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CMK49
KEYBOARD
Siel, £125
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Here
is the current apex in musical add-ons for the 64. This
Siel CMK49 keyboard brings the professional touch to
your home computer.
Although
costing £125, the keyboard also comes with its own software,
either disc or cassette based. If you think that's a
little too much to pay for musical hardware, then see
the package in the flesh.
The
keyboard has 49 notes and is of high, robust quality.
It also has the real 'feel' of a keyboard. Interfacing
is simple: just plug it into the back of your computer,
load the software and you're away.
The
software itself exploits the SID chip to its full capabilities,
with a possible 99 voices to define at any one time.
There
are already 39 predefined instruments, so you can play
straight away with the keyboard. Some of these are vary
realistic, while others bear no clear resemblance to
their names. There is a wide range of instruments available,
from bass through guitar, and synthesizer to UFO.
With
this set-up there is no having to go through the rigmarole
of defining voices, programming the tunes and then getting
the computer to play them!
The
instruction booklet is only adequate, leaving you to
do most of the finding out (which even a non-musician
should be able to do without much bother). On screen
presentation is nice and simple, with options of playing
or creating new sounds. There is also a MIDI Master
Keyboard function where you can link the keyboard to
control MIDI equipped instruments.
The
big limitation to the package (shared by all the others
in this survey) is that imposed by the SID chip itself
-- you cannot play more than three notes simultaneously.
However,
there will be a series of add-ons available for use
with this keyboard later on this year, which will overcome
even this limitation. A hardware/software package scheduled
for June will allow the user to have full control over
a new and much stronger set of sound chips and will
bring new features, like programmable rhythms, split
keyboard, left hand chords and auto accompaniment.
Although
seeming very expensive, this synthesizer package offers
some very advanced sounds and features that are comparable
with a synth many times its price. For the right person,
it's a fantastic buy.
-----Rignall
ratings-----
Presentation 78%
Ease of use 69%
Sound potential 94%
Value for money 84%
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