Technics WSA1

Instructions available here: http://virtualacoustic.free.fr/HTML/downloadWSA1.html

The company name is normally associated Technics llectronique consumption. Cest dailleurs one of the main reasons why this synthtiseur Has a dsastre for society Matsushita, keyboards sold with only 300 and 100 racks. Marketed in 1995, it is THE FIRST Technics between instruments in the field of professionals, beginners vrit remarkable. The WSA1 offers 64 voices of polyphony and three possde modulation wheel, two rotating balls (reminiscent of the joystick Wavestation), a standard screen with an intuitive graphic design, and excellent keyboard.

UTILIZATION

This is the only synthtiseur can directly express the combination of several different attacks associated rsonateurs, making possible the manipulation of basic CHARACTERISTICS MODEL. The structures can be associated, for example, simulate rsonances friendly. For the settings may be associated with a particular message to fit the Midi CONTRL his personal needs. The CONTRL intermdiaire of the Midi peripherals is simple and efficient trs.

Dtail edition of the flick, with some rsonateurs:

SOUNDS

Factory Demos available here: # http://virtualacoustic.free.fr/HTML/Demos.html WSA

Here synthse employee wears the pretty name dAcoustic Modeling Synthesis. It makes sagit dun Systm mixed using samples recorded (dattaques transient, noise), which then are sent to the rsonateurs MODELS simulated by donde guides. This principle is similar to the basic concept of Korg and Roland Wavedrum VG8 with forms that dmarrent donde prexistantes while VL1 modlise absolutely everything, including the form donde original.

OVERALL OPINION

This synthtiseur Pipelines Limited to be played on the keyboard and play an instrument with the Controller of breath is impossible. The large number of rsonateurs, excitement and paramtres opens a vast field of exploration. The WSA1 could be a good compromise between physical MODELS Sampling and if the quality was denregistrement t better. Using samples of attacks Reduces Whereas the cot in computing, which allows 64-voice polyphony and a large variety of rsonateur. In comparison, the VL1 modlise that everything, including the attack, gives better quality sound but srieusement limit the number of instruments, mostly wind, and is monophonic.

Demos at: http://blouby.chez-alice.fr/WSA1.html

-Keyboard:
61 keys, aftertouch, keyboard resembles a 01W/trinity/SY77. It is good and we play very well on it, hard enough for the piano and soft enough for the organ.
-Controller:
There are 5! a pitch bend, two wheels and two balls. 5 controllers is great, everything is assignable. It can even control the resonant filter of an expander.
-Connection:
More than complete since there are two sets of MIDI!
-Sounds:
Patch: 4 banks, User1, User2, Rom, GM (128 sounds each time)
Combi: User1, Rom
-Polyphony
64 tracks
Screen-
The screen is huge and well lit. It is not particularly beautiful graphics (less that a triton or trinity) but we see very well and everything is very clear. The buttons on either side of the screen is super practical.
-Nearly 15 pounds

UTILIZATION

Demos at: http://blouby.chez-alice.fr/WSA1.html

Config:
Machine easy to handle. I regret that there is no presence of a DEC / INC for sounds. We must each time select a range of 8 sounds (you can freeze the screen) and then tap one of eight sounds. OK it is very fast, but it would go faster if we had a + / - or if you could type a number of its direct.
-Edition:
Editing is superb graphics and very simple. Nothing to say on this side!
-Manuel
Totally inadequate, missing lots of info. How is it for that ... guess!
-Easy
It is very intuitive. Without too much searching we finally found what you're looking.

SOUNDS

Demos at: http://blouby.chez-alice.fr/WSA1.html

WSA means Acoustic Modeling Synthesis.
It simulates, emulates, is modeling .. of acoustic sounds, recreating an attack, a strike etc. .. Yes ba the result is pretty bad. Ok, I managed to get some great sax but almost everything! Not rated this frankly is not very successful.

But then what is this synth?

This is where this machine is interesting.
Organ
The WSA has a drawbar mode, ie the organ drawbars. And quite frankly he is doing really not bad. Lots of fun on it, everything is paramettrable, Leslie effects with high speed, low speed, frequency, etc. .. The unknown side of the WSA is really excellent is even why I bought it.
-Synthesis
When you listen to the sounds of origin in the User Bank, we understand why this synth did not work. They are so bizarre that one wonders if there are good sounds in it! In searching the net I finally found what I wanted. I have bass sounds or webs as strong as my AN1x.
-Piano
We should not seek to 14h MIDI, you can obetnir a good piano sound and that's it. It is not very strong in this area. I found one or two sounds good but all the others are similar.
-fender/rhodes
Again he can do very good things.
-Other
Two good three violins
Brass zero
low average
good battery

OVERALL OPINION

Demos at: http://blouby.chez-alice.fr/WSA1.html

If you want realistic sounds of brass: n NOT BUY this synth!

He excels in the organs, and synthesis. Attention to the output amplifier can be enormous. As soon as possible I put examples of sounds!

The big highlight of this machine: the number of controllers and the ease of allocation (LFO speed, LFO amp, cut-off ...)
Full connectivity with optional optical out and digital
Double midi handy for controlling other instruments.

UTILIZATION

General configuration simple, but it is true that the instructions are pretty basic. However, we must not forget that handle this type of machine to acoustic modeling, this concept leads to a minimum on the layers, filters, LFOs. So for newbies, it takes a while to learn.

Editing the sounds in SOUND mode is well done. Each module is clearly marked and very graphic. I am including an example application of LFOs that by "wiring" between the blocks.

SOUNDS

Once you understand the philosophy of publishing, we can very quickly realize PRESETS very complete and very original. I think that we should not see the WSA as comparable to others, but to explore very different sounds.

The main drawback comes from the granularity of samples of the ROM. However, with a bit of time adjusting the equalizer and the equalizer output is reached to produce sounds very nice.

The aftertouch is very reactive and the key mapping is also very simple.

Finally, the internal effects are a bit poor for the reverb. It is however often the problem on the synths of that era. It is sometimes easier to release a raw sound and apply effects to externally with more efficient algorithms. This has a major drawback is that multi track, only audio track 1 is good, others inherit selected effects on track 1, which can be very problematic when a superb organ is positioned on channel 1 and a bass or a guitar effects are the same .

OVERALL OPINION

I use this machine since 1998, mainly for composing music for films (advertising jingle, movie trailers, ...) Soon I was afraid I was mistaken purchase using only the sounds of the ROM but once the edit mode included, and many hours of work, I built a database of sounds suitable.
Like all machines, each has its strengths. Technics wanted to focus on modeling. Ie a "cello" is also becoming clear that a basic VST completely sampled with a variable attack by striking or aftertouch, but it takes hard work, just like on the K2K which sounds ROM but are devastating when they are published, they become totally different.

One can only Technics criticized for not putting this machine in the hands of enthusiasts who could build a strong very good sound banks and the overall image of the machine would have been much better.

For me this machine is ideal for those wishing to really explore the sounds that exist nowhere with very good ease of publishing through the GUI and the big screen.

At the time, I wanted to take rather a K2000, but the aspect of "price" was too big. Once the sound of a WSA as an insert past in a rack effect, the result is good to very good.