audio outputs of first generation Emu Proteus units so useful?

"For instance" is not proof.

 

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Wow, Zeronyne, your test is tough.

 

Cute new avatar, though. :grin:

 

I only know one answer.

 

2. Ping Pong

 

Now that I read Sven's answer for question #5, I remember very well. I guess I'm beginning to be an Alzheimer case. There was the full size version cut just near the keyboard (there was even a red felt strip IIRC) and the RMX version which was an enormous rackmount. At least I know my Kurzweil stuff, when my memory works. :grin:

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:cry: Do I not get five Cydonia, my answer about the Moog copied filters is more or less correct!

 

Ok, some of Zeronyne's

 

3. 440

7. Synclavier

8. Stefan Trippler?

9. Korg (wavedrum)

10. Wild guess, they operated as cv outs aswell?

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1. Roland JX-3P

 

2. Pong

 

3. Studio 440

 

5. One was a rackmount form factor, the other was like the K250 without the keyboard, with the angled front panel.

 

6. A proprietary networking setup that used (if memory serves) fiber optics to connect various groups of MIDI gear together. I seem to recall it being targeted to multiple-room recording studios (but that could be my fuzzy memory).

 

7. Kurzweil MIDIBoard (doh!... yeah, the Synclavier... missed this one)

 

8. Emile Tobenfeld (I'm an old Atari guy ;) )

 

9. I'm going to guess Korg (WaveDrum? Thought it was less than $3000, but that's the only one I can think of atm)

 

10: The fact that they were grouped as sets of stereo pairs, not just mono outputs?

 

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And now tonight's bonus trivia question :

 

Why is Tom's (Is There Gas In The Car?) favorite Classic Keys set-up on the Kurzweil PC2X the one numbered #394?

 

Because this set-up is named Electric Sheep. :grin:

 

:rimshot:

 

So... Who's next to build another test?

 

:snax:

 

 

:grin:

 

 

OK Cy, I get the hint. :rolleyes:

 

You are sick of me telling you how much I love my KURZWEIL PC2X. :love:

 

I understand.

 

So, from now on, I'll never mention it again.

 

Nope. Not gonna do it.

 

Not in this post will I ever mention it.

 

Promise.

 

Guaranteed. :thu:

 

Now, does that make you feel better? :grin:

 

Just to keep things moving along, here's a nice new picture of the Kurzweil PC3:

 

http://www.kurzweilmusicsystems.com/filesafe/1863_PC3.jpg

 

"Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo
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You are sick of me telling you how much I love my KURZWEIL PC2X. :love:

 

Naaaaah. I'm probably more Kurzweil addicted than you are. Heck, I think I would pay $50 for used shorts with Kurzweil written on them if I could find some on eBay. :grin:

 

I think we should organize a big GT in North East Carolina this summer for all Kurz addicted forumites like you and me. Complete with beer, red wine, Kurz tutorials and so on. I know the girl working at the strange boutique would probably want to accompany me.

 

Meanwhile, go practice on that Electric Sheep set-up. :P

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:grin:

 

Electric Sheep.

 

That sounds like the name of a sexual aid for an desperate urban cowboy. :freak:

 

 

"Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo
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Tom, you mean you've never read that great book yet? :freak:

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ee/PKD-Do-Androids-Dream-of-Electric-Sheep.png/240px-PKD-Do-Androids-Dream-of-Electric-Sheep.png

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Sven got all of mine right except for the Proteus one. The second and third sets of outputs on the original Proteus series were actually send/returns. If you only pushed regular cables in to the first click, they would serve as inputs, and any audio coming in would be passed to the main outs...instant mixer. If you used a proper send/return cable, you could selectively process a few patches, and they would be mixed with the others in the main outs.

"For instance" is not proof.

 

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Sven got all of mine right except for the Proteus one. The second and third sets of outputs on the original Proteus series were actually send/returns. If you only pushed regular cables in to the first click, they would serve as inputs, and any audio coming in would be passed to the main outs...instant mixer. If you used a proper send/return cable, you could selectively process a few patches, and they would be mixed with the others in the main outs.

 

Cool... I had completely missed that (and I sold the damn things when they came out... mostly based on the "listen to how sweet these strings sound... instant orchestra!" sales pitch ;) ).

 

This was fun... I actually had to look at my JX-3P to verify the Planet & Jet patches :o ... thanks, 09! :thu:

 

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Sven got all of mine right except for the Proteus one. The second and third sets of outputs on the original Proteus series were actually send/returns. If you only pushed regular cables in to the first click, they would serve as inputs, and any audio coming in would be passed to the main outs...instant mixer. If you used a proper send/return cable, you could selectively process a few patches, and they would be mixed with the others in the main outs.
OK, why this hasn't become an industry standard is beyond me. Brilliant.
A ROMpler is just a polyphonic turntable.
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11. Name the only MIDI monophonic synth available in 1983. - The OSCar made by OSC (Oxford Synthesizer Co.)

 

The OSCar was not the only one. The 1983 Crumar Spirit offered a MIDI option.

 

2. How many oscillators were available on a standard EMS Synthi 100?

 

What - european or african?

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