Opinions on some 90s units

[carbon]

I'm moving to an Apple from a PC and in the process figuring out what to get rid of.

A few things I'm on the fence about. Any reasons to keep these?

Emu Morpheus - I've heard great things done with this, but without an editor for the Mac (like Sounddiver), I can't see how I can get anywhere programming it.

Emu Procussion - Never really used it that much. When I did it seemed decent. Again without an editor, I'm not sure I want to sit in front of a two line display. And I'll have a decent software sampling percussion library.

Yamaha TX81Z - This could probably be replaced by a softsynth?

Roland R8m - Not a bad module, I'm pretty familiar with it but I can't see it adding anything that a software sampler couldn't. The feel patches on this are interesting.

These don't fetch that much on ebay so they're almost not worth selling. If I'm just going to throw them in a closet for a few years, keeping them around doesn't make sense.

I also have a Roland U-220 which I am keeping. Decent pianos, strings, and horns if you want those sounds quickly.

[PeteJames]

I moved from Pc > Mac a few months back and love my mac to bits. It doesn't sound like your overly attached or enthused by your current gear so maybe it's a good time for a change. If you can't think of any very good reasons to keep them, then they aren't worth keeping.

[Derp]

Originally Posted by carbon

I'm moving to an Apple from a PC and in the process figuring out what to get rid of.

A few things I'm on the fence about. Any reasons to keep these?

Emu Morpheus - I've heard great things done with this, but without an editor for the Mac (like Sounddiver), I can't see how I can get anywhere programming it.

Emu Procussion - Never really used it that much. When I did it seemed decent. Again without an editor, I'm not sure I want to sit in front of a two line display. And I'll have a decent software sampling percussion library.

Yamaha TX81Z - This could probably be replaced by a softsynth?

Roland R8m - Not a bad module, I'm pretty familiar with it but I can't see it adding anything that a software sampler couldn't. The feel patches on this are interesting.

These don't fetch that much on ebay so they're almost not worth selling. If I'm just going to throw them in a closet for a few years, keeping them around doesn't make sense.

I also have a Roland U-220 which I am keeping. Decent pianos, strings, and horns if you want those sounds quickly.

I had a Morpheus a few years back. Bought it because Haujobb swore by it back in the day. ...without a decent editor it was pretty useless, imo. Plus, all those filters can be found on E-Mu's higher end samplers and they're easier to use.

TX81Z... In theory FM8 could replace it, but when I tried it, FM8 couldn't quite nail it. It was too clean, imo. The TX81Z's got 12-bit converters which give it it's unique character. If it's something you used a lot before switching to Mac, then you'd probably be best trying to find a patch editor for it. Otherwise software may be a good enough replacement for ya.

For the R8m, search Google. I'm pretty sure all the samples are out there somewhere.

[aeonsound]

the TX could be replaced by a softsynth, and you'd probably find the workflow improvements would be massive. there are utilities for programming them (including a great PC shareware program with graphical envelopes etc.!) but of course it will inevitably be more of a ballache than FM8 or similar.

but it does sound different, somehow... chunky. a bit rude.

[chrisso]

The Procussion is very powerful.
It has hundreds of building blocks, basic tones and percussive sounds, and you can layer them together in a lot of different ways.
The drum sounds can be huge, from real drums, through the usual suspects (808/909) all the way to weird fx and kraftwerk synth percussion sounds.
the edit window is not that bad actually.
It's quite a simple unit to use.

I would possibly also keep the TX81Z.

That's it.

[dlmorley]

TX81z is useful!
R8m...I absolutely LOVE the R8 (I have a MK II) but I guess the rack has none of the sequencing features (which is where all the magic happens on those)

[minime123]

if youre on the fence about them, id say "sell em".

[DevonB]

Originally Posted by Derp

TX81Z... In theory FM8 could replace it, but when I tried it, FM8 couldn't quite nail it. It was too clean, imo. The TX81Z's got 12-bit converters which give it it's unique character. If it's something you used a lot before switching to Mac, then you'd probably be best trying to find a patch editor for it. Otherwise software may be a good enough replacement for ya.

FM8 does FM well, but it didn't really sound like Yamaha's flavor of FM. I really don't think it's the convertors, I think they just didn't nail the sound. However, I thought DiscoDSP Phantom sounded a LOT closer to the 'Yamaha' sound. But considering I have a TG-77 now, I couldn't be arsed to compare or even care at this point.

The Morpheus is ok. I had it as well for a few months and sold it. Not sad that its gone.

