4 comments about Keyfax The Omnibus Edition (Mix Pro Audio Series).

1. A very good referance book for those interested in vintage synths. Has good overview's and statisics on many of the classics. Not as indepth as Vintage Synthesizers by Mark Vail and features some questionable "Top 100" synthesizer choices (Roland MT-32 but not Jupiter-6??). However, most Top 100 entries feature photos of instruments (although many are overly cropped), but if you're into vintage synths then it's a must read. I enjoyed it. Plus if you keep it in the bathroom, each synth overview will cover a sitting, allowing it to be enjoyed for a full 100 sittings! - And that doesn't count the synth manufacturer profiles and extensive buyer's guide index.



2. Keyfax Omnibus is a must have item for electronic musicians looking for those increasingly hard to find bargains in the world of used synthesizers.

   Each review has pertinant information like how many units of a particular instrument were sold, what the asking price was when the item was originally sold and what it was when this edition was compiled (1996 prices). Of course there have been fluctuations, but the guide prices are all pretty valid.

   This has reviews and many pictures for just about anything that you'll find, so it may save some money in the long run, and help to identify bargains. Julian has a hot 100 which most people will agree with. Strongly recommended.




3. There is no other way to get all this information on vintage synths in one lifetime. Yeah, I kept mine in the bathroom at first, but now its next to the computer so I can check the minimal synth descriptions at the Ebay and Amazon auctions. Most recently, it convinced me to buy the Oberheim Matrix 1000, new in the box, a great synth. If you want data (and some knowledgeable opinions) rather than photos and memoirs, this is the book. (It does have some photos, small but informative.)



4. An excellent reference-work, this sets out to give details on every synth ever made from 1968 until 1996, with a big directory at the back of the book, and lengthy reviews of 100 of the most interesting at the front. Rather than being simply a collection of reviews from the other, hard-to-find Keyfax book, the whole book has been written from scratch. Julian Colbeck has a knack for writing that is informative and friendly without appearing smug, and the constant references to hopelessly untrendy bands that he has worked with add to the charm. His selection of 100 great synths covers the obvious bases and includes plenty of bizarre, interesting things that you have probably never heard of - the Gleeman Pentaphonic and the Octave-Plateau Voyetra Eight are new to me. Omissions are a matter of taste, but it seems odd to have both the Jupiter 8 and MKS-80 in separate entries, and it would have been nice to see the JX-10 as well. There is single black-and-white photograph for each synth (oddly, the one for the Kurzweil 250 seems to focus on the back of the machine), and a few interesting images in the directory. Given that the synth market has thrown up some interesting things in the last four years, here's hoping that there's an updated reprint in the wings, hopefully with a CD of old synth sounds attached to the front.

No comments about 300 voices for Yamaha 4-operator synthesizers.

4 comments about An Insider's Guide to Casio CZ Synthesizers.

1. If you have a Casio CZ synthesizer and you like to program it, then you must have this book. There are also plenty of juicy tips in here that apply to synthesizers in general.

   You are guided step by step through each feature of the CZ, and you get tips on how to exploit them fully. This book will open up your CZ for you, and show how to get the sounds you want from this under-rated and powerful synthesis system.

   The reason I didn't give it four stars is that the chapter on multi-timbral operation is misleading, because the CZ series (except the CZ-1) have a frustratingly limited implimentation of this MIDI function.

   With this book, your CZ becomes an invaluable addition to your synthesizer phalanx!




2. What's the point? I see no information in this book that was not contained in my CZ-5000 user guide. I don't get it.



3. Not quite sure what the guy below is talking about here. I have a CZ-101 and also a CZ-1, both received used with the manuals, which were not the best. So I picked up this book to see if there was anything more I could get out of these machines and was not disappointed as the CZ's re pretty powerful little sonic beasts even by today's standards.

   The book is really clear and easy to read and the details on how the various parts of the CZ work really make it clear how to get the most from these synths. Though I know a decent amount about synth programming the sections on sound could be very helpful to less experienced users.

   Bottom line is the book made the CZ's more valuable and useful to me and was well worth the purchase. I'd recommend it to any one with a CZ.




4. This book helped me a lot to understand some details about my CZ 5000 that the manuals don't cover.
   
   The sound examples are not the best, but they help to undestand the basic of the CZ synthesis.
   
   every one who is a beginner and have a CZ must buy this book ;)

No comments about Music Synthesizers: A Manual of Design and Construction.

No comments about What's a Synthesizer?: Simple Answers to Common Questions (What's A...).

No comments about CMOS Fractional-N Synthesizers: Design for High Spectral Purity and Monolithic Integration (The Springer International Series in Engineering and Computer Science).

No comments about High Speed Analog-to-Digital Converters; PLLs and Synthesizers.

1 comments about The Complete Guide to Synthesizers.

1. This is a truly excellent book for anyone who is interested in the operation of analog synthesizers. Although information is in-depth, it begins with the basic understanding, and then builds up to more technical information later. This means that the reader is able to understand the text more. Illustrations and block diagrams of patch paths and soundwaves are also of high value to the reader, although I feel some of these could have been presented by better means (computer as opposed to rulers and pen?). The inclusion of photgraphs in the book also gives the reader a good resource to find out what the synthesizers look like. If anyone out there is desparate to get their hands on this book, like I was, a tip is to check out book sales in libraries. When books get old enough they sell them off for ridiculous prices. This is the method by which I acquired mine

1 comments about Complete Guide to Synthesizers, Sequencers, and Drum Machines.

1. This is a book of reviews of ols synthesizers.

   Ordered by price, about a page per instrument.

   Useful still, as many of these turn up on e-bay etc. for sale.

   Obviously no substitute for playing the instruments, but a good starting place.

No comments about Synthesists Guide to Accoustic Instruments.