Re: Creamware Scope - computer based looping?

[Jim Coker <jcoker@magelang.com>]

A few notes from a Kyma user:

I think the SCOPE platform is pretty interesting, but 
it is gonna be tough for them to compete w/ Kyma in
terms of software features and support.  Their SHARC
chips are pretty fast, but Motorola has DSP chips that
are much faster than those in the current Capybara
hardware, and hopefully Symbolic Sound will be upgrading
to them pretty soon.  Here too, everthing depends on 
the software's ability to take advantage of the 
hardware. 

One last hardware bit: Avoid comparing Mhz
to Mhz, or even MIPS to MIPS for DSP chips. Even though
a 200Mhz SHARC chip is probably faster than a 66Mhz
56002, their architectures are wildly different.  The
Motorola chips can do lots of a parallel data moves that
dramatically increase their effective speed.

Paolo Valladolid wrote:
> 
> Besides switching to faster DSPs, I'd like to see the Kyma offer an
> external controller like SCOPE's.  The touch-sensitive screen and 20 
>knobs
> together form a much more comfortable,immediate interface than just the
> standard mouse-and-windows thing. :)

Most Kyma users, myself included, seem to use the Peavey PC1600
as a hardware controller. There is a smooth command that can be
used to avoid stairstepping of controller values.  That same command
can also be used to introduce "portamento" of any duration on 
any command -- great for creating extended transitions of several
controllers at once.  Doepfer also makes an interesting
controller called Regelwerk, w/ a built in sequencer.  Then
there is the 01V, w/ motorized faders, and a pretty nice mixer too.
That controller for SCOPE is *really damn expensive*, hell
I could get more than 15 PC1600's for that price.

Kyma does support physical modelling synthesis, as well as 
sampling, granualar, FM, additive, real-time-resynthesis,
analog-style subtractive, formant-filters, etc. etc. etc.

Looping?  Ohhh, yes, a good bit of that....