Devon

[zmoorhs]

The Morpheus is a really unique & imo amazing sounding instrument if you can access it's guts, which luckily you can. It has a top notch midi spec & responds very very nicely to realtime sysex messages. You'll need the midi & system exclusive implementation charts for the Morpheus & a good quality midi controller that's got nice sysex features such as a Peavey PC-1600 or Kenton Control Freak (maybe there's better sysex friendly midi controllers available now, but those are two that I'm familiar with). I'd bet you wouldn't even need to program the sysex strings yourself as we did 15/16 years ago because if you search around, there's probably Morpheus patches already available online for free. Honestly, it's really worth checking out something like the Morpheus with some deep editability from a midi controller. It'll handle multiple realtime sysex streams without choking, making it A LOT of fun to play around with. I loved some of the synthy vocal drum stuff you could do with it. It talks to you.

Just watch you don't damage your speakers!!

Oh, it program changes really fast as well, so you can sweep thru program changes live as crazy effect. thumbsup

[Resonant Serpent]

I've been trying to buy a Morpheus for a while now, and haven't seen any for sale. Let me know if you decide to let it go.

[carbon]

Good comments. I'm going to hold onto them for now and see what I can come up with. The Morpheus with a hardware controller sounds interesting.

If I find they're still sitting around in a few months, I'll unload them. Res Serp, I'll let you know if I get rid of the Morpheus.

[alexp]

And Carbon, keep me in mind for that Procussion...


Would love one of those!


Sort of like fighting over someones will before their dead.


alexP

[Derp]

Originally Posted by Resonant Serpent

I've been trying to buy a Morpheus for a while now, and haven't seen any for sale. Let me know if you decide to let it go.

I didn't have my Morpheus for very long at all and thus didn't get very deep into it, but as far as I know, there's nothing it can do that you can't do with one of E-Mu's last few samplers, and I can attest that they are much easier to use. ...just my two cents.

[Entrainer]

Personally, the Morpheus is the one thing I'd keep. Used to have one in the 90s. Out of cool 90s digital technology, Wavestation, Morpheus, and Kyma were my favorites. Been searching eBay randomly for one.

The Emu's may have the filters, but I like the waveforms in there. Easy to get to... stay in creative mode. Emu X3 supposed to have them. No Morpheus lib available.

[steveman]

AFAIK none of the EMU samplers have the full set of Morpheus filters, only 50 out of the 150. OTOH I suppose they'll have chosen the most useful.

[Spectral Climax]

Originally Posted by Derp

I had a Morpheus a few years back. Bought it because Haujobb swore by it back in the day. ...without a decent editor it was pretty useless, imo. Plus, all those filters can be found on E-Mu's higher end samplers and they're easier to use.

TX81Z... In theory FM8 could replace it, but when I tried it, FM8 couldn't quite nail it. It was too clean, imo.

Ok, you don't have to keep the TX81Z brick for its 12bit converter... Try bit reduction on FM8 with a decent and cheap plugin like dr. device by Audiodamage...if you don't like it, keep the hard unit...

[Stevil]

Originally Posted by carbon

These don't fetch that much on ebay so they're almost not worth selling. If I'm just going to throw them in a closet for a few years, keeping them around doesn't make sense.

i have a bunch of crap like this lying around. aphex aural exciter, microverb3, digitech guitar box, DBX 286A. every once in a while i think i may use em for something though. theres that 'send away yer gear to some random gearslut' thread. may wanna offer em up there.

the R8 annoys the crap outta me. that drum machine was everywhere around 1993ish & i've never recovered, i know a bunch of people love it though.
i used to really want a Procussion back in the day. 1000 emu drum sounds? every once in a while i'll pick up an old piece i used to drool over if the price is right, just to satisfy my curiosity. maybe you'll make a few bucks off em & make somebody's minute.

[rolo]

ahh the Morpheus! I loved that thing, and yes you CAN still program it, it just take a bit of time. It always reminded me of synths from Pink Floyd's Momentary Lapse Of Reason. and you can never go wrong with 4 op Fm on the TX81z

[clusterchord]

i vote sell everything including U220. cept TX. i dont like FM7/8. it just does not sound the same as hw version. i A/Bed many times with my TX802 and close but no cigar. no cutting, drity metal sound. and converter can hardly be imitated by a bit reduction plugin.. that doesnt exactly compute.. theres muvh more going on in a DA process.. lot of nonlinearities, saturations etc..


get a EOS range sampler instead of Morpheus. it got all in there, and more much more.. in depth matrix modulation, with tons of controllers avail as sources.. most of all you can sample or load anything you want, any wave imaginable. not limited to ROM inside morpheus. it was just a sign of things to come in affordable package... turned completely obsolete by what followed from emu. and considering the ridicolously low prices E-Mu samplers go for these days.. i say EOS stuff is best buy.