AT60SL Getting Round A Floppy Disk Dinosaur

[Guest]

I am thinking of exchanging my Tyros 3 for AT60SL, (have been offered straight swap by dealer which appears good deal)</p>

The At60SL however only has a floppy , (unlike the latest model range which has USB like the Tyros) , i was looking at latest model but although they have USB you have to spend ££££s and go for probably AT500+ to get similar specs of the AT60sl , is there a work around the storage problem using a PC?</p>

I notice in the user manual you can connect the AT60SL to a PC via a Com port (would have to be an old laptop then?), but doesn't give any indication of what can be done / what software is needed etc. So if any one uses an Atelier with a computer cuold you tell me - is it possible to record a performance on the Roland (with rhythm / voice registration and other control data set up etc) and save to PC ie: use the PC to build a repertoire of setups on the PCs hard drive? So is played from the PC you have a left and right hand voice set up etc and can for instance mute the track to play along - Or is it limited to just playing standard midi files with the organ not setting up registrations - Can't imagine going back to a slowwwww and noisssy and buggggy flopppy drive
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Thanks Tony (UK)
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[Guest]

Re: AT60SL Getting Round A Floppy Disk Dinosaur

I think i've work out the answer for myself - the organ allows you to save as SMF , standard midi file only on floppy , then take the floppy out of the organ put it in the computer load it onto the PC hard drive , then into the PC's sequencer then running the sequencer on the computer the organ can be set up as a midi transmit channel and presumably plays as general midi only --- if this is the case - i have taken the simplicity/power of the Tyros 3 for granted!

[andyg]

Re: AT60SL Getting Round A Floppy Disk Dinosaur



Hi Tony</p>

OK, you've got your songs on the computer in SMF format.
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Now as for getting them to play back from the PC to the organ, how about using a USB to MIDI adaptor? That would let the organ and PC at least talk to each other. If the files were saved in SMF format, the PC would be able to play them back, using a sequencer or even something like Media Player, and you can set MP's MIDI output to be played through the USB-MIDI link, so it would go straight to the organ. Just how well it would work, I don't know, all my multi-track work on the AT's has been using audio rather than MIDI. I'm fairly sure that you have the option of playing back SMF's as GM or as Roland songs. If so, the latter would give you just four channels, upper, lower, pedal and solo. You'd have to check this out.
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BTW, from much experience, I can tell you that the floppy on a Roland is neither too slow nor buggy. Noise - OK, it's a floppy!</p>

If you've played organ before getting the T3, you'll be fine with the 60SL (though there are 80SL's out there which are far better but you won't get a swap). Going from keyboard to organ can be a bit unsettling at first (but not as bad as going from organ to keyboard) but stick with it.</p>

Andy
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[Guest]

Re: AT60SL Getting Round A Floppy Disk Dinosaur



Hi Andy,</p>

Thanks for your (detailed) response, does the Atelier sound convincing when it plays professional midi files? THe Tyros for instnace can sound like a complete symphony orchestra (hard to tell the difference) if i put in a good quality midi of say Holst the planet suite, but if i play the same midi through my PC sound card it sounds more like a cheap bontempi reed organ! but the sound card is only £25 thing</p>

Can the atelier produce realistic theatre organ and church organ sounds too , i notice it doesn't have a sub woofer but i do ahave a logitec ZR200 set of speakers i currently use with Tyros which help with bass sounds</p>

Cheers</p>

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Tony
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[andyg]

Re: AT60SL Getting Round A Floppy Disk Dinosaur



Hi Tony
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The voice quality of all Ateliers in a given series (SL in this case) is the same. You get more and more voices and features as you go up the range, as well as more amplification but a given voice will be the same from model to model. If you like, they've taken the sounds from the top models and put them into the cheapest, just less of them. So yes, the AT60SL can produce some very good theatre and church sounds - these are Rodgers samples - as well as Hammond drawbar and Lowrey flute sounds. I haven't played a 60 for a while but I seem to recall it gave a good account of itself in a home environment - I don't think it would need a subwoofer, but you could always try adding it.</p>

As far as MIDI playback goes, the Ateliers have the full GS soundset, so there's no reason why they shouldn't sound fine when handling SMF's. Yamaha keyboards will (or at least can) auto-revoice an SMF so it uses the best voices they have to offer. Not sure if the Rolands do the same - you'd have to check that out.</p>

When it comes to PC playback, don't confuse 'soundcard' with 'sound source'. The sounds on your PC are usually generated within Windows, via its own wavetable soundset which is pretty cruddy. The virtual orchestras and organs I have in this PC will blow even the T3 or Ateliers away. The soundcard that delivers them is only around £60 - the software that produces them much, much more than that! But we're getting away from your point a little!
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Andy
